Children enjoy a lively Pencil Party indoors, using large inflatable pencils to push colorful plastic balls across the carpeted floor. A laundry basket and scattered balls add to the festive atmosphere in the background.

Back to School Pencil Party for Kids

ByChristina

This page may contain affiliate links. Learn More.

As the summer winds down and a new school year approaches, it’s the perfect time to celebrate with a fun and festive special day at daycare. A Back to School Pencil Party is a whimsical and educational way to get kids excited about learning while enjoying creative activities, treats, and games.

Five young children sit on a couch holding a large pencil prop; below, kids color on paper at a table. Text reads: "Back to School Pencil Party for Kids. Get Inspired Here." Join the fun and celebrate with a creative Pencil Party!.

Setting the Scene with Pencil-Themed Decor

Transform your space into a cheerful, classroom-inspired environment with easy DIY decorations. Think yellow, pink, and gray, the classic colors of a traditional pencil. Use yellow tablecloths, pink balloons, and silver or black accents to bring the pencil palette to life. Large cardboard cutouts shaped like pencils can be propped up around the party area.

You can also make or buy a fun backdrop for photos using paper rolls to create a giant pencil and hang a banner that says “Sharpen Up for School!” Decorate tables with small pencil jars filled with real pencils, rulers, and erasers that double as party favors.

We love these giant blow up pencils for decorations, photo props, and game pieces.

Four young children sit on a couch holding large inflatable pencils at a Pencil Party, with paper pencil decorations displayed on the wall behind them.

Invitations to Get Kids Excited

Send out pencil-shaped invitations or printable note cards that say “You’re Invited to a Back-to-School Pencil Party!” Include all the important details like date, time, location, and any supplies guests might need to bring.

For digital invites, use free design tools to create a cheerful invite featuring pencil illustrations, apples, or school supplies. Add a fun note encouraging kids to wear their favorite school outfit or bring their new backpack to show off.

It’s fun to give kids invitations that make them feel grown up and special. Even if the event is part of your regular daycare day.

Creative Pencil Party Crafts

Let kids get hands-on with pencil-themed crafts that they can use or display. One simple and fun project is decorating their own pencil case. Provide blank canvas pouches, fabric markers, stickers, and stencils so children can personalize their pouch.

Another easy activity is making pencil toppers using pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and googly eyes. Kids can twist and glue their materials to create silly characters to top their pencils.

You can also make pencil-shaped bookmarks out of cardstock and ribbon, letting kids color and design their own. Or if you don’t want to go on your own, one of these bookmarks would be fun.

Three young children play baseball indoors with plastic bats and a ball on a carpeted floor while hosting a lively Pencil Party; toys and furniture are visible in the background.

Games and Activities to Sharpen the Fun

  • Plan a few school-themed games to keep the energy up. One classic is “Pencil Pick-Up,” where players use chopsticks or pencils to pick up erasers and race to fill a cup.
  • Another game is “Stack the School Supplies,” a fun relay where kids have to stack books, notebooks, and pencils without them falling over.
  • You can also create a pencil ring toss by placing several upright pencils in a box and using rubber bands or rings to try and loop around them.
  • For a quieter station, set up a coloring table with printable back-to-school coloring sheets.
  • We love to play pencil golf with the giant blow up pencils and some pom poms for the golf balls, The kids have to figure out that the eraser end works far better than the pointy tip, and then they make more points.
Two young children sit at a table enjoying snacks and desserts from plates, with a yellow cup between them during their Pencil Party.

Tasty Pencil-Themed Treats

No party is complete without snacks, and a pencil party offers plenty of inspiration. My old standby trick is to have parents bring snacks. Some of them love to be extra and make something homemade for the theme. I don’t, so I let them shine on that. Of course, a package of crackers or chips or a plate of strawberries or something is a perfect treat they can bring that doesn’t take any work, too. Make sure they don’t feel pressured, but they usually have fun sending treats to participate. I make the party snacks extra special for a pencil party by using these notebook paper plates. So cute, and so fitting for the pencil party theme.

If you do want to go all out yourself, try making pencil-shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting erasers and chocolate chip tips. Or these pencil cookies made out of premade wafer cookies.

You can also create “pencil pretzels” by dipping pretzel rods into yellow candy melts and topping one end with a pink candy or mini marshmallow for an eraser.

Arrange fruit skewers in a pencil shape, using a triangle of cantaloupe for the tip, yellow pineapple for the body, and a pink melon or grape for the eraser. Serve these with apple slices, string cheese, and a bowl of goldfish crackers for a well-rounded snack table.

Several sets of colorful pencils, erasers, and Pencil Party toppers are wrapped in clear plastic and placed on a wooden surface.

Back-to-School Goodie Bags

Send guests home with a small bag of school-themed goodies that will get them excited for the year ahead. Include a few colorful pencils, a mini notepad, erasers, stickers, and maybe even a bookmark or ruler. You can wrap them in clear bags and tie with ribbon, or place them in small pencil boxes. Add a thank-you tag that says “Thanks for getting sharp with us!” Here are some I have done in the past. It doesn’t matter what you put in them, be creative with your own style.

Story Time with a School Theme

Gather kids together for a short story time featuring school-themed books. Choose titles like The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems, First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg, or The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson. Reading these books can help calm any nerves about the upcoming school year and start conversations about what to expect. For younger kids, add a puppet or stuffed animal to help make story time more engaging.

Three young children sit at a table in a cheerful Pencil Party, drawing with crayons on colored paper, each focused on their artwork.

Drawing with pencils

Giving the kids paper and pencils is a perfect activity to go along with your pencil theme. Kids love to draw and this is the perfect opportunity for it. Working on their pincer grasp too!

Tips for a Successful Pencil Party

To keep the event smooth and fun, plan your party to last around 1 to 2 hours. Have a schedule in mind with time for crafts, games, snacks, and free play. Make sure you have extra supplies on hand in case something breaks or more guests arrive than expected. For younger kids, keep transitions between activities short and use music or movement to help guide them from one thing to the next.

A back-to-school pencil party is more than just a fun get-together. It’s a wonderful way to ease kids into a new routine, encourage social connections, and help them feel prepared and excited for learning. Whether it’s the crafts, the snacks, or the games, everything is designed to build confidence and create a positive attitude about school. Make it a yearly tradition to start each academic year with fun and creativity.

Party Day Ideas for Daycare

For more party ideas, check these out:

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.