Everyday is a "Hollyday"!: FREE Back to School Printables

This year I will have all four of my kids in school at varying degrees...so you can see how I would be so excited! :) I channeled all that excitement into making these fun printables so that their first day of school could be memorable!

1. Here we have a great poem that I adapted from one I had seen on Amazing Grace's Blog. Just add goldfish and give to your child the night before the first day of school and I dare you not to cry!

2. I created this for their 1st school lunch that I pack. They will love the fun treat and note I give them! Just use a hole puncher and scissors to cut a space for the SMARTIES to go and voila....you've got a super fun treat!

3. So the story goes that teachers never use to make much money and parents use to help supplement their income by sending in apples and potatoes. Apples were a luxury because apple trees were hard to plant, cultivate and harvest. Hence the tradition of "an apple for my teacher". Just attach to a real apple, an apple craft or an Apple itunes gift card. Or just make an apple cupcake and send that in like I did! :)

Here's how to make these delicious and awesome cupcakes!

Apple Cupcakes

*Tip: When putting cupcake in a cup, use two soup spoons to drop it in, picking one up at a time.

4. Subway art anyone? I created a bunch of printables full of great quotes on learning. Pick the ones you like and frame them. They are great conversation starters for you and your kids.

5. We all know the tradition of milk and cookies after school. This is something I never do because I try to serve healthy snacks daily, but 1 day a year isn't going to hurt us. So yesterday I made the cookie dough, divided it up into individual cookies and put them in the fridge. I think that's the hardest part. Now on the first day, I'll just pull them out and bake...which makes the house smell amazing! I love walking into homes that smell like bakeries. :) In the past I've taken the milk and cookies to the bus stop and share with all the kids!

*Tip: I make the cookie dough a few days before the first day of school and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. It can stay in the fridge for up to a week. Or you can make the dough, scoop out the sizes and freeze for up to 3 months. These cookies are a 1/4 cup, so I spray the measuring cup with cooking spray between each dip. This allows them all to be uniform and come out easier.

6. Banners! I did create a "back to school banner" as you can see below, but since I already had one, I wanted to create a different banner with a message. So I chose "knowledge is power". I want my kids to LOVE learning as much as I do. I haven't exactly figured out how to instill that, but hopefully they will see my thirst for knowing more and follow suit. Who knows? But here's hoping I can manipulate their little brains somehow with these banners and quotes...if only it was that simple! LOL!