Free Printable First Day of School Signs (2025-2026)

The first day of school – that magical time when you realize your little ones are growing up way too fast and you can’t find a single pair of matching socks all while being utterly time-challenged! Yes, the start of the new school season might be hectic, but that’s no excuse not to freeze-frame those first-day smiles. And I have just the thing to make those pics extra adorable: these cute and free printable first day of school signs for 2025-2026!

Looking back, I have such fond memories of Spencer’s first days of school. He was always so excited to show off his new backpack and lunchbox, and I couldn’t resist snapping a million photos of him with that gap-toothed grin.

Sadly, I didn’t have these cute printable signs back then. They’re such a fun way to capture all those precious milestones.

However, I take comfort in knowing you and many other parents will snap gorgeous pics with them!

There are three designs to choose from: two are lively and colorful, and another one is chalkboard style (black and white, and very preppy!). All the themes include a generic back-to-school sign and signs for every grade from pre-k to 12th grade.

Check them out!

🍎 Celebration Signs

I’m such a sucker for anything that helps me preserve memories. I have boxes full of photos, artwork, and other little treasures from Spencer’s childhood. These signs would have been a wonderful addition to my collection, and I know I would have looked back on them with a smile.

“Excellence” Sign

This one’s perfect for celebrating your child’s achievements, even if some are as small as making it to the bus stop on time!

“Learn & Grow” Sign

School is all about learning and growing, both inside and outside of the classroom. This sign is a fun way to encourage your kiddos on their educational journey.

“Back to School” Chalkboard Sign

Chalkboard signs will never go out of style. A classic design with a vintage vibe even older kids will love taking pics with.

🎓 Grade-by-Grade Signs

Now, for those individual grade signs! Trust me, you’re going to want to print a few extras because once your child’s classmates get a look at these, they’ll be lining up for their own photo shoot!

📅 School Years Covered

Here is a list of all the school years included in our free printable first-day-of-school signs for 2025-2026.

Preschool

• 1st Day of Pre-K

Elementary School

• 1st Day of Kindergarten
• 1st Day of 1st Grade
• 1st Day of 2nd Grade
• 1st Day of 3rd Grade
• 1st Day of 4th Grade
• 1st Day of 5th Grade

Middle School

• 1st Day of 6th Grade
• 1st Day of 7th Grade
• 1st Day of 8th Grade

High School

• 1st Day of 9th Grade
• 1st Day of 10th Grade
• 1st Day of 11th Grade
• 1st Day of 12th Grade

🖨️ Grab It Now

Okay, enough suspense! You’re probably itching to get your hands on these adorable signs, so let’s get down to business. Here’s how to download and print them:

✅Type in your name and email in the box below and click the “Grab It Now” button.

✅You’ll receive an email with a link to download the PDF file. Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see it right away.

✅Once you’ve downloaded the file, open it in Adobe Reader (or any PDF reader you prefer). If you try to open it in a program that’s not specifically designed for PDFs (like Mac’s Preview app), the formatting might go a bit wonky.

✅Now, just print it out on regular U.S. Letter printer paper or cardstock. Personally, I prefer the sturdiness of cardstock.

✅If you’re using a different type of paper like A4 or A5, make sure to adjust the Scale setting accordingly in your printer settings. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds and you can see the changes you make in the Preview area.

☀️ Get Creative with These Back-to-School Signs

Now that you grabbed these free printable first day of school signs, let’s brainstorm some fun ways to use them. There’s always room creativity when it comes to snapping back-to-school photos!

✔️Year-After-Year Tradition – Print out a new set of signs each year and take a photo using the same pose and location. It’s like a time-lapse video, but with less technology and more cuteness! You can even create a special photo album or scrapbook for this.

✔️Props Galore – Grab those backpacks, lunchboxes, and anything else that screams “back to school!” and let your kid go wild.

✔️Location – Don’t just stand in front of the door! Think outside the box (literally!). Snap a pic at the bus stop, in front of the school, the classroom, the playground, library, or even the gym.

✔️Sibling Shenanigans – If you’ve got more than one kid, get them in on the action! Have them hold signs together, strike silly poses, or even try to steal each other’s signs (just make sure they don’t actually rip them!). Trust me, the photos will be priceless.

Now, before I forget, let me share a couple of lifesavers that got me through those crazy back-to-school seasons. First up, this free printable back-to-school checklist
helped me stay organized (and sane!). It even has a fun countdown to get those kiddos excited (and maybe distract them from asking “is it school time yet?” a million times a day).

And for those lunchbox dilemmas, this free printable lunchbox planner & builder is a game-changer. It helps you create healthy and delicious lunches that your kids will actually eat!

I can’t wait to hear how you use these signs! Do you have any tips, fun pose ideas, or any other piece of wisdom that make for better back to school pics? Meet me in the comments!