Summer vacation is waning to an end and soon we will be packing up lunches and backpacks either for the first time or for the umpteenth year in a row. Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, the first day of school at any age is always exciting! And for many of us, we love to diligently record (and then share!) the big day with our camera.
At BabyPage, we’re all about recording milestones and memories, so we thought it would be fun to round up all the creative ideas we’ve been seeing for “First Day of School” photos. This is most definitely a day that deserves a spot in your BabyPage book!
When the big day arrives, be sure to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! We love to see their excited (or nervous) grins and we love sharing creative photos with our Followers.
Props & Inspiration for the First Day of School
Here are some photo ideas and props to try out this year:
Staged & Professional
Some moms go all out and either hire a professional photographer or whip out their fancy camera and use their artistic skills. Apples, books, globes, old schoolhouses, antique desks, and thick-rimmed glasses are all great props to stage a traditional school-themed photo shoot.
Sidewalk Chalk
This is a super fun way to make a “sign”, but with minimal supplies. Just find a nice size of blank pavement and draw out your announcement or ask your kid to help with its creation. There’s no end to the creativity here: Make a large letter or number and have your child stand on it or lay in it. Spell out the grade; write out the year; write out the date; include what they want to be when they grow up; draw them reading a book; draw books and an apple “sitting” on their head; draw them riding a caterpillar; decorate with plentiful polka dots and stripes. The more colorful, the better! Experiment with taking an “aerial” shot (have a step ladder handy!) or one at an angle until you capture it in just the right way.
The T-Shirt Says It All
Buy an XL t-shirt and either DIY the yearly “sign” or have a company custom-make one. Add a handprint or write down what your child wants to be when he grows up each year on the back. One day, he or she will likely fit in that t-shirt and the First Day of School photos will wane to an end. There are all sorts of adorable shirts available online. Etsy is a great resource for shirts such as these.
Oversized Props & Blank Walls
There are so many great (and often free!) photo-editing apps and software these days, that most moms already have at least one that they use on a regular basis. If you’re savvy with adding text over an image, find a large blank wall to create your “signage backdrop,” or create one by slipping a fitted sheet over a door. Now you have a blank canvas where you can write down their favorite items, their year and grade, and more. To spice it up, try making an oversized prop! Use a large board to create a ruler, a pool noodle to make a pencil, or cut out the inside of square piece of cardboard to make a polaroid picture frame.
Traditional Signs
There are all sorts of ways to obtain a traditional milestone-marking sign for your child: DIY with a black posterboard or chalkboard; order a pre-made one via sites such as Etsy; or print out one with one of the many free “printables” available online. Simply have your child hold it & say “Cheese!” Many of the chalkboard versions can be used year after year.
A Book For Each Grade
Here’s a fun photo tradition: Have your child balance a book on his or her head for each grade they enter! And top it off with an apple for that classic look and a fun challenge that will be sure to elicit giggles. If you keep up with it each year, that would make for a fun BabyPage book series in itself!
Grab that Hug & Smooch!
There may be years where they won’t dare give you a hug or kiss (tears!!!), so while they’re young, ask the other parent to please discreetly snap a photo of those goodbye hugs & kisses. You will cherish these photos!
Personality & Humor
Whether it’s staged or candid, some of the best “First Day of School” photos are the ones that make everyone chuckle. So don’t sweat it if your little photo-shoot isn’t “picture perfect.” If your little wild one is full of energy and personality, let him or her show it!
Frames, Banners & Letters
A quick pitstop into a craft store and you’ll find everything you need to DIY one of these cute signs. There are endless ways to create a frame for your child to hold up, as well as cloth or paper banners. Craft stores sell plywood letters that can be painted with chalk paint or regular paint to mark the occasion. Or, consider having your child hold a photo of each passing year, for a fun growth effect!
And so much more!
Keep it simple and turn their notebook or clipboard into a sign. Line the kids up on the stairs or use a Sharpie marker on a balloon. There’s a never-ending amount of ways to get creative with your own unique “First Day of School Sign.” But if you need more ideas, we’ve collected over 150 photos in this Pinterest Board! Follow us on Pinterest for more great photo ideas throughout the year.
Add it to your BabyPage book!
…And as always, don’t forget to add these treasured moments to your BabyPage book! Indeed, you could even use your child’s photo and add text and frames from BabyPage to customize your child’s “sign”. Save your BabyPage and share the completed photo with social media. Try out our free version or upgrade to Plus for more great features. Add your child’s photos, milestones and memories as you go, and we’ll print and ship the book to you when you are done! Scrapbooking made easy.
*All photos in the above collages are sourced from our Pinterest Board. View them all here.
