Getting Your Family Excited for the New School Year

Back to school can bring a mixture of emotions for your family. Kids can feel full of nerves, dread, excitement, or boredom with the thought of school. Parents can feel excited, sad, anxious, stressed, or happy. Make the transition easier by having a positive attitude towards the experience and your kids will follow your lead. Here are some ideas to help everyone in your family get excited for back to school!

Practice Social Skills

If you have a younger child who is nervous about going back to school because of all new classmates, try practicing before studies start. Allprodad.com has a great idea to have a “Make A New Friend Day.” Both you and your child go to a public place such as a playground and scope out someone you deem friendly. Then each of you attempt to make a new friend, engaging in conversation and overcoming the fear of meeting new people.

Throw a Back to School Party

If your children are older and are dreading school because it is not “fun,” make it fun for them with a party. Keep it simple, blow some balloons and serve snacks at a playground or house. Let your kids invite their friends over and usher in the back to school season.

Create Funny Photo Tradition

One way you can liven up the experience of back to school is with a funny photo tradition. Instead of the typical smiling with backpacks on picture, try one of these hilarious takes on back to school. They point out that oftentimes the parents are the ones most excited for back to school because they can reclaim some free time.

Do Summer Justice

It is tempting to get into the back to school mindset as early as July, but be sure to let your kids enjoy summer. Soak up the sun and make the most of summer vacation while it's here. Do not rush the limited amount of time your kids can relax and play. When it is time for school to start up again, do summer justice by recapping the great experiences you had with your kids. Have the children make a list of their favorite memories from the summer so that they can appreciate their fun times and get some closure that the warm season is over.


Having the right attitude about the summer to school transition will improve the back to school experience for everyone in your family! Do one or all of these fun ideas to get excited for back to school with your kids!

Summer Fun For Families in the Saint Cloud Area

As the weather warms, it is great to get out and enjoy all the Saint Cloud area has to offer for summer fun. Your family can enjoy these great amenities come rain or shine!

Image by Andrew Ciscel via Wikimedia Commons

Quarry Park

A hidden gem on the west side of Saint Cloud, Quarry Park and Nature Preserve is 683 acres of hiking trails, rock climbing, fishing, and swimming. The forest, prairie, and quarries offer a variety of breathtaking sights and teaching opportunities for your kids.

Splash Pads

If the weather is particularly warm, enjoy the day at one of the Saint Cloud area's many splash pads. There are large splash pads near the downtown area at Riverside Park and Lake George. On the west side of town, you can find a nice splash pad and playground in Waite Park at River's Edge Park and a smaller, more private splash pad near Westwood Elementary school. All of these parks offer picnic tables and playground equipment to make a wonderful afternoon activity.

Indoor Fun

If the weather is rainy, but you still need an activity to entertain the kids, consider some indoor fun in Saint Cloud. A popular choice is the play place in Crossroads mall where your small children can climb and play in between shopping. Consider hitting the movie theater; Marcus Parkwood Theaters has a summer movie series just for kids with discounted ticket prices. Another option for indoor fun is open gym times. Granite City Gymnastics, North Crest Kids Activity Center, Whitney Community Center, and the YMCA all have great facilities for open gym geared towards kids!


More ideas can be found at Fun4KidsMN.com, a website geared towards promoting family friendly events in the Saint Cloud area. If you are ever looking for something to do this summer, look no further! There are lots of options for family summer fun, even if the sun is not shining.

How to Keep Your Little Ones Warm at the Bus Stop

Minnesota winters are a force to be reckoned with. Snow, cold temperatures, and biting wind chills can be uncomfortable–even harmful– to anybody, but especially children as they wait for the school bus.

Because of their larger surface area to weight ratio, children lose heat from their skin faster than adults, which makes them more prone to frostbite. Kids also tend to ignore the signs of the cold more than adults do.

At Spanier Bus Service, we take children’s safety very seriously. That’s why we wanted to help you keep your child safe and warm when the temperatures dip below freezing. Here are a few important precautions to take:

1. Cover Their Extremities. The extremities of the body (hands, feet, nose, and ears) are most vulnerable to the cold. Keeping these covered is vital to avoiding frostbite.
2. Dress Them in Layers. Try and choose natural insulating fabrics to keep your kids warm like wool, silk or fleece. Start by dressing your child in an undershirt, a regular shirt, and a coat to have as many layers as possible. Wearing snow pants over their regular pants will help warm them up. Add an extra pair of socks if it’s extremely cold.  
3. Keep Them Indoors as Long as Possible. The longer they’re inside, the better. Buses are on time more often than not, so your kids should be able to time when they have to leave the house.
4. Wear Mittens. Wearing mittens keeps your hands warmer than gloves because your fingers aren’t separated. When your fingers are separated, they are more prone to frostbite.
5. When in Doubt, Add Another Layer. If your kids can wear a hooded sweatshirt under their winter coat, it will keep them even warmer. Always dress your child in one more layer than you would dress yourself.
6. Keep Them Dry. If your child’s gloves or hat gets wet, replace it immediately or have them pack a backup. Teach your kids to dry their mittens and socks as soon as they get inside. It’s best to avoid long contact with wet clothing.
7. Plan Ahead. To make things go faster in the morning, lay out all their clothes the night before. That way, your kids don’t have to guess where everything is in the morning and waste time. The best part is, you’ll know how many layers they’re wearing at the bus stop.  

Spanier Bus Service hopes everyone stays warm this winter at the bus stop. Our drivers strive to keep your children safe – on and off the bus.