These back to school ideas will help prepare your kids to get back in the swing of things! Whether you need to organize space for backpacks and homework or you need help keeping track of everyone’s busy schedules, these tips can make the first day of school a bit easier on the whole family!
The first day of school will be here before we know it, and gone are the days of sleeping in until 9:00am and staying in our pajamas for an embarrassing amount of time. I don’t know about your family, but my kids really struggle with the transition when back to school time rolls around.
Probably because they’re used to impromptu cookie baking sessions at 10:00 at night and afternoon slushie runs during “Happy Hour”. Hey, we do summer right!
So this year I’m trying to make going back to school a little less stressful by making some small changes in advance.
In addition to completing everything on this 21 day back to school prep checklist, I’m trying some of these awesome back to school ideas to get organized, to get excited, and to get back to school ready!
Get Organized for Back to School
I firmly believe that organization is the key to a happy home! When I’m organized with certain systems in place to make everyday tasks easier, I’m just all-around happier… and when Mom is happy and stress-free, so is the rest of the family!
I’ve set up some awesome home organization systems like my home filing categories and our family chore chart, so why not organize back to school supplies and create good routines for the school year, too?!
Here are some awesome back to school organization ideas to help you prepare:
Start a Morning Routine Chart
Most kids thrive on having a set routine and knowing what comes next during busy mornings can really help your children stay focused (and on time!). That’s why I recommend starting a morning routine chart, especially if you have younger kids that need to be reminded to do things like brush their teeth or throw their pajamas in the hamper.
I created these printable morning routine charts, and they have worked wonders for my family! And they come with TONS of picture cards to set up the ultimate visual schedule!
Set Up a Homework Station
I can’t tell you how often I’ve scoured our home searching for colored pencils or a glue stick for my daughter to finish a school project. So I finally set up a simple homework station using a plastic organizer and stuffed it full of crayons, markers, glue, and other commonly used school supplies so that we don’t have to waste time looking for the items that we need.
Find some great tips for how to set up a homework station over at Fireflies and Mudpies, and make your own dedicated space for school work like the one below:
Use a Wall Calendar to Keep Track of Schedules
Having a giant wall calendar that the whole family can reference is my #1 tip for keeping track of your busy schedule with school and extracurricular activities. Being able to see all 12 months at one time, instead of flipping back and forth between months on a regular wall calendar or planner, allows you to plan ahead and see what’s coming up.
Our family’s huge wall calendar is an absolute MUST-HAVE for us! It hangs on a wall in my home office and my kids come check it often to see what field trips they have coming up or when their next school holiday falls.
But the greatest thing about our family’s calendar is that you can easily print it off from FedEx Kinko’s or your favorite office supply store as a 48″ x 36″ architectural blue print for less than $10. Then, just pin it to the wall with push pins, and you’re ready to get organized! Get instructions and grab our giant wall calendar here!
If you want a more colorful wall calendar system, then check out this adorable family command center from Home Time Activities! This set up would be perfect for younger kids to stay organized and see what’s coming up.
Set Up a Backpack and Folder “Drop Zone”
Staying organized throughout the school year is key to a stress-free year for all! The alternative is frantically searching the house for your child’s homework as they miss the school bus… or dealing with morning meltdowns because your Kindergartener can’t find her favorite pink folder.
So I highly recommend setting up an area near your front door or garage that has hooks or cubbies for your kids to store their school items like backpacks, folders, and coats.
We built this awesome DIY mudroom wall on a blank wall near our front door, and it has seriously been a lifesaver for corralling all of our frequently used “stuff”. Just a few pieces of lumber, some caulk, paint, and hooks and you’ve got a beautiful and functional storage space to stay organized all year long!
Organize School Outfits for the Week
This is one of my best back to school ideas, and it’s something that I’ve been doing with my two daughters for the last several years.
On every Sunday evening, we lay out all of the outfits that our kids will wear to school for the week. We hang each outfit on its own hanger, and then we label the hangers with these free printable days of the week clothes hanger tags. Works wonders on busy school mornings!
Plan Your Back to School Shopping Trips
Back to school time is expensive! So you can’t just venture to the mall willy-nilly – you need a plan! At the very least make a list of school supplies that each child needs for the upcoming year. But you can help your budget even more by doing a school clothes inventory so you don’t buy items that you don’t need.
I love these free printable back to school clothes inventory sheets from Sunshine and Rainy Days! The templates include space to write down sizes for each child, so you’re not stressing about what to buy while you’re fighting the mall crowds!
Plan for School Lunches
Let’s face it… as Moms, one of our hardest jobs is planning all those dang school lunches! Like right after we cook dinner and clean the kitchen, it’s time to dig in the refrigerator again and start making lunch for the next day.
But planning ahead can make school lunches a bit easier, and your kids will appreciate that they don’t get a plain bologna sandwich every single day! Here are some awesome tips and ideas for school lunches:
Get Some Lunch Box Inspiration
Search the internet or Pinterest to get inspiration for what to pack in your child’s lunchbox. Love from the Oven has some of my favorite school lunch ideas like the cute bento box lunch below:
Print a Stack of Lunch Box Notes
A cute note tucked inside your child’s lunchbox is a great way to say “I love you” and “Be awesome today”! To prep for back to school, print and cut a bunch of notes so that they’re ready for you to just toss in lunchboxes on busy mornings. These cute and colorful Lunchbox Notes from Little Ladoo are great for early readers.
Organize a Grab and Go Section in the Refrigerator
We started doing this years ago, and it has worked wonders for our family – and BONUS, it allows my kids to pack their own lunches for school! Just buy some plastic refrigerator bins and load them full of prepped lunchbox items like string cheeses, bags of baby carrots, applesauce pouches, and more. Then your kids can easily pick out healthy foods to add to their lunch boxes.
Use a School Lunch Box Planner
Planning for school lunches can help you avoid that last-minute morning scramble when you’re frantically tossing random items in your kids’ lunchboxes. Instead of having them sit down in the cafeteria to discover a lunch box full of stuff they won’t eat, let them help you plan their lunches for the week!
Print out these free printable school lunch box planners and fill them in with your kids each Sunday evening to prepare for the week ahead.
Make Back to School Memories
Don’t get so busy perfecting your kids’ routines and prepping their school supplies that you forget to make some memories! The first day of school is a big deal, no matter how old your kids are, so take the time to commemorate the occasion with some of these awesome back to school ideas:
Take Pictures with First Day of School Signs
Is it really the first day of school if you don’t have a picture of your child standing at the front door with a back to school sign in hand?! Not according to your social media feed that’s flooded with your friends’ pictures!
Use these free printable first day of school signs to take your pics – I’ve got two different versions for you to choose from, and they’re available for grades Pre-K through 12th grade!
Conduct a Back to School Interview with Your Kids
If you’ve never done a first day of school interview with your kids, then you’re missing out! It’s so funny to see how your kids answer the questions, and the questionnaires a nice keepsake that you can look back on to see how much your kids have changed over the years.
You can grab some free printable first day of school interview worksheets here!
Create a School Memory Box
I know from experience – kids LOVE saving all of their school artwork and important papers! When my daughters were younger, they would come home from school and immediately fill the front of the fridge with macaroni art and graded spelling tests. But there’s only so much room on the fridge!
So I created these school memory boxes to hold all of our kids’ keepsakes. We have a box for each child, and during the school year I can file away papers and art that we want to keep – perfect for standardized tests, “All about Me” worksheets, and paper masterpieces.
You can grab my free school memory box printables here and create your own storage system for school memories!
Focus on Fun!
Preparing for the first day of school isn’t just about boring organizers and routines… it should also be FUN! I’ve found that getting my younger kids excited to go back to school is the key to a great first few weeks. So try to incorporate some fun school-themed crafts, snacks, and activities into the last few weeks of summer.
Here are some awesome back to school ideas that can help your kids get in the school day mood:
Create a Back to School Countdown
You probably countdown to other exciting days of the year like Christmas or your child’s birthday, so why not make a big to-do and number the days until school starts, too?!
There are so many different ways to create your own back to school countdown, but I love the simple Back to School Paper Chain craft from Coffee and Carpool.
Or you can create a reusable countdown calendar that you can use for loads of different events! This adorable back to school countdown from Angie Holden is made with small paper mache boxes, and each box has a fun activity idea inside that your family can do for that day.
Make School-Themed Snacks
Get creative in the kitchen by whipping up some school-themed treats in the shapes of things like apples, pencils, and more!
These Back to School Apple Cupcakes from Baking Beauty are the perfect sweet treat to make the day before school to pump your kids full of excitement (and a bit of sugar!).
Or if you’re hosting a big back to school party, then make this fun Back to School Charcuterie Board from Cutefetti filled with with apple chocolate pretzels, decorated cookies, and more!
Say Thanks to Your Teachers
Last but definitely not least are the real heroes of the back to school season – the teachers! And taking the time to recognize those hard-working educators with a small gift is one of my favorite back to school ideas! That’s why I created this huge round-up of 30+ awesome teacher gifts for the first day of school!
You can really spoil your child’s teacher with a teacher survival kit like I did with these cute printables:
Or for an easier last minute back to school teacher gift, print out one of these free teacher cookie gift tags, and tie around a yummy cookie:
I hope these back to school ideas help you prep your little ones for the first day! And be sure to check out my free printable 21 day Back to School checklist here – it’s filled with simple tasks to do everyday leading up to the first day of school!
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