As you gear up for a brand new school year, get ready to plunge into the amazing world of learning once again! While the start of the school season brings heaps of excitement, kids also navigate through feelings of nervousness, belonging, and making friends. 

Hanan Ezzeldin, founder of The Family Hub, examiner for IBDP economics, experienced and certified positive discipline educator , Ted Talk speaker, as well as a successfully published writer and contributor shares her expertise on the subject.

0-2 Years 

While preparing a child as young as 0-2 years old specifically for school might not involve the same level of academic preparation as with older children, there are several reasons why early preparation and stimulation can be beneficial for their overall development and successful transition to school including social and emotional development, routine establishment, cognitive development, and love for learning to name a few. Here are a few activities that can help: 

• Back to School photoshoot: The easiest age to dress up! Make sure that you record the dates of their first days in! The memories will last a lifetime.
• Write in sand or rice: Fill a shallow container with rice or sand and let your little one draw in it. Activities like this are frequently used to develop their fine motor skills while activating their sensory levels. The feel of each material is appealing and will allow their creativity to grow.
• Make a discovery basket: A discovery basket will give your little one the chance to explore unique objects and items. Simply fill a basket with child-safe things you have around the house. Place them thematically around the house; for example, in the kitchen, you can have some dish towels, spoons, and plastic lids. In the living room, you can have a coloring book and a mimic of things in there, and so on. You can also have them themed by colour or sounds if they’re learning different languages. Just something that they keep filling and reusing to spark creativity and role-playing!

3-5 Years 

This is a crucial age as most of the children are still understanding the concept of a regulated school system and are new to the fundamental stage. It’s a huge leap for them and our role as parents becomes essential in creating as smooth a transition as possible for them. We want them to feel comfortable, happy, and most of all - safe! Here are a few activities that can help: 

• A Back-to-School Photoshoot: Make sure to get that first day of school photos in and jot down the dates for memory. Every year those photos become more and more special as you see your children grow. 
• Personalized Backpack:Brainstorm with your little ones on all the items that you can place in their bags. Shop with them or let them choose their preferences online (whatever is more convenient for you!). Personalise it with their names using labels or even in your own (or their!) handwriting. Make it a special moment that they’ll be excited to share with their new friends! Brainstorming the items will also help them remember what’s in the bag and give them a sense of responsibility and accountability - chances of forgetting or losing them become lower!
• Role Play: Role-play different situations that they will go through in school. The concept of school could be very overwhelming once the initial excitement wears off - so easing them in by prepping them mentally becomes very important. Situations like how to talk to someone new, playing with a new friend, who is a new friend, packing everything in the bag, taking off their jackets and putting them back on alone, buttoning and unbuttoning uniforms in the toilet, etc. As simple as the situation may be to us, to them it’s not easy, and the more we prepare them, the better their chances of having easy first few days!

6-9 Years

The transformation from early years education to primary years is fundamental in its learning approach since more content is not at play in schools. With our children growing up in a world that is full of exposure and peer pressure, it’s important that school is their safe haven and that they feel comfortable enough to be exactly who they are. Here are a few activities that can help. 

• A Back-to-School Photoshoot: Make sure to get that first day of school photos in and jot down the dates for memory. Every year those photos become more and more special as you see your children grow. 
• Create a Personalized Calendar: Keep them grounded by their knowledge of all the important dates in school as well as important extracurricular dates that they can look forward to such as Sports Day, International Day, the School Play, the dates of trips, half days, dress-up days, and more. It would be great if they can decorate it and keep it full of playdates, birthdays, dates of training, and hobbies that they are committed to. This keeps them focused and excited for an upcoming fun event.
• Create a Scrapbook/Time Capsule/ Journal: Get them into the habit of keeping memorabilia in a space where they can look back on and enjoy the memories!

Come along with us on our Back to School adventure, where we whisk your little ones away on a captivating voyage of self-discovery and building wonderful connections with those around them via wonderful books!