The end of summer is approaching, which means it’s almost time for a new school year to start! How do your kids feel about going back to school after summer vacation? Excited? Anxious?
Many kids and teens might feel understandably nervous about going back—after all, school means classes, homework, and responsibilities! Some students may even be dreading a return to their classes as they frantically try to catch up on their summer reading.
If your kids feel anxious, remind them of all the things they to look forward to in a new school year! To help you out, we put together a list of 6 things you can do to get kids excited about heading back to school:
Get Some Fresh School Supplies
Shopping for new school supplies can be a fun way to prepare for the new year! School supplies always come in lots of different colors and designs, so let your kids pick out their own notebooks, binders, folders, and anything else they’ll need for the upcoming year. If they’re involved in the shopping process, they’ll feel a stronger sense of ownership over their school supplies and their schoolwork.
There’s also a huge variety of school supplies today to match just about anyone’s personalized taste. You can get animal shaped paperclips, cartoon-style sticky notes, Spider-Man scissors, Finding Nemo staplers, and just about any other themed items for back-to-school.
You can also get your craft on while prepping for class. Grab some single color notebooks, folders, and binders and decorate them yourself. This can make for a fun and memorable DIY project with your kids.
Check out our DIY Clipboard Art Project for some inspiration!
Reconnect With Friends
Kids don’t get to see their school friends as regularly during the summer as they do during the school year, so by the end of August, most youth will really be missing their friends. Reach out to your children’s friends and plan a get-together shortly before the first day of school. Being with their friends will get your kids excited to start seeing them on a regular basis again when the school year starts!
Sign Up For After-School Activities
The school year presents countless new opportunities for kids to participate in sports or clubs. Find out what kind of extracurricular activities are available in your area, and see what your children are interested in. They can do something they already know they love, or they can try something new! This is the perfect time for kids to experiment with different hobbies and find what they’re passionate about. Plus, extracurriculars often involve making new friends, learning new skills, and taking fun trips!
Pro Tip: Boys & Girls Clubs across the country offer fun and affordable after-school programs and activities. Find a Club near you!
Discover Their Favorite Subjects & Classes
Ask your children what their favorite class is! Whether it’s art, history, science, PE, or something else, most kids will be able to name at least one class that interests them. Lean into that!
You can keep your kids excited about learning by showing interest in the things they’re enthusiastic about. Take them to the local library, a children’s museum, a live performance, and let them do their own research and explore topics they find engaging. Giving them the freedom to learn on their own will allow their curiosity to grow.
Tests, essays, and homework can sometimes make going to school difficult, but at the end of the day, school is a chance for students to learn and grow. Emphasize the importance of learning, and let your kids know how much fun it is to discover new things about topics you care about.
Back-To-School Events
There are a lot of community events that typically take place throughout the end of summer and the beginning of fall, so find a fun activity you and your kids can go to! Do a search for “back-to-school events near me,” and you’re sure to find something in your area. Many communities hold BBQs, block parties, and fairs to celebrate going back to school. Come October, there will also be plenty of Halloween events, so look those up too, and give your kids something to look forward to!
Make A Special Breakfast
After months of staying up late and waking up in the middle of the afternoon, getting up early might be one of the things kids dread the most about returning to school. Help them get out of bed easier with a special breakfast on the first day of school. A good breakfast will also give them enough energy to help them get through the day!
Need some inspiration? Here are 3 easy favorites:
- Peanut butter, banana, and chocolate smoothies
- Scrambled eggs with bacon
- Blueberry oatmeal muffins
The first day of school will be here before you know it, so make sure you’re prepared when it arrives! Whether your kids are going into kindergarten or their senior year of high school, it’s completely normal for them to feel apprehensive about transitioning from summer break to a new school year. However, you can help make the transition easier by reminding them of things they can be excited about! You got this!
