BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY IDEAS AND MUST-HAVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES

At Bonjour Fête, back-to-school season is a reason to celebrate! Although it means the end of summer, there’s still an exciting new school year to look forward to. So, whether you’re planning a big bash or just want to make the first day feel special, take notes! Class is in session and we're sharing our fabulously fun back-to-school party ideas and the supplies you need to make this year rule!

Back to School time at Bonjour Fête.

Before we dive in, we need to discuss the biggest perk of going back to school: all the shop-portunities! Since cultivating a shopping list can feel overwhelming, we make it easy by carrying the best back-to-school supplies here.

That being said, you don’t necessarily need to throw a big celebration to make the first day of school special. With the right supplies and a few surprises, going back to school will definitely feel like a party!

Back to School backpack display with supplies and honeycomb pencil decoration.

Back to School colored pens and other school supplies.

We recommend including a little surprise in your child’s backpack for them to open on the first day. A Pinterest worthy display is optional (but look how adorable these honeycomb pencils are!) You can never go wrong with art supplies, so these colored markers or magic puffy pens are great ideas for surprises. Include them with a coloring poster or free-printable coloring page so they have a fun activity to look forward to!

We also love the idea of giving a gift card or coupon for a tasty after-school snack. Speaking of snacks, these apple surprise balls are too sweet to eat! Anything to get your kids excited for school is a win in our book!

Cherry-themed bag and supplies for back to school.

While stylish school supplies are a necessity, sturdy bags to hold them in are just as important. So skip the dollar store, and find the best of the best in our cherry-picked selection of backpacks and lunch boxes!

Back to school party ideas and decorations.

Now that we can check “school supplies” off our list, it’s time to really get the party started! This colorfully cool back-to-school themed party is full of simple ideas to take inspiration from.

Colorful balloon garland at a back-to-school party.

We chose a rainbow balloon garland to be the backdrop for our celebration. Balloons are grade-A decorations for classrooms or parties. They bring lots of excitement, and they're especially perfect for welcoming new students or capturing first-day-of-school photos.

If you’re interested in extra credit, try adding a few school-themed embellishments to your balloon garland. We love these honeycomb apple decorations, but apple balloons or or bus banners would look just as smart. Wrap one around the base of a yellow jumbo balloon to really bus-t out the cuteness!

Back-to-school party supplies and colorful tableware.

For a too-cool-for-school table setting, we suggest bright hues and color blocked patterns. We alternated the color combinations at each place with either turquoise, strawberry, or coral tableware. This bold color palette is ideal because anyone can appreciate it: boys, girls, elementary or high school students!

If you really want to party with patterns, stripes on stripes is another classic combo. When setting the table, the same rules apply: simply alternate the colors and variations at each place. We recommend these multicolor sets of plates, napkins, and cups!

Setting up a back-to-school party at Bonjour Fête.

Colorful decorations and balloons set up for a back-to-school party.

Additionally, we suggest adding a bright floral bouquet and more honeycomb apples to compliment the array of colors throughout. We also took a few pages out of our college-ruled notebook (literally) and spread them out like a table runner. Combined with scattered letter magnets, this DIY-runner was both easy and adorable!

While we adore everything on the table, the back-to-school flags are definitely at the top of the class! With a variety of grades to choose from, you can find the perfect flag for your soon-to-be student. They make wonderful party favors or accents to add to your first-day-of-school breakfast table.

Chalkboard magnets used as a back-to-school party decoration.

We hope you’re as excited as we are to get back to school. Here’s to a year full of celebrations and smiles! For more bright ideas, browse the rest of our classroom essentials and fabulous back-to-school party supplies!

Back-to-school party ideas.

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