Back-to-school season is here! I’m ready to help with 10 free first-day of kindergarten printables and some wise advice from an experienced teacher.
Written by: Scott Cornfoot
B.A., M. Sc., Ed., OCT,
Primary, Junior Classroom Teacher
The first day of school is extra emotional when you have a child going to kindergarten. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first, second, seventh, or last child – starting school is a huge milestone. I am here to help with a handy how-to guide for surviving that first day of kindergarten. These four “S”s will put you on the path to success!
Sleep
Your child has likely been staying up late and sleeping late all summer. About a week before the first day, experts recommend gradually moving bedtime and wake-up time earlier.
Those experts are very smart but they also probably do not have real children. Do the best you can and leave space for naps on the couch every afternoon.
Reading a story before bed is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your child. Doing this will also help expand their vocabulary, which is a necessary component when learning how to read.
Sign
We all know that documenting your child’s first day of kindergarten in an Instagram-worthy manner is one of the most important parts of that first day. You’re going to need a sign for them to hold proclaiming this milestone to all of Facebook. Years from now, you will not remember what your child wore or what they looked like on the first day of kindergarten. You’ll find yourself scrolling through pictures, looking for dates, then attempting to do the math to figure out how old they were and what grade they were in. Go ahead and help your future self out by giving them a sign announcing their current grade level.
Luckily, you don’t have to be an artist or devote days to this project to make it happen. Check out our FREE first day of Kindergarten printables! Simply edit the template on your device and then print – no artistic ability required. Alternatively, have your child make a sign themselves. You might not know what it says, but all of your online friends will tell you how great it is that you are letting your kids express themselves.
These examples of the 10 first day of kindergarten printable (or whatever grade your child is in) will look adorable on social media!
Solidarity
Find other kindergarten parents. Once they are at school, get together for coffee or at someone’s house. Some people will be thrilled the kids are gone and some will quietly weep the whole time. Most will alternate between the two. Just being around others in the same boat as you will help to pass the hours.
Some parents are thrilled that school is starting again!
Snacks
Your child will come home HANGRY. After a summer of constant snacking, going 7 hours with only one meal will feel like torture. Meet them at the bus with a granola bar and a juice box in hand. Don’t try to make any conversation until after they have eaten.
Don’t forget yourself! You may need to eat your feelings about not knowing what your child is doing all day long. Stock up on your favorite snacks or arrange to meet a friend for lunch.
There is no such thing as too many snacks for the first day of kindergarten! Make sure you go over with your child how to open each re-useable snack container
You’ve got this! Hopefully, your child came home with a big smile excited to go back. If not today, they will soon. Kindergarten teachers are special angels sent to love on our kids.
If you or your child want to remember your experiences this year, try choosing one of our fun notebooks to use as a journal or a sight word activity book! (like this, this, this, this, or this).
Enjoy this special time and let me know how it went in the comments!
In case you are looking for more ideas to help your child be prepared for school in 2022, check out this post where I dive into 3 actionable tips you can do right now to will help make this your child’s best school year yet.
