"“Don’t blink,” they say. But no matter how hard we try, we all do. I’m writing this as I’m also slowly coming to terms with the latest development—while shopping in Target, I can no longer get away with the 5Ts in the babies and toddler section. As much as I’m trying to focus on our exciting summer ahead, in the back of my mind (and many other mom’s minds this time of year) I just keep thinking, I can’t believe my baby is going to kindergarten this fall.
As we stand together in this emotional, prideful, crazy little threshold of the kindergarten milestone, I want to make sure I savor all the sweet moments to come before the big day while still embracing the bittersweetness of pride and nostalgia. So, I sat down and thought about what we could, should, and will do before the first day of kindergarten. So grab a cup of coffee (check the microwave!) or pour a glass of wine and check out these 20 fun things to do with your kiddo before they start kindergarten.
From super sweet memory-makers to more practical preparation, these fun things to do before kindergarten will definitely make for a memorable summer.
1. Take a ‘Class of 2037’ Photo
It’s crazy to think, but kiddos entering kindergarten this fall will graduate high school in the year 2037. I love the trend I’ve seen across social media of having a ‘Class Of’ shirt that is super big on your kiddo, and taking a picture of them in it each first day of school through high school graduation. It’s a great, simple little tradition that is something to look forward to each year while also giving a bittersweet visual representation of your little one growing up through the years.
There are also plenty of other creative first day of school picture traditions to start—like taking a photo next to mom/dad to see their height grow over the years or with their school picture from the previous year. Choose your favorite!
2. Start Bike-Riding Lessons
If you haven’t already, this summer is a great time to get the wheels (of their bike) in motion. Whether it’s with a balance bike or training wheels, between the ages of 3 and 7 is a great time to start learning how to ride a bike. The best part about this is that they’ll feel so accomplished once they get it. This achievement may even up their confidence heading into the classroom this fall.
3. Play Hooky
Regardless of your summer plans and whether you’ll be working, they’ll be in camp, or your days get lost in never ending “to-dos”, find one day to totally catch your kiddo off guard, make no appointments or responsibilities, and just have a hooky day together. As kids grow, spontaneity gets more and more difficult to come by, so we can try to embrace it while we still can (and while nobody is taking attendance!). It will be a whole day of hanging out, doing whatever you feel like.
4. Plan a Pre-Kindergarten Playdate
As the class lists start to roll in, make it a priority to try to reach out to families ahead of the school year to see if they’d like to get together for a little low-key fun before school officially starts. My daughter is a lot like me and the unknown makes us both pretty anxious. I hope that by hanging out with new friends ahead of time, the familiar faces will help to ease the transition on the big day.
5. Have a Family Sleepover
My daughter has never been a good sleeper and still requires one of us to fall asleep with her, as well as some middle-of-the-night snuggles. So while this may not be super groundbreaking to her, she’s also been asking me for a “real” sleepover with friends so I think this is a great first step. We’re going to break out the sleeping bags, paint our nails, watch her favorite movie with popcorn, play card games, and stay up as late as she wants. If I’m feeling “extra,” I might even go all out and hang up some fun lights or get us some matching summer jammies (who isn’t a sucker for matching PJs?).
6. Review the Basics
Whether your kid is a Pre-K pro or this will be their first experience in a school setting, it’s probably a good idea to make sure they have a general idea of the basics of kindergarten. Think of the questions your kid might have, and try your best to answer them naturally. How many kids will be in their class? What will they learn? What is the day like? How will they be able to use the bathroom? (This is a paramount question.) What will they eat for lunch at school?
You can reach out to your child’s teacher or a veteran parent if you need help preparing the answers, but casually bringing these facts into conversation or your daily activities can help your child feel prepared and excited for what’s to come.
7. Play School
Few things are as fun for kiddos as pretend play. Take your typical activities up a notch by playing school. You can take turns being the student and teacher, go through different lessons, and even practice reading and writing. Not only will it be fun for them, but it will also help them get a feel for what school will be like when they get there—and hopefully make it less intimidating!
8. Make Mommy-and-Me Bracelets
Throughout Pre-K, my daughter and I had this little thing we’d do if we were having “tough” mornings, I’d draw a little heart on her hand and on mine so we would match and could “connect” throughout the day. This summer, we’re going to dust off my friendship bracelet-making skills and make matching bracelets we can wear the first few days to help ease the transition. It’s a fun but purposeful activity to look forward to and, hey, what is summer, really, without friendship bracelets?
9. Have a Picnic
On a particularly pleasant day, head to the park (or even your backyard) and have a nice picnic! Bring games, yummy food and snacks, crafts—whatever you know your kid will like. It can be so easy to get in a routine or rut with lunches, and something as simple as taking it outside on a blanket for once can make a core memory in the mind of littles. Bonus points if you pack for the picnic as if you’ll be packing their lunch for school. You can use this time to see if they have a preference for sandwiches, can open their bento lunch box, sample any new snacks you want to try, etc.
10. Make a Memory Box or Scrapbook
Chances are your 4 or 5-year-old has created some artwork, made some crafts, has a favorite t-shirt that no longer fits, etc. Instead of letting the clutter build up around your house, buy a nice-looking memory box. Together, gather a few of their favorite things and put them in the box to look back on in the years ahead. Make it a yearly tradition that’s both functional and special.
11. Have a Summer Reading Challenge
There’s no better way to bond than over books. During the summer before kindergarten (or even just the weeks leading up to school starting) set a goal for you and your little one for a certain number of books to read together. This can also involve fun trips to the library or picking up a new book on your next Target run.
12. Go Back-to-School Shopping in Person
Was this not one of the most bittersweet activities of growing up? It was so exciting to get new clothes and/or school supplies but also such a bummer because it meant summer was over. Even if you usually do most of your shopping online, this special occasion calls for some good old fashioned in-person retail therapy.
13. Write Future-Self Letters
A special activity you two can do together is write letters for your little one to open in the future—say, on high school graduation day or their 18th birthday. They can write to their future self about everything that interests them right now, how they feel about starting kindergarten, and anything else they think their older self needs to hear. Then, you can do the same! Write them a letter to open on a big day in the future for a special moment to reminisce on. Or you can make it a full event and write several letters for several big days like turning 16, their wedding day, etc.
14. Take a Trip to the Library
Start that summer reading challenge off with a bang with an exciting trip to the library. Kindergarten will be full of learning, so getting started early with new books is a great idea. If you don’t have one already, take your little one along with you to get signed up for a library card and allow them to pick out a few books. Make it a regular occasion and we know it’ll become something they always look forward to.
15. Go to the Movies
The best part about summer is that you may have an opportunity to do things you don’t always have time to do during the school year. Perhaps one of those things is catching the latest blockbuster movie. Whether its their first or 50th time going to the movies, it’s sure to be special event for you to do as a family—especially if you can splurge for the movie theater snacks.
16. Paint Your Nails
In all of the back-to-school prep, carve out some time for a little relaxation. If your little one is ready for it, maybe it’s time for their first trip to the nail salon. Otherwise, you can make them feel just as pampered and ready to conquer their new classroom at home by painting your nails together. Make it an event by taking them to the store with you to pick out their favorite color.
17. Visit Relatives
There’s no denying that the school year gets busy. Sometimes it even hits us that there’s barely any time to visit relatives before the holidays come back around. Plan a trip to your kiddo’s grandparents’ house, aunt and uncles’ abode, or to see any other relative you may not get together with as much as you like. Everyone’s sure to appreciate a little quality time together before the back-to-school chaos ensues.
18. Go to a County Fair
Soak up the last summer before school in the best way possible by going to a local fair. You’ll love seeing the smile on your child’s face as they place games, go on the rides, and pet sweet animals at the petting zoo. If you haven’t been to one in a while, trust us, there are core memories to be made at the fair.
19. Perfect Your School Snacks
Whether you’ll be sending your little one to school with a packed lunch or they’ll just be needing a snack at the end of the day, spend some time this summer perfecting healthy snack recipes. Make it even more fun by ranking your favorites. Be sure to keep the list to refer back to—you’ll thank yourself later!
20. Spend a Little Extra Time Cuddling
It’s milestones like heading into kindergarten that remind us just how fast our kids grow up. Do your best to savor this age by taking in extra cuddles when you can. Maybe that looks like slow sleepy mornings, books before bed, or a movie night on the couch. No matter what, soak it in.
Whether you do one, all, or none of these things, just remember that the most important thing is to try to cherish the time you spend together. Any regular activity can become a meaningful experience your little one will carry with them as they start their elementary school adventure.
Erin Celletti
Erin is an NYC-based writer with a BA in Journalism from Quinnipiac University and two master’s degrees in education. She is a proud mama to a little girl and a lifestyle, beauty, wellness, and trends reports writer. Beyond The Everymom, Erin’s editorial work has been featured in publications like Bustle, Allure, Byrdie, The Everygirl, TeenVogue, BRIDES, Sunday Edit, and TODAY.
Brett Nicole Hayden, Editorial Assistant
As the Editorial Assistant, Brett works with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living. She’s also The Everymom’s resident baby names and family movies expert!