Back-to-School Countdown

Tempe starts kindergarten in the fall!!
I have been looking forward to this day for a long time.
Elementary school is so fun. My favorite time of year as a kid was back-to-school time, when we found out who would be in our class for the following year, what teacher we would have, and went shopping for school supplies.
I guess I was always a nerd.
My mom and girls and I just got back from a very spontaneous trip to my hometown: Statesville, North Carolina. We spent a whole day driving around and taking pictures of the houses we lived in, parks we played at, and (of course) schools we went to.
My elementary school, Ebenezer, has been replaced by a newer school and the old building is currently for sale, so it looked a little run down, but just as I remembered it.

Isn't it charming?

Last week, the girls and I went with some of our friends to Tempe's elementary school to see who will be her teacher in a few weeks. It was so fun to see her walking with the kids in our neighborhood and imagine her as a kindergartener!
To get her excited for school (and try to prepare her as much as possible), I made a little back-to-school countdown. We're going to start it in August, but I wanted to post it now because I know some of you go back to school in just a few weeks.
I made a simple paper chain (the girls helped!) and on every link, wrote an activity we can do together to prepare for the school year. My list concentrated mostly on fine motor skills, independence, and writing practice. Here are some of the things I included:

Write a letter to Grandma Lisa and sign your name.

Make a collage of your favorite foods.

Make your first-day-of-school shirt.

Choose your favorite book and write your name on the inside cover.

Walk to school and practice crossing the street by yourself.

Make a collage of pictures of kids.

Make a name tag for your backpack.

Type your name (first and last!) on the computer and email it to Daddy at work.

Make your own lunch today!

Write and illustrate a story (Mom can help).

Go fishing for magnetic numbers and add what you catch.

Play alphabet hopscotch on the driveway.

String beads to make a necklace.

Do a big puzzle together.

Tempe and Helena are both excited to start our countdown in a few weeks!
What back-to-school traditions do you do at your house?