Free First Day of School Chalkboard Printables for Your Homeschool (2024)

I don’t know about you but I love scrolling Instagram or Facebook around when school starts for the year and seeing all the gorgeous first day of school pictures.

Of course, your child is the star of the show but it can be fun to jazz it up with one of these first day of school chalkboard printables.

They’re super easy to print off and customize for your child.

Having some fun first day of school traditions isn’t just for conventional school. You can totally apply those traditions to homeschooling as well. Whether your child is going to school, distance learning, or homeschooling, these will totally work!

One of my favorite things is having these pictures to look back on of my children because I never realize just how much they grow and change in the span of a year.

My kids also really enjoy looking back on them.

I’ve made some simple yet cute chalkboard style first day of school signs for you and I’ve also made some last day of school signs so that you can do a fun comparison.

If chalkboard isn’t your style and you want something specific to homeschool then check out these other free first day of school printables.

Keep scrolling to find some other first day of school traditions as well as how to get the first day of school signs.

Fun First Day of School Ideas

Aside from taking the first day of school picture, there are also some other new traditions and great ideas that you can start that are super fun and not complicated.

Some ideas are to:

• Make a special breakfast
• Gift new school supplies (these are some of my favorite!)
• Do a school-supply scavenger hunt
• Just play games on the first day
• Interview your kids
• Set goals with your kids

You don’t have to do any of these to be a good homeschool mom but if you’re looking for some fun, simple ways to make the first day of school special then one (or a few) of these may do the trick.

If taking that special picture is all you’re after then keep scrolling to see what great first day of school chalkboard printables are available.

Free First Day of School Chalkboard Printables

These free printables with a chalkboard background are so sweet and while many parents mostly use them for preschool-elementary, you can still totally adapt them for any grade level.

To get the entire file of different signs for all the grade levels, just sign up to my email list below and you’ll get instant access.

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First Day of School Chalkboard Printable Signs

Last Day of School Chalkboard Printable Signs

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As you can see, you can use these for everything from the first day of preschool to the last day of 12th grade (although, your kid may not think it’s quite as cool to do this in high school). This could be a fun new tradition and you could fill up an album of pictures for you all to look back on.

These are perfect if you’re looking for a last minute idea to mark the first day of school and a first day of school photo op is something that you’ll treasure.

Comparing that first day of school photo to the last day of school photo is fun for both parents and kids.

The easy instructions that go along with these are simply that to get the best picture quality, I suggest printing these on white cardstock or photo paper using your home printer or take them to your local office supply store (such as Office Depot) and have them printed there.

You could have your child hold up the paper as a photo prop or put it in a cute picture frame to make it really pop.

Tips for Starting the School Year Well

The beginning of the school year can feel so exciting but it is super easy to become burnt out if you go all in without giving thought to how you’ll maintain momentum.

It is a wonderful idea to start off the school year slowly and by focusing on connecting with your kids in an intentional way instead of just plowing full-throttle into all the curriculum.

Here are some tips for doing just that:

#1 Start With One Subject at a Time

Many wise homeschool moms don’t begin all their subjects at once but instead start with one and slowly add the others in one at a time every few days.

This gives both you and your children time to adjust to the new school schedule and demands.

School time shouldn’t have to be a drudge but it can be if you’ve overloaded your schedule.

#2 Begin With a Unit Study

Unit studies are such a fun way to learn together as a family. They have less of a heavy textbook feel and there’s more wriggle room for going down rabbit trails.

Find a subject that you’ll all love to learn about and begin your school year with that.

#3 Gameschool

How about leaving workbooks alone for the first week of homeschool? Instead, you could stick to gameschooling and just have fun playing with your children while they engage their brains in learning activities.

#4 Do a Week of Nature Study

As school begins summer is winding down and it can be difficult for children to want to sit at a table indoors when the weather is still so lovely.

Take the first week or so of the homeschool year to do lots of nature study.

Pack a picnic, some drawing or painting supplies and head to your favorite nature spot.

This is actually something I like to do at the end of the year as well when we’re all just a bit burnt out. It’s a great way of continuing the learning and research process without your kids feeling overwhelmed.

Final Thoughts

The best part of homeschooling is the flexibility it provides for your family. You don’t have to replicate school at home but can instead focus on what works for you and your kids.

You can create special moments without all the bells and whistles by just spending time together and studying something of interest.

School photos and other traditions are only special because of the people we spend time with doing them.

At the end of the school year, I hope you can look back and cherish the special memories that you’ve made with your children along with seeing all the academic growth they’ve achieved.

In future school years you’ll only grow more confident in what works for your family and what you can stop stressing over as you start your new school year.