Every year I tell myself I’ll remember all the little details – what they wanted to be when they grew up, the snack they were obsessed with, how they described themselves in three words. And every year, it all blurs together! That’s exactly why I love a Back to School Interview. It takes about five minutes, your kiddo does most of the work, and you end up with a little time capsule of who they were at the start of the school year.
Just grab the free printable below, ask your child the questions (or let them fill it in themselves), and snap a photo of them holding it up on the first day. Do it every year and you’ll have the sweetest side-by-side of how much they change.
What’s on the Back to School Interview
This printable keeps things simple, with a mix of the basics and the fun stuff:
- Name, age, and grade
- Favorite color
- What they want to be when they grow up
- Favorite snack, cereal, book, holiday, and food
- Least favorite food (always the funniest answer!)
- Favorite game
- Favorite summer memory
- Three words that describe them
It’s a nice balance – enough to capture the year, but short enough that even wiggly little ones will make it to the end.
Fun Ways to Use It
- First-day photo prop: have them hold up the finished sheet for your first-day-of-school picture. Keepsake and caption in one.
- Make it a tradition: print a fresh one every August and keep them together in a folder or binder. Watching their handwriting – and their dream jobs – change year to year is the best.
- End-of-year version: print another on the last day of school and compare how their answers shifted over the year.
- For little ones who can’t write yet: interview them and fill it in yourself. Their answers are usually comedy gold.
- Send it to grandparents: they love this stuff.
Great for Classrooms, Too
Teachers, these make an easy first-week activity. Hand one to each student, have them fill it out, and use them for a bulletin board or a get-to-know-you icebreaker as everyone introduces themselves. It’s a low-prep way to help kids settle in during those first-day jitters.
Tips to Make It a Keepsake
- Date it. There’s a spot at the top – don’t skip it. Future you will want to know the year.
- Use their words exactly. Resist the urge to fix spelling or a silly answer. The misspellings are the whole charm.
- Snap a photo of the finished sheet in case the paper gets lost (or covered in juice).
- Give it a home – a designated folder or binder so each year’s interview stays together.
How to Print
Print on regular paper, or use cardstock for something sturdier that holds up in a keepsake box. It’s a standard 8.5×11 page and works with any home printer. Grab it free below!
However you use it, I hope it helps you hold on to this version of your kiddo just a little longer. They grow up so fast – here’s to capturing the good stuff. Happy first day of school!
Click the button below to grab this free printable:
