When it’s time to wind down summer vacation and kick off the new school year, it can be fun to mark the occasion with a fun back-to-school tradition. Celebrating the start of school as something to look forward to will help build a sense of excitement around it, instead of bringing the sense of dread and disappointment many kids experience when summer comes to an end. If you are looking for a new back-to-school tradition to start in your home, here are several back-to-school traditions for homeschool families to consider:
Whip up an extra special breakfast or treat
There’s no better way to start the day than with a delicious, home-cooked breakfast. Kick it up a notch by scrapping your usual breakfast menu and cooking something extra-delightful on the first day of school. Cinnamon rolls, homemade donuts, chocolate chip pancakes or another sweet treat can make a day that kids sometimes dread start off a little brighter. Or make a special treat for later in the day; give them something to look forward to (or better yet, make them together), like back-to-school cupcakes.
Snap a photo
Since your little one isn’t heading off to hop on the school bus, the traditional backpack-over-the-shoulder shot might not make so much sense, but it’s still a good idea to commemorate the start of the new year with a portrait. Let your child get dressed in their favorite back-to-school outfit and have them strike a pose wherever they’d like!
Conduct a back-to-school interview
Come up with a set of questions to ask at the start of each school year and watch as your child’s answers change as they grow and mature. You can take an old-school approach and write everything down, or go high-tech and capture the interview on camera with your smartphone or another device. Need something in a jiffy? Click the link below for a FREE printable first day of school interview.
Kick things off with a field trip
One of the best things about homeschooling is the freedom to learn wherever you’d like! You can keep things close to home with a field trip to a nearby museum, farm or other local attraction, or plan a family vacation that doubles as a learning opportunity. As traditional schools resume, crowds die down in big cities, national parks, and other popular tourist destinations, making it the perfect time to visit.
Throw a back-to-homeschool BBQ
If you’re friends with a few other homeschooling families, plan a get-together to kick off the new year with a back-to-school BBQ! Although you may not all start classes on the same date, celebrate the spirit of the season and pick a weekend that works for everyone to fire up the grill and let the kids play.
Create a homeschool vision board
Setting goals at the start of the year is always a smart idea. Designing a vision board can be a fun way to let your homeschooler creatively capture their goals and ambitions on paper. Collect magazines over the course of the summer so your little ones have plenty of images to choose from for inspiration!
There are dozens of different ways you can commemorate the start of the new school year – these are only a few suggestions. Does your family have any back-to-homeschool traditions to look forward to? Leave a comment and let me know!
