I was caught a little off guard when I realized that the start of our school year is just a week away. I’m looking forward to the return of a more regular routine and a little more me time, but I am going to miss our lazy summer mornings and the outdoor activities we tend to do more of as a family during this time off from school.

It wouldn’t be the first day of school without the obligatory photograph by the front door at home, standing next to your new classroom teacher or posing by your school’s marquee (in my case, my kids suffered through all three options during their elementary years). My favorite shot has always been the one by the front door holding a simple white frame inserted with a printable stating the year and grade. Often times you have to pay extra to have the school year printed on school photos. It can be tricky to remember which photo is from what year. The candid shots by our front door usually capture more of my kiddos personality and give me a concrete way to tell when the photo was taken. Here are two favorite shots of my kiddos from year’s past.

• 

• 

Here are free downloadable printables that I designed for the first day of school. Click on the underlined caption below the printable of your choice to download it to your computer. Have a FANTASTIC first day of school🍎

Check out this post if you are looking for ideas on how to organize your student’s school work this year and this post if you have a student about to enter middle school. What are some of your biggest challenges during the school year?