25 Fun Back to School Ideas

Make the school year a bit more fun with these fun back to school ideas! Great ideas whether your kids are going back to school in person or school is starting back up at home!

This year has been a weird one to say the least. With the beginning of school just around the corner for most of the country, I thought it would be fun to share some ideas to celebrate the big milestone!

I put together ideas that work for anyone – whether you’re homeschooling, in person schooling, virtual schooling, or a combination of both. They’re great ways to celebrate the return to school at home with your kids right now!

Back to School Party Ideas

Okay let me rephrase, party ideas is a bad way of putting it this year. Back to school celebrations is a better term!

Anyway, these are fun ways to celebrate the beginning of the year from scavenger hunts to making back to school teacher gifts to cake!

Back to School Scavenger Hunt

This back to school scavenger hunt is a great way to surprise kids the day before school or even earlier! Hide clues with fun school surprises all around and let them find school treasure at at the end! One of my son’s favorites!

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Back to School Bingo

Celebrate the first day back at school – whether at home or in-person with this fun school bingo game! Or play all year long!

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School Supply Cake

This school supply cake is a fun gift for teachers or a fun way to gift school supplies to your kids returning to school! It’s easy to make and who isn’t going to need more school supplies in the fall!

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DIY Apple Plates

An apple a day keeps the doctor away right? Then these apple plates should be worth something! A cute school themed way to enjoy the first day of school breakfast!

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Back to School Party Printables

Make the weekend before school special with a little back to school party completed with these chalkboard inspired printables!

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Traditions and Photos

Want to keep track of the first day of school each year? These fun back to school ideas are great for making those memories and sticking with traditions!

First Day of School Signs

Whether you want a white background or a chalkboard design, these first day of school signs are perfect! And bonus, they come with Pre-K all the way through twelfth grade!

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School Grade Signs

Want to go a little simpler and just hold a sign with the grade your kids are entering? Add these ones to popsicle sticks for simple photo props!

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First Day Interview

This first day interview is a great way to capture how much changes from the beginning of the year to the end! Capture favorite colors, things to eat, things to do and more in this cute free printable!

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School Time Capsule

Take the interview idea a bit further with this fun back to school time capsule idea! Add interview questions and actual items into the capsule then open it up at the end of the year!

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Back to School Photos

How many times have you been so rushed in the morning that you forget to take a first day of school picture? This back to school photo checklist helps you remember and document everything you want for school time!

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Countdown Ideas

If your kids are as excited as mine about going back to school, then maybe you can get create one of these fun back to school countdown crafts! They’re all easy to make and fun to use for the countdown!

Library Card Countdown

This printable countdown looks like the old school library cards and is just so cute! Perfect for hanging and counting down the days until school!

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Activity Countdown

This countdown calendar takes a step further by adding activities to each of he countdown cards! Things like recording favorite summer memories, picking out school day snacks, and more!

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School Bus Craft

It doesn’t get much cuter than this school bus chain countdown craft! Let kids help make the school bus craft then take the chain off each day leading up to school!

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First Day Fun

The countdown is finally over! Here are a few ways to celebrate the first day of school in a creative way your kids will remember!

Lunch Box Notes

Start the first day off right with one of these cute lunch box notes that tells your kids that you’re thinking about them! Then keep it going with a new note every day!

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Encouraging Notes

Drop these encouraging notes and jokes in the car, backpack, pencil box and more for a little encouragement all day long!

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Lunch Box Games

Print out these fun lunch box games to make a hectic day a little more exciting! Drop them in with one of the lunch box notes from above and voila – magic!

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Personalized Pencils

Skip the regular number 2s this year and make your personalized pencils with encouraging notes for your students! I love these because you can add favorite colors, inside jokes, and more! Plus, unlike some of the other ideas – they’ll be able to use these for a while!

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Treat Ideas

One of the sweetest ways to celebrate back to school is with a sweet treat! These back to school treats are best served days or at least a day before so you’re not sending kids to school on a sugar high!

Or forget giving things to your kids and plan out some of these treats for when you send the kids to school and are celebrating a little freedom for the first time in months!

First Day of School Cookie

A ginormous cookie with 1st day of school written on it – need I say more?

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School Day Cupcakes

Celebrate the night before with a special dessert in the form of a back to school apple cupcake! I love this idea because it can help keep kids minds off of the first day of school and on something else!

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Apple Pretzel Snack

Put this special little school day treat in your kid’s lunch box on the first day for a yummy surprise!

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Pencil Gifts

These cute pencils disguise a yummy chocolate treat inside! Plus, they’re filled with chocolates that are individually wrapped so kids so no dealing with mess or plastic bags!

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Apple Waffles

Who doesn’t love waffles for breakfast? Take it up a notch and turn everyone’s favorite breakfast into a school day special with these waffles that look like apples!

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Back to School Candy Grams

Surprise your students with little sweet packages all week long! They’re fun, exciting, and would be perfect to add into the back to school scavenger hunt in this earlier post!

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More Fun for Kids

• Alphabet scavenger hunt
• Disney would you rather questions
• Activity placemats for kids
• Minute to win it games
• Outdoor games

This post was originally published on August 9th, 2015 and has been updated with new photos, ideas, and links since.