Celebrating the End of Summer: Toddler Ideas
As you're well aware, big transitions are tough on toddlers. This can even include things as simple as one season ending and another beginning. One of the most difficult seasonal transitions is the one from summer to autumn, especially if your toddler goes to preschool or daycare, has older siblings, or things are otherwise about to change schedule-wise for them. Want tips for celebrating the end of summer and making this transition easier? Keep reading for our practical tips, including how to easily have your "last summer celebration".
Transitioning to School or Daycare
Is your toddler starting preschool this upcoming year?
Will he or she be spending more time at daycare once summer is over?
If the answer is yes to either of these questions, it is important to start preparing now. Here are some tips:
- Start waking your child up around the time they will need to be awake in the next few weeks. You can start slow (a few times a week) and start working your way up (every day) until the start of school or daycare
- Start eating meals around the time your child will be eating at school or daycare. Find out how long they have for lunch or snack time, and start encouraging your child to focus on eating more quickly.
- You can even start serving them their lunch in a lunchbox so that they can get used to using it and not have to go through a learning curve without you
- Read books about preschool, daycare, and start role-playing at home with them
Getting Out of Vacation Mode
Has your summer with your toddler been filled with regular splash pad visits, pool time, popsicles, and outdoor fun?
If so, you have one lucky toddler!
And, as fun and lucky as you both are, the flip side to the fun is that you may also have a tough time transitioning them out of vacation mode.
Even if you haven't gone on any vacations this summer, every day is jam-packed with fun stuff and it can be hard for toddlers to reconcile once the fun starts scaling back.
If you are going to start winding down on the summer fun soon due to the weather, work, school, or daycare, here are some tips:
- Talk with your toddler! Show them a visual calendar with how many more days or weeks until the fun starts winding down. This way, it won't be such a shock once they can't go to the pool multiple times a week anymore.
- Be prepared with transition toys! Get your toddler out of end-of-summer-sadness with a new transition toy. A toddler-friendly bubble wand is a great choice to help them not only feel confident and independent by blowing their own bubbles, but they will also be lowering their stress and anxiety levels through deep, rhythmic breathing.
- Say goodbye! If the next pool or splash pad visit is the last, make sure they know! Have a moment to say goodbye and relive some memories from the past couple of months.
One Last Celebration
A great way to mark the end of summer, when possible, is by having a celebration! This can include something as elaborate as a trip or as simple as a family backyard BBQ hangout.
Here are some fun ideas:
Summer Memory Jar or Book
Grab an empty jar or photo book, print out some photos from the summer, and start decorating! You can also include any momentos you have collected, such as sand from the beach, seashells, rocks, flowers, and more.
One Last Beach or Camping Trip
If you are within driving distance of a beach, campsite, or lake, going one more time with the intention of saying goodbye to summer is always a fun way to mark the end of the season.
Our favorite sandy tip is to forget everything you've seen online. No more Mom Hacks with cornstarch or baby powder; our Fish Scrub gently brushes away sand from their hands, feet, legs, arms, and everywhere in between!
If one of the reasons you hate going to the beach is because of the crowded, slippery, hard-to-use showers with freezing water that your child hates, then just grab our Fish Scrub and go have fun!
Plant Fall Flowers Together
A sweet way to mark the end of summer is by planting some fall flowers together!
Show your toddler that the end of summer isn't the end of fun, warmth, and beautiful days. By planting fall bulbs, you can show them that it's just a time for the Earth to rest.
Go to a local nursery and pick out a few bulbs that need to be planted in the late summer or early fall, like daffodils or tulips.
Let your toddler dig in the dirt, drop the "sleepy bulbs" into the soil, and pat the dirt over them to tuck them into bed for the winter. They will love seeing their new plants grow in the coming year!