By Alyson Trager
August 16, 2017

As summer winds down, it’s hard for some kids to get ready for the school year ahead. While some are ready to get back to a normal schedule and see their friends, some dread setting that early wake up alarm. Whatever their position is on their first day back, Savvy Auntie is here to make awaiting the new school year more fun with these cool tips and ideas.

Create an End-of-Summer Bucket List

Kids don’t always realize how fast the summer comes to a close. One of the reasons they might not be eager to head back to school is because they feel like they didn’t get to do everything they had planned. Whether it be going to an amusement park, or getting to the beach one last time, help your nieces and nephews accomplish four or five things they want to do before the summer ends. This will leave them feeling satisfied with the summer and motivated for the school year to come.

Make a Vision Board

Help create a fun visualization of your nieces’ and nephews’ goals for the upcoming year. You can do this on poster, cork or dry-erase boards. Help them come up with a title that includes their name and the year to make it specific, but interesting. They can draw pictures that symbolize their hopes and goals, or you can work together to find pictures to cut out from magazines and online. Their boards can include anything from getting an A in math, to making new friends, to winning their soccer championship - it’s up to them!

Check out this article from KiddieMatters.com for how to create a vision board with kids- and why it works! Making this board together is a creative way to get some QualAuntie Time in before the school year begins and they become busy with homework and extracurricular activities.

Go on a Style Shopping Spree

Going back to school each year is a time to start over. Your nieces and nephews have a blank slate to start anew with not only grades, but style too. After taking a nice break with summer vacation, your nieces and nephews may want a special, new look for the year to come.Take them shopping and splurge on super cool items that their parents may not have spent the money on. A fresh look will have them feeling excited and confident as they walk down the halls of their school.

Close-by and Long-Distance Aunties who aren't able to take a niece shopping, check out Savvy Auntie partner, kidpik.com/savvyauntie where your nieces can get seven hand-picked pieces including shoes designed to complete 2-3 fashionable head-to-toe outfits unique to your FashioNieceta's style - plus a free gift!*

Get School Supplies that Match Their Personality

Ask their parents for their back-to-school supplies lists to ensure you get all the right stuff and take your nieces and nephews shopping for the required supplies - and to spice up their mundane supplies. If you’ve got a glitz-and-glam-loving niece, consider a pencil case that sparkles just like she does, like this one from Claire’s. A nephew who loves superheroes may prefer a pencil case like this from Wal-Mart.  If you have a gamer for a niece or nephew, this calculator from Office Depot is sure to get them pumped up about doing his homework.

If you have artistic nieces and nephews, why not design and draw pictures to put in the plastic slip on the front of their binders? A nature scene would be perfect for science, and some cool historical figures would be great for social studies.

For more inspiration, check out Seventeen’s list of must-have back to school supplies. Or, take a look at this link for some cool supplies for boys from LifeWithoutPink.com.

Create a Tradition for the First Day of School

A new back-to-school tradition can be anything as small as calling them in the morning to wish them luck, to something as big as leaving work early to spend time with them after their first day. Whatever you do, it will help making going back-to-school something to look forward to every year!

Photo: Kzenon

*Savvy Auntie receives a percentage of the sale of each kidpik box sold, with this link: kidpik.com/savvyauntie. Use this link so kidpik knows who sent you.