8 Fun First Day of School Traditions to Enjoy With Your Kids

If you’re not a member, read for free here.

Since I was a teacher and then a librarian, I had to go back to school a week before my girls did, so they’d come with me and run around the library, “helping.” That was our tradition: helping mom in the library, the one week of the year they were allowed to run in there. It was simple, but it meant something to us.

Now that they’re older, I wish I’d done more to mark the day. So here are some low-effort, high-memory traditions to try with your own kids on the first day of school.

1. First Day Photo Tradition

It doesn’t have to be an elaborate setup. Just a simple picture before they go out the door. Try to take the photo in the same place every year so you and your child can see their growth.

If you decide to do this one, I know you’ll take the picture with your phone. But try to get that picture off your phone and printed. That way, you can paste it on the refrigerator or keep it in a book to compare year by year.

Seeing the same shot every year turns one photo into a growth chart.

2. Simple First Day Breakfast

The first day of school, no matter how much you plan ahead, is going to be chaotic. Try to fix a simple breakfast that becomes a tradition every year. Pancakes (frozen is fine), cinnamon toast, or a fancy cereal you never buy except this one time each year.

It works because it combines food with comfort and tradition.

3. First Day Interview

This is a fun tradition to start. Write down five questions you’ll ask every year and save the answers. You could even make a video.

Some ideas: “What are you most excited about this year?” “Is anything making you nervous?” “What’s your favorite subject right now?” “Who are your closest friends?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

The answers become a time capsule you can read back or watch years later.

4. Backpack Surprise

Slip something small into their backpack: a note, sticker, or tiny treasure. It’s a quiet bit of comfort waiting for them on a nervous morning. It helps because it’s a small gesture that will calm things on a nervous morning.

For my youngest, I used to put a rock in her backpack. She was a rock hound and loved all rocks, so this tiny treasure was perfect.

It’s a small gesture that calms things on a nervous morning.

5. “You’ve Got This” Handshake or Hug

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

If you have a favorite mantra, say it with a hug/handshake/kiss: “You’ve got this.” “Things are going to be okay.” “You’ll be fine.”

A tiny ritual helps kids anchor themselves during a change in routine.

6. First Day Comfort Token

Give them a small token or charm in their pocket, a note in their lunchbox or bookbag, or even a simple heart drawn on their hand (and kissed once it’s there).

This works because it gives them something to touch or look at when they need reassurance.

7. Tell Me Everything After School Snack

After the first day of school, when you and your child get together, have them tell you everything that happened.

Some kids will narrate every detail; just nod along. Others will shrug and say “It was school,” so you’ll need to draw them out with questions instead of accepting the shrug. Either way, do this over a snack. The floodgates open more easily with food in hand (just watch for flying crumbs).

Food loosens kids up, no matter what type of talker they are.

8. First-Day (or Night-Before) School Dinner

Whichever one you decide on, try to make the same food for dinner every year. This starts a tradition that contains delicious food, family time, and good memory-making.

When making traditions, remember two things: they don’t have to be elaborate or expensive, but they do need to be consistent. Kids remember the feeling that happens, not how much it costs.

Keep in mind that the first day of school is a yearly milestone in your lives and your kids’ lives, and a tiny ritual can turn it into a memory that sticks.

My girls still laugh about the week they spent racing around the library before school started. That’s proof that even simple traditions can matter for a very long time.

—

This post was previously published on medium.com.