I have known and thought about this day so much as a mom, the first day of Kindergarten. I have prayed over Brooke, prayed over her friends, prayed over her teacher, prayed over her choices, and so much more. As the day has got closer and closer, there have been so many unknowns in terms starting on time, or online because of the pandemic. When we finally got word last week that Brooke would be able to start Kindergarten in person on the 17th, this type A mama immediately went into planning mode. Kindergarten is such a milestone and I really want her to have such a great experience. After some brainstorming and inspiration from my Aunt, Countdown to Kinder was born. Again, we are in the middle of a pandemic and I had less than a week to plan, but I wanted something special.
My aunt had the idea of letting Brooke pop a balloon for each day leading up Kindergarten to build anticipation. I loved this idea, because balloons have always meant “celebration” in our house and we love having them around. But, I wanted to add a little spin on popping a balloon, and create an activity or something special around each day with the balloon. So, Countdown to Kinder was born.
The Idea: Countdown to Kinder
Essentially each day leading up to Kinder, Brooke will get to pop a Balloon that is filled with a tiny note inside. I will read it to her and then we will get to do the activity listed inside. I wanted to have an activity for each day to encourage the idea of a milestone and build memories together. I decided on doing five balloons (i.e. five activities) because I didn’t want the countdown to be too long, but I wanted it to be long enough to build excitement. Also, it worked really well with our schedule because of the timing of “meet the teacher”
The Countdown
Day 5: Make A Card for your teacher – On day five, the first day of the countdown, she will get to make a card to give to her Teacher when she gets to meet her for the first time.
Day 4: Meet the Teacher – On day four, the second day of the countdown, she will get to pop her balloon in the morning and I will tell her that today is “meet the teacher” and that it is time to get dressed and go see her new classroom for the first time!
Day 3: Pick out her outfit – On day three, the third day of the countdown, she will get to choose what she is going to wear on the first day of school (between 2 or 3 outfits). We will also talk about how she wants to do her hair and other girly stuff like that – i.e. if we need to paint her nails or anything like that.
Day 2: Dinner Before Kinder – On day two, the fourth day of the countdown, she will get to choose what we are having for dinner and we will have a dinner to celebrate her. We are planning to possibly invite grandparents and others for a special event (if schedules work out). We are also going to read her the book, The Night before Kindergarten before bed!
Day 1: 1st Day of School & Donuts for Breakfast! – On day one, the fifth day of the countdown, she will wake up and get to pop her last balloon, letting her know the today is the day! We will have a donut breakfast and we will give her a bracelet we bought her to remind her all day long of how much we love her.
All of these ideas can be easily edited and crafted to your child and your schedule. We picked small activities that we knew Brooke would enjoy and we love simplicity. I really believe the little moments can be extremely special and memorable if you take the time to celebrate and point them out.
Countdown for Kinder Supplies
5 Balloons, String or Balloon Arch Chain, Paper, Markers/Pen, Confetti (optional), Tape
The Steps for Countdown to Kinder
Step 1: Write out each activity on a piece of paper
Step 2: Blow up one balloon and roll up one activity to drop inside balloon (along with confetti)
Step 3: Tie Balloon closed and label with “day #”, repeat for each day.
Step 4: Use Balloon Arch Chain or string to hang your Countdown to Kinder with Tape
My goal for Countdown to Kinder was to create a milestone experience for Brooke in order to build her anticipation for her Kindergarten year. I love keeping things simple and affordable, so I wanted to come up with an idea that focused on spending time together, doing things Brooke enjoys, and making her feel special, all while working within our budget. I hope our Countdown to Kinder inspires you to create one customized to your child!
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