Get Kids Excited for Back to School

Back to school time is usually filled with mixed emotions. Though kids will be happy to see their friends and to make new ones, they will also be sad to wave goodbye to those long, fun-filled summer days. For first-time students, the first day of school can be especially nerve-wracking, whether your child is about to enter his or her first day of kindergarten or of college.

Make this time of year fun for everyone with some inspired back to school ideas to get the whole family excited for the new school year. Think about all the great memories that you and your child will make in these next few months—morning conversations on the drive to school, sports games, and big class presentations.

If your children have the back to school blues, let these suggestions get them through the beginning of the year with spirited attitudes!

Beat the Crowd

You’ll want to make sure that you get all of your child’s supplies, books, uniforms, etc. well in advance of the first day of school. A good idea is to skip the stores and buy many of these supplies online. This way, you can have your pick of supplies and you’ll get to skip the crowded stores and long checkout lines.

As a way to get your child excited to get back to the classroom, let him or her pick out one back to school item that he or she really wants. This can be a neat pencil case, a cute t-shirt, or a new lunchbox. This way, your kids won’t want to wait to go to school so they can use their new purchase and show it off to their friends!

Back to School Crafts

An inspired way to get your children ready for school is with a creative back to school craft. One idea is to customize plain notebooks, pencil cases, and binders. You can create beautiful notebook and binder covers on the computer for each school subject. Assign a color to each subject to color coordinate. To top it off, create a color-coordinated class schedule that your child can paste into his or her planner. This way, he or she will know exactly where to go on the first day of school. Make sure to include after-school activities and other helpful details, like what bus number they ride. To make it look professional, get it laminated or buy a plastic slip cover for it.

Take a look at some more ideas for back to school crafts.

Back to School Parties

Want a festive way to get excited for the new school year? Throw a back to school party! Invite family, friends, teachers, and your children’s new classmates. This is a great way to relax and catch up before the school year begins. Your children will be so excited to see their friends that they’ll want to head straight to school to spend more time with them!

Here are a few ideas for back to school celebrations:

• Back to School Recipe Party

• School Day Party

• Owl Themed Party

For more ideas, check out these fun back to school party themes. To get you started, browse through some back to school invitations. Make sure to pick up some back to school decorations before the big celebration!

Family Game Time

Get the family together and play some back to school games! Do some trivia or play a pickup game of your children’s favorite gym class sport. This way, you can have some family time before the busy school year begins!

You know what they say—practice makes perfect. Another idea is to help everyone in the family get ready for auditions and tryouts and practice, practice, practice! Kick a soccer ball around outside, play some dramatic improvisation exercises, and help your children learn their times tables. Be sure to check out some of these back to school games for more tips and ideas.

Back to School Survival Packs

Make back to school survival packs as gifts for your children before they head to their first day. These can include school supplies, books, snacks, and much more! To top it off, get that cute tote bag or backpack that they want and use it to hold the survival kit. For the child who is going off to college, be sure to pack college necessities, such as late night snacks, a new pair of pajamas, or a wall poster. Get as creative as you can!

Enjoy these back to school suggestions! The most important thing to remember at this time of year is to keep enthusiasm levels high. Make sure to be there as a support system to calm your children’s nerves.