Here’s a great idea to help build anticipation for the first day of school! Decorate a poster that says FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL and cut out 10 strips of fun colored construction paper. On each strip write something that you can pray about as a family in anticipation of the first day of school (for example: pray for your child’s teachers, friends, to be a Christian witness, for the principal or other staff people, health, safety, a spirit of courage, good attitudes about homework and school responsibilities, encouraging Scripture verses, etc.) Make a paper chain out of the construction paper strips and attach one end to the poster so that the chain dangles. Hang the poster and chain in your kitchen or by your dinner table. Starting 10 days before the first day of school, rip one of the links off of the paper chain every morning or night. Read what the strip says out loud and then pray for that thing as a family! As the first day of school draws closer, the paper chain will get smaller, and your family will have committed the coming year to the Lord!
I did a version of this I’d love to share with you! Thank you for the inspiration. My daughter loved her countdown, and it became a new favorite tradition! hollymuncie at yahoo dot com