How about more than 100 backpacks? My friend, Adrianna Reo, has a mission to raise funds in order to donate backpacks filled with school supplies to homeless kids. She wants needy kids to feel as empowered as the others at school and writes that the impact is so powerful that it is enough to motivate some kids to stay at school. Could be because these backpacks are filled with more than just books and pencils…they are filled with hope and encouragement.
All month long I’ve written posts about backpacks and readiness for kindergarten learning activities such as counting, rhyming, colors, singing, stories, reading, etc. Even social skills such as sharing and taking turns when taking a backpack to a friend’s house for a playdate.
Another important learning skill is making choices. Just like the rest, this is something that needs practice. While most kids are somewhere in the middle, some have a very difficult time making independent choices and some want to choose everything all the time. If possible when shopping for backpacks–and Adrianna recommends the week after school starts for great sales–let your little one have some input about the choice. Surprisingly, for some color is more important than popular figures. Features like lots of little pockets are appealing to others.
Helping little ones learn how to make choices is another kindergarten readiness skill that will have an impact long after backpacks have been replaced by workbags.