How to Make Fun Crafts for the First Day of School Including: A Pocket Buddy, Owl Change Purse, Table Top Garbage Bags, Oatmeal Box Garbage Can, Milk Jug Garbage Container, Pencil Holders, Bookmarks, Name Tags, Pencil Toppers, and Paper Bag Backpacks.
Free Paper Lunch Bag Backpack Back-to-School Craft for Kids
This craft is great for preschoolers and kindergarten children because it will help prepare them for school. Folding, taping, spacing, and placing things in straight lines are great ways for children to develop their hand-eye coordination.
What you will need: Bright colors of card stock
(heavy paper) or construction paper, brown paper lunch bags, glue, computer printer paper,
crayons or colored pencils, and scissors.
3. Cut your lunch bag so it is 7 12" high. Glue the back pattern to the back of the lunch bag and fold over the flap. Glue the rest of the patterns to the bag as shown in the picture. Glue only the sides and bottom of the front pocket to the bag so that pencil and other things can be placed in the pocket.
You Can Use These Little Backpacks and Supplies
for Many Things.
1. As a welcome back container. Write "Welcome Back on the
outside of the backpack". Place letters to
your student's parents, information about their new class, etc. in their backpacks
to take home with them.
2. Have your children write their new vocabulary words on the front
or back of each of the school supply pictures and take
them home in their mini backpacks.
3. Any review materials can be carried in the backpack. For example,
addition and subtraction review cards, spelling word lists, etc.
4. The school supply pictures can be cut apart and glued onto the
back of pieces of construction paper. Make two copies of each item
for each child so they can play a concentration game with them.
This craft also goes along with a Bible lesson, "Back to School with a Leap". The lesson is presented using a popular children's book "Froggy Goes to School". In the story Froggy has a dream that he forgot to get dressed for school and went to school in his underwear. Most children can identify with Froggy's uneasiness about starting school; and this book will help them deal with their fears with a little humor. The Bible lesson points out that Froggy forgot to do something else very important; he forgot to pray. Through this lesson your children will learn that we need to be prepared for school so that we will be successful; not only do we need the right clothes and supplies, but we need to prepare our hearts and minds.
These owls will help give your child a good start to a new year in school. Each owl holds a different "wise" quote. Thinking about and writing about what it means to be wise will help give them the motivation to do their best this year.
What you will need: 16 oz. foam or paper cup (brown to save time), acrylic paint and colored pencils, glue, printer paper, and scissors.
How to Make an Owl Paper Cup Craft:
1. Draw an owl face, wings, and feet onto printer paper, color them, and cut them out. (A Pattern for this craft is available to members only.)
. Paint your cup to match the face and wings and glue them to the cup as shown in the picture. Note - For a quick and easy project buy brown paper cups from a party store. Your children can just use markers to draw feathers onto the cup.
3. Curl up one wing and glue it to the side of the cup so that the owl can hold its "wise saying" as shown in the picture.
4. You can also have your children punch holes in the top of the owl to make a pencil holder.
5. Find "Wise Quotes" from the Internet and write them on small sheets of colorful paper and then let your children pick the saying they like best. Instruct them to roll up the sayings and place them in their owl's wing. ("Printable "Wise Quotes" Sheets are available to members.)
If you would like to include a Christian theme, ask your children if they think that the quote they picked is something Jesus might have said, and to back up their belief with a Bible verse or Bible passage.
Wisdom Quotes
"Don't think less of
yourself, think of
yourself less." Unknown
"To be old and wise, you must first have to be young and stupid." Unknown
"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself." Unknown
"The secret of happiness is not doing the things that you like but liking the things that you do."
Unknown
"The only people with
whom you should try
to get even are those
who have helped you."
John E. Southard
"The early bird gets
the worm, but the
second mouse gets
the cheese." Steven Wright
"There's a difference
between knowing
the path and walking
it." The Matrix ' Morpheous
"When you realize
God is all you have,
you realize, God is all
you needed in the
first place." Unknown
"An eye for an eye" leaves the whole
world blind. Unknown
"I've always believed that
a lot of the trouble in the
world would disappear
if we were talking to each
other instead of about
each other." Ronald Reagan
"No one can go back
and make a brand new
start, however anyone
can start from now and
make a brand new
ending." Carl Bard
This is a great craft for children who are apprehensive about starting school. Knowing that they have a Buddy in their pockets or backpacks will help them relax and ease them into the new school year.
My Pocket Buddy
Written by Carolyn Warvel
When I reach into my pocket I find a little stone.
I put it there to remind me that I am not alone.
When I am scared or frightened I can always know,
That God is always with me no matter where I go,
Just like my little buddy, an ordinary stone.
What you will need: Small river rocks, googly eyes, markers, and paper,
ABC Printable Activity Sheets with Hands-on Learning Games and Activities
Go to the Ready for School Activities for Children Page for links to the ABC Activity Sheets and ideas to use the sheets including: Learning games, letter recognition games, a match game, beginning letter sounds games, a vocabulary display, writing the ABCs, and bean bag toss games.
To learn how to make these cute owl purses go to theBird Craft Page for directions to this craft.
Monster Tabletop Garbage Bags
Teachers, children will love helping to clean up with these charming monster bags! Place them on your student's tables and tell them to feed the monsters with their paper scraps. Children will be much more interested in keeping their space clean, and you will probably find a lot less mess on the floor at the end of the day. When the "monster" is full it can be emptied into a larger garbage bag and used again.
You can prepare these ahead of time, or have each group of children at a table help design one for their table. You can also make these tabletop garbage containers out of recycled materials such as oatmeal canisters and milk jugs. See directions to make these below this craft.
What you will need:
1. Colorful lunch bags (I used 8 1/2" x 4 3/4" bags from Michael's Craft Store. You can find bags that are a little larger at Amazon.com.)
2. White fun foam or construction paper for the teeth.
3. Pompom balls in different colors and shapes.
4. Glue, scissors, paper glue and/or hot melt glue, black and other colors of construction paper.
5. Other supplies you might use: googly eyes, feathers, feather boas, and buttons.
How to make monster tabletop garbage bags:
1. To form the mouth cut a one-inch slit down the two front corners on the top of the bag and fold down the flap to the inside of the bag. (See diagram) Glue or tape down the flap.
2. Fold down both sides from the bottom of the slits to the top of the back corners and then glue the flaps down on the inside. (See diagram on the left.)
3. Glue a piece of black construction paper to the inside back of the bag so that the mouth looks dark inside. This will also help the teeth to show up better.
4. The two monsters on the right side of the picture have feather boas and feathers glued to the top, back of the bag to make the monster's head. The monster on the left just has two pompoms glued on the back, top of the bag for eyes. The horns were made from rolled up fun foam. The tail was made out of rolled up red felt with a pompom glued to the end.
5. The teeth were made from white fun foam. The hands and feet were just drawn on construction paper with a black Sharpie and then cut out, and glued to the bag. The tongue was made from pink paper.
6. When you have finished your monster glue a sign that reads, "Feed Me!" to the Monster's hands. (Feed Me Pattern) (Printing Problems?)
This monster tabletop garbage can is sturdier than the paper bag monsters above. If you use fun foam instead of construction paper for the feet and arms, it will last even longer.
What you will need:
Empty oatmeal canister, white and green fun foam, matching acrylic paint, construction paper, pompoms, googly eyes, glue, black Sharpie, computer paper, yarn and scissors.
How to make tabletop monster garbage cans:
1. Cover the oatmeal canister with fun foam or construction paper.
2. Paint the lid with matching acrylic paint. When the lid is dry glue the lid to the canister at the back so that it leaves a crack in the front for the mouth.
3. Draw monster hands and feet on construction paper or fun foam with a black Sharpie, cut them out, and glue them to the canister.
4. Cut triangle shapes from white fun foam and glue them to the inside rim of the lid and top of the canister as shown in the picture.
5. Glue pompoms to the top of the lid and then glue googly eyes to the pompoms.
Toadly Awesome Milk Jug Tabletop Garbage Container Craft
What you will need: Green tissue paper, green acrylic paint, or green spray paint, fun foam, low temp. glue gun, computer paper, white glue, scissors with sharp point or knife, duck tape and a paint brush.
How to make this toadly awesome craft:
1. Wash and dry the plastic milk jug. Cut a line from side to side at the top of the jug about one inch below where the jug starts to form the top of the jug as shown in the picture.
2. Cut a one-inch section from the handle so that the top of the jug can be bent back and the mouth opened. Tape the remaining handle together so that the mouth stays open.
3. You can add color different ways. Small pieces of crepe paper were glued to give this toad color. Add a small amount of water to white glue and paint it on the jug. Stick small pieces of crepe on top of the glue. Add more glue and over lap the pieces until the whole jug is covered. You may also want to add some to the inside of the jug. The belly of the toad is also made with crepe paper.
4. Cut arms, legs, and a lily pad from green fun foam and glue them to the jug.
5. The eyes where made with white fun foam and green googly eyes. The tongue was cut from red fun foam.
What you will need: Tissue paper, acrylic paint, or spray paint, fun foam, low temp. glue gun, computer paper, white glue, scissors with sharp point or knife, duck tape, a paint brush and other items to decorate your milk jug.
How to make a milk jug monster tabletop garbage can:
1. Wash and dry the plastic milk jug. Cut a line from side to side at the top of the jug about one inch below where the jug starts to form the top of the jug as shown in the picture.
2. Cut a one-inch section from the handle so that the top of the jug can be bent back and the mouth opened. Tape the remaining handle together so that the mouth stays open.
3. You can add color different ways. Small pieces of crepe paper were glued to give this monster color. Add a small amount of water to white glue and paint it on the jug. Stick small pieces of crepe on top of the glue. Add more glue and overlap the pieces until the whole jug is covered. You may also want to add some to the inside of the jug.
4. Cut arms and legs from fun foam or construction paper and glue them to the jug.
5. The eyes where made with white foam and lots of googly eyes. The teeth were cut from white fun foam.
What you will need: aluminum can, piece of fun foam, Shurtape AF 912 aluminum duct tape (You can find this tape at a Lowe's or other home improvement store in the heating and air conditioning section. It costs about $7.00 for 120 yards. It is not Duck tape.), black acrylic paint, paper towels, and utensils to engrave the tape. I used a ballpoint pen, the end of a paintbrush, and the tines of a fork to make this design.
How to make a Duct Tape Pencil Holder for School:
1. Measure the circumference of your can and cut the tape just a little bit longer. I used two pieces of tape, one on the top and one on the bottom of the can.
2. Lay the tape on top of the piece of fun foam. Do not take the backing off the tape. You don't want it to stick to the fun foam. The fun foam just gives you a soft surface to work on so that the utensils can indent the tape.
3. Press your utensils into the tape to make shapes and designs. You can work from the back or the front of the tape. If you press into the back of the tape, the designs will be raised. If you press into the front of the tape, the designs will be indented.
4. When you are done with your design paint the entire surface of the tape with black acrylic paint. Let it dry for a few minutes, but not completely. Wipe the paint off the surface of the tape with a folded, damp paper towel. Press lightly so that you don't remove all the paint. You want the paint to remain in the indented areas so that the design shows up better.
5. Let the tape dry thoroughly and then remove the backing and stick it to the can.
New! Duct Tape Bookmark Back-to-School Craft for Kids
What you will need: Craft foam pieces, Shurtape AF 912 aluminum duct tape (You can find this tape at a Lowe's or other home improvement store in the heating and air conditioning section. It costs about $7.00 for 120 yards. It is not Duck tape.), card board, and utensils to engrave the tape such as a ballpoint pen, the end of a paintbrush, and the tines of a fork.
How to make duct tape bookmarks:
1. Cut a five-inch length of the duct tape and place it on the craft foam sheet. The soft surface of the foam will make it easier to engrave the tape.
2. Write your name down the length of the tape with a ball point pen or other blunt object, and add some fun shapes around the name.
3. To make the design outline each of the shapes many times until they connect and overlap.
4. You can add color by using dry erase markers and permanent markers.
5. When you are finished with your design remove the tape backing and stick it to a piece of cardboard cut to the same size or a little smaller.
Duct Tape Name Plate Craft for Your Bedroom Door or Notebook
What you will need: Fun foam pieces, Shurtape AF 912 aluminum duct tape (You can find this tape at a Lowe's or other home improvement store in the heating and air conditioning section. It costs about $7.00 for 120 yards. It is not Duck tape.), card board, and utensils to engrave the tape such as a ballpoint pen, the end of a paintbrush, and the tines of a fork.
How to make duct tape name plates:
1. Cut a 6-inch length of the duct tape and place it on the craft foam sheet. The soft surface of the foam will make it easier to engrave the tape. Do not remove the back of the tape.
2. Write your name across the length of the tape using fancy letters with a ball point pen or other blunt object, and add some fun shapes around the name. You can also use rubber stamp letters with permanent ink to write the name.
3. To make the design outline each letter of the name many times until they connect with the shapes then include the shape and keep outlining until you have filled the whole surface with the pattern.
5. When you are finished with your design remove the tape backing and stick it to a piece of cardboard cut to the same size or a little smaller than the tape.
What you will need: Fun foam pieces, Shurtape AF 912 aluminum duct tape (You can find this tape at a Lowe's or other home improvement store in the heating and air conditioning section. It costs about $7.00 for 120 yards. It is not Duck tape.), blank metal dog tag (found at craft stores), and utensils to engrave the tape such as a ballpoint pen, the end of a paintbrush, and the tines of a fork.
How to make duct tape name tags:
1. Place the dog tag on the duct tape and trace around the edge of the tag. Cut out the shape a little farther out than the trace line and place it on the craft foam sheet. The soft surface of the foam will make it easier to engrave the tape. Do not remove the back of the tape.
2. Engrave the tape with a ball point pen or other blunt object and add some fun shapes or designs. You can also use rubber stamp letters with permanent ink to write the name and then engrave the letters.
3. When you are finished with your design remove the tape backing and stick it to the dog tag.
1. Draw a picture of what you would like to use for you tag on a piece of paper or print out a picture. Pick a picture that is about three times bigger than you would like your tags to end up being because they will shrink a lot.
2. Tape the picture onto the back of a Shrinky Dink sheet, the shiny side.
3. Use the picture to copy the picture onto the Shrinky Dink paper (dull side) starting with your lightest colors, then outline the picture with a black colored pencil.
4. Cut the tags out and punch a hole in the tag. You will have to punch more than once to make the hole big enough if you have a regular-sized hole punch.
5. Place the tags on the shiny side of parchment paper or waxed paper and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake them for 3 minutes in a 250 degree oven or until they have shrunk to about two inches long. The directions on the Shrinky Dink web site say to use a 325 degree oven but 250 seems to work just as well. It takes a little longer to shrink them, but they don't curl up and deform as much. It probably depends on how accurate your oven temperature is.
1. Draw a picture of what you would like to use for you tag on a piece of paper or print out a picture. Pick a picture that is about three times bigger than you would like your tags to end up being because they will shrink a lot.
2. Tape the picture onto the back of a Shrinky Dink sheet, the shiny side.
3. Use the picture to copy the picture onto the Shrinky Dink paper (dull side) starting with your lightest colors, then outline the picture with a black colored pencil.
4. Cut the tags out and punch a hole in the tag. You will have to punch more than once to make the hole big enough if you have a regular-sized hole punch.
5. Place the tags on the shiny side of parchment paper or waxed paper and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake them for 3 minutes in a 250 degree oven or until they have shrunk to about two inches long. The directions on the Shrinky Dink web site say to use a 325 degree oven but 250 seems to work just as well. It takes a little longer to shrink them, but they don't curl up and deform as much. It probably depends on how accurate your oven temperature is.
Butterfly Pencil Topper Back-to-School Craft for Kids
What you will need: Pencil, Chenille Stems (pipe cleaners) googly eyes (optional), and hot melt glue gun.
How to make pencil toppers:
1. Start by bending one end of a Chenille stem into a bow shape with one end longer than the other (see diagram). Wind the short end around the loop to secure.
2. Make two more big loops with the other end of the chenille and then wind the end around the loops to secure.
3. To make the antennae cut a Chenille stem four inches long and fold it in half. Roll up the ends. Secure the antennae to the body with another Chenille stem of a different color by winding it around the folded end of the antennae and around the body.
4. Wind another Chenille stem around the top of a pencil and glue it to the pencil. Glue the butterfly to the Chenille stem that is wound around the pencil.
5. To finish glue on two tiny goodly eyes (optional).
Help your child prepare for school with pretend play. As you prepare these crafts and activities talk to your child about going to school. Kindergarten children probably already know a lot about school from television, but it is a good idea to find out what your child is expecting and if he or she has any fears relating to going to school. Your child may feel better about school by play-acting the first day of school with their stuffed animals.
Teddy Bear Backpack Craft - Follow the directions Below but use this smaller pattern and a smaller gift bag (8 1/2" x 4 3/4" - found at party stores and craft stores). Cut the top off the bag to make it 6" high. Cut 1" strips of paper for the straps - (Pattern). Need help printing?
Your child may also enjoy printing his or her ABC's in the "I Can Write My ABC's" Itty Bitty book for Teddy. (Pattern 1, Pattern 2, and Pattern 3) For printing assembly directions go to the Book Printing Page.
A fun way for your child to learn is by pretending to be a teacher and teaching his or her stuffed animals or dolls to read.
(When Danielle was learning to read, she would pretend to be a teacher. If she got stuck on a word, she would whisper to me and ask what the word was. I would then whisper the word to her, and she would continue reading to her bear like she knew the word. She thought she was teaching her bear to read, but she was really the one learning to read.)
Froggy Goes to School Paper Doll Back to School Craft for Kids
This activity goes with
the book "Froggy Goes to School" by Jonathan London. Children color the frog and then pick the clothes outline that best
matches what they are wearing on their first day of school, color
the patterns, cut them out, and then
glue them onto the frog picture. The pattern for this activity is available to members only on the Educational Reading
Crafts and Activities Page.
Read it! Read it! Read it! Frog Bookmarks Back to School Craft for Kids
Encourage your children to read more books about Froggy by Jonathan London and have them use this frog bookmark to keep track of how many books they have read. Have them color a frog each time they read a book about frogs. You can give them a frog prize when they have colored in all three frogs.
To view pictures of the books Jonathan London has written go to his Web Site. You will also find a printable connect-the-dots work sheet, a hidden picture activity sheet, and which-picture-is-different activity sheet.
Children practice using just a little bit of glue and learn that a dot can hold a lot. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this activity. This activity sheet is available to members only. Your children will enjoy sing this song as they work on their dots:
Snails leave sticky, slimy trails everywhere they go. Your children can practice their gluing skills with this fun activity sheet. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this activity. This activity sheet is available to members only. For more snail crafts and activity go to theSnail Craft Page. Your children will enjoy singing this song as they work on their snail trails.
Shim, Shim, Shimmy
Written by Nancy Foss
Sing to the tune of "London Bridges".
Make a snail trail
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Make a snail trail
Follow me
Shim, Shim, Shimmy
Get your children ready for school with these fun memory games.
"What's Missing?" Game - In this fun game children work on their memory and concentration skills by trying to remember which school supply is missing. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this game. This craft is available to members only.
Here's another fun card game that will help your child develop memory and concentration skills. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this game. This craft is available to members only.
School Supply Puzzle - Children practice distinguishing differences among similar objects or forms by assembling this puzzle. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this puzzle. This puzzle is available to members only.
Ready-for-School Faith Rocks - This is a great craft for children who have a hard time leaving their parents on the first day of school. A week before school starts find some small, smooth, river rocks. Have your child pick one that is small enough to fit in his pocket and that he particularly likes. You can buy a small bag of these rocks at craft stores or in the craft section of Wal-Mart. Write "Phil. 4:13" on the rock and have your child memorize the verse: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phil. 4:13, KJV. Tell him to keep the rock in his pocket, and whenever he is feeling scared or upset, he should put his hand in his pocket and feel the rock and try to say the Bible verse. Idea sent in by Nancy Foss
This craft is great for preschoolers and kindergarten children because it will help prepare them for school. Folding, taping, spacing, and placing things in straight lines are great ways for children to develop their hand-eye coordination. 
These owls will help give your child a good start to a new year in school. Each owl holds a different "wise" quote. Thinking about and writing about what it means to be wise will help give them the motivation to do their best this year.
3. Curl up one wing and glue it to the side of the cup so that the owl can hold its "wise saying" as shown in the picture.
5. Find "Wise Quotes" from the Internet and write them on small sheets of colorful paper and then let your children pick the saying they like best. Instruct them to roll up the sayings and place them in their owl's wing. ("
My Pocket Buddy
Teachers, children will love helping to clean up with these charming monster bags! Place them on your student's tables and tell them to feed the monsters with their paper scraps. Children will be much more interested in keeping their space clean, and you will probably find a lot less mess on the floor at the end of the day. When the "monster" is full it can be emptied into a larger garbage bag and used again. 
How to make monster tabletop garbage bags:
2. Fold down both sides from the bottom of the slits to the top of the back corners and then glue the flaps down on the inside. (See diagram on the left.)
This monster tabletop garbage can is sturdier than the paper bag monsters above. If you use fun foam instead of construction paper for the feet and arms, it will last even longer. 
What you will need: Green tissue paper, green acrylic paint, or green spray paint, fun foam, low temp. glue gun, computer paper, white glue, scissors with sharp point or knife, duck tape and a paint brush.
What you will need: Tissue paper, acrylic paint, or spray paint, fun foam, low temp. glue gun, computer paper, white glue, scissors with sharp point or knife, duck tape, a paint brush and other items to decorate your milk jug.
What you will need: aluminum can, piece of fun foam, 
What you will need: Craft foam pieces, 
How to make duct tape bookmarks:
What you will need: Fun foam pieces, 
What you will need: Fun foam pieces, 
What you will need: 
What you will need: Pencil, Chenille Stems (pipe cleaners) googly eyes, and hot melt glue gun.
What you will need: Pencil, Chenille Stems (pipe cleaners) googly eyes (optional), and hot melt glue gun.
How to make pencil toppers:
Help your child prepare for school with pretend play. As you prepare these crafts and activities talk to your child about going to school. Kindergarten children probably already know a lot about school from television, but it is a good idea to find out what your child is expecting and if he or she has any fears relating to going to school. Your child may feel better about school by play-acting the first day of school with their stuffed animals.
(When Danielle was learning to read, she would pretend to be a teacher. If she got stuck on a word, she would whisper to me and ask what the word was. I would then whisper the word to her, and she would continue reading to her bear like she knew the word. She thought she was teaching her bear to read, but she was really the one learning to read.) 
This activity goes with
the book "Froggy Goes to School" by Jonathan London. Children color the frog and then pick the clothes outline that best
matches what they are wearing on their first day of school, color
the patterns, cut them out, and then
glue them onto the frog picture. The pattern for this activity is available to members only on the 
Encourage your children to read more books about Froggy by Jonathan London and have them use this frog bookmark to keep track of how many books they have read. Have them color a frog each time they read a book about frogs. You can give them a frog prize when they have colored in all three frogs. 
Snails leave sticky, slimy trails everywhere they go. Your children can practice their gluing skills with this fun activity sheet. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this activity. This activity sheet is available to members only. For more snail crafts and activity go to the 
More School Crafts, Activities, and Helps
