Fifteen years of homeschooling, seven kids, and countless “first days of school” later, I’ve learned one thing for sure: the magic of that first day really matters. Whether your kids are starting college, high school, middle school, or still teetering around with a juice box in hand, the beginning of a new school year sets the tone. It doesn’t have to be Pinterest-perfect—it just has to be yours.
Here are some of my tried-and-true tips to make your homeschool first day special:
1. Do a Little “Back-to-School” Shopping
Yes, even homeschoolers love fresh pencils, crisp notebooks, and the allure of a brand-new pack of crayons (that, let’s be honest, will be broken within a week). Going shopping a week or two before the school year not only gets everyone excited but also helps them feel like they’re part of something bigger. I’ve had teens who rolled their eyes at me but still secretly got a thrill picking out their own pens or notebooks. Trust me—it matters.
Some years, I've had the kids pick colors and a generic theme (like fairies), and I've surprised them with a gift box of school supplies based on their choices. Other years, I've taken each child shopping independently, having lunch out, and making it an extra-special day. Recently, we've done tandem shopping, with two children shopping with mom and having lunch.
2. Pick a Theme for the Year
Some years, our homeschool has launched from Hogwarts or a Dr. Seuss book. Other years, we’ve had a superhero academy vibe or a forest and fairy theme. Once, we leaned into a bookish theme and pretended our home library was the school’s central hub. My kids LOVED the book Red Sails to Capri and our entire classroom was decorated with boats and sails leading to cave/cavern. Even now they talk about how fun that school year was and we revisit that book as a family every few years.
A theme doesn’t have to mean elaborate costumes (though, bonus points if you can convince a teenager to wear a cape). It’s just about setting a tone—something fun to give your year a unique flavor. Letting the kids have a say in this makes a huge difference. Especially as they get older.
3. Begin with Prayer
In our home, we always pause on that first morning to ask God’s blessing over our year. A simple prayer—something like, “Lord, thank You for this new school year, for the chance to learn together, and for the patience we’ll surely need. Bless our minds, our hands, and our hearts.” Then we pray this (or something like it) every morning. It grounds us, reminds us what’s most important, and helps center even the busiest, most distracted mornings. Some years, we work on memorizing new prayers; others, we focus on different Bible passages. Whatever it is, I let the kids have a voice because when they're invested in it, amazing things happen.
4. Build a Schedule—But Hold It Loosely
Schedules are sanity-savers. I’ve learned my kids thrive when they know what to expect: math after breakfast, reading mid-morning, chores before lunch. But here’s the kicker: hold it loosely. Real life will happen. The toddler will climb onto the table during spelling. Someone will spill juice on their math book. Your teen will ask an oddly philosophical question at the most inconvenient time (consider it “critical thinking” practice.) Flexibility is just as important as structure—don’t forget to give yourself grace.
We have an "ideal" schedule and then the "real" schedule. There are things we want to incorporate into our homeschool day and things we need to incorporate into our day. The trick is to have the flexibility to do both and the serenity to recognize that it might not all happen every day. But this is kingdom work, and tomorrow is always another day.
5. Make it Festive
The first day deserves a little extra sparkle. Maybe it’s pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries for breakfast, or a picnic in the backyard for lunch. Maybe you hand out “school year survival kits” with snacks and silly erasers. We’ve even had first-day scavenger hunts where the kids had to find their new supplies. Whatever it is, let the day feel joyful—it’s the memory they’ll carry, not whether you got through Lesson 1 in the math book.
6. Celebrate the Wins, Big and Small
At the end of the first day, we often circle back together to share what we’re excited about this year. Sometimes the answers are heartfelt (“I want to read more books about history”), and sometimes they’re hysterical (“I’m excited for snack time every day”). Both count. One year, we had a Bible program that incorporated a weekly or daily snack -- Bible was EVERYONE'S favorite subject for the entire school year.
A Word of Encouragement
If you’re anything like me, the temptation is to measure your success by how smoothly things go or how well the kids do on their assessments each year is strong. Here’s the truth: some years will start with a bang, others with a whimper, and most with a mix of both. But the first day is less about perfection and more about planting seeds of joy, faith, and curiosity.
So go forth, homeschool mama (or dad)! Grab those crayons, say that prayer, laugh when the toddler eats the glue stick, (avoid the locking pencil boxes--I'll explain later), and remember—you’ve got this.
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