The shirt sounds perfect!

Even with the strides made by the very young via nursery school, moving up to real kindergarten is a milestone in my opinion! If permitted by your GD's parents, a tiny gold locket with her initials (?) would be a treasure and something she could keep forever. Knowing her grandmother gave it would be a wonderful memory, especially for one who is "#3 out of 4" -- middle kids often lose out on being "special" and having that acknowledged.

[One grandson is also #3 out of four -- his elder brother is the first grandchild on both sides, the next sibling is the only girl, then Brady, and finally the last one is a boy also, BUT is also the youngest of the bunch. We all know that the youngest is always regarded as special in most any family! Brady, bless the child is graduating this month from HS and has grown to over-top the height of all his siblings as well as both his parents, so he does feel special in his own right, lol.]

A book bag saying class of 2038? They need books

I don’t know if a kindergartener would even understand ”class of” would she? I might look for something not so much a keepsake, as something she’d just love for school. If a t-shirt, something she loves, puppy, kitty, favorite character from a show, butterfly, etc. Or maybe a pink velvety zip up hoodie?

That's why I was going for the book bag. A lifelong habit, adopted at school? Maybe add some books?

How sweet!

I like the idea of a book bag but I would choose a backpack. Ibought one from PB Kids for a nephew 8-9 yr ago and it is now being used by the younger one and looks brand new! Best thing is, they come in sizes so you will find one to work for her size.

I'd definitely add some books and a water bottle.

A picture frame for the first-day-of-school photo.

A coupon for a lunch out plus shopping with Grandma

T-Shirt or sweat suit with grade school logo/mascot

I remember a TON about my own kindergarten. My teacher's name was Mrs. Giraffe. :0) I would NOW....love to have had a photo of her.....of her daughter, who was my same age, who I played with after school.

A class photo of the first day of school would be perfect!

Get a journal. Ask them and write in it their favorite and least favorite things about nursery school and what they anticipate kindergarten being like. Maybe they will keep it and make a habit of writing in it themselves at the end of every school year.

As you said, they have enough stuff. It is hard to remember a lot of details from this time in life. They might enjoy having this in the future to look back on.

I was just talking about my kindergarten teacher last night, Mrs. Fiddler. She used to let me get up during circle time and perform ballet for the class. It made me feel like a million bucks.

salonva, I think the 2028 tshirt is a great idea. I wish I had thought of that Tshirt on the first day of school when my son was in KG. Way too late now LOL

Nicole, Giraffe is a cool last name-especially in KG. Never heard anyone with that last name.

My favorite elementary teacher was Mrs. Wimpy. Back before wimpy meant "wimpy" I guess, because we never thought a thing about her last name-that I remember anyway. Can you imagine her husband having the last name Wimpy later in the years? So not cool.

Well darn Salonva, you mean I missed another milestone with one of my grand kids? And I only have 3 to consider. The eldest is finishing Kindergarten in June and will stay in the same school. She already goes all day so the transition will be minimum.

But thanks for mentioning this because I should see if her school does mark the occasion in some way. And I do like the T-shirt idea. I've been avoiding books unless a specific book has been requested because their Mom's sister is a children's librarian in Philly and the kids are overwhelmed with books that she has given them. Fortunately they love books!

If you're crafty you could even create a little book with photos from her nursery school days - and of course include photos from the 'moving up' play. What did you give her older siblings?

I still like the T shirt - and the Class of 2038 will be appropriate until she outgrows it. My grand daughter saved a couple of her favorite t shirts and now some of her stuffed animals are wearing them.

Well thank you all for the great suggestions and feedback.

Maire, don't feel bad- for her older siblings, I think we took them for ice cream and to a playground. Well, for the oldest, it was just coming out of the total shutdown so this would never occur to me.

I like the tshirt or backpack idea a lot.

While books are wonderful, trust me when I say they are overloaded with books that they possess, and my daughter does bring them to the library regularly and they borrow tons. When I am in their rooms, the books are bordeline hazardous.

I looked at Pottery Barn kids backpacks and they are really nice. Of course when they start with sizes I am not so sure. I know I definitely would not add a name to them- if anything initials, but definitely not a name because I'm paranoid like that.

Plus I find sometimes there's a certain type the teacher prefers so I am not sure.

I think with the Tshirt, it's novel and cute enough and semi consumable so to speak.

Since I did not get them for her 2 older siblings, I'm thinking I could add them to their birthday gifts when they roll around so I won't feel lol guilty.

for her older siblings, I think we took them for ice cream and to a playground

Amen! Why not do the same for this child?

Actually, since I last posted, I 've been to the dentist and zumba. While there I was mulling over this and thought that's probably what wel'll do for her. Take her for ice cream and a playground or something similar for an afternoon.

I think the class of shirts or whatever it will be are still a good option for everyone...either birthday or maybe Hannukah...

From personal experience, the book bag suggestion is great.👍🏻

sadly, some schools require clear backpacks now. Check with parents before buying an expensive PB one.

"books are borderline hazardous", ha! My brother's house was like that. I bought him an eReader many moons ago, so I know what you're saying.

My sister made one of those binded photo books for each of her daughters for each school year - we were just looking through one of my niece's set of books a couple weeks ago (she's in college now). She loves them.

I don't know if you/your daughter/the preschool teachers have any photos that you could use to make the first one - that covers all of preschool. Then at the end of each upcoming school year, a new one could be added to the collection.

They aren't very expensive - wish I had made them for my girls (I was a bit busy as a single mom + an associate trying to make partner at an 800+ attorney law firm - but I still should have set aside some time to make one each year).

Well, it was yesterday. I did end up getting the Class of 2038 tshirt ( in purple of course).

It was a big hit with the adults...... she liked the mylar balloon that I attached to the gift bag.

It's as I expected. since obviusly, she has no clue. I'm sure it will get worn, and since I liked it so much I'm going to get one for each of the others... Conveniently enough, they are staggered every 2 years.

We did also take her for ice cream.

I can't share photos, but she wore a tiara, and unicorn earrings. She also had a purse sized for an adult, that she wore draped cross body-- it 's a gold star. She's been a flower girl in 3 weddings, and wore one of those dresses. (it's washable)

Quite the fashionista.

All's well that ends well.

Great!👍🏻

I wish I read this thread earlier.

My grandson has his pre-school graduation tomorrow night. Um, it never occurred to me to buy him a gift. Am I a bad bubbe (the name the grands call me)?

Do I need to find a gift tomorrow on my way to the little ceremony? Ugh.

His sister did not have this because it was covid. Kindergarten was remote for her.

No no no not to worry. To be totally confessing here, for the previous ones, well, one was covid and the other was the ice cream. At the second one, the OTHER bubbe (she's bubbe, I'm grandma)came with a sweet set of books. That's what made me think I should give a thing. ( still keeping in mind that it IS nursesry school). I just liked the idea of the shirt. I don't usually find gifts ( small or bi) easily, so when I do get an idea that I like I am elated. and take action.

And I should add that this time, the other bubbe did not bring anything.

It was very low key. I did see afew gift bags but definitely not the majority.

Thanks, salonva! I asked my daughter last night (in the middle of her rearranging furniture and sending me pics asking what I thought!) if I should be bringing a gift. Her response - absolutely not. Whew!

Thanks, salonva for the update. I missed this three weeks ago or may have suggested a bouquet of flowers. When my brothers little girl 'moved up' from pre-K to K, my DH bought her a bouquet for him to take to the assembly. Her first ever flowers - you'd thought she was a little princess from her reaction 😊

The only 'little' in the family right now has a year to go before kindergarten, I certainly hope she settles down a bit by then, that child is a handfull! I'm not quite sure why the last two little girls in this family are fearless, but they are and you don't dare take eyes off them. They both think they are capable of all their older brothers can do - and the paternal grandparents live on a lake. Swimming lessons early have been a must!

My youngest GD just moved up from preK to K and honestly I didn't do anything. My daughter sent a picture of her in her cap and gown and of course it was adorable. I may be the odd man out here but I just think the whole thing is a little silly. The kids have no idea what it all means and although I think recognizing important moments in life is great I think it almost sets up the little ones to expect a recognition for every single thing they do. That is not realistic. Anyway to each their own.

I disagree. They do know what it means. It means they are leaving that school and moving onto K. My grandson’s graduation was yesterday. It was adorable. He was so proud of himself.

Ninapearl -- You gave a good performance, but I detect your reluctance!

I feel that the fuss over routine progress through grammar school is entirely for the families and part of Americans' recent extreme focus on self-limited numbers of children. Seven is generally accepted as the earliest 'age of understanding'.

I totally "get" that this is not a major life milestone. I just thought it was cute. I wasn't looking for a memento that she'd treasure forever remember that Grandma got her this when she finished nursery school. I was just looking for something cute/appropriate for the situation.

Funnily enough, they did not wear cap and gown. They sang about 10 songs, and each one was beaming.

Yes, they don't fully "get " what it means to go onto kindergarten, but they were aware that they were in the big important room, the sanctuary, and the people who came to see them were parents and grandparents mostly.

I think a t shirt was a good choice and it tickled me more that of course she has no understanding of what class of 2038 means.

As you said, they know they are in the big room, people are there. They mainly think they are singing as they do at the end of the summer camp, or at a holiday. Some also have the sense that they are leaving the building where they have been for a couple of years, and going to a different building. Our schools have a 4th grade ”graduation”, although it is more of a ”bon voyage, bon futur”, as they are heading to another building which is called the middle school. Is fifth grade middle school? Hard to say. It’s all really a gradual transition to high school. (oh, and no robes are involved)

The t shirt is cute!

In my grandson's case, he knows he's now going to go to the same school as his big sister. That is very exciting for him. I do think they understand that they are starting a different kind of school experience. Will they remember this? Probably not. But I still don't see anything wrong with the ceremony to celebrate them. All the kids at my grandson's ceremony were beaming with pride.