The first day of school is right around the corner. As July nears an end, we begin to feel the end of summer blues mixed with excitement for the new school year. Chances are, you didn’t quite get around to every item on your summer activity list, but that’s ok, plenty of memories were surely made by all. Here are some ideas on how to make the return to school exciting and perhaps start a few new traditions!
Countdown to the First Day
The first day of school is something to celebrate! Having survived remote learning, we will always be thankful to be returning to school in person, woohoo. Find a fun way to countdown whether it be on a calendar or cutting the loops on a paper chain. Perhaps put a special treat in a jar and take one out everyday until none are left on the first day of school. Be creative and have fun with it!
Buy a New Outfit
This one is an oldie but a goodie, a back-to-school tradition for many generations. New clothes always make anyone and any occasion feel special! With school starting in August, most kids will still be rocking their summer wardrobe on the first day of school. Do their summer clothes still fit? No problem! Even letting them pick out just one new shirt or accessory will make it exciting. Then you can do your serious shopping for new clothes when the weather changes.
School Space Make Over
Designate a study space in the home that is quiet and conducive to focus. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just something to help them focus and complete their work successfully. Involve your kids in setting up the space. Let them hang pictures or whiteboards on the wall and line up their school supplies to their liking. If your child has a cell phone, we recommend decorating a fun box they can keep it in while they complete their school work to help limit the distractions.
Have a Special Breakfast
The first morning of school is always hectic. Most kids have been staying up late and sleeping in all summer long so getting up that first morning can be rough. Set up a special breakfast that will make them want to jump out of bed! Having a filling breakfast is a great way to start the day. Plan whatever feels special for your family – a doughnut bar, waffle bar, pancakes, a special cereal, etc. And don’t forget to send them with a mid-morning snack to help them refuel before lunch!
First-Day-of-School Photo
Do it for the ‘gram! Or your scrapbooks or just a photo that will live on your camera roll for all of eternity, but don’t forget that first day of school photo. Try hand making a sign or board for your child to hold in a special “first-day-of-school” photo outside. You can write your student’s age, school name, birthday, favorite color, what they want to be when they grow up or anything cute to remember this day in their life. It will be nice to look back at the end of the school year at how much they have accomplished and grown!
Pack a Special Lunch
You can prepare easy and special meals that your children will love, such as sandwiches, pasta salads with meat and veggies, rolled-up cold cuts and string cheese, as well as yogurt with fruit. Amazon sells fun shape cutters to turn those boring triangle sandwiches quickly into hearts, dinosaurs or whatever your child is into. Don’t forget a note on the lunchbox to make the experience more special and perhaps, normal. Feel free to be creative!
After-School Snack & Activities
Congratulations, you survived the first day of school and the return to your new normal! Let’s celebrate and balance the learning with some fun in the sun activities such as sidewalk chart or backyard scavenger hunts or perhaps a water balloon fight.
Plan an Easy Dinner
Everyone will be tired after the first day so make things easy on yourself. Plan for a quick and easy meal whether it being ordering pizza or making homemade nachos!
At Arrive Real Estate Group, we are raising our families in the communities where we live, work and play. We are experiencing the same new normals as all of you and are happy to help anyway we can. With enough experience and industry recognition to fill a page, it is still our clients’ happiness and success that matters most to us!
