Countdown to Preschool Pencil Paper Chain Craft - Grace, Giggles and Naptime

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 11 Jun 2024

Countdown to Preschool Pencil Paper Chain Craft - Grace, Giggles and Naptime

There’s still plenty of summer left – especially if you are in the same boat as us and don’t start school until after Labor Day. However, I know some areas of the country are already gearing up for back-to-school. Here in SC, we actually still have 49 days to go until the kiddos head back to preschool. But the school year ahead is a special year for us. My 4.5 year old is heading into his last year of preschool, and I am feeling all the feels. He’s been enrolled in preschool since the week after he turned 2, so needless to say, preschool has been a huge part of our lives the last few years. Since this is somewhat of a monumental year for him, I thought I would do something special to count down to his last 1st day of preschool. This pencil paper chain countdown is perfect for 1st time preschoolers or rising kindergartners, too! This past week the kids and I got to work on our back-to-school countdown. Here is everything you need to make your own pencil paper chain: Supplies Needed Construction Paper (yellow, black, brown, pink, red & blue) Aluminum Foil Scissors Elmer’s Glue and/or Glue Stick Pencil (to trace out shapes) Sharpie Marker How-To First, start by cutting out the various shapes needed to make a pencil – a long yellow rectangle, a small pink rectangle, a medium brown triangle, and a small black triangle. Then cut out a small rectangle from your piece of foil. Second, glue everything together (as shown below). This step would be great to get your little preschooler involved, especially if they are too young to help with cutting out shapes. Next, start cutting out long strips from any color of construction paper you’d like. We chose red, yellow & blue to keep with the school house theme. These strips will become your paper chains. Count out how many days are left till your little one starts school. Then attach the paper chains with a glue stick (another great opportunity for your kiddos to help). The final step is to attach your paper chain to your pencil by making a small slit at the bottom. You’re now ready to hang it up and start counting down! Starting a back-to-school countdown is also a great reminder for all of us to soak in these final days of summer. Don’t forget to keep marking items off of your summer bucket list, too! Do you have a little one heading into their last year of preschool? Have you started a back-to-school countdown yet? xo, Sumer