You know it’s back to school time when your mailbox starts to fill up with fliers advertising notebooks, pencils, rulers and folders. Summer is coming to an end and there are mixed feelings of sadness, excitement and anticipation about the upcoming school year! Time really does fly, doesn’t it? To help slow things down, or at least freeze certain moments forever, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite photo ideas to best capture this upcoming year, allowing you to create a wonderful school memory book. First up is Hillary from Happiness is…. She does a great job documenting her daughters’ first day of school, taking note of all the little details. Our favorite idea is how she records the first day by having each daughter hold a sign with the date and grade they’ll be entering.

Modern Parents Messy Kids has a photo roundup using chalk as “props”. One photo uses sidewalk chalk to write out the child’s grade. Next, the child lies down next to it to create a truly unique photo! To capture the photo from above, simply bring out ladder and climb to the top (just make sure you’ve got someone holding the ladder steady!).

Another great idea is to document your child’s penmanship throughout the year! On the first day of school, have him or her write their name on a chalkboard and pose for the camera. Then, every 3 months (or any interval you prefer) recreate the photo. It’s amazing how much penmanship can improve, especially when you’re first learning to write!

Alicia from Call Me Crafty Al has made first day of school photos a tradition. Each year, her daughter holds the photo from the previous year to show how much she’s grown. We think this is the perfect photo for the front cover of your Mixbook!

A spin-off of this photo is to have your graduating senior pose holding a photo from his first day of kindergarten. Ideally, you’d take the photo on his last day of high school, capturing both the very first and last day of school in one photo!

Rachel from Finding My Feet likes to take a regular photo of her son on the first day of school. She then creates a layout and lists all of his current interests. We love this idea for two reasons. Firstly, this layout can be created as a card and sent to Grandma, Grandpa and any other long distance relatives. Secondly, we know this would make a great first page for your school memory book! It’s a great reminder of what their hobbies were for that particular year.

Our last photo idea is our favorite. As you say good-bye to your little one and they head towards their classroom or the bus, snap a photo of them walking away. This great candid photo speaks volumes about your child’s growing independence. Alternatively, snap a photo when you’re picking them up from school. You’ll capture their joy as they eagerly run towards you, unable to contain the excitement from their first day.

While most of these ideas revolve around the first day, don’t forget to continue to document the milestones throughout the school year. Check out our 5 simple steps on how to create the best school memory photo book.