With school less then a week away, I thought a party was in order for my kids. If school has already begun for you, this also can be used for some weekend fun or a surprise for when they get home from school. If your kids are anything like mine, they are always down for a party.
This pancakes and pajamas party was the perfect send out and start of the school year. I am sharing how to decorate for this festive party, activities and gifts for the kids and teachers alike.
Back to School Breakfast
My oldest is going into first grade, his first time back to school since preschool and my oldest daughter will be going to preschool. After an incredibly hard year, they deserve this celebration and a party to get excited for the year ahead.
You have to give your kids their favorites on the return to school, am I right? I made their favorite pancakes (omit the water and use milk) it’s a game- changer. I also add vegetable oil to the griddle to make them crust— which the kids love. I actually made the pancakes and bacon the night before. Regardless if it is a school day or not, my kids are up by 6 and want to eat immediately, which doesn’t leave much time for this type of breakfast unless it’s made ahead of time.
The pancakes were accompanied by some bacon and fresh fruit. One of my kids genuinely ate and they were just genuinely so excited to see what I had in store for them.
EVENT TABLE
I am a planner, I always have been. I went to Etsy for all of my decorations. I used a chalkboard as my backdrop, which was only fitting for the event. I used a chalk marker to write “pancakes and pajamas”. The Pencil banner from Glitter Party Co were hung with tape to the back of the chalkboard. And how adorable are these pink apple honeycombs?
I love using pedestal stands and white platters for all the parties I host. I wanted the pancakes to be the focal point, so I placed them on the highest pedestal stand and topped them with whipped cream and sprinkles. It’s a sure way to get kids to eat!
Activities
After the kids were finished with breakfast, which was quick because they were so excited, we began our activities. We started with cookie decorating. How adorable are these cookie kits from Mini Me Confections? Each of the kits came with mini sugar cookies, mini piping bags and sprinkles. I stepped back and just let the kids decorate how the pleased. They probably ate more frosting then was put on the cookie, but that’s ok, they had fun.
Next up was painting. I quickly grabbed a disposable table cloth and we were good to go. My Signature Timber kits are amazing. We were sent this adorable care package with 4 wood carvings: shark, donut, ballet slippers and a mermaid, bottles of paint, paint brushes and 4 paint palettes. Every one took their time and did an amazing job on their craft. We love crafts in our home and this was their favorite activity.
SPECIAL ADDITIONS
Is a back to school event even an event without photos and a custom pennant flag? For every year of school, we take photos with a banner to commemorate the day and so I will remember what grade of school my kids were in. I love these banners from Ting Stationary. The modern back to school pennants announce his or her first day. They can be be customized with your child’s grade and ribbon color.
You have your perfect backpack and lunch bag, but do you have your lunch notes? I remember my mom leaving notes in each of my lunch boxes every single day of school. It was a simple reminder that she was thinking about me. I am bringing the tradition back and Invitation Paper Studio is making it easier. You will receive a mixture of styles with your child’s name and date on the front, and blank space in the back to write a small note of encouragement.
Gifts
My children absolutely love to match- especially with pajamas. Lucky for me, their is a wide assortment of matching pajamas now-a-days from infant to adult. I found these adorable alphabet pajamas that were quite fitting for the party as well as for back to school. The kids have already planned out wearing them the night before school starts.
For the back to school photos, my daughter wore a “Preschool” crew sweatshirt and my son wore a “First grader” tee shirt. I thought they were adorable and really commemorated the day.
My daughter begins her first year of preschool. It is her first time every being away from us and I want her to know how proud I am of her. When I found this necklace from With Love and Co Jewelry, I knew it would be perfect for her. She loves necklaces. This charm necklace features hand-stamped sterling silver or 18k gold over sterling silver heart-shaped charms. The necklace comes with a memorable quote printed on a jewelry card It makes a beautiful and thoughtful first day of school gift for your daughter.
At each of their place settings were personalized pencils by Vesta Designs. You can select your children’s favorite color combination as well as their name and grade year on their pencil. She also included a couple packs of motivational pencils (you are smart, you are kind, you are loved, etc.). They were my favorite. How sweet it is for your child to read their pencil as a reminder about the special person they are.
We cannot forget about our wonderful teachers. They are the amazing people that care for our children. On the first day of school, I am sending my kids into the classroom with gifts for their teachers.
I also love gifts that a teacher can use for years to come. From preschool to elementary to kindergarten, Living with Amanda offers shirts for teachers.
One of the gifts is from The Munch Co. They offer cookies in a jar and a personalized bar of chocolate. If you do not know your child’s teachers name, she is able to put “best teacher” instead. The Chocolate Bar in this box will be Milk Chocolate!
The next gift I chose was from Heart Talk Company. Upon opening the box, their will be a card that reads: “BECAUSE TEACHERS CAN’T SURVIVE ON APPLES ALONE…. GOOD LUCK TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR”. The box inside includes: 1 scented candle, 1 cute little box of matches, 1 live succulent, 1 keychain with an apple charm and a ruler charm, 1 bath bomb and 1 lip balm.
Dessert
The kids and I made cupcakes together. The fun part was what we topped them with. We melted candy melts and spread them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. We then topped the melted chocolate with sprinkles and popped them into the freezer. Once they were ready, we cracked the chocolate into fun designs and topped them in the cupcakes.
We also made s’mores popcorn. So simple! Grab a bowl, pop some popcorn and add Graham crackers, mini marshmallows and Hershey’s chocolate bars (cut up of course).
Who doesn’t love donuts? My go to for all these parties are the powdered mini donuts. They are small and bite sized for my young children and they love them.
Ok, come on! How about this cotton candy! A party is just not complete without Floss Cotton Candy, but how about Cinnamon Churro Cotton Candy? So good! Each of the kids had a Cotton Candy favor of their own and they didn’t want to share— it was that good.
We ended our sugar rush of a day with ice cream cones on the deck. Today was all about my kids and their favorites. We played tag in the backyard and swam in the pool to come down from the sugar high and all was right in the world. Our children just grow in the blink of an eye and I love letting them just be kids.
I’d love to hear what tips you love and if you end up utilizing them in your home.
