The Ultimate Guide for Back to School Season

Back to school guide
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The Ultimate Guide for Back to School Season

It’s officially back-to-school season, and we know how hectic that can be! While kids are enjoying their last days of summer, parents are officially in marathon mode, making sure the entire family is prepared for shifts in schedules, the first-day necessities, and the whole year ahead. Whether you’re looking for help with back-to-school shopping, school readiness tips, or easy back-to-school lunch ideas, we’ve got you covered with our ultimate back-to-school guide to help any parent prepare for this year and beyond.

Psst check out Bluey is Coming to NYC with CAMP!

Planning for the Year Ahead

Printable NYC School Calendar for 2024-2025 is here!

At New York Family, we know that one of the most important pieces of paper that comes home with the kids is the NYC DOE calendar, which has all of the most important dates of the year; pretty much everything is planned around this calendar. So, for purely selfish reasons, we’ve made our own printable and digital calendar with every date you and your kids will need to know for the upcoming school year.

Whether you’re looking for a nice printout to have handy on your refrigerator or prefer a bookmarked version on your phone (we’re guilty of having both), this cute calendar will be available year-round for all families.

Back to School Shopping

Prepare for the upcoming school year with our carefully selected collection of the top back-to-school deals for 2024. Explore a diverse range of items, including backpacks, name labels, lunch boxes, and budget-friendly clothing choices. Be sure to check out our recommendations for hassle-free shopping using children’s clothing subscription boxes.

Our Ultimate Back-to-School Supplies Shopping List: From Preschool to High School

The 11 Best Backpacks for NYC Kids 2024-2025

The Best Back to School Labels for Kids: For Backpacks, Supplies, and Beyond

7 Best Long-lasting Lunch Boxes and Bags for Back-to-School

Back to School Fashion with Epic Threads and Macy’s

The Best Kids Clothing Subscription Boxes (for Back to School and Beyond)

Tips for Families

One of the things we take pride in here at New York Family is having a solid group of parents who are here to share their experiences with any and all parents. We’re lucky to have a team that shares their tips on everything back-to-school related to help keep things running smoothly. Just like our readers, we’re jotting down every tip or nugget of wisdom shared by the team.

Here’s our list of some essential back-to-school tips to help your families during this exciting season.

7 Back to School Organization Tips for the School Year

How to Help Your Kids Beat the Back to School Blues

Getting Into Good Habits: Back-to-School Organization Secrets

Six Timely Tips for Tackling the School Supply List for Back to School

Back to School Tips for Families with Kids on the Autism Spectrum

Expert Tips on Easing Back to Speech Therapy for the New School Year

5 Back-To-School Tips For Your Child With Food Allergies

5 Creative Ways to Shop for School on a Budget

Student Struggling in School: 8 Simple Things You Can Do at Home to Help

How to Help Your Kids Beat the Back to School Blues

Stay Healthy

Staying healthy throughout the year is an essential part of school readiness. Whether you’re looking for information on essential back-to-school vaccines, preparing healthy meals, keeping your active kids safe during the year, or looking for help promoting a happy and healthy lifestyle, we’ve got you covered.

Essential Back-to-School Vaccines: What Families Need to Know

8 Tips for Preparing Healthy School Lunches

Back to School: Expert Tips on Keeping Kids Healthy this School Year

How to Help Your Kids Have a Healthy School Year

5 Ways to Help Your Teen Have an Active and Healthy Lifestyle

Keeping Kids Safe and Healthy During Sports Practices and Games

Back-to-School Lunches and Snacks Made Easy

14 Mindfulness Activities for Kids

How to Talk About Hygiene With Your Kids

Establish Routines

The start of the school year can be tough, but establishing some solid routines from the very beginning can make a huge difference and will help things go a lot smoother for all families. Routines are essential for life and for heading back to school. We suggest starting small and figuring out what routines work best for you and your family. We’re also sharing some tips that will help with this crucial back-to-school step that has helped many of us get through the year.

How to Create a Successful Back-to-School Morning Routine

Go to sleep!: Proven tips to shorten your toddler’s nightly routine

Crash course: Returning to a school-year sleep routine

Plan for Extracurricular Activities in NY

One of the major things parents have to plan for throughout the year is a child’s extracurricular activities. While school takes up a huge chunk of the day, sometimes we need to have a steady plan for after school, and that requires knowing the best programs, finding out what your kids will like the most, and how to have the perfect balance of everything you have planned on the schedule. We’re lucky to have the scoop on some of the best afterschool programs throughout New York, as well as some great tips on how to pick the right activities for you and your family.

Best Afterschool Programs in New York

Balancing Sports and Extracurricular Activities This School Year

Help Your Child Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities

This back-to-school guide is our way of extending a virtual helping hand to the families of New York because we understand that this time can be a lot to navigate. We hope parents can keep this guide handy this year and beyond. Here’s hoping all of our New York Families have a safe and smooth return to school.

Relevant Directory Listings

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Hampton Racquet

<p>Hampton Racquet is a family-owned boutique country club situated in the picturesque setting of East Hampton, NY. This summer, Hampton Racquet is partnering with Premier Tennis to bring elevated youth tennis camps to the Hamptons. Designed for ages 4+, with three programs available, these camps embody the Premier Tennis philosophy of “train like a pro to play like a pro.” At Premier Tennis, our camps provide a foundation of the game for the youngest of players, while offering top tier training for those looking to reach their full potential.</p> <p>At Hampton Racquet, Our offerings extend beyond just tennis. From boutique fitness classes, to pickleball, to family nights at our club restaurant, we’re sure that the whole family will enjoy spending time at Hampton Racquet this summer.</p> <p> </p>

Kents Hill Sports Camp

<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #222222; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">A premier 3 week overnight sports camp, providing girls ages 8-15 an opportunity to excel in the sport of their choice, plus all the activities, spirit, & values of a traditional summer camp.  Girls will select a major (ice hockey, field hockey, soccer, basketball, dance) </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">which they will participate in and receive a high level of instruction in each day.  They will then choose all of the other activities they would like to try, which will round out their weekly schedule. We also have fun special events, cookouts, campfires, carnival, out of camp trips, and color war to end the session.</span></span></span></p>

Buckley Day Camp

<p><span style="caret-color: #202020; color: #202020; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;">At Buckley Day Camp your children will experience a program designed to meet their individual needs.  Nursery through kindergarten have a traditional day camp program, while 1st – 7th graders have an elective based program.8th & 9th graders participate in a camp/travel program and 10th graders can join their CIT program. Swim instruction daily in 4 outdoor heated pools. Door to door transportation provided on air conditioned mini buses. Lunch & snacks provided daily.</span></p>