Saturday, July 26, 2014

First Day of School Traditions

It's nearing the end of July. For those that don't homeschool year round, that means it's back to school time! We try to make this special day fun so that it's easier to say goodbye to summer. Here are some of our traditions for back to school time:

New school supplies - How could one not take advantage of the Back to School sales many stores have after the 4th of July? You can get everything you need for the whole year at a super low price! So, we like to go early (as in, the July 5th - lol!) to get our supplies. That way we know everything will be in stock. Then, I separate everything into 3 boxes (one for each kid), and put the boxes up. Out of sight, out of mind. Then, when the first day of school arrives, I get the boxes out and let each boy organize his supplies as he wants. They get so excited over new school supplies! It's like Christmas! lol!

Special Breakfast - I usually fix something special for the first day of school breakfast, something we don't normally have. Like Smiley-Face pancakes, Monkey Bread, or something similar. It's just a special treat to let them know that this is a very special day.

Half-Day - Actually, the first week of school is filled with half days. We've found that it's easier to get back into schooling from a long summer break if we only homeschool half days the first week. I also let them sleep in if they want to, and they can homeschool in their jammies. :)

Best Part of Summer Discussion - My boys get to relive their summer on the first day of school by describing their favorite moments from the summer. Then I let them draw pictures of their favorite moments and display their drawings all over the schoolroom. Dad likes to come into the room and admire their artwork. My boys beam with pride as they explain their pictures to their dad.

First Day of School Picture - Who hasn't seen these? You take a picture on the first day, then one again on the last day. This way you can appreciate how much your little blessings have changed in just a few short months. Here's our most recent one:
And, for good measure, the one I took in May. The matching Last Day of School pic:

EDIT: Our first day of school pic for this year:
 Look how big they've gotten. <3

What are some of your back to school traditions?