First Day of School Boards- How to Use Them, What to Write, and Where to Display Them
More Than a Photo Prop
The first day of school photo is one of the most photographed moments in a child's life. Backpack on, shoes shiny, slightly nervous smile, and in more and more households, a personalised first day of school board held up for the camera. But a good school board is more than a prop for one photo. Used well, it becomes a tradition that documents your child's school years in a way that a plain photo never could.
Here is everything you need to know about making the most of a first day of school board from MAC Creations.
What Is a First Day of School Board?
A first day of school board is a personalised chalkboard or acrylic sign that captures key details about your child on their first day. Typically it includes fields for the child's name, the year level they are starting, their age, what they want to be when they grow up, their favourite things, and sometimes their height or other fun details. The child holds the board for the photo, or it leans against their bag, the front door, or a wall.
The MAC Creations first day of school board range includes reusable chalkboard-style boards that can be filled in with chalk markers each year. That means the same board comes out every January or February, gets filled in with updated details, and the photo captures a new snapshot of who your child is right now.
What to Write on a First Day of School Board
The beauty of a reusable board is that the fields are there, you just fill them in. But a few tips make the result more interesting year to year.
Be specific with the "what I want to be" field. The answer changes every year, and that is the whole point. "A vet" at age five becomes "a YouTuber" at age nine and "an architect" at age twelve. Those answers, captured year to year, are genuinely priceless.
Let the child answer in their own words. Resist the urge to tidy up what they say. "I want to be a dog trainer but also a princess" is far better than a neat answer you wrote for them.
Add the date. Even if the board has a year field, writing the full date somewhere, even just at the back of the photo in editing -- means you can always trace exactly when it was taken.
Include the school name or year level. Kindy, Year 1, Year 7, first day of high school, these milestones feel significant in the moment and even more significant looking back.
How to Style the First Day Photo
The photo matters as much as the board. A few simple things make a big difference.
Shoot outside in natural light. Front door, front garden, a wall with good morning light, avoid dark hallways or indoor shots under ceiling lights. Natural light makes the board readable and the photo warm.
Get down to their level. Crouch or kneel so the camera is at the child's eye level. Photos taken from adult height looking down make children look smaller than they are and rarely capture the expression you want.
Take more than you think you need. Kids blink, squint, look away, and fidget. Ten shots gives you two or three good ones. One shot gives you whatever you got.
Get one with the board and one without. The board photo is the keepsake. The candid of them walking to the car with their bag on is often the one you love most.
Where to Display the Board
Between first days, the board deserves a home. A few ideas:
- Hang it in the child's bedroom as part of the decor, it doubles as wall art between first days
- Store it with the school year photos so everything is together
- Display it on a shelf or hook in the entryway, which also makes it easy to grab on the day
If you have more than one child, a board for each child means a coordinated set of first day photos that look beautiful side by side. Each child gets their own board, their own answers, their own first day captured in their own way.
Making It a Tradition
The first day of school board becomes more meaningful the longer you use it. A single photo is a nice memory. Thirteen years of photos from kindy through to Year 12, is a documented record of a childhood. The same board, the same spot, the same child growing up in front of the camera year after year.
It sounds simple because it is. But it is the kind of simple tradition that families look back on and are genuinely glad they started.
Browse the full first day of school board range at MAC Creations and find the right board for your family. All made to order and shipped Australia wide.