Hey Kids,
School season approaches quickly, and school supplies are one of my favorite parts about getting ready to go back to school in the fall. Sometimes new supplies call to me, and sometimes I really enjoy decorating old supplies in a new way.
Plus, I always make sure to protect my schoolbooks with a book cover, and that offers endless opportunities! Decorating my book covers, binders and folders makes me happy and makes it easier to find my things.
When I try to be creative like this, though, sometimes I get stuck. Sometimes I don’t have any inspiration, and when that happens, I like to browse what other people are doing. Crafting with friends helps, or I can use ideas on Creativebug.
These tutorials on Creativebug can be accessed using your Canton Public Library card:
- Roll with It: Back to School Ideas with Scotch Tape – Learn about different types of tape that are available and how you can use each for different creative projects.
- Back to School Book Covers – Use trusty brown paper bags and tape to make covers for your schoolbooks. Not only will your books be protected, but you can decorate your cover however you’d like!
- Back to School Organizing – Bring order to your craft and school supplies.
Sometimes I get stuck on making decisions: choosing what color to use, what pattern, what sticker and where to put it and wondering if I will be sad that I didn’t save it. And in times like this I think back to some great advice my friend Matilda gave me: “Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog.”
Remember as you’re creating your personalized and creative back-to-school supplies to create things that are pleasing to you today, even if it means using your favorite sticker or deciding that blue is the color of choice, even if tomorrow you might prefer green. You can change up your designs tomorrow, and you will encounter new supplies and new opportunities.
Be open to all the possibilities of a new school year and embrace expressing your unique self through your supplies.
Bear Hugs,
Thorndyke
P.S. Here are some fun picture books about school and school supplies.
Back to School, Backpack! by Simon Rich. A backpack deals with first-day-of-school jitters and feeling out of place. Even your school supplies might be anxious about the transition back to school.
Beach Toys vs. School Supplies by Mike Ciccotello. When Shovel sees Ruler at the beach, he knows there will be trouble. A sandcastle-building contest proves surprising to both the Beach Toys and the School Supplies. A fun take on the back-to-school transition.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them.
Eraser by Anna Kang. Eraser is always cleaning up everyone else's mistakes and no one except for Ruler and Pencil Sharpener seem to appreciate her.
It's Not My Fault! by Jory John. A boy steadfastly blames everything from messy homework to a dirty face on inanimate objects. Items like a pen and a backpack become quite irate, and appear in his dreams, reminding him that he must take responsibility for his mistakes.
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt. Rock, Paper and Scissors were the strongest, smartest and fastest in all the land. Time and again they beat the most fearsome opponents they could find: an apricot, a computer printer, even dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. But when the warriors finally meet each other, the most epic round of battles begins, and never ends. That is why, to this day, children around the world honor these worthy adversaries by playing rock, paper, scissors!
Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon. Linus hopes to win the family art show but his eraser, Ernie, obliterates his work, his self-confidence, and his joy until a word from Smudge in the pencil sharpener inspires Linus to try again.
Little Red Writing by Joan Holub. Once upon a time, in pencil school, a brave little red pencil sets out to write an exciting story with nouns and adverbs and everything—but first she has to face the ravenous pencil sharpener, the Wolf 3000.
Marker by Anna Kang. Marker is one of the teacher’s go-to school supplies. Her work is tip-top, and she always makes a lasting impression. That is, until Pinking Shears, a.k.a. Pink, arrives and dazzles everyone with her sharp creations. No longer the star of the desk, Marker begins to make mistakes. Can she regain her marker magic?
Perfect by Max Amato. A fussy eraser tries to keep the pages perfectly clean despite the scribbles of a mischievous pencil. A book about conflict and collaboration.
School's First Day of School by Adam Rex. It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. This would be delightful to read with a child who is nervous about their first day of school.
When Glitter Met Glue by Karen Kilpatrick. Underappreciated Glue feels invisible and wants to be noticed like Pencil and Markers, so with help from her friend Glitter she finds a way to shine.
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