Summer Sanity ~ Preparing for Kindergarten Part 1

This post is a part of Summer Sanity, a series of posts for parents to gain ideas and inspiration for how to keep their children happy, active, educated and having fun during the long summer months.

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I found the idea to do photo writing from a fun site called Imagination Soup.

With my son starting school for the very first time, I was trying to come up with an idea to help him identify with his new school. I decided to change up the photo writing idea slightly and take him through a walk through of his experience of going to school. We brought along a camera – well, actually two: one for me and one for him and we took photos of the things that would be in his new school routine.

We took photos of:

• The sign in the front of his school.
• The Kindergarten gate.
• The outside door to his classroom.
• The Kindergarten playground.
• A school bus.
• Him waving goodbye to me.
• Me waving goodbye to him.

We will also be making a morning routine book where we will take photos of:

• his lunch bag
• his water bottle
• his backpack
• his coat, hat and shoes
• his breakfast
• him wearing his backpack all dressed for school

We then created a photo book with short descriptive sentences about going to school. I used a small photo book from the dollar store for this book that way the photos are protected behind plastic sleeves.

This book will eventually become a keepsake, but for the next two weeks, it will serve as a means for him to identify with his new school and hopefully warm up to the idea of going to Kindergarten!

Making a photo book is a wonderful way to create a momento from a trip, help a child through a difficult transition or to simply provide them with a literacy rich opportunity. It is fun and will become a treasure that will last years to come.

For those of you who have little ones starting Kindergarten this year, feel free to read my post for all New Kindergarten Parents. I will be re-reading this post and will be taking my own advice once again this year! Wish me luck.

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I have also written a few other articles about Kindergarten parents that you may wish to read as this is a topic that I am very passionate about, having spent a number of years as a Kindergarten teacher and having two children of my own complete Kindergarten.
Kindergarten Parents Support Group
Getting Ready for Full Day Kindergarten
Preparing for Kindergarten – Part 1
Preparing for Kindergarten – Part 2
A Kindergarten Visit – Who Needs More Preparation, Mom or Child?
For all NEW Kindergarten Moms and Dads, This is For YOU!
Back to School – Mommy, I Don’t Want to Go

Don’t forget to get organized with LABELS from Oliver’s Labels by labelling everything that you send to school!

I am an Oliver’s Labels Agent.