Heading back-to-school can be challenging for the entire family, shifting from fun-filled summer activities back to the routine. Bricks 4 Kidz® is here to help make it less stressful and easier.

Back-to-school preparations can be exciting.  Many kids love organising themselves so preparing for school can be an exciting time for them, especially when it comes to getting some new school items.

Beat the first-day nerves by using these tips to prepare your child for the 2024 school year so they’ll make it the best transition yet: 

It’s a good time to do health checks. 

• Take your child in for a dental or eye exam before school starts! It’s common for one child not to see a whiteboard, hopefully, that’s not yours. The start of the year is a time to check their eyesight to be sure it won’t hold them back.  Getting into your specialist currently can be hard so start earlier than later.
• If you haven’t been to the Doctor in a while, take a visit! Discuss any concerns you have over your child’s physical, emotional or psychological development with your pediatrician or doctor. Your child will benefit if you can identify and begin addressing a potential issue before school starts. You be able to make the new teacher aware of these to ensure a smooth transition into the new year.
  

Get abreast of it all. Fill in your forms and read up! 

• Review the material sent by the school as soon as it arrives. Learn information about your child’s teacher, room number, school textbook requirements, sign-ups for after-school sports, activities, or educational programs (LEGO® holiday programs), school calendar dates, bus transportation, health and, emergency forms, and volunteer opportunities.

Calendar happy! 

Make a note of important dates such as school holidays and swimming carnivals. This is especially important if you have children in more than one school and you need to juggle obligations and organise childcare arrangements.

What will the new teacher be like? Get acquainted! 

• Attend the information session to meet your child’s teachers at the start of the school year. Say hi and let them know you want them to be an active partner in helping your child to learn and grow.
• Plan to keep track of your child’s subjects, homework, activities, and progress throughout the school year.
• If your child is young or in a new school, learning the location of their classroom, where they place their bag, where the canteen and toilets are, etc., will help ease pre-school anxieties. Allow your child to ask questions about the unfamiliar environment.

Get their head in the game! Educational activities will help learning! 

• Create an environment that is conducive to doing homework. Children need a consistent workspace in their bedroom or another part of the home that is quiet, without distractions, that promotes study.
• Older children should have the option of studying in their room or a quiet area of the house. Younger children usually need an area set aside in the family room or kitchen to facilitate adult monitoring/supervision.
• Schedule ample time for homework.
• Make it clear that education is a top priority in your family: show interest and praise your child’s work.
• Incorporate learning activities into their daily schedules to help them get ahead. Engage in scavenger hunts, LEGO® exploration, memory games, and learning books.Preparing your child to return to school with these learning activities, helps provide confidence and their eagerness to learn will transfer into the classroom!

Our future is hidden in the routine! 

• During the summer, children aren’t always on a schedule. Proper rest is essential for a healthy and productive school year and healthy life! It is best to re-establish the bedtime and mealtime routines (especially breakfast) before school starts.
• Prepare your child for this change by talking with your child about the benefits of school routines so they don’t become overwhelmed by schoolwork. Recommence bedtime reading and household chores if these need to be reestablished.

A place for everything in its place! 

• Designate a spot for your child to place their school belongings and lunchboxes as well as a place to put important notices sent home for you to see. Once school starts, show them how to empty their backpack. Don’t let the notes left in the bottom of a bag for a week like squashed and near rotten bananas get you down! 😊

The foods we choose make a difference. 

• Hungry kids can’t concentrate on learning, so good nutrition plays a vital role in your child’s school performance. Studies show that children who eat healthy, balanced breakfasts and lunches do best in school. Fix nutritious lunches that your child is also excited about. 

Who doesn’t benefit from meal preparations?! 

• It will be much easier on you if you have dinner prepared so that the extra activity will not add to household tensions during the first week of school. Why not cook up a few meals and freeze them to take the pressure off.

Take your child back to school shopping early. 

Get your child in the back-to-school spirit by involving them in this year’s shopping. Before visiting the store, work together to go through the supplies you already have and make a list of those you need.  Supplies differ by grade, so reference any supply lists you receive from your child’s teacher. Prepare your child to start a new school year confidently with the necessary:  

• School Clothes:  Check your child fits into their new school gear to give them the confidence that they look as good as possible in their new uniform.  
• Stationery supplies: Of course, you’re going to need the basics like writing utensils, paper, erasers, notebooks, glue, tape, scissors folders, and highlighters.
• Accessories: Depending on your needs, consider purchasing a new backpack, pencil holder, hair elastics.

Introduce the concept of budgeting to your little learner by turning it into a game.   

School uniform tips! 

• For many buying a few uniforms to wash mid-week will be enough. Other busy parents would prefer to buy an outfit for every day of the week so they only have to wash on weekends. Do what works for you!
  Remember, if your child has an outfit for a couple of days for the first week they are set.
• Thank goodness for washing machines and uniform shops! Try not to panic running around the shopping centre thinking you must perfectly attire his entire wardrobe for the term in one day. You can always fill in the gaps later!
• Be sure to buy at least one pair of sturdy shoes that are flexible. Let your child wear them before they go back to school to break them in.
• Check the school uniform shops’ opening times to make sure you will get what you require when you need it. Uniform shops are usually run by volunteers and are only open at specific times.
• Check with your school to confirm dress code guidelines. Sport pants may be a better choice for girls rather than traditional girls sports skirts. If a sports skirt is preferred, you can get special sports pants to wear under the skirt.

 Unplug your kids!

• Cut back on your child’s technology and device time. Encourage your child to play quiet games as early morning activities instead of watching television. This will help ease your child into the learning process and school routine. 
• If possible, maintain this practice throughout the school year. Television is distracting for many children, and your child will arrive at school better prepared to learn each morning if he or she has engaged in less passive activities.
  
  

Keep up your Learning with Bricks 4 Kidz® During The Summer Holidays.

Learning doesn’t stop after the school year. In addition to preparing your child for the new school year, one of our biggest back-to-school tips for parents is to keep your child engaged in STEM learning.

Make this school year the best one yet by signing your child up for one of our fun, educational and enriching school holiday programs.  At Bricks 4 Kidz®, We Learn, We Build, We Play with LEGO® Bricks. Our workshops give kids a chance to strengthen their creative muscles and learn age-appropriate STEM concepts through hands-on scientific discoveries.

Our students learn, build, and play together to create projects, like turning a pile of LEGO® Bricks and motors into whatever they can imagine.  Get your child excited about the upcoming school year. Learn more about our LEGO® based school holiday programs and find a location near you!