5 Ways to Ease the Summer-to-School Transition

As summer winds down, we’re looking forward to enjoying the last moments of the season before transitioning back to school and routine. For us, it’s often with mixed emotions that we say farewell to lazy days, sweet summer foods, and having no agenda other than having fun in the sun. Who doesn’t love lounging in the backyard during those extra daylight hours?! So, we’ve rounded up some simple ideas that will make August nothing but smooth sailing as you and the fam ease out of the pool into school.

Create a calendar. We love DIY crafts in these parts, so this is the perfect time to sit down, get a little messy with some paper and glue (that’s what summer is for, right?), and create a family calendar so everyone can countdown the time until school starts. We think our Honest boxes would make great repurposed calendars!

Hit the road. Plan for an end-of-summer family field trip to end the season on a memorable note. When Honest Sarah was a little girl, her family made a trip to Catalina Island every Labor Day weekend. This last hurrah before school started became an always-anticipated tradition.

Warm up to routine. Do your kids cheat bedtime in the summer like ours, enjoying extra play before the late evening sunset? If so, consider inching their bedtime forward by ten minutes each day over the course of week or two. And then wake them up incrementally earlier each morning. By the time school starts, they’ll be raring to go....although you may not.

Swap out snacks. There’s no such thing as summer without ice cream…and maybe potato chips and the occasional burger…in our book. Right?! It must be the freedom and adventure of the season (or our aversion to the oven) that makes consumption of these convenient and yummy treats jump during the hot months. As August winds down, start swapping out these snacks with healthier alternatives like carrots and hummus, fruit sprinkled with cinnamon and a dollop of yogurt, or even a veggie pop. And once school starts, try Honest Jessica’s trick of prepping healthy food options for the entire week on a Saturday or Sunday.

Host a back-to-school swap party. Get your kids pumped for the new school year by inviting your family and friends over to host a clothing or supply swap party. Bring your new, gently used, or outgrown items, and your kids will have fun shopping their friends’ closets for something new and trading backpacks. Parents can get in on the action too—sounds like the perfect time for Moms to swap purses. And any remaining items can be donated to charity. Who doesn’t love that?!