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15 Fun Back to School Traditions

OneMommy — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 04:54:25 +0000

That first day of school was rough. There were a lot of tears.

Of course the were all from me when I got to the car, not from my little girl as I dropped her off for kindergarten. I wanted to do something special for her first day, so we stopped for ice cream on the way home, and a tradition was born.

It’s back to school time for many. Whether you have a child just starting school or you’re looking for a new idea to make this year extra special for the kids, these 15 back to school traditions are sure to make the time memorable.

Whether your child attends public or private school or you homeschool, these back to school traditions will make that first week back fun for everyone.

And, to make things go even smoother, check out these ideas for organizing school supplies.

Back to School Traditions

Serve a Special Breakfast. Cut their toast in the shape of a heart. Make a smiley face on top of their cereal with some sliced up fruit. Or try one of these 21 Back To School Breakfast Ideas.

Decorate Their Bedroom Door. While the kids are sleeping, decorate their door with streamers and balloons or even just a fun sign that says, “Happy First Day of School!”

Take that first day of school picture. Looking for ways to make kit fun? Check out these 15 Ideas for Adorable First Day of School Pictures from Kids Activities Blog

Grab one of these Free Printable First Day of School Signs from Simple Play Ideas to make the picture even more special.

Have a scavenger hunt. Put those school supplies to work before the big day with this printable School Supply Scavenger Hunt from The Dating Divas. There’s a picture version for non-readers and a list version for older students.

Craft together. Crafting is always popular when it comes to holidays. Celebrate the start of the school year with a few Duct Tape Crafts for School from There’s Just One Mommy.

Try a bit of magic. Ease their anxiety with this Magic Dust for the First Day of School from The Educators’ Spin on It.

Pray. This Back to School Prayer for Kids from I Can Teach My Child is perfect for kids heading to public school, private school, or homeschooling.

Read a book. These First Day of School Books from There’s Just One Mommy are perfect for those starting preschool or kindergarten.

Set up an interview. This First Day of School Interview from Spaceships and Laser Beams is the perfect way to record your child’s interests and save them. Look them over together at the end of the year or save them for when they graduate.

Give them a gift. Try the German tradition of making a giving your child a schultute, or school cone, and fill it with small treats and gifts like scented markers and stickers. Check out this post to learn How to Make a Schultute (Kindercone) from Red Ted Art.

Give the German tradition a twist and Make a Schultute as a First Day of School Teacher Gift like they did on Kid World Citizen.

Send them a note. Write them a short letter and stick it in their lunch. For non-readers try drawing a silly picture to make them smile. Check out these Free Printable Lunchbox Notes from Our Best Bites for more ideas.

Have a snack ready. 12 Cute After School Snack Ideas from There’s Just One Mommy

Go Out for Ice Cream. When the kids come home from their first day, head to your favorite ice cream shop for sundaes and to hear about their day.

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6 Super Fun Back to Homeschool Traditions from This Outnumbered Mama
Activities for the 100th Day of School
15 Fun Ways to Practice Math Facts

The post 15 Fun Back to School Traditions first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Kids Craft: Mouse Pencil Topper

OneMommy — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 14:55:51 +0000

Hundreds of unmarked pages in spiral notebooks, sharpened pencils with perfect erasers, and the smell of new crayons — I’ve always love the possibilities new school supplies signify. But sometimes kids need something to help them get excited about using those supplies. This simple mouse pencil topper is a fun back to school craft. It’s also a cute craft to go with the popular Library Mouse books.

These pencil toppers look cute, and make it more fun to use those pencils when doing homework.

Materials Needed:

Craft Foam
Wiggly Eyes
Glue Stick
Variety of Craft Buttons
Scissors
Pen
Free Mouse Pencil Topper Template (optional)

Make Your Own Mouse Pencil Topper

Use the template to trace the mouse shape on the craft foam, and then cut it out. (You can also freehand the shape if desired.) Cut the 2 horizontal lines towards the bottom of the mouse’s body. This is where your pencil will stick through.

Use your glue stick to add wiggly eyes. Add buttons for the mouse’s nose and ears. Your child may choose to decorate the mouse with lots of buttons — let them get creative!

Once the glue dries, slide your pencil into the slots of your pencil topper, forming his tail. You’re ready to write in style!

We’ve unpacked all the new school supplies, replaced the broken crayons with new boxes, and made sure new glue sticks are at the ready. After reading a few of our favorite school-related books, including Library Mouse, and making our own pencil toppers, we are ready

Target Card Giveaway: Back to School Shopping with WaterWipes and Target

OneMommy — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 16:05:24 +0000

As much as I hate to rush summer, I have to admit, I get a little excited seeing the rainbow of spiral notebooks, markers, and pencil boxes appear for back to school at Target. I have a serious school supply addiction, and I just have to check out all the goodies. It seems the kids have caught my love for school supplies — our cart got full pretty quickly this year!

(This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.)

When it comes to back to school shopping, we always pick up plenty of spiral notebooks. How can I resist when they are only 17 cents each? We use them for spelling work, journals, and even for drawing in the car. Markers and glue sticks are also such a great deal this time of year, that we always stock up.

One more thing I like to have on hand for school? Wet wipes. Moms know how versatile wet wipes can be. They are perfect for wiping down sticky hands after using those glue sticks. My son can’t stand having glue on his hands, so I always keep a package in our school area so he can clean up fast and we can keep learning.

I also keep a package in our “on the go” bag, because we love taking school outside whenever possible, and water isn’t always available to clean off hands.

Wipes are also great for cleaning crumbs off of faces from those cookies that my son decided we had to have for school. When wiping off little faces you don’t need all those harsh chemicals that some wipes have. WaterWipes are 99.9% pure Irish water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract. And I love that WaterWipes are so durable — you can wipe off chocolate covered faces, then turn the wipe over and continue with the colorful marker on those little fingers. When you’re a mom you want your kids to be happy and healthy. I love that you can find WaterWipes at Target. When you’re shopping with kids you don’t always have time to read about all the choices. WaterWipes makes it easy; they are the safest wipes available.

Other Back to School Posts You May Like:

The post Target Card Giveaway: Back to School Shopping with WaterWipes and Target first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

12 After School Snack Ideas

OneMommy — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:35:24 +0000

Looking for some fun after school snack ideas to fill those bellies and make them smile? Here are 12 fun kid snacks that are sure to please!

Check out these Butterfly Snack Bags that are not only healthy, but adorable, too!

Have a PB&J fan? Make your own Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi.

Speaking of sushi, try making some delicious Fruit Sushi!

These Frozen Banana Penguins put a whole new spin on frozen bananas.

Vehicle lovers will rev their engines for these easy Fruit Cars!

Grab some ripe bananas and mix up these yummy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins or try one of these other 25 awesome muffin recipes.

Make a splash with these cute Jello Cup Swimming Teddy Bears!

Zoom off with this fun Jet Snack idea.

Have a TMNT fan? Check out these simple Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle apples!

Kids like variety? Try this yummy Fall Snack Mix.

Need something quick? Grab a permanent marker and make some simple Fruit Cup Faces.

Another fast idea: use a toothpick to create Secret Message Bananas.

We’ve come a long way from just milk and cookies!

Make after school snack time even more fun and try making a few of these ahead of time with the kids. Those butterfly snack bags and the fruit cup faces could become a craft one day and a yummy snack the next!