So long summer.
My soon-to-be third grader heads back to school next week and she couldn’t be sadder.
Ditto for the mama.
I’ve never been one of those Staples commercial-type parents, who glide through school supply aisles belting out, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” at the top of my lungs.
Honestly, I dread back-to-school season and the tears and tantrums that come with it. Consequently, I’ve learned to ease into the end of August.
After all, crabby kid = crabby mommy.
To lessen the back-to-school blow, I’ve been trying to distract my daughter with fun, affordable and kid-friendly projects that she can show-off when classes resume next week.
Here are some of our favorites so far:
Personalized Backpack Tags
Materials:
Scissors
Markers, colored pencils, or rubber stamps
Stickers, gemstones, glitter, sequins, buttons and/or other embellishments
Hole punch
Key ring or lanyard hook
Directions:
Select a Shrinky Dink shape (for a backpack tag you could choose an apple, circle or star). Remember that Shrinky Dinks reduce to approximately one-third their original size in the oven, so make sure your piece is sized accordingly.
Have your child write his or her name on the tag, and then decorate it with markers, rubber stamps, and other embellishments.
Use a hole punch to create a circle at one end of the tag. The hole will shrink too, so make it a bit bigger to allow for shrinkage.
Bake the tag according to the package directions.
Use a key ring or lanyard hook to attach the tag to a zipper on the backpack. You could also tie the tag to a zipper with ribbon or string.
DIY Bookmarks
Materials:
Construction paper or card stock
Clear contact paper
Scissors
Hole punch
Yarn, ribbon or tassel
Stickers, rubber stamps, beads, sequins, glitter or other embellishments
Directions:
Cut-out a traditional or creative bookmark shape from construction paper or card stock. Most bookmarks measure about two inches wide by six inches long.
Decorate with stickers, rubber stamps, glitter, or simply have your child draw a picture on the bookmarks with crayons or markers.
Cover bookmarks with contact paper or laminate them if you have a machine at home.
Punch a hole in the top of each bookmark and add some ribbon or a tassel.
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