15 Fun and Memorable Back-to-School Traditions for Homeschoolers

My older kids sometimes lament that they are missing out on certain things because they’re homeschooled. For example, my middle child really wishes she could ride a school bus and my oldest child really wants a cute backpack in which to carry her books. Of course, due to their ages, they have a difficult time understanding that their peers miss out on many things because they aren’t homeschooled (such as being able to complete school in a short time each day and being able to take lots of field trips).

As we’ve watched their peers engage in back-to-school activities, I’ve realized that homeschoolers can also engage in back-to-school traditions. After brainstorming some ideas and seeking input from other homeschoolers, I’ve compiled this list of 15 fun and memorable back-to-school traditions that homeschoolers can use to commemorate the start of a new school year.  

Back-to-school traditions for homeschoolers

• Go shopping for new school supplies and clothes
• Have a planning session with your kids where you get their input on what the school year should look like (what field trips to take, what topics to study, what time to start school, what art projects to complete, etc.)
• Pick a theme song for your year and sing or listen to the song together
• Create a homeschool vision board (a collage or other visual representation of your goals as a homeschooling family) and place this in a prominent location in your school area (see examples here and here)
• Have a special breakfast on the first day of school
• Wrap new school supplies in wrapping paper and open these “presents” on the first day of school
• Hide new school supplies and send kids on a “scavenger hunt” to find them (see an example here)
• Wear new outfits on the first day of school
• Take first day of school photos (my kids hold this sign each year when I take their photos)
• Complete “All About Me” worksheets or posters (see examples here and here)
• Decorate your homeschooling area with balloons and streamers
• Host a homeschool open house for grandparents and other family members or neighbors (read more about this concept here and here)
• Discuss the upcoming year using back-to-school conversation starters (see examples here and here)
• Host or attend a back-to-school party with other homeschoolers
• Have milk and cookies (a classic after-school snack!) to celebrate when you’ve finished your first day of school (if you prefer, you could do this on Friday to celebrate finishing the first week of school)

I love so many of these ideas! We already take back-to-school photos, but I definitely want to add a few of these to our plans.

Do you have additional ideas to share? How do you commemorate the start of a new school year?