It may be all about pool parties, summer picnics, and playing outside until sunset right now, but before you know it the school bus will be pulling up in front of your house to pick up the kids and take them back to school. Make the beginning of the school year something to celebrate with these festive, school-themed printables and back to school projects from the One Charming Party archives.
A treasure hunt is fun for any party, and a Back to School Party is no different. Put a creative twist on this classic party game by making it an Alphabet Hunt.
Print and cut out our Alphabet Cards. Hide the alphabet all around the party room before the party. You can hide the cards as easy or hard as you want, depending upon the age of your guests. Have your party guests collect the entire alphabet to win the game!
For an interesting variation, have your party guests collect the alphabet in the correct order. This is a lot of fun and great review for younger children who have just learned the alphabet.
Your Back to School Party activities don’t all have to be about classrooms and textbooks. Throw in some lunch time too! Let your party guests make these adorable apple stamped lunch sacks to take home and use for their own first week’s worth of packed lunches.
You will need: white paper lunch sacks, tempera paint, one half of an apple per guest, disposable plates
Directions: For each child, have a disposable plate with some paint on it and a half of an apple. Let the child stamp the cut side of the apple in the paint and then onto their wide paper sack. Allow the paint to completely dry before stacking the bags or sending them home. Let the kids try different colors and different patterns for a fun and creative activity.
As a treat, you could also have an array of snacks out for the kids to pack their own “school lunch” in one of their sacks. They can eat their snacks at the party or take them home as a fun favor.
Apples are a wonderful, nostalgic part of school. And these honeycomb apples will be a darling addition to your Back to School Party decorations.
You will need: apple template download, one red 14″ tissue ball (for 2 apples), stapler, twine, tape, green crepe paper, scissors
Directions: First, print and cut out the apple template. Trace the outline of 2 apples onto one side of the 14 inch tissue ball. Cut out the apple shapes. Next, staple the tabs on your honeycomb apples. Take a 5″ piece of twine and knot the ends together. Tape the twine to the top end of one side of the apple. Cut a leaf shape out of the green crepe paper. Tape the leaf to the top of the apple, next to the twine loop. Fan the apple out, and tape the two sides together. You can hang the apples separately, like in the first picture, or string them all together on one long piece of string as an apple garland!
Every year we get requests for Back-to-School ideas earlier in the summer. For those of you who send your kids back to school in July, we are posting our ideas sooner for you.
School supplies are a huge part of getting ready for back to school. So, what better way to invite your guests to a Back-to-School Party than with a mini folder? These printable back to school invitations are easy to make, and are just plain adorable.
You will need: 1 piece of double sided 12″x12″ scrapbook paper for each folder, scissors, glue, Back 2 School Party Invitation download, template download
Directions: First, print out the file template onto an 11″ x 17″ paper. You can use a wide format printer at home, or go to your local print shop to have it printed there. Cut out the template. Trace the template shape on to the backside of a 12″x12″ paper. Next, fold in the pockets and glue the tabs to the inside of the mini folder. Let the glue dry.
Print out the Back 2 School Party Invitations and cut out. Fill out the party invitations and slip one invitation into each folder for a fabulous Back to School look.
The mini folders can also double as envelopes. Add an address label and stamp. Be sure to tape down all the sides. Mail as you would any 5″ x 7″ envelope.
