Family traditions often become the memories that stick with us the longest. Children don’t need a bunch of complicated traditions in their life (hello, overkill) but a few special ones will do. Today I am sharing simple back to school traditions if you are looking to start one with your children.
My girls start school next week. Honestly, I am rather sad about it. I love having them home all the time, hearing them play with their dolls and legos (and, yes, the occasional screaming match!). But they are so excited about school starting. We’ve done all our back to school shopping; now all that’s on my to-do list before school is my school bus cake!
I started our school bus cake tradition a few years ago when I remembered my late friend, Megan, telling me how much she looked forward to her mom’s school bus cake every August. It’s not difficult and I’ve actually done it several different ways (I have several recipes pinned to DoSayGive’s Pinterest Board). It’s just a little act of love that I hope will stay with them the rest of their lives just like it stayed in the heart of my friend.
Back to School Traditions:
- Going out for ice cream the night before school starts.
- Let children pick what to have for dinner the night before school starts (also works if they have different start dates!).
- School bus cake (see our Family Traditions Pinterest board).
- Special breakfast that morning.
- Warm chocolate chip cookies after the first day of school.
- New hair bow to wear to school!
- A special back to school gift! (New water bottle, backpack, fun pencil case, or personalized spelling words pad etc.). Pad below no longer available but found another option here.
- Block party breakfast with neighbors the first day of school.
- Annual back to school shopping with grandmother or mom.
- Lunch and labeling afternoon (i.e. A fun way to get all the back to school supplies organized, labeled, and ready!)
- Pick out something for the teacher the first day (peaches from the farmers’ market, cute monogrammed stationery, more gift ideas here and on this DoSayGive Pinterest board).
- First day of school photo in front yard or in front of school holding a personalized sign of what grade they are entering. (There’s a plaque at our school on a stone wall and some families take their child’s photo next to it so they can see his/her growth through the years!)
- First day of school photo edited with different things about child around him (good for baby or scrapbook!)
- Make a first day of school picture frame.
- New first day of school outfit.
Happy Back to School!
Pin this post to reference each year!
I just love your ideas so much! So glad you take the time to share them. Hope your girls back to school days go well!
Thank you, Jill!
I started the back to school cake tradition last year when you first posted about it. I have two little ones and even though my oldest is in preschool he loves seeing his face on the cake each year. Yesterday was his first day of school and he was so excited to have the bus cake after dinner. It was also a helpful to make bc he ate all his dinner knowing their would be cake. Hope your girls have a great start to their school year and thank you for all your ideas, styles, and elegance you put into your blog. I have truly enjoyed it. Kerry
My oldest starts Kinder in a few weeks and I love the idea of a back to school tradition. I can’t wait to use one of your ideas.
Oh great! Such a big year!