This idea for a Backpack Date came from my friend Heather. Each child that goes into Kindergarten gets to go with Grandma to the store and pick out a backpack, then they go to lunch. I thought this was such a fun tradition, I decided to do it myself. Since my son is starting Kindergarten this year, he got to go on a Backpack Date with me!
With the big selection of backpacks, he ended up picking Star Wars, of course! Then we headed to McDonalds for lunch, his choice. Although I do love me a Fillet-o-Fish.
I loved sharing this little memory with him and can’t wait to keep up the tradition with my other 2 kids when it’s their turn! What traditions do you have when a child goes off to school?
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome! We have make over week! I am posting it all weeek! I cant wait fot my boys to start… Im going to have to think of something a little different for them. I dont know that Dad is going to let us do make over week! lol
My oldest daughter is starting Kindergarten in the fall as well. It is a right of passage for both the child and the parents…We had a fun backpack date…she chose Hello Kitty! I really enjoy your blog…it is a great resource:)
Every year, from Kindergarten through Senior Year of University, my family gathers, in our Sunday best, in our living room and my father gives us all blessings. Now that a few of us are married and “moved out”, our husbands get the honors of giving the blessing.
Actually, three of the 5 of us are graduated from college now, with the 4th heading out on a mission in a few weeks, and one of us living on the opposite side of the country from everyone else. I wonder where that leaves my youngest sister in a few weeks?!
We do the standard picture on the front porch….first day of school picture. My older boy will be in first grade and my four year old boy will be in preschool…..they are so excited…we also go out after school for dinner at the restaurant of their choosing…which is usually McDonald’s……
I love this! Picking out the backpack is always a highlight of back-to-school for us! We started homeschooling last year, but we still continued our tradition of a picture outside just before school, like the post above.
My oldest starts K next year. I’m going to have to remember to look back at all these posts (the kissing hand too) next fall when we’re doing it for the first time. I’m thankful for another year at home with all my guys.
After a summer of staying up late and sleeping in, we try to get back into a school schedule by having a fun before school starts breakfast. This year to motivate our early risers Krispy Kreme will be the fun breakfast we go out to eat. Not a healthy way, but oh so yummy!
We have a family pizza party the night of the first day of school. We just barely started this one, since my son, the oldest, just started Kindergarten yesterday. We have rootbeer floats and watermelon to go with and then we all talk about what “goals” we want to accomplish for that year. Before bed, we end with a fun movie. Like I said, it’s something new, but my son really had fun and is excited about this new school year. (That was the point!) :0)
It becomes more and more difficult with more kids to find these special times together. What a fun way to spend some good time together and acknowldege his entree into Kindergarten (ours starts next week, sniff!)
My mom always made chocolate chip cookies on the first day of school. It was great to have something tasty to look forward to.
None of my kids are old enough for school, when they do it is going to be so sad! But I have heard of someone having a backpack fairy and when they wake up on the first day of school they have special books and things in their backpack from the fairy, that seems like a way cute idea.
This is a cute idea! We do something similar, my Mom takes all the grandkids shopping for back to school clothes and supplies.
When we were growing up we had a back to school fashion show for my Dad. We had our daughter do the same thing this year!
Not to mention the help that grandma gives with supplies and clothes helps our pocketbook!!!
Nice post…..my tradition whenever I drop a child off at Kindergarten is to tear up and cry all the way to work….lol
That being said, my children are now grown, my daughter is an RN and a Flight Medic for the National Guard….
My Middle son is on the USS Eisenhower…..
And my youngest is a Sophomore at Oregon State University…..
I’m sure crying when they started school gave them their incentive….
ha ha….
nice post, thanks….
Ron
http://themerlinmenu.blogspot.com
Marie – Your hair is growing so fast! It looks great! Congrats on the Star Wars backpack! Can’t believe our boys are heading off to Kindergarten!!
My oldest will be in 2nd grade, middle starting K and youngest preschool. For the first day of school I have the kids write their name & decorate the paper. Then I take a picture of them holding the paper in front of our door. We do the same thing on the last day so we can see how much they’ve grown and how their writing, drawing style improved/changed in a year.
I love all of these traditions. I’m going to have to do a special dinner or breakfast for the big day coming up. I also will be taking a picture with a new school outfit of my son, I have lots of those pictures growing up too.
This makes me so excited to send my first child off to Kindergarten…just to have a backpack date. Although, I’m sure when the time comes I’ll be bawling like a baby having to let her go! Cute post!!
Well this isn’t a start off to school thing.. but when my son had his school pictures made I always traced his hand on the back and made him sign his name. Now that he is grown, I love to look back at how his hand and handwriting changed.
I love looking at your blog…so much fun info and recipes! Thanks for sharing!
What a fun idea! I always make a special breakfast for them and then pictures (even of the college and high schoolers!). Although my youngest grandmother doesn’t live around us she always sends lots of fun stuff for school too.
I really like your blog! Thanks for sharing!
I don’t have children yet, but I want to share a tradition a friend from college had. His mom would take his picture on the first day of school right before he headed out the door. He always had his back pack on and was lookin’ spiffy with his new clothes. He continued the tradition every year…even when he was getting his masters degree.
one of my favourite back to school ideas is this one from Nie Nie Dialogues- She had a special back to school fancy dinner and fashion parade with crowns and all
http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/2008/08/bell-is-ringing-again.html
as school doesnt start until February in Australia I will be keeping all these ideas!! thanks for the inspiration