First Day Traditions

[VisionaryMom]

As someone said in another thread, starting K is a great rite of passage in our culture. Since DS won't be having that "going to school" experience. I'm looking for something else to symbolize that experience. What have you done/do you do for the first day of school? (Obviously this question is for people who follow some sort of school calendar.)

[proudmamanow]

We're in the same position, as dd would normally be starting school in K this September. I've read some great stuff on MDC in previous years, one thing we had in mind was to have a special morning celebration, where we would put together a few small gifts for dd (box of crayons, pencils, notebook, reading book etc.) and she could open them & then we would have a special breakfast. We could take some 'first day' pictures with her in a fancy dress or whatever she chooses and have her stand beside her desk.

That's as far as I've gotten. We're also part of a co-op and some other groups, so we may do something with them. Another idea is to go to a park for a picnic that day to celebrate being outside!

[VisionaryMom]

I'd like to get DH involved, too, and I like the idea of a special breakfast. Maybe we could go out to breakfast, which is what I think we might do if we were going to an institutional school.

[kittywitty]

We usually do a Hogwarts feast. This year we are broke, so the feast is going to be a week late.

[karemore]

Last Sept we started K with DD.

For her "1st" day I gave her a matching notebook and folder set. I had a fun craft ready to go since she was ready to start before breakfast. We took photos and made a big deal out of the day.

This year starting 1st grade I'm not sure what to do. We'll probably do a field trip for our official first day.

[frugalmama]

We're making a beg deal of it with new clothes for school, a special breakfast at home, and a field trip to the kiddie park with lots of rides including her favorite the carousel.

She also has her first day of Homeschool PE that day as well, so we might delay the kiddie park until day 2.

[Callimom]

We always take the kids out for a leisurely breakfast - usually to a favourite pancake place and then we go on our inaugural field trip of the year - usually a museum/nature centre/city etc that is not one of our regular haunts.

In the past I have left small gifts for the kids at their spot on the table - educationally related stuff like cool pencils, new books/dvds pertaining to an interest of theirs, a new family game etc.

The first day usually includes lots of pictures.

A friend of mine always bakes a favourite treat the day before "not back to school" and hits the library. At night beside her bed she sets out the treat (usually cookies) some fruit, and a thermos of drinks. In the morning the kids pile in bed with her and they read read read until the treats and her voice are done. Then they go out hiking or head to a favourite beach.

hth
Karen

[tanyalynn]

One of the local HSing groups has a Not Back to School party at a local park. I've read of other people going to various local activities--zoo, museums, like that--that clear out a lot once the school year begins again.

[boysmom2]

This will be our first year of hsing and I will have a 3rd grader and K (and a 1yo). I think we may hit one of the big, popular museums and maybe the top of a tall building. I figure they won't be crowded and we could still take "1st day of non-school" pictures of each boy with his backpack before we get on the train.

[nov05mama]

We are celebrating the first day of traditional public school by heading out to a local science museum and exploring sans crowds

A friend of mine posted a great list of ideas last year on her blog:
http://thesnailstrail.blogspot.com/2...and-ideas.html

Ring A School Bell
Big Snail said that we have to ring a school bell (a cow bell he got for Christmas) every morning. He is so serious about this that we can't ring the bell yet because it is only for school. He has decided that I get to ring the bell on the first day to wake everyone up in the morning...and to announce the first day of school. But after that, the "best" student gets to ring the bell to announce the day. His seriousness about this bell thing is super cute!

Wrapped Presents
We are building the excitement here by not letting the kids see our new back to school stuff and supplies [not the stuff they picked out for themselves in "Back to School shopping] until the first day of school. When it is time to do that activity/lesson, the kids get to unwrap it! Alicia also says to wrap up school stuff for throughout the year.

Time Capsule
We are going to make a time capsule of everything we do on the first day of school and open it on the last day of school.

Self-Portrait and Autobiography
We are going to draw a self portrait and write a story about ourselves. We will answer questions like, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and "What is your favorite food."

First Day of School Picture & Interview
by Karin Katherine
I think its great to take a picture of them on the first day of school and put it in an album with a sample of their handwriting or artwork (if they aren't writing yet) and then "interview them" about their favorite things, what they are looking forward to about school and whatnot. Then do the same thing on the last day of school. Its great to compare!

Not Back to School Day
by Crunchy Christian Mom
and Shady Lady
We have a Not Back to School day around here. The first day the public school buses run, we sit on the front porch and wave. Then we pack up our swimsuits and go have ice cream sundaes for breakfast at our Not Back to School swimming party!

We have a Not Back to School day at the local amusement park on the first day of public school. It's a blast and amazing to see so many homeschoolers all together.

Special Breakfast
by Basia and lvlc
In addition to the self-potrait, why not take photos of the children too. Perhaps you can take a photo in the same spot each year. Also, why not start the day with a special breakfast?

We ALWAYS had a special breakfast. It was oatmeal with grape juice! I started this tradition with my son too!

Survival Kits
by carlylennox
I teach five year olds in Northern Ireland. On the first day of school we introduce the school survival kit. Basically it's a little canvas bag with some items that generate lots of appropriate discussion about caring and sharing etc:
an eraser - we all make mistakes but can fix things too
starburst sweet - we are all stars here
a sponge - we soak up knowledge
chewing gum - we stick together
a tissue - we help each other if we're upset
There are other ideas for contents to be found online Some teachers make individual kits for every child!

Schultuete
by Such Lovely Freckles

A Schultuete of course.
Wiki: When children in Germany set off for their first day in school upon entering first grade, their parents and/or grandparents present them with a big cardboard cone, prettily decorated and filled with toys, chocolate, candies, school supplies, and various other goodies. It is given to children to make this anxiously awaited first day of school a little bit sweeter.

Both my children will receive one of those this year. Usually you only get it when you start first grade. But who cares! Let's start every year with a biiig surprise.

And here's a link.
Picture of Pirate Schultuete

You can learn to make your own here.

New Ideas for the Backpack
by Alicia and Heather O

I read an interesting article too about how some homeschool kids miss classic school things, a new backpack, etc. So one mom does a backpack, but fill it with fun stuff that regular school kids don't usually have time for. Field trip coupons, "I need a break today" coupons, fun games just for the sake of it, etc.

To celebrate the fact that we don't need backpacks, I thought about letting each child pick one out and then donate it to a local school of children from needy families.

Make a Field Trip Notebook
by heathermommie

I suggested to my sister that we get the kids together & have them each decorate a notebook. After it is finished we will take it on our field trips to draw & write about the trip, or paste clippings in.

[astra]

Love all the ideas I'm seeing here!!

[dannic]

We're rebellious, so we celebrate that we're NOT going back to school, lol. We plan a fun activity for the day--the mountains, a park, the zoo, a day trip. And we make it a point to start our studies at least a week later than the schools start!

[mediumcrunch]

If we do anything we go somewhere fun like the zoo, somehwere fun and outside, somewhere very different from a classroom on the first day of public school.
Sometimes we host a Not Back to School Potluck for local homeschoolers. It's a blast.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by dannic

We're rebellious, so we celebrate that we're NOT going back to school, lol. We plan a fun activity for the day--the mountains, a park, the zoo, a day trip. And we make it a point to start our studies at least a week later than the schools start!

We do this too.. one of the homeschool groups we do activities with likes to plan a NBTSD excursion to the beach It's only about a 45minute drive and it's the perfect way to celebrate how we choose to learn

[holliebug]

I am knitting both kids a "Study Buddy" (stuffed wool animals, different one for each of them), and pairing that with a new book each, which will be waiting with their school books on our first day of school.
I think I will also make a special breakfast of pancakes, and strawberry syrup!
The time capsule sounds like fun too!

[Savoir Faire]

School started here this past Wednesday. We went out for donuts and said "happy not going to school day!'

We're not doing anything until September...so we might have a special dessert or something.

[accidental_hs'er]

We do a breakfast too

We wait for all the hustle and bustle in the neighbourhood to die down. There is a real buzz in the air here. Lots of kids in our area going back to school. Then we head to a diner around 10am and have a leisurely breakfast.

Back to school is a free day where we hang together and relax. We have a very busy schedule in the Fall so we enjoy some quiet down time.

[Nitenites]

We have a special breakfast, and I take pictures of all the kids (together) on the front porch holding signs with their grade. (So DS10 holds a paper that says "5," DS 7 holds a paper that says "2," DS4 holds a paper that says "PK-4" and DD holds a paper with the year - 2010. That way, in 20 years, I can figure out when I took the picture!

[kewb]

We take the annual first day of school mug shot (oops, I mean picture). Each one holding a sign with the grade and the date. Other then that, we get down to business.

[zebrachick83]

Great ideas! I think we'll do a hybrid of these. We're starting 1st grade on September 1 with our oldest, so we're giving her a stuffed backpack (wrapped, of course) the night before and we'll take her picture the first day and paste it in a scrapbook. We should probably have her write her name and age under it too. Now if I can only remember to blog about it.