Embracing the Back to School season and bonding through art

Ready or not, it’s back to school time again! I admit that I have mixed feelings about school starting every year and this year is no exception. On one hand, I love the structure school provides for our schedule, but on the other hand I always feel like another month or two of summer would always be good for my soul.

I just have to remind myself that I only get 12 back to school seasons with my kids before they are done with mandatory schooling and I realize that these bittersweet moments are fleeting, too. I will eventually miss this transition to fall and sending my kids off to the world to meet new people who will also shape their lives. I have to remember that these new people will teach them things that will excite them and keep them always seeking knowledge, and it all seems worth summer coming to a close.

So, this year, I’m going to just embrace the fall and back to school season as much as I can. I’m going to buy them the new pens, the packs of papers, the brand new erasers, and get excited with them about what the new school year holds. These new supplies aren’t just about replacing the old and the broken {seriously, whyyyy do we have so many pens that cannot write and pencils that have been sharpened down to the last little nub?}. New supplies are about celebrating the start of something new. This year, we’re celebrating the new school year, the new schedule, and our new ways of strengthening the mother-child bond.

Our favorite way of bonding during the back to school season has always been arts and crafts because it allows us to do something fun together that has almost no “rules”. I’ll pick them up at school each afternoon, reunite the little one with her people that she has dearly missed all day, we’ll run off some energy at the park, then we go home and sign what needs to be signed, and then art projects are where we will spend the rest of our time.

So, in addition to the school supply lists that we’re still wading through and hunting down the last elusive items, I will buy some new art supplies to celebrate the start of our art year, too. Thankfully, Faber-Castell doesn’t just have the school supply list must-haves, they also have art supplies covered from preschool to the professional artist as well as amazing writing instruments for everyone. So, my Faber-Castell shopping goes a little like this: two basics into the cart for the kids’ school, and one added for our art kit at home. When I found the Faber-Castell markers, I went ahead and ordered four sets so we could have extra pens for the house while multiple kids are coloring. Then I did the same with their Grip colored and graphite pencils that we love so much.

This year, I found awesome new Faber-Castell beeswax crayons that could make any child feel like an artist and I knew that we needed them. Not only will they provide a fun activity for the toddler to help ease her into long days without her people, they will also be awesome for our bigger art projects as a family. I love the triangle design that keeps them from rolling off tables, and they draw so beautifully that I even love to use them. With this great little carry case, I can bring them with us on our adventures or use it at home to keep them away from toddlers who might want to artistically cover items other than paper or canvas. I also found a great little 40-piece art kit that allows my daughter and I to make a little book of our art pieces together. My oldest is super sentimental and I love that this little pocket-sized book we’re creating as part of our mother-daughter bonding is the perfect size to slip into her backpack so she can flip through it when she feels homesick and is missing our summers as much as me. I also love that it comes with everything we need to get creative without weighing a ton or being bulky. This small and light design makes it perfect for bringing with us on coffee dates, vacations and more, which means we can actually create memories together on the go.

In addition to suggesting that you start a mother-child tradition of bonding over art during the hectic back to school season, I would also recommend checking out the Creativity for Kids art sets from Faber-Castell. We found these awesome Shrinky Dink refill kits {remember Shrinky Dinks? They are back, in a very big way} that make labeling and personalizing our school supplies easy and fun. We can create our own hang tags that can survive the whole entire school year while helping customize all of our stuff in a fun and creative way.

And, while the older kiddos have their school-ready and book-filled backpacks for carting their stuff to and from school, my little one was positively thrilled to get a Quilted Koala World of Eric Carle bag to carry all of her new art supplies and toys with her everywhere we go. How cute is this little backpack? She basically only takes it off for bedtime and naptime, and I love it. Want a great discount on this little backpack? For a limited time you can use code EC60 for 60% off and free shipping on the Eric Carle line of Quilted Koala bags. How awesome is that? Start shopping here.

You can search artist supplies, writing instruments, and craft kids for kids at Faber-Castell, or you can find a local store here.

Are you ready for back to school? Tell me I’m not the only one who struggles with the end of summer and the return of schedules.