So long summer and freedom! Hi there, fall and school! These silly crayons will help your child navigate the different emotions they might face before starting school and provide some insight about what they might encounter when school finally starts. Back to school books for preschool like The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt offer a gentle ease into the world of school for any first timers or those with experience who need the reminder that starting school again can be nerve wracking, but also fun and exciting.

Just like the crayons in this book, your child is bound to feel every emotion under the sun, but getting them prepped and reminding them that you’re going to be there to help them, makes all the difference. These reminders are a core foundation of My Book Bud.

In this post, you’ll find four literacy activities related to The Crayons Go Back to School. These activities will help gear your child up for what they can expect at school. You and your child will infer, discuss how to make friends, talk about the different subjects, and say goodbye to summer and hello to fall! So, go on, and start getting prepped for school! 

The Crayons Go Back to School

Author: Drew Daywalt

Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

Published by Philomel Books, 2023

Summary: School is back in session, and the crayons are ready… kind of. From nervous scribbles to bold first-day dreams, each crayon shares their hopes, worries, and big plans for the school year ahead. With humor, heart, and plenty of colorful personality, The Crayons Go Back to School turns first-day jitters into a bright, laugh-out-loud adventure.

I hope you and your child love these book activities for kids for The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt. Be sure to explore my ideas for other great back to school books for preschool like The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

Skills to Tackle with Back to School Books for Preschool (The Crayons Go Back to School):

Inference: Best for ages 3-5

An inference is an educated guess a reader makes by combining clues from the text with their own background knowledge to figure out something the author doesn’t directly say. We also make inferences in our daily lives, making it a very important skill to learn in general.

For Example:

• If you see someone who is all decked out in Eagles football gear, you can make the inference that they are an Eagles fan. They didn’t have to come out and explicitly tell you they were a fan, but based on the evidence of the Eagles gear and your background knowledge of sports fans, you were able to make that inference about them.

Simple back to school books for preschool are perfect for youngsters who have little to no experience with school. The warmth and silliness of the crayons creates the perfect atmosphere for discussing school and practicing tough literacy skills. The Crayons Go Back to School may be very short and simple, but there is still a lot of opportunity to infer and have deep and meaningful conversations. 

You and your child can make inferences about the crayons class preferences and why they all loved art class.

Example Conversation:

• Parent: Each crayon loves a different subject in school, but which class do they ALL love?
• Child: Art! 
• Parent: Oh, right! Why do you think the crayons all love art class?
  • This question is important because this is where the inference will take place. The book tells us the crayons love art class, but it never tells us why. That’s where inference comes in. They have to use the text evidence and their own background knowledge of crayons to make the inference. 
• Child: Because they are crayons of course! 
• Parent: Ahh, yes. And what are crayons used for?
• Child: All kinds of art projects! You can trace, make, and color with crayons. Crayons make art projects more colorful. 
• Parent: It also says they love art class, even when they make a mess. Why do you think that is?
• Child: They probably like being messy! 

This is a great opportunity to extend the conversation and talk about not needing to be “perfect.” Maybe the crayons feel like there is no pressure during art class and as long as they do their best, they are happy. Art is such a wonderful subject for young kids because it allows them the freedom of expression, which doesn’t come with a lot of restrictions. 

This simple conversation gets your child thinking on a much deeper level. They are going beyond the surface statement of “the crayons love art,” and are being challenged to think about the “why.” This might not seem very challenging to you and me, but basic conversations like this are so important and help lay the foundation for critical thinking later on. Using back to school books for preschool are a great way to introduce the different subjects and make inferences about why certain people like different things. 

Making Friends: Best for ages 3-5

Making friends is both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, especially for some younger kiddos. Some kids are ready to make friends right out of the gate, while others need a little more guidance.

If this is your child’s first time going to school, they might need some guidance on how friends are made. They might be excited about the idea, but have no idea on how to actually go about doing it. 

Using back to school books for preschool like this one can help your child practice some conversation starters to introduce themselves and start a conversation with a potential new friend.

Example Conversation:

• Parent: Making new friends at school is really exciting! How do you make a friend?
• Child: Hmm..I’m not really sure. 
• Parent: Well, in the book, the two chunky crayons become friends when they realize they have the same last name! They found something that they have in common and started talking about that! So, let’s think about some things you can find in common with some of your classmates: 
  • The color of their shirt might be your favorite color.
  • They might have a Minnie Mouse *or other character* lunchbox, your favorite. 
  • Maybe their shoes light up just like yours do.
  • Maybe their first name will start with a K or their last name will start with an L, just like you.  
• Parent: So, now let’s practice how to make a friend using one of those commonalities. 
  • Have a mock conversation between two new classmates with your child. You pretend to be them to model how to start the conversation for them.
• Child 1: Hi, I’m Kait. What’s your name? 
• Child 2: Hi, I’m Gracie! 
• Child 1:  I really like your Minnie Mouse shirt. 
• Child 2: Thanks, she’s my favorite!
• Child 1: Me too! Do you like any other characters? I also really like Bluey… 

This incredibly simple conversation shows your child how to have a back and forth conversation with a new potential friend. You show your child how to introduce themselves and most importantly to ask their new friend questions about themselves. The easiest way to make connections with other people is to get to know them! It also makes people feel good when someone asks them questions to get to know them. 

You might also want to talk to your child about potential rejection and some kids not being open to becoming their friend. Simply tell your child that it’s ok if not everyone wants to talk to them or be friends with them right away. Other kids might need extra warm up time and if they aren’t ready to talk yet, that’s ok. 

It’s also important to talk about being yourself with your child. They will find kids who they like and who like them based on their shared common interests. They shouldn’t have to change themselves to try to fit in with someone. Not everyone is going to like you and you don’t have to like everyone back, and that is ok. 

My oldest is more reserved  and often takes longer to warm up. She and I have done a lot of practicing over the years on how to start and maintain a conversation with a potential friend. Because it is something we practice often, she has become a lot more confident and doing this when we are out and about. It has been so cool watching her blossom and get out of her comfort zone in the last year or so.

Now when we go to the playground or somewhere else where there’s lots of kids, she almost always goes up to another kid and introduces herself. Without those practice conversations at home with me, I don’t know if she would have gained the confidence to do that on her own. 

Friends are one of the best parts of school, but putting pressure on making friends can only add to the anxiety of starting school for the first time. By playing “make a friend” with your child’s stuffies or other toys and using very simple conversation starters like the ones above can really help prepare your child for something that seems easy to you and me, but can be really difficult for a youngster! 

Back to school books for preschool like The Crayons Go Back to School can provide amazing guides for little ones who might not know how to navigate conversations like these on their own. 

School Subjects: Best for ages 3-5

Math, writing, reading, and science…oh, my! There are so many fun subjects in school! Your child may already have a strong interest in one of these subjects, or they might have no idea which one they like. Both are perfectly fine, especially if this is their first time going to school. Your child might also have a strong interest in one of these subjects and not even realize it! You and your child can talk about the different subjects they’ll learn in school and how their own personal interests fit into those different subjects. 

Using back to school books for preschool is a great way to highlight some different subjects to your child who might not have any ideas about which subjects they like yet.

Example Conversation:

• Parent: School is going to be lots of fun because you’ll learn so many different things. Do you know what “subjects” are?
• Child: Hmm..I think they said that word in the book, but I don’t know what it means. 
• Parent: Subjects are the different things you learn about in school. 
  • Provide a list of the subjects and a basic definition of each one:
    • Math: You’ll learn about numbers, counting, patterns, and shapes, and how to solve little problems using them.
    • Reading:  You’ll learn how letters work together to make words, and how to read stories all by yourself.
    • Writing:  You’ll learn how to write letters, words, and sentences so you can share your ideas on paper.
    • Science:  You’ll learn about the world around you, like animals, plants, weather, and how things work.
    • Social Studies:  You’ll learn about people, like families, communities, helpers, and places around the world.
    • Art: You’ll use your imagination to draw, paint, build, and create new things.
    • Gym (P.E.):  You’ll move your body by running, jumping, playing games, and learning how to stay strong and healthy.
    • Music: You’ll sing songs, play instruments, and learn how sounds come together to make music.

Continue the conversation with your child by asking them what their interests are and see which of the subjects listed above those interests might fit into!

Example Conversation:

• Parent: It says here in the book that Purple Crayon likes math, Black Crayon likes writing,  White Crayon likes reading, and Yellow and Orange Crayon like science. 
• Parent: School is so cool because people like all different kinds of subjects. Most people like the subjects they are interested in. Let’s talk about things you like to do and try to figure out which subject that might fall into! 
  • Make a list of your child’s interest and then see which subject area that might fall into:
    • Reading books with Mommy (Reading)
    • Telling stories about their day (Writing)
    • Singing songs in the car (Music)
    • Dancing in the living room (Gym)
    • Playing on the playground (Gym)
    • Building with Magnatiles (Math/Science)
    • Counting their snacks (Math)
    • Sorting toys by color or size (Math)
    • Asking “why?” about everything (Science)
    • Collecting rocks or looking at bugs (Science)
    • Playing pretend kitchen or store (Social Studies)
    • Talking about firefighters, doctors, or teachers (Social Studies)
    • Drawing pictures for you (Art)
    • Painting with watercolors (Art)
    • Helping cook and measure ingredients (Math/Science)
    • Looking at maps or globes (Social Studies)
    • Putting together puzzles (Math)

They might come up with a list on their own or you can come up with a list for them. Give some insight into your own life and tell them about your favorite subjects in school. They will love learning something new about you and it will help them feel more connected to school knowing you went through the same thing as them. 

What’s really awesome is that they might fall in love with a completely different subject once they’re at school. Knowing they already enjoy parts of learning can help build confidence before that very first day.

Back to school books for preschool like this one allows kids to explore school topics in an age-appropriate manner that they can digest and connect to. 

Expansion Activity: Best for ages 3-5

Goodbye summer, hello fall! Saying goodbye to the summer is always so hard…no matter how old you get. Goodbye warmth, goodbye vacations, goodbye sleeping in late! But there are so many things to look forward to in the fall. Hello crunchy leaves, hello football, hello sweater weather! As hard as it is to say goodbye, there’s always something new to look forward to. 

You and your child can talk about those feelings. Discuss how sadness and excitement can coexist. You can be sad that summer is ending, but excited for the school year to start. Make a list of all of the summer things your child wants to say “goodbye” to. On the other side, have them make a list of all of the fall things they want to say “hello” to. Reading back to school books for preschool like The Crayons Go Back to School before they even start school, can help add to their excitement about fall and school. 

Example Conversation:

• Parent: Wow, it is really hard to say goodbye to summer. What did the crayons say goodbye to in the book?
• Child: They said goodbye to the beach! 
• Parent: Oh, right! How do you think they felt about saying goodbye to the beach?
• Child: It probably made them sad. It makes me sad now to think about not going back to the beach until next summer.
• Parent: Ugh, me too. It’s definitely ok to feel sad about that. How do you feel about starting school soon?
• Child: A little nervous, but also a little bit excited! 
• Parent: Oh, wow. How cool is it that you can feel so many things at once. You can feel sad that summer is ending, and a bit nervous and excited for the fall and school. Let’s make a list. On one side of the list, let’s think of all of the things we are sad to see go about summer. On the other side, let’s list all of the things we are excited for about fall and school! 

Your list might look like: 

Goodbye, Summer!	Hello, Fall!
Waking up late Going to the playground every day Eating whenever I want Going to the pool Playing outside with my friends Riding my bike every day  Going on vacation  Popsicles after lunch Water table days Running through the sprinkler Catching fireflies Picnic lunches	Picking out my backpack Making new friends Snack time at school Riding the bus Using crayons and glue Circle time on the rug Show and tell Reading new books Art projects I get to bring home Jumping in leaf piles Going to the pumpkin patch Apple picking

After making the list, talk about how even though there’s a lot to say goodbye to, there are so many things to look forward to also! It’s ok to be sad when letting go of one thing, but it’s also ok to feel excited when looking forward too!

You can adapt this activity a few different ways. You can simply just talk about the things you want to say goodbye and hello to without actually writing anything down. You can make a list exactly like the one above. Or, you could print out or draw pictures of each thing. Add in an extra flair of silliness by physically waving your hand “goodbye” and “hello” at each thing. Or, really ramp up the sillies by blowing a kiss “goodbye” and giving a handshake for each “hello.”

You can also let your child pick how they want to say goodbye and hello! Go along with their idea! It might be a little out there, but going along will help them cope with their own feelings and emotions about summer ending and fall starting. The more you lean in, the easier the transition will feel for them!

Youngsters have a hard time conceptualizing when one season ends and another begins so using back to school books for preschool and activities like this help make that idea more concrete. 

Free Printable!

Directions: Look at each picture and decide where it belongs. Say goodbye to the things you’ll miss about summer, and say hello to the things you’re excited for in fall!

Goodbye, Summer! Hello, Fall!

To Wrap Things Up:

You and your child will fall in love with these endearing crayons as they start their school year. Each crayon provides a different way of looking at school which helps to prepare a nervous child who doesn’t know what to expect. Back to school books for preschool like these are a lovely way to introduce school to kids. The best part is that these books will open the door for conversation and connection between you and your child which ultimately help boost your child’s confidence! 

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