Back To School Dinner Ideas

One of my favorite back-to-school traditions is closing out summer with a special family dinner. Over the years, we’ve pulled together some really fun back to school dinner ideas — from steak nights to roll-your-own sushi to homemade pasta. The kids get excited to pick the theme, I love how much they look forward to the annual tradition, and it’s a sweet way to celebrate the new school year ahead.

Tip: We love celebrating the night before school starts (or even the weekend before), so breakfast on the first day doesn’t feel rushed!

It’s more than just dinner, too. We always mark the kids’ height on the wall right after we eat, and they fill out their annual back-to-school interview over a special dessert. More on that in a sec!

A few of our favorite back-to-school dinner themes over the years…

Build-Your-Own Waffle Bar

This year we went with a waffle bar theme, and it was such a hit! Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? The kids had the best time piling their plates high with waffles, fruit, whipped cream, sprinkles, and all the toppings. And to make it even sweeter, I surprised them by setting our dinner table in the pool! They thought it was the coolest thing ever, and it made the night feel extra special.

For dessert, we pulled out the ice cream maker and churned up a batch of homemade Oreo ice cream—it was the perfect ending to a fun night.

Hibachi Dinner

Hibachi is such a fun idea if you’re looking to make the back-to-school dinner feel a little extra special—especially if it’s a milestone year (like starting kindergarten, moving up to middle school, or transitioning to a new school). You can keep it low-key by cooking hibachi-style on your own griddle with fried rice, veggies, and a little sizzle show for the kids, or go all out and bring in a hibachi chef for the full experience. Either way, it’s dinner and entertainment in one, and the kids will talk about it long after the plates are cleared.

Low Country Shrimp Boil

A shrimp boil is such a laid-back and festive way to kick off the school year. It’s also a super easy meal to whip up — just toss shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage into one big pot and let everyone dig in (find my recipe HERE). The best part is you can make it as fancy or as casual as you want. Roll your table in craft paper with paper plates for easy cleanup, or dress it up with serving platters and linens if you want to make it feel a little extra. Either way, it’s casual, a little messy, and so much fun for the kids (and adults). We did this one year because it was the last thing left on our summer bucket list, and it ended up being the perfect way to wrap up break before heading into the first week of school.

Homemade Spaghetti Dinner

Homemade spaghetti night will forever be one of our coziest back-to-school dinners. It’s classic comfort food that feels a little extra special when you make it from scratch. We turned it into a fun, hands-on activity by making the pasta noodles together with a pasta attachment on the stand mixer, and the kids loved rolling out the dough. While the noodles dried, we simmered the best slow-cooked marinara—still Matt’s all-time favorite sauce. For dessert, we set up a build-your-own sundae bar, which made the night feel even more celebratory. Simple, delicious, and such a fun memory to kick off the school year.

Roll-Your-Own Sushi Dinner

This one is a playful, hands-on dinner theme that’s surprisingly approachable—even if you’ve never rolled sushi before! We picked up an easy sushi kit on Amazon and used microwave jasmine rice for a shortcut. Watching the kids roll their own creations was so fun. And Caroline baked a funfetti cake for dessert, which turned out better than anything I could have picked up.

Fancy’ish Steak Dinner

Our very first back-to-school dinner theme was a classic steak night—and it stuck around for two years in a row because our whole family loves steak. We rounded out the meal with a classic sprinkle cake from the grocery store for dessert, which the kids were just as excited about as the steak itself.

Back to School Dinner Ideas Steak Dinner

Back-To-School Family Traditions

Each year, we have the kids fill out a back-to-school questionnaire (we use THIS ONE!). I love to bring out all the surveys from previous years to share with them, and we always have a good laugh at some of their past answers. But my favorite part? Watching how their handwriting and the way they write their names have improved over the years—it’s incredible to see the progress!

Once the surveys are finished, I laminate them along with our summer bucket list and store them in their keepsake bags. My plan is to gift them the whole stack during their final back-to-school dinner before they head off to college.

And of course, no back-to-school dinner would be complete without marking their height on the wall! Right after dinner, the kids line up to get measured, and we add their new marks to the wall. It’s such a simple thing, but watching the inches climb each year always takes my breath away.