How do you celebrate the first day of school?

[Shimmer]

Looking for some ideas on how to celebrate the first day of school. I think we're going to make some school T-shirts again this year. I was thinking about wrapping up some school supplies (new pencils, watercolors, etc) for each of them to open. All ideas are appreciated!

[blessedmomof4]

New school supplies are always a hit here... my daughter is easy to please- a banana split party would make her happy By the way, I just noticed you are also expecting a new little one-how exciting!

[birchbark]

Great idea for a thread! What are school T shirts?

[inHistiming]

I was just thinking of this today! We actually started our new school year July 1, but I was thinking we should do something special on the first day of ps....mostly because that means all the kids will be back in school and the zoo, Disney, Sea World, etc. will be less crowded. So I am planning to talk to dh and try to schedule a trip to Sea World for that day...a field trip so to speak....since we already have year passses. Otherwise we don't really do anything special for the first day of school...

[Shimmer]

Great idea for a thread! What are school T shirts?

We did LHTH shirts last year with my girls' hands on it. You could also do your school name or anything you want really. I'm sure there are much more creative ways to decorate shirts than how I did with a Sharpie! Here is the link to a picture.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5040

By the way, I just noticed you are also expecting a new little one-how exciting!

Congrats to you as well! Seems like there are several new babies coming to people on this board this Fall/Winter. It'll be an HOD baby boom.

[christyg]

Hi! Great topic! I have a dear Christian friend who is little older than me. Her kids are high school (public school)/ college age now. She has been such a good motherly role model for me. Anyway, I get lots of ideas from her. As a tradition every year, she would bake a simple chocolate cake and have it ready for her kiddos (along with a glass of milk ) for their snack when they came home from school on the very first day. I thought that was a great idea and did it last year. However this year, I think that we are going to make a cake together and let the kids decorate it however they would like and then we will have a small party that night with Daddy when he gets home.

I also heard another idea (it might have been on this board) about having a "We're not going back to school today" party on the first day of public school. The person with this idea said that they all go to Chuck E Cheese and celebrate. So, I thought that was a cute idea that we may try with our homeschool group.

Have a blessed day,
Christy

[Bramble]

We never have celebrated the first day of school. I like the idea of celebrating "We're not going back to school!" on the first day of ps.

[dlrickett]

We are planning to do a scavenger hunt at the beginning of the school year. I got this idea from another home school mom. I typed up clues and will put their new school supplies in different places around the house. They have to follow the clues and will find one of their new school supplies at each place. At one destination they will also find a special snack to enjoy on the first day of school. I thought it sounded like a memorable way to start the year and a fun way to give the kids their new supplies.

[SoaringEagle]

We're going to bake a cake and decorate it. Good idea to let kids decorate. Then we'll go do something fun. Not sure what though. I know they'd love to go to McD's play place. Maybe I should save that for the first day of public school, like someone mentioned here.

[water2wine]

I make a nice big breakfast, pancakes bacon etc and we get school supplies. This year I am going to sew them some things. I am thinking a pencil organizer and covers for their binders and a composition book with a cover that I may call a prayer book. We are moving out of the dining room into a "school room" so this will be part of our new look. I think just having a heart of celebration goes a long way.

In the past I have done theme cakes and that has been fun too. I sometimes make some special snacks. My kids really love HOD so it is pretty exciting just to start a new HOD program.

[Kathleen]

I LOVE the scavenger hunt idea! My kids are scavenger-hunt-lovers. They're a birthday request every year, and they love to make them up for my husband and me, too. (It just never gets old to them even if we reuse the same 5 places. )

I was thinking I'd take the kids out to eat before we start school, like on Saturday. And, then do a talk through our daily schedule (which will be a little different...but not much), so we're all briefed before the BIG DAY! I was thinking I'd wrap school supplies, too, but I think I'll have to try out a scavenger hunt! We take a picture together, too. Here are our 1st and last days last year.


Kathleen

[Chrissy]

We've done several things over the years...

When my kids were younger I let each of them pick out a special "school supply" for the beginning of the year.

Some years my hubby has left each of them an encouraging card with some candy.

We've had special breakfasts.

We've ordered in or gone out for a special lunch or dinner (maybe that's more of a treat for me!).

We have gotten together with friends at the end of the day.

I have also let them pick what they think their favorite book/books of the year will be and have taken a picture of them.

My favorite--although we've missed a year here & there--I take a picture with each of my kids standing next to me. It is fun to look back, from year to year, watching them grow taller and taller and ultimately surpass me! Well, it's fun for them at least!! My three oldest boys are now 6 ft. or more, and my dd is several inches taller than me. My 10yo is my last hope--I think it is a losing battle!

Chrissy

[MomtoJGJE]

I like the idea of taking a picture on the first day... I could take each one's picture with the TM beside something that's not likely to change even if we move (like the organ or something)

[water2wine]

Kathleen your kids are so cute! Your daughter is a little mini-you.

[Heather4Him]

Every year we've done a breakfast at McDonald's before coming home for pictures and then starting our new school year. When our dd was younger, she played in the Playland for awhile first, but now she feels "too big" for that, so we just come home after eating.

I love all the great ideas here! Thanks to everyone for sharing. We may have to try a few new ones this year to kick off our HOD journey!