school traditions 101

With a little help from a friend I was able to round up a few ideas from a great link. My favorite idea was the magic school bus. Which came the night before school starts and leaves a giant lunch bag filled with goodies to start off the school year (pencils, notebooks, etc). I also liked the banner idea, where your child runs through a banner on his first day of school and his last (one that simple states first day of school or summer is here). Check it out for yourself! Enjoy!

highs and lows

I think this tradition does not have to be surrounded by school and it could be used way before a child enters school. At the dinner table each night record the families highs and lows for the day. Asking your child what was one thing that went great today and one thing that was not so great. This is a huge door opener for good family communication. Let me know if your family does this... I would love to here if you have a special way of doing this!
enjoy!

growth chart

I am sure you heard this a time or two, or maybe you even did this as a child. Measure your child on the inside of the closet door. This is a neat way to keep track of your child’s growth. I have not done this and it is probably a good thing considering we are moving to a new home, I am sure the buyers are grateful. Another way you could measure the child's growth is with hand prints. There are so many neat things you can do with hand prints. Each year you could trace your child’s hand on a piece of tracing paper and you can lay the hand prints over one another to see how they have grown. You could use and empty wall in your garage to make a hand print garden. Paint several stems and when it is your child’s birthday paint your child’s hand and use it as the flower. Paint the stems in a row and watch how the hand grew. This is also something you could do at Father’s day or Mother’s day. Trace your child’s hand over yours in a special book and each year watch as your little one’s hand begins to get as big as yours.
I am hoping my husband will allow me to have a hand print garden in our garage and measure the children up a painted vine! ENJOY!

dress up

This is for that little princess. Find one of your favorite dresses you have worn - maybe from prom or your wedding. On your daughters birthday put the dress on your child and take a picture. Each year watch your baby turn into a woman as she tries the dress on year after year. Eventually the dress could become passed on to your granddaughter. Little boys could do this idea using on of dad's treasures athletic jerseys.

White walls

This project requires a bit more work, but I think it would be super fun!! Allow for the child to have one white wall in his or her bedroom. Through-out the year allow for the child to doodle on the wall or hang whatever he or she desires. On your child's birthday take a picture of the wall and then repaint the wall white for another year of creativity. ENJOY!

Interview with you

Another birthday idea I was able to start doing this year was an interview with the birthday child. My little guy turns four this month and is at a great age, but I could have done this last year as well. Anyway I asked him basic questions: how old are you? name? favorite colors, foods, person, toy, movie, song, etc. I recorded them for a page in his scrapbook, but you could even do this via video camera. You could have one whole disc on birthday interviews. ENJOY!

school traditions

We will be continuing some birthday traditions for a week or so, but I could use your help! This will be the first year of school traditions for my son who will be entering preschool this fall. I am looking forward to making some fun traditions with him as he begins his educational journey. I plan on taking his picture on the first day of school just like my mommy did and I plan on making him a special breakfast, and slipping little notes in his backpack (once he can read), but I could use some of your ideas. Please e-mail me some ideas to amandakapenga@yahoo.com please put tradition in the subject line. I would love to share them with others, please include your blog so I can give you the credit!
thanks for your help