A smooth transition from kindergarten to school is important for the child’s well-being at school. Many kindergartens and schools work together to ensure that each child has a good start in school. Kindergarten and school will focus on both academic and social aspects to ensure that the children settle in well. As a parent, you will likely also be invited to information meetings where you will receive advice on how to support your child through the transition from kindergarten to school.

Things to get in order

At home, there are several practical things you can do together with your child as part of a transition ritual.

• School bag: Maybe your child already has a bag from kindergarten that can be used for the first few years of school, where he/she doesn’t need to carry many books back and forth between home and school. You can vacuum or wipe the bag with a damp cloth to make it ready for use. It may also need a new name label. If your child needs a new backpack, remember that it shouldn’t be too big. It’s better to buy a used one so you can switch it out when it becomes too small.
• Water bottle/lunchbox: The joy of a new lunchbox and water bottle can be great for a child. Let the child choose a new lunchbox and water bottle that he/she will be excited to bring to school. If you buy a neutral lunchbox, you can design your own stickers to decorate the lunchbox with.
• Pencil case: A pencil case is an important part of starting school and something the child didn’t need in kindergarten. Talk with your child about what should be in a pencil case, such as pencils, erasers, markers, pencil sharpener, and ruler. While discussing what the contents of the pencil case will be used for, you can label each item. Mini labels are perfect for pencils and markers.
• Prepare clothes and shoes: In the days before the first day of school, you can talk with your child about what clothes he/she wants to wear. It can feel safe to wear their favorite sweater and good pants when the surroundings and people are new.

Also check if there are other things your child needs for school, such as gym clothes, notebooks, calculator, or a computer.

Name your child’s clothes

Even though your child is now a schoolchild, it is still a good idea to have their name on their clothes. According to Danish child psychologist Margrehe Brun Hansen, it helps the child become more independent when they can easily recognize their own belongings. And even though your child knows that their jacket is “the black one with orange details,” there are lots of clothes in a school – and a lot that looks similar. You can use both name labels and iron-on labels to mark the clothes with names. The advantage of name labels is that they need to be attached to a label in the clothes, such as a tag or washing instructions. An advantage of iron-on labels is that you can attach them to all types of clothes that don’t have a brand label, like underwear and socks.