Planning and preparing for school enrollment - 6 to 12 months before enrollment

Get an overview of preschool training

Many kindergartens already offer preschool exercises for preschool children them. Check with your child's educators, which preschool exercises are planned. Then you'll have enough time to work on preschool exercises at home with learning games, coloring and preschool books, or handwriting exercises to learn to write. Such materials are also wonderfully suitable as meaningful Gifts for preschool children, which encourage development through play and prepare for starting school.

Buying the right school bag

The Search for the right school bag you should start best between February and April before school starts – then the little ones also have time to pick their favorite from the many pretty designs!

When choosing a satchel or backpack, you should make sure that the model is comfortable all around is. The bag should be comfortable for your first graders both with summer and winter clothing, for example a thick winter coat. Take your time to try them on and let the little ones have a say, so the bag really fits well and is comfortable to carry.

Organize school supplies

Create a learning space for your children, where they can learn relaxed and focused from the start of school. School is even more fun when the learning environment and equipment are right. Involving children in designing the learning space and choosing the school satchel, sports bag, pencil case, water bottle and lunch box, can work wonders.

If children love seafaring stories, a pencil case with pirate ships is exactly right, while nature-loving children are more likely to prefer school supplies with animal motifs in specialist stores. What's important is that the child feels comfortable with the things they use at school.

What goes into the school bag is usually specified by the school: notebooks, pens, brushes, paint box, wax crayons, school clay and much more – the selection is huge! Teachers are happy to provide information, which learning and painting supplies they recommend for their lessons. So it's best to simply ask.

Plan the first-day-of-school celebration

If you are planning a bigger celebration with many guests for the first day of school in your area , for example in a restaurant, we recommend that you, a few months in advance, make a reservation. Make sure you take care of the invitations to the first-day-of-school celebration, discuss with your child who will be invited, what decorations you want to make, what food will be served and which games must not be missing. Another option is to celebrate the first day of school at home in a small circle. Then it's sufficient to start preparations 3 to 6 weeks before the first day of school.

First day of school: To-dos for 1 to 4 weeks before the start of school

Design the school cone

Admittedly: The school cone is the highlight of the first day of school. With broad grins, the little first graders carry their big school cone into the classroom before it's time to wait. To make that waiting worthwhile, we have some tips and tricks ready:

• School cones are available ready to buy or to make yourself. The homemade variant naturally reduces the chance that another child will show up in class with the same school cone, but even purchased versions can be personalized with a bit of imagination.

• What goes into the school cone? Our ideas: Lunch box and water bottle. Soft toys are welcome guests and lucky charms have a particularly emotional value. Hair ties and hair clips are of course cool, but coloring books, pens and notebooks also belong in every school cone. Sweets and children's games for ages 6 and up create enthusiasm.

• Individually and originally, the Fill the school cone fill with the small gifts from our shop.

Discuss the school routine

Talk with your children before they start school about what a typical school day will look like. This includes, for example, the times you get up, the shared breakfast and when the first-graders leave for school. But also the packing the schoolbag, the route to school and the organisation in the afternoon, for example with lunch, homework and leisure activities, are part of it.

Practice the route to school together

Something that children should 'learn' even before the first day of school is the route to school. Therefore it is advisable, to walk the route to school or the bus route together shortly before the first day of school. Where are potential hazards, where does the child need to be particularly careful? Practice the most important traffic rules. The route to school is especially fun when walked with other children.

Ask parents from the neighborhood whether the children can walk to school together. Walking and carpooling groups also offer more safety and reduce the fear of school through shared conversations and experiences.

If your child has to walk the route to school alone, there is the option, to practice dealing with strangers through courses and to learn confident behavior. If you outfit your child with dusk-appropriate clothing, reflectors on the schoolbag and in autumn and winter with a bright yellow safety vest they are easy to spot for other road users.

Suitable clothing for the first day and everyday school life

Also the outfit for the first day of school and the first days you can plan in advance. This is usually a lot of fun for children. They can decide for themselves whether they want to dress up or go more casual for the first day. It is important that the clothing fits well and that they feel comfortable in it all day. On the day of the first day of school you can already lay out the outfit, then the morning will run more smoothly!

Buy gifts for the first day of school

Think early about what would make your school child happy – whether a practical gift, a book, small treats for the school cone (Schultüte) or something personal from grandma, grandpa or the godparents. This leaves enough time to choose lovingly or to make something yourself.

A few days before school starts - Here's what still needs to be done in the final days

Talking together & relaxation

Soon the exciting adventure of school begins for your children. There is a lot of excitement among some first-graders. Spend a lot of time together before the first day of school, give your children the opportunity to talk about the upcoming changes and have positive conversations about starting school. This can reduce the children's fears and worries. Or plan shared relaxation and mindfulness exercises in your daily routine. This can also become a great routine in school life, which can be pleasant and educational, but sometimes also quite turbulent.

Packing the schoolbag

Pack the school backpack together with your child. It quickly becomes clear: If you add to the backpack's own weight, which already weighs a little more than a kilogram, the writing utensils and books, then lunchbox and drinking bottle be well chosen in order that the bag does not become too heavy.

Therefore we recommend smaller models, which the child can refill with water at school if needed. Both should not unnecessarily weigh down the schoolbag and above all contain healthy foods and drinks that keep them full for a long time.

If your child does not have a ravenous appetite at the breakfast table in the morning, a hearty, healthy packed lunch with whole grain bread, cheese, lean cold cuts, fresh fruit and crunchy vegetables – preferably already cut into pieces – all the more important.

The final preparations on the day before the first day of school

The big day is approaching and now only a few small tasks remain before the first day of school. Remember:

• Fill the school cone with gifts, sweets & co.

• Write a greeting card to the first-graders with personal words.

• Make final preparations for the first-day-of-school celebration, e.g. bake a cake, finish or prepare decorations.

On the first day of school: Take a deep breath and enjoy the first day of school

In the past weeks and months you have checked off all the important items for the first day of school. Now all that's left is: enjoy the big day, take great photos and celebrate the start of school with your loved ones. We wish you lots of fun!

Checklist for enrollment & school start as a PDF for download

So you don't forget anything, we've put together a handy checklist for enrollment as PDF for download compiled. From planning the school cone to the supplies list – clearly organized, ready to check off and perfect for printing.