Back to School Traditions

Make it memorable and fun!

Family traditions can bring a family closer together; they can make children feel secure, and promote feelings of togetherness and uniqueness. The back-to-school season offers a great opportunity to celebrate the beginning of something new and exciting. From end of summer parties to first day photo-shoots, these shared traditions from the parents at CanadianParents.com will get the kids looking forward to going back to school and will capture the special moments of their childhood.

End of Summer Celebrations

• We have an annual back-to-school sprinkler party. We invite children who will share a class with our kids, and the teachers too! ~ Krista
• Our family celebrates the end of summer and the beginning of the school year with a bonfire. We roast marshmallows and share our favourite memories from the summer. ~ Jenna
• I take pictures all summer and a few days before school begins I create a digital slideshow and set it to a current summer song. We have a family potluck (everyone plans a dish) and we watch the slideshow together. Lots of laughs and lots of fun memories. ~ Ken

BTS Preparations

• We have a "Girls Day" to prepare for BTS. My daughter and I go out for the day; we get our hair done, shop for school supplies, and pick up a new first day back at school outfit. It is a fun tradition. ~ Cara
• To get the kids ready for school and to build special memories I plan a day out with the kids to get the BTS ball rolling. We go to a movie, out for lunch, and we shop for a new outfit. When my husband is home, I take the kids individually to the store to get supplies and a bit of one on one time. ~ Toni
• Our BTS consists of going through last years school supplies. The kids setup a table with all of the good stuff and then shop for what they need; usually picking what their siblings used the previous year making it “new” to them. Then we go to the store and pick up the remaining items. ~ Heather
• We always go out to a restaurant for a nice early breakfast the day before school starts. We get the kids up at the same time they will have to get up for school the next day. This helps get them back on a good sleep schedule and ensures they are good and tired the night before school starts. Going out for breakfast gives my teenagers an incentive to get up! (Teenagers need those, as they love to sleep in!) ~ Tracy

First Day Fun

• We take a picture of the kids with my husband beside the stop sign at the end of the road. It is amazing how much the kids have grown over the past few years. Marie
• To satisfy my need for a “first” day picture, we have the kids pose for a picture one at a time and hold up the number of fingers that represent their grade. ~ Helen
• We take a picture of the kids in a group the morning of their first day of school. Instead of the traditional pose, we have them all pretend they are really sad! ~ 2sparrows
• We started a new tradition three years ago after moving to the country. The kids were taking the bus for the first time so we took a “bus stop buffet” to the location where the kids all meet. While they snacked on muffins and fruit the parents waiting had a chance to talk. It was a great icebreaker and has turned into a fun BTS tradition. ~ Alycin
• Mornings are too much for our family, so we celebrate when it is all said and done. We go out for dinner and talk about how the day went. We have the waitress take a photo of the family together too. ~ Lana