Parenting Tips for a Successful Back-to-School Season: Learning Routines and Educational Activities for Kids
Back to school is an exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, time for caregivers and children alike. Whether it’s refreshing routines or checking in on big feelings, there is a lot to prepare for as families transition into a new school year.
Thank goodness for Abby, Elmo, and their parents, who are sharing their tips for parents and caregivers to help make back-to-school season as easy as 1-2-3.
Getting Up & Out in the Morning
Turn that feeling of having a “monster of a morning” into a fun Monster Morning by checking out how Rosita and her Mami start the day at home.
Some morning school readiness routines can double as educational activities for kids. From learning all the steps it takes to get dressed, to exploring your senses during breakfast and pointing out letters and numbers as you make your way to school — check out the Learning in the Morning list for some new ideas.
Establishing & Reinforcing Routines
Routines are repeated tasks we do to help our minds know what’s next, and children really benefit from them! We don’t have to complete them in the exact same way and same order every day, but they’re a powerful way to help daily tasks feel less overwhelming.
Sticking to routines is easier if you are part of the process of making them, so consider completing these First/Then Boards together with your child and having them hang it somewhere in their room. To reinforce the learning you might play this game with children, to practice breaking down routines into small, approachable steps.
The Power of Routines
Turn ordinary moments into opportunities for learning
“First/Then” Boards: Managing Daily Routines
A printable tool to help children know what to expect in their daily routines and activities.
Learning Daily Routines
Make everyday routines easy to remember with these interactive cards.
It also helps to do certain things the same way every time, no matter where you are. Watch this video on School Routines, Home Routines to see how repeating similar tasks at home and school can build confidence.
If your little one has a hard time with morning drop-off, consider adding this song with Big Bird to your journey from home to school.
Adding some play is always a great idea too — it keeps things fun and serves as a nice break for our busy minds.
School Routines, Home Routines
Having the same routines in different settings enriches learning.
Transition Time: Drop-off
Help children prepare for drop-off transitions with this audio-only moment!
Planning for Play in Daily Routines
A printable page to plan moments of playfulness during daily routines.
Learning Games, Circle Time, and Learning Parties
If children have first day jitters, it helps to explain that they will be joining a new community with their teacher, as they learn together with their classmates. And that makes for quite the party — A Learning Party! Sing along to the Learning Party song using the lyrics coloring sheet to build on the excitement.
It can also help to know what to expect during their day, like circle time! Share the storybook Cookie Monster at Circle Time and point out that your child will probably learn about letters, just like Cookie Monster learns about the letter C.
If letters and numbers are something you haven’t spent time on just yet, you can check out games like I Know my Letters, Abby’s Letter Garden and I Know My Numbers to get a head start!
More Things to Know Before the First Day
Children may have lots of big feelings as they gear up for a new year of learning! At drop-off, remind your little one that their new teacher:
- cares about them
- is looking forward to seeing them
- makes sure they’re ready to learn each day
- sees and hears them
Just look at how Elena greets her students in this video.
If your child is worried about making new friends, play this game together and help them practice their skills with Elmo.
And finally, check out more resources in our Back-to-School collection page and Building Social Emotional Skills.
Back to School
A video that explores ways parents can build bridges of communication between the home and the classroom.
Getting Ready for Kindergarten: Building Social-Emotional Skills
An article to help families build the social and emotional skills needed for kindergarten after a long period of unexpected changes.
Here’s to another year of growing, learning, and caring together!
