It's that favorite time of year for kids AND their moms. There's nothing more exciting than getting that list of supplies from the school and heading off to the store to get new pencils, notebooks, backpacks, and a special pencil box. After all, this is the first "regular" school year since the pandemic started and all are eager to get back to the simple joys of life. We gigi's are here to help with some fun suggestions.
Gigi Lori
With the start of a new school year comes the task of sending children to school with a healthy and nutritious meal for lunch. Bento boxes are great for portion perfect meals and many other reasons! We love this one that is appropriate for 3-7yr olds and comes with a removable ice pack to keep your child’s food cool. It's also leak-proof and easy for little hands to open! What's great about this particular company, is that they support Feed the Children a nonprofit that gives hope and resources for hungry children and families. You can find the lunchbox at this link HERE on Amazon and they offer a variety of sizes and colors.
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. - Dr. Suess
Gigi Lori
Gigi Susie
First day of school thoughts has so much excitement for me as a daughter, mom and now Gigi! I absolutely loved going shopping and picking out my first day of school outfit and I made sure I didn't wear it until the actual first day - like any of my classmates would have known that I wore it! As a mom, I carried that tradition on with my children with buying new clothes and new school supplies. As a Gigi, I can't believe my two oldest grandchildren will be entering kindergarten in just a few short weeks. My heart is full of excitement and joy for them both as they meet their new teacher and make new friends.
Here are some items that I really like to get them ready for school:
For the younger kids, preschool to pre-kindergarten, I love these nap mats from Pottery Barn Kids. They are Oeko-Tex certified and verified to be free from over 300 harmful substances, they are designed with a built-in pillow and strap to easily roll up and come in a variety of prints, designs and colors. Your little ones will be sure to love them!
Love these backpacks from Pottery Barn Kids. They have so many cute prints for boys and girls and you can get their name or initials monogrammed on them as well. I'm not a big fan of getting your child's name on their backpack for safety reasons; however, you can monogram their name on a matching lunchbox maybe. We recently took our granddaughter for her 5th birthday to PBK to pick out a backpack, lunchbox and water bottle for kindergarten. She loved the princess and the unicorn print and couldn't decide what she wanted. So like Gigi would do, I told her she doesn't have to decide and that she could get both: she picked out the princess backpack, water bottle and unicorn lunchbox. They also offer a variety of sizes in backpacks from mini - large and some styles have XL and a rolling bag.. Perfect for all ages and gender.
For the older kids, how about cute pencils with gold lettering with inspirational words on each pencil and the 10 pencils come with a gold pencil sharpener.
Perfect gift to remind them how much you believe in them. You can purchase them here at the happiness planner.
Last, but not least, I want my grandchildren to always know how special they are to me so I sewed them each two reusable napkins for their lunchboxes. I chose fabrics in their favorite colors and then sewed a tag on the back of each napkin. My hope is that no matter how their day is going, when they use their napkins they know how much of my heart they have and it makes them smile!
Have fun and make great friends my sweet grandbabies!
Gigi Susie
xoxoxoxoxo
Mimi Jackie
I remember the excitement like it was yesterday of not only preparing our son and daughter for back-to-school shopping but for meet-the-teacher night and of course their first day of school. What a blessing it is to be back at that stage, but this time with our two oldest grandsons, witnessing all their excitement. They will be entering 2nd grade and Kindergarten this school year and Mimi can hardly wait to help them pick out a few new items. And maybe, just maybe as they use them, they’ll think back to not only our shopping trip to purchase them, but also our visit to the ice cream shop afterward where we re-capped our summer adventures together.
I’ve always felt like it was important to start each school year off with new school supplies, backpack and a water bottle. It’s a fresh start and it can really set the right tone for their upcoming school year. Just the thought of a new backpack, a new pair of sneakers or a lunchbox can evoke so much excitement and confidence. Not only that, but their new gear for the upcoming school year will brighten their final days of summer as they count down to the first day of school and seeing their classmates again. Here are a few of my favorite back to school ideas for our grandchildren this year:
While I’ve never been a fan of having my own kids name embroidered on their backpack or lunch box for safety reasons, I do love a cute Personalized Pencil Case. The pencil case is either kept inside their backpack or in their desk/cubby at school and I was happy to find this particular one at this link on Etsy. It's just adorable!
Fidget Pop It Keychain - Amazon This little sensory pop-it helps many students concentrate while taking a test or listening to lectures. This one is small enough to attach to their backpack. It's designed to help relieve stress, anxiety and more. Can be calming on the school bus or playground.
As mentioned, our two oldest grandsons will be heading to school in just two weeks. It’s bittersweet for me, however I look forward to their early release day every Wednesday and taking them for ice cream. On a recent trip to Old Navy our oldest grandson, who will begin second grade, loved this sturdy canvas backpack! Old Navy has several styles to choose from and can be found at this Old Navy link. Pottery Barn Kids also has many adorable backpack styles. They're water-resistant with an exterior side pocket to hold a water bottle and can be purchased in a mini size all the way up to a rolling backpack. Again, I always prefer a monogram and they offer many adorable fonts. Be sure to follow this link to check out all their cute styles!
First Day of School props are a fun way to stage those first day of school pictures! I found these on Etsy and I LOVE how cute they are. If your grandchildren live out-of-state it would be a cute idea to add them in a back-to-school care package for the grandkids, with the photo props as a little surprise for mom, which will make taking that first day picture more fun and special for everyone! You can find the link here on Etsy.
Lastly, I think it’s important to show our grandsons compassion and empathy towards those who may experience daily challenges at home. We love to participate in the Stuff the Bus school supply drive. The supplies are not only for children but for educators across our communities that are in need. It’s important to help them with much needed school supplies to be successful heading back to school. You can google Stuff the Bus near me to participate and start a new tradition together.
I've included a site you can visit for specific back-to-school prayers for protection, guidance and more for children and teachers. The link to the prayers can be found HERE.
The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. - B.B. King
xoxo
Mimi Jackie
Lala Malana
Every summer my siblings and I would each get to spend a week at my great aunt's house in the city. During that visit, we would walk to a store where we would get to pick out a back to school dress which I would also wear later for school pictures. I felt so special and couldn't wait to start school just so I could wear it. It was one of my fondest memories.
So much has changed but the first day of school is always a day of new beginnings. New friendships, new teachers and different schedules. And even though there could be a few hesitations, it is an exciting time and it is always fun to have some new items to start off the year.
My granddaughter who is 12 found this cute lunch bag from Tillys.com. It is a Roxy Brand and it comes in so many colors an patterns. They also have backpacks to match. So cute.
The Thermos Funtainer 10 ounce vacuum insulated containers are the perfect size for kids of all ages. They are easy to open and come with a spoon that folds up inside the lid. Send them to school with their favorite warm or cold snack. This stainless steel thermos keeps contents hot for up to 5 hours and cold for up to 7 hours. It is a very kid-friendly design, lightweight but durable. You can find them on Amazon in many designs and affordable prices.
I hope some of these ideas help get your children off to their first day school with a smile. That will be the only way you will have a good day as well.
Lala
Nana Alison
I think all kids get excited for the first day of school (even the older ones, whether or not they admit it). What makes it even more exciting are all the new supplies and gadgets that are available these days.
For little ones and big ones, a new pencil or pen case is a must for the new school year. I like this one for all ages. It’s got plenty of room for markers, pens, and pencils and comes in several colors. It’s available here on Amazon.
This bracelet set (one for Mom, too) is perfect for first-time school kids that may have a little separation anxiety. It will remind them that Momma is thinking about them. Click here to see it on Amazon.
This sweet shirt for kindergarteners is perfect for that very first day of kindergarten and will be a special memory for photos. I found it here on Etsy.
For techie middle schoolers or high schoolers, this is a great reusable/green notebook. No more wasted paper and the notes can be uploaded to the cloud. You can purchase it here on Amazon.
Follow us on social media:
Facebook @ Gigi Connection
Instagram @ gigiconnection_
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.