iteachmine Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I am looking for ideas on how to make my 5 yr old's "first day" of kindergarten fun, exciting, and memorable in September...Especially since she wants to ride the schoolbus and go away to class for kindergarten....:driving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 :lurk5: I had a dream the other night that it was the first day of public school kindergarten, and I was SO SAD, because even though I knew homeschooling was the best choice for our family, she would love it and it's such a milestone. Memories and all. And she *would* love it, possibly way more than homeschooling, and would do well. But, getting her up and out every morning, homework, and poor academics...... But I feel sad. She's so social, and we're having a hard time finding her a group of peers to interact with regularly. Lots of social opportunities, and lessons, but nothing like recess or playtime with the same kids day after day. No real close friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Our first day of school tradition has always been the following: Take height, weight measurements. Write them on a card beside their grade level. They hold the card up and I take a "first day of school" picture. It is fun to look back at these pictures from over the yrs. (Even the babies and toddlers get to take part! They are just our "mascots!") After we finish school that day, we have a huge ice cream sundae party with massive amts of toppings to choose from. We end the yr the same way. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 When my 8yo started K at home, we had a big breakfast then went to Build-A-Bear to make a Study Buddy, then had lunch, went to the park, and took lots of pictures. The first day was great. It certainly beat riding the school bus. I plan to do the same thing this year, with both the girls since the youngest is now old enough to enjoy that kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krissi Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Even thought my youngest is going into 1st grade (and she went to ps for K5, but missed her 1st day b/c of stomach bug :( ), I wanted to check out the ideas. Great ideas ladies! I like what I've read so far and just might do the sundae party myself. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Several years ago there was a similar thread and a mom (sure wish I remembered who) shared about German School Cones, Schultuten. Every since then my boys each get a Schultuten on the first day of school. I make their cones out of a sheet of colored poster board stapled into a cone shape. I fill it with their school supplies, favorite candy treats and a few small toys just for fun. My boys run downstairs on the first day of school just like it was Christmas morning! :) It has become a treasured tradition for us. That night we usually go out for ice cream, too. One year we skipped dinner and just went for ice cream. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Ooooh, some good ideas so far. I don't have any exciting ones to share but was looking for something to mark turning 5 in July and officially starting school. Terabith i could have written your post word for word. My DD would LOVE school too and we are also having a hard time finding her some age peers since we recently moved. :grouphug: I know how you feel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 We also take a special picture and do a page of stats. Height, weight, favorite color/movie/food, what I want to be when I grow up...etc. Then a fun activity, and a special lunch out with Daddy. (His office is a block away from their favorite local burger joint, so that's easy.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsrevmeg Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 My son wore his Mr Incredible costume for the first day of Kindergarten. We read some funny books and everyone got to have their favorite food for lunch. Mr Kindergarten ordered tuna salad! Then we went out for supper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Our local HS group has a "NOT-Back-to-School Picnic" every year the first Wednesday after school starts. It's a TON of fun, and it's a great opportunity to get to know the local HSers in your area. I think last year there were probably 30 families there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 For the 1st day...we have done lots of different things: ...we've been on vacation ...we've been camping ...we've taken field trips or hikes ...we've gone to the movies We celebrated our HSing freedom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 We take lots of pics. The first day of school this past year I made signs that said, "First day of 1st Grade" and "First day of PreK," and each girl held up the sign in a pic. I am going to print the pic and put it on the sign as the first page of their scrapbooks this year. For my ODD's first day of K, I made sure I did things that were special to her. We started the day with a Bible story and then did a craft to go with it. She loves crafts, Bible stories, dinosaurs, and playing school. So I also kept things kind of "formal" for her. After crafts we did her new math book, then we went outside for "recess." (I used lots of school names because she also was longing for the school experience then...) During recess she found out that her dad and I had buried dino fossils in the sandbox. So we played paleontologist and dug them up, looking for clues about what kind of dino it was. I forgot to mention that we had all new school supplies, including new backpack and lunchbox and thermos for her also. We made good use of those for our first "field trip" later in the week. By making her day so special and full of things she is interested in, it was a memorable day for all of us. For my upcoming Ker this year who has grown up with homeschooling, I am not sure the day will be so exciting to her... I will have the new supplies out and take pictures and try to make a big deal out of her first day. We may go out for ice cream or lunch or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Several years ago there was a similar thread and a mom (sure wish I remembered who) shared about German School Cones, Schultuten. I did this for the first day of 1st grade, and he is still talking about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 My homeschool group does a not back to school party too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJgang Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Well, since we have been in school for the past two years, I was actually thinking about going to the beach for a vacation.... :D It would be more of an *everyone's in school and we are not* rather than a first day... I do like the idea of pictures, their height, weight etc... On our first day we may make bulletin boards ... I have an area that each kiddo will have their own board and I plan to keep it up based on their individual studies ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWifeandMommy Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 It is hard to believe that if my children were in school my little boy would be starting K this year. When my oldest she went to PS and it was a big deal. This year I want to make it special for him but sure what. Everyone is going to get a supplies kit, go out for breakfast and then return home. I am scrapbooking our school year for '09-'10 so they will get their pictures for K4, K5 and 4th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzannah Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I've heard of some getting up early to wave at the school bus! :) For DD I don't remember doing anything special. She had wanted to be included in school for a couple of years so I guess I didn't think to make it special. Oops! I do remember DS' first day of K. We used FIAR for PK and K. I remember doing The Bee Tree. We read the story, did a narration and did a taste-test (sweet, sour, salty, bitter). He learned a memory verse, did some math.... We went for a walk. I think that was it. But I saved his narration and took a picture of DS with the items we tasted. It was just a nice fun day. FWIW, each year I print out pictures of the books we use (either scanning the covers or printing the thumbnail image from Amazon) and put them in their school scrapbooks. I also include any other school-related pictures for the year (projects, field trips, scouting events) and awards or certificates earned in outside classes. Now for kindergarten graduation we usually go out to dinner and the child gets a certificate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelovearth Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Several years ago there was a similar thread and a mom (sure wish I remembered who) shared about German School Cones, Schultuten. Every since then my boys each get a Schultuten on the first day of school. I make their cones out of a sheet of colored poster board stapled into a cone shape. I fill it with their school supplies, favorite candy treats and a few small toys just for fun. My boys run downstairs on the first day of school just like it was Christmas morning! :) It has become a treasured tradition for us. That night we usually go out for ice cream, too. One year we skipped dinner and just went for ice cream. ;) I was just going to recommend this! I'm originally from Germany and I remember my first day of school fondly because of my Schultüte. I made some for my boys' first day. (See my avatar picture) They still talk about that. In fact, just the other day they asked me if they could have a Schultüte when they enter high school. :lol: Like Jennefer, I filled theirs with school supplies, everything they would need their first year, some candy and some special little toys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nnbmomof3 Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 For our dd's 1st day of K, we made her favorite breakfast before we started our school day. We weighed her, measured her, and she wrote a poem about herself. We ended the day by taking her to have her picture made professionally and eating out wherever she wanted. My ds starts K this year and I plan to do the same with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We do a Schultüte, too! Every year, now, even tho they are really just for a first school experience, I think. I just went to the Dollar store and got a few things last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Thanks to my sil's idea, on the first day of public school we make signs for the door from construction paper (Like "WOW!" "Good Luck" "You're a 1st grader now!" and paper balloons with pipe cleaner strings) and take pictures in front of it. One year after Easter I also bought little football shaped Easter baskets on clearance and I fill them each year with a few pencils, erasers and tootsie rolls for that 1st morning. I think last year I wrapped a book for each of them as well. Now that we will be homeschooling I will continue the tradition! ...but probably need to make it even more special since ds6 is unhappy about leaving school. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We call that a "birthday party." :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We school year-round, and I have never really announced an official first day.... but last year, we met other homeschoolers at the park on the first day of ps classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Three Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 When my 8yo started K at home, we had a big breakfast then went to Build-A-Bear to make a Study Buddy, then had lunch, went to the park, and took lots of pictures. The first day was great. It certainly beat riding the school bus. I plan to do the same thing this year, with both the girls since the youngest is now old enough to enjoy that kind of thing. Love this idea for my DD who will be sad to see her big brother climb onto the school bus. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 (edited) These are some great ideas!! I read a blog a couple of weeks ago about this very thread. I have one who will start k and one who will be in 6th. Some ideas I read to build excitement before school starts: Take the kids to buy their basic supplies and let them pick out a few special *cool* items, including backpacks for school time at the park or traveling and a lunch box for homeschool group picnics and field trips. Since all their ps friends will be buying back to school clothes, let them pick out one or two new outfits for homeschool group outings. Let them *catch* you *sneaking* in bags of school goodies....but don't let them see what is inside. "you'll have to wait until school starts!" Have them help decorate your school room or area. I love this idea. I am getting each boy a 2ftx3ft bulletin board from Walmart ($10 each) and letting them pick out bulletin board stuff from Mardels to decorate their own personal board. The two older *school age* boys will hang their above their work areas and the two littles will have their a bit lower on an opposite wall. They will be able to hang whatever they want on their boards, and Mom can sneak Mommy notes onto their boards for encouragement. Let them *catch* you making school items, but again tell them they'll have to wait. This summer I am making mini offices for the older two. I figure they can *catch* me printing off the materials needed and then *catch* me putting it all together. For the first day, I'm going to have that special stuff hidden in bags placed at their work areas like others have suggested. We'll do pictures with a grade level sign. We'll do a special lunch, and then we'll do something that ps kids can't do.....have sno-cones in the park after lunch! We're also going to a not back to school party with our homeschool group. Edited June 19, 2009 by christielee7278 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I love this thread! What great ideas! This summer I'm working on turning our catch-all study into an organized schoolroom. So that alone will make the first day fun! Just this past week I thought about getting her a small backpack or something and filling it with fun supplies. And I wanted to get her a new school outfit, just to wear at home. I was homeschooled and remember all the friends getting new school clothes! My mom would get us something new, too, just for fun:) The Schultüte is a new idea. How is that pronounced?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prudent Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Great ideas! My oldest turns 3 tomorrow and is begging to go to school. She is very tall and everywhere we go during the day she gets asked, "Why aren't you in school??" She is convinced Homeschooling is something I've made up to prevent her from having fun :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Several years ago there was a similar thread and a mom (sure wish I remembered who) shared about German School Cones, Schultuten. I believe abbeyej introduced these many years ago. They've been a hit ever since! I used a teacher-store poster and wrote Welcome to Homeschool our first year. We took a family picture with the sign and have done it every year since. Fun to see them grow and now tower over the sign! Lisa, who can't wait for school supply sale season to start . . . even if it is 95 degrees! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato3 all-boy boys Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I actually took my son (and his little brothers) on a "bus ride" in our van around the block, then we pulled in the drive way and said, "Here we are at school." I took the I'm-standing-outside-waiting-for-the-bus picture in new clothes, holding his new folder, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 On our first day of homeschooling we went to breakfast at IHOP. My son was thrilled! I hung up a poster that I got from a teachers store and he was student of the month (the only student!). We filled in his birthday and favorite color, etc. We didn't actually "start school" until about 2 weeks after the public school started because we homeschool and we are special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I'm loving the ideas here, and still hoping someone can tell us how to say "Schultuten". :) Also, what do you use for the cones? I'm thinking a big poster board cone? I have one child who couldn't wait to leave public school and never looked back. I have another child who missed his friends at school when I brought him home. I have still another who doesn't know any better. LOL For the middle one who missed his school buddies, I noticed that over time he gradually changed from a "school mentality" to "home and family perspective". It took a while to transition. Now, however, he has such a good relationship with his brother and sister, AND good friendships with peers of various ages that the other day we drove by the public school where he used to attend and he said "those poor public school kids locked up in there." :lol: He didn't get that from me, and I don't encourage a superior attitude toward any one way to educate. It let me see, however, that he had made the change in his mind, and he was at peace and happy now. That was good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I'm loving the ideas here, and still hoping someone can tell us how to say "Schultuten". :) Also, what do you use for the cones? I'm thinking a big poster board cone? I lived in Germany for a while and I can help with the pronunciation. Schultüte phonetically pronounced is Shool-teut-e. Schultüten (with the n on the end) is plural and is Shool-teut-in. Schultüten are also called Zuckertüte(n), which phonetically pronounced is Zooker-teut-e(in). Hope that helps. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Wasn't it WTMindy who said she and the kids go out for donuts, and as they drive past the public schools, shout, SUCKERS! That image always cracked me up. It seems so out of character for our math genius board girl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Thank you! These are wonderful ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Okay, we don't celebrate our first day because we don't usually define a first day... BUT we go all out for the first day of public school. We watch the bus go by, do family pictures and individual pictures. Usually I'll make the girls a new outfit or they'll get a new outfit. We "do" pictures with our camera, by the way. Then, we DON'T do school. We take the day off, Daddy takes us all out to breakfast to celebrate that we don't have to go to school and we usually go to a park or somewhere special. We celebrate that we're homeschoolers. We've done it since Ana was little. When she was little, going out for breakfast consisted of going to the grocery store and buying a box of donuts and chocolate milk! :) Now we save up for taking all the little monsters out for breakfast, lol. We have tons of Unschool Day pictures and it has really become a treasured holiday in our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Our homeschool group has their pool party the week the local PS's go back to school, and we do no schoolwork that day. But the first day of our school year, when we're actually getting to work, I always take a picture and we have a special breakfast of his choice. When he was starting kindergarden it was chocolate chip pancakes. As he's gotten older it's leaned more toward bacon and sausage.... :) I do kind of work up to it, too -- we shop all the back to school sales for fun new school supplies (nothing like brand new pencils.... mmmmm...), get his "school picture" taken at Target every August, all that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 I have an upcoming K, but we just naturally started learning early (about 3 months ago) so he is about 1/4 way through his K books already. We also school year round, so we don't have a "new school year start" like most do...... In fact, we will be at Disneyworld for Labor Day week this year! I guess that is a great way to celebrate the start of K! Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieMonster Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Our first day of school tradition has always been the following: Take height, weight measurements. Write them on a card beside their grade level. They hold the card up and I take a "first day of school" picture. It is fun to look back at these pictures from over the yrs. (Even the babies and toddlers get to take part! They are just our "mascots!") What a GREAT idea!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieMonster Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 (edited) I have an upcoming K, but we just naturally started learning early (about 3 months ago) so he is about 1/4 way through his K books already. We also school year round, so we don't have a "new school year start" like most do...... In fact, we will be at Disneyworld for Labor Day week this year! I guess that is a great way to celebrate the start of K! Dawn You know what, though, I like to have an official beginning and ending to a defined school year. Although we are living and learning all the time, and although we started very informally with school like you have, I have found that we need a marker that says, "Stop Now." It helps me get through the boring times. It helps me measure. It helps me digest and reflect. And ceremonies and traditions help build a family identity. I like that. P.S. Thank you to everyone for their ideas in this thread. I'm inspired! Edited June 24, 2009 by CookieMonster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ajesh kumar Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Some games, eat outs and a fun party is the regular in home schooling “first-dayâ€. In school it cant be so much fun! ________________________________________________________________ Montessori Play School | Top Higher Secondary School | Kindergarten Play School Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I must have missed this thread when it was first posted. I'm glad to see it now since I'll be starting K with my little guy next month! We're doing Oak Meadow K with my son and it's very laid back/easy going, more of a hands on preschool than an academic K. So our first day of school is going to consist of: 1) A craft: We will be making a fall seasonal table. We'll go for a walk and find things that remind us of fall (and perhaps I'll pick up some things in advance from a craft type store, too if need be) and we'll decorate our fall table for the season. 2) Health. We'll be starting a topic on our bodies- talking about how to protect them, safety equipment, etc., reading a book about bodies, and using scales and tape measures to see how tall each family member is, how long their feet are, how much they weigh etc. This will work out great with someone's idea of taking a kid's height and weight measurements anyway and putting them on a card or paper or something with his grade. I think I'll also have him put his handprint there in colorful paint, and then take a school picture which I will print and attach to the first day of school card/sign thingie. That's going to be the extent of our first day of Kindergarten! We've got a light K schedule planned. Craft and health on Mondays, "language arts" on Tuesday and Wednesdays (which will consist of stories, poems, drawings, and starting to learn the upper case letters of the alphabet, in hands on ways, like drawing them in the dirt with a stick, forming them out of clay, etc.), Science on Thursdays (nature related, hands on things mostly, and stories, too), and math and music on Fridays (math is learning numbers in hands on ways similar to how we'll be learning letters, and music will be Wee-Sing songs and fingerplays). I'm excited to do this with him, and interested to see how it goes doing K and 5th grade at the same time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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