We asked KC Parent readers to share their Back-To-School Tips and Traditions… these are just a few of our favorites!

Back To School Traditions:

• Family Traditions
• Fabulous Photo Ops
• Back to School Shopping
• Celebrate with Food
• Let’s Get Organized

Family Back To School Traditions:

Shannon Callaghan, “Great-Grammy calls on the first day of school before the bus comes and sings the back to school song she did with my husband and his brother and all the grandchildren! They look forward to it every year. Then I cook pancakes and wait for the bus with them.”

Ashley Johnson Pearson, “It was always exciting going to our school’s front windows in early August where they posted the class roster, and you finally got to find out who your teacher was going to be, and what kids were going to be in your class!”

Missy Moore Fisher, “I always take a day off work the day before school starts and go somewhere with my boys to enjoy their last day of summer with them. We have gone to the pool, the zoo, Worlds of Fun or a number of other things.”

Debby Axmann, “We record height and weight and take pictures at home and in front of the school. Also, we plan a special dinner that evening.”

Rachael Baker Grant, “We start by making our daily routine schedule for when school starts, we look through the ads for school supplies that we will need for the year and online coupons for sales on Back to school clothes. The kids also get to pick one “end of the summer activity” they want to do. They like to choose Union Station, Crown Center, or Worlds of Fun. Right before school starts, we get our haircuts done, clothes picked out for the week, “special lunches made by mom with love”, and First day of School pictures. My kids have asked to walk to school so we will be taking a Morning walk to school this year on their first day.”

Laura Alvarado, “I always walk the kids into class and help them meet their new teacher and spend a few moments talking to them. We do something special after school also like going to the park with friends from class.”

Dorothy Francois, “I always take the first day of school off so that I can take my kids to school. For the youngest child, I walk her to her class. Instead of riding the bus home, I am there to pick them up, so we can talk about the day. The week before school starts, we redesign their rooms for the school year.”

Sandee Manz, “My kids are homeschooled …on the first day of school they each come down for breakfast to find a new backpack full of supplies and fun items … even my high school kids love to see what is inside their new backpack.”

Allison Cook Pugh, “We don’t have any back to school memories yet but when I was little my dad always took us to school on the first day. He always worked long hours so it was very special for him to take the morning off and see us off on that first day!”

Jacque Jenkins McLean, “This is our first year for school, so we will shop for school supplies, new school clothes and we will read The Kissing Hand the night before his first day!”

Christine Strube, “My husband always takes the kids to school and I pick up on the first day.”

Kathryn Oliver, “We always walk our kids to school the first day and take pictures. My daughter’s first day of Kindergarten she was accompanied by Mom, Dad, big brother, Grandma and Grandpa. I’m sure the teacher was wondering what the year was going to be like!”

Teri Trautman, “My sisters, mom, nieces and my daughter meet the night before school starts to watch the girls show off their first day of school outfit and paint fingernails and toenails!”

Stanley Apostolakos, “The weekend before school starts, we do whatever the kids want. It’s their chance to say goodbye to summer break.”

Jen Brake Sullivan, “We are going to have a “Smart Cookie” Party before school starts. This will be a new tradition for us. We also do the beginning and end of year pictures!”

Fabulous Photo Ops on the 1st Day of School:

Amy McMullen, “We planted a tree the same year my son started preschool (and both were about the same height). Each year, we take a picture of him in front of the tree on the first day of school. It is a fun to look back and see how much my son has grown and the tree, too.”

Daphne Scott Rodlund, “My husband and I take the girls to school and take pictures with their new teachers. We frame the pics and the girls like to give the picture to their teachers on birthdays or as a holiday gift. (We always keep a copy of course.)”

Rebble Kelsey, “We take photos of the kiddos getting into the van, then a few at the new classroom. After school we go to get ice cream and out to dinner. We are always sure to include the backpack in the photo so that we can remember what they were “into” at that point!”

Amy Vance, “We take pictures and do a fashion show with all the new clothes… the kids get excited and entertained for an hour or so.”

Mandy Carroll Lynn, “I take my daughter for a mini mani & pedi, and a new haircut. On her 1st day I make her favorite breakfast, and I take lots of pictures. I follow the bus to school, so I can get picture of her returning home too.”

Beth McDaniel, “Our tradition is to get your picture taken holding your lunchbox on the first day of school, right after you get measured for height on the wall each year.”

Mary Vanhooser, “I take a picture of my daughter on the first day of school on the front porch in her new outfit. Then I take the same picture, in the same outfit, on the last day of school to show how much she’s grown.”

Miranda Steffen, “Our biggest Back-to-School tradition involves our girls each having a new outfit to wear the first day and then taking pictures outside the house with their backpacks. My mom did this with my sister and I and I definitely wanted to continue it with my own children.”

Sachia Logan, “I always take a picture of the kids the very first day of school. I try to get a picture of the front of the school. I then make a scrapbook page for them. You would be surprised how much elementary schools change just in 6 years. I always take each child out to choose a backpack or folder of their choice. I love the way new crayons smell so sometimes I just have to buy an extra set just for me…just so we can color when we get home.”

Back To School Shopping:

Allyson ‘Horner’ Hild, “Our grandma used to take my sis and I to get new outfits, haircuts, and shoes for the first day of school and then we would put on a show and “model” them for my grandpa and grandma that night. I plan on carrying on that tradition with my children.”

Janelle Nokes, “We go down to Osage Beach and do our back to school shopping at the outlet mall there! It’s so much fun for the kids, and a change of pace from the ordinary.”

Kara Lowe Cunningham, “I love shopping for school supplies with my kiddoes. And, making sure we get in one more fun day before school starts (zoo, Build-A-Bear, etc.).”

Tessa McGee, “Every year we do the back to school clothes and supply shopping together as a family. We have two girls 11 and 5, so this year is special because our youngest gets to shop for her own school clothes and supplies. We’re very excited to see what her choices will be for the supplies. The fun part is trying to find the cool colors and designs for the different items you need. She is very excited, and so is our oldest because as her little sister is starting elementary, she is starting middle school!”

Sandi Stocksen Turney, “I always make it a special day with just mommy, daddy and son we go buy school supplies and some new clothes and then we go out and do something fun like mini golf or whatever for the day!”

Wendy Spilker Pollard, “Going for a day out with just me and my little princess the week before…..clothes shopping, getting nails painted and having a great lunch out together. Then on the first day of school…..pictures of her walking into school and more pictures of her coming home off the bus running so she and I can enjoy a plate of her favorite cookies and lemonade while she tells me about her 1st day of school!”

Kristal Pate, “We do lots of shopping and try to have a big slumber party before school gets back in session!”

Jennifer Breder ‘Simmons, “This is our First Back to school year! Our new tradition will be to take our son shopping for all his school supplies and get him really excited by letting him pick it all out!”

Caroline Germann, “This will be a first year for us and establishing a back to school tradition. I am really excited and nervous at the same time. I will be attending to consignment sales in Kansas City to stock up on back to school clothes and then attending some back to school fairs for supplies. I am looking forward to her meeting new friends and learning the routine at being in school.”

Celebrate School with Food:

Lisa Ljungdahl, “My mom always made chocolate chip cookies on the first day of school…I’m excited to continue that tradition with my kids!”

Sara Reser Keenan, “Since my son started preschool, our tradition is to have cake on the first day of school! Makes it seem like a celebration!”

Mary Collura-Aldaco, “My husband and I drop the kids off together on the first day and then since it is always a half day we meet Daddy for lunch€¦ usually pizza!”

Jamie Kessler, “My oldest starts Kindergarten in the Fall. We will make a special trip for some back-to-school ice cream.”

Amber Miller, “We have a special dinner the night before, where each child picks what they want to eat. On the morning of the first day back it’s a huge breakfast with all the trimmings, then pictures in front of the house. And always, always a hug and a kiss from mom right before you get out of the car.”

Allison Hall Phillips, “We go to Dean and Deluca on the first day of school and the last day of school to meet Grammy for a cookie.”

Carrie Bell, “We have a tradition of going to Baskin Robbins for a “clown cone” on the first and last day of school each year.”

Erin Jones Chapman, “We buy donuts and the individual milks in any flavor the kids want. Since I am in school also, we go to the bookstore to buy my books for the semester, walk my night schedule (so the kids can picture me in class) and eat in the awesome cafeteria JCCC has to offer!”

Stephanie McCoil, “When my son was in elementary school all of the kids & parents on the block would meet at the bus stop and have donuts and milk (and coffee for the parents).”

Michelle Johnson Wheeland, “Back to school means: Shopping, first day pictures, fun little gifts that morning, and coming home to fresh baked cookies.”

Sarah Timberlake-Vier, “My kids and I always make a whole day out Back to School. We’ll go get their uniforms for school, all their needed school supplies and then always finish it off with a fun lunch at Fritz’s! Fun for the whole family!!”

Jessica Staab Hall, “We always let the kids pick out one new summery outfit and one new winter outfit and a new back pack. I get up early to make a special chocolate chip pancake breakfast. My husband takes to morning off work to walk the kids in to school, and then stays home a while to spend some time with the lonely little ones that are too young to go.”

Let’s Get Organized for School:

Tonia Collins, “Back to school for us means hitting all the sales for school supplies and then a deep clean and organize of our school space (we homeschool)-school never completely stops, but this time of year is a good time to restock and recommit!”

Kristina Hiles Carlson, “Growing up as a child getting ready for going back to school was a big ordeal in my family. We would spend a few days out buying new school clothes and school supplies. There was nothing I loved more than a new big box of crayons! My mom and dad would make us start getting up early a few weeks before school….”just to practice”. My favorite part was laying out my brand new outfit the night before. For breakfast on my first day my sweet mom would also make me whatever I wanted to eat!”

Brandi Cruse Colbert, “We round up the supplies from last year: all of the pencil boxes, pencils, scissors, etc. and organize them as backup/ homework supplies. Then we head out to buy new supplies for the coming year.”

Terri McCoy, “A week or so before school starts, we get the kids used to going to bed early again, so they will be back on their bedtime schedule. We try to hit all the sales a week or so before school for new school clothes and shoes, and school supplies for all of them.”

Sharon Andersen, “We love school supplies so shopping is always an exciting time. We practice waking up early for a week before school starts, and of course take a first-day picture with the new clothes & backpacks!”