Now that we officially have a school-age kid in our house, I’m really into this Back to School business. I started a board on Pinterest of all of my favorite Back to School treats, ideas, crafts, gifts, and such. You can follow it here.
On my foodie blog today, I’m showing you my Back to School menu. My menu includes what you could make for breakfast before they head off, as an afternoon snack and then for supper that night too. Find my menu here.
And then I loved how Erika asked her readers last week to share the back to school traditions they have at their house. Such a great idea!! If you have any back to school traditions or ideas, please comment below! I would love to include some new traditions in our house too!
Have the best day!
Kara J says
Hey Shay, our tradition was to hold up the number of fingers for the grade we were going into on the first day of school. I'm not sure what we did for Kindergarten (maybe you could sign the letter K) but I remember being in high school and on the first day of school I had to hold up a 9, 10, 11 and 12. When I left for college I did a 13. Now that I'm married every anniversary we take a picture and I hold up my fingers to show how many years we've been married. I absolutely love traditions! Have fun finding a few new ones to try with Kensington!
Haley @ Cupcakes and Sunshine says
So, so exciting! I hope Kensington LOVES it!
Stephanie Reynolds says
HI Shay,
So Im in the same boat, my oldest is off to kindergarten this year. I have a 3 1/2 yr girl and an almost 1yr old. We actually discussed together what our traditions would be. We will have a tradional 1st day of school breakfast of caramel rolls and yogurt parfaits (easy…so I can make sure to actually keep up the tradition). Then when he gets home we are going to greet him with a chocolate shake and sit on the porch and talk all about his 1st day!(this is a surprise)
Also to make it fun for my girls we will send him off to school meet other moms for a coffee then come home and decorate the house for fall!! THIS we are most excited about! Plus it will make my little guy super happy to come home to! He love the holiday decor just as much as us girls : )
Kaylyn Kruse says
My friend's mom always made pancakes on the first day of school and had her kids decorate with syrup, blueberries, bananas, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, strawberries or even sprinkles "how they were feeling" about the first day of school! Usually lots of smiley faces and a few nervous faces too. I thought it was such a cute idea!
Amanda Regan says
I throw a party. Cake, balloons, special dinner, sparkly silverware- kind of a birthday party for getting more education. Sometimes we invite other families, but not always. I also give each child a small gift- this year is princess nail polish for my daughter and a small Phillies bobble head for my son.
Eileen says
I make a back to school cake every year. Last year it was a school bus, this year it will be a pencil. My kids really look forward to it. I also spend one-on-one time with the school child to go school supply and school clothes shopping. I love to spend this special time celebrating going back to school.
Jenny says
We have two back to school traditions in our family. My oldest is going into 5th grade and both of these have just sort of evolved over the years. Every year, I buy my kids a new book for back to school. I either choose a book that represents something about that year, an interest that they have, or something that I think we would enjoy reading together. In the front cover of the book, I write them a little letter. My hope is to eventually have 12 books for each of my kids that I can pass along to them someday. The other tradition is super easy, but my kids have come to count on it. I always have a freshly baked goody when they get off the bus the first day.
emilyanne says
When I first moved to Gainesville, FL five years ago I ended up picking my nephew up from school on his first day. To make it special since I wasn't mom or dad I took him to get ice cream from a neat little ice cream shop in his small town. It's become our thing and now we've included the last day of school too! Now that I have 2 little girls they go with us and I'm looking forward to continuing this tradition with my girls when they start school.
Anonymous says
I would make sure to plan lunch out with friends every first day of school….it really helps to keep the I wonder how things are going at school thoughts from taking over, and a great chance to share those same feelings with other moms. When we had a younger sibling that wasn't at school yet, we would eat out someplace where they could come too. We would pray for our kids and their teachers and then eat a deelish lunch and then when we were done it was almost time for school to be out. My kids are in college now, but my friends and I still meet for lunch on the first day and pray for them. 🙂
hillary says
I love the menu! Hope y'all are having a fun trip!
Elizabeth T says
My sister has started the tradition of taking a picture of each of her kids sitting in the driveway on the first day of school, and with colored chalk she writes/colors the grade that they are going into to. Super easy and really cute!
Leslie says
The night before school starts we always ALWAYS read "The Kissing Hand. It is the sweetest book about a raccoon who is afraid to start school. His mother kisses the palm of his hand and tells him whenever he gets lonely or wants her, to touch his hand to his cheek, and the kiss will jump off on to his face. Before the little boy goes to school, he gives his mother a kissing hand, too. I have a junior high school child who might still want to hear this each year. It's been our tradition since the night before kindergarten started.
Anonymous says
Every year I take a first day of school picture in front of the front door and then take a last day of school picture there too-same spot every year. It's fun looking back in the scrap book each year to see how they have grown. My oldest goes to college(out of state) this year….wishing she was back in kindergarten! Good luck. It's hard letting go.
audra wray says
I am trying to think of fun traditions too!! Hope you have a wonderful trip!!
Kristi McDaniel says
Our back to school tradition was breakfast out every morning on the first day of school. We went to the same restaurant every year from Kindergarten until Senior Year. Believe it or not we even had the same waitress everyone of those years. On the special years (Kindergarten, First day of Middle School, First Day of High School, and first day of Senior Year the grandparents also joined us for breakfast. My girls (twins) loved this tradition and still miss it.
Kimberly says
My mom started baking first day of school brownies when my older brother started kindergarten. I'm in graduate school and my brother's a high school teacher now, we're both married and in our 20s, and she still makes us each first day of school brownies. 🙂
Anonymous says
Where do you get your daughter's big bows? They are so cute!
Deon says
We are having the back to school fairy come and leave a small wrapped gift for our child to have for school! Check it out here: http://pushupsandplaydates.com/back-to-school-fairy/
MKoehl says
We go out to eat for breakfast on the first day of school!! Also started a first day questionnaire with random "favorite" questions.
Samantha @ Five Heart Home says
We have a back-to-school tradition of enjoying Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins as an after school snack on the first day. My kids love them and look forward to them each year, so I'd be in big trouble if I ever forgot to make them! (I use this recipe ~ http://www.fivehearthome.com/2013/08/15/peanut-butter-jelly-muffins/ )
I hope Kensington loves and has a smooth transition to Kinder!
Anonymous says
You can spray a little of your perfume on her~when she is missing you tell her to sniff that spot then it is like you are right therewith her and don't forget to put a love note in the lunchbox sometimes I put stickers on the napkins too!