First Day Fun Idea

I was reading the Sneaker Teacher’s blog, where she wrote about a German tradition where children receive a large cone full of goodies on their first day of school. I never heard of this before, but what a great tradition! I really love the underlying idea that the start of a school year can be made extra special and exciting through something as simple as this.
I thought this might be a great tradition to start when I start teaching, to help kick the year off to a good start and make a connection with each student. A good Americanized version of the German “Schultüte” that she spoke of would be a special package full of school related goodies.
The key, in my opinion, is to make each package as individual as I can. This may take a little time and effort, but I think that it sets a nice tone for the start of the year if each child feels like they have been personally acknowledged by their new teacher.
I can start with medium sized paper bags, markers, stickers, glitter, glue and puffy paints to decorate each bag a little different from the others, starting with their name written in puffy paint. I might get some ideas on what I can draw or make reference to on each child’s bag by reviewing the child’s file to see if any of their interests are evident (this might also help to familiarize me with the students.) The idea is that each one is different so that when they receive them and compare with their friends, they can identify that theirs is unique.
Next, I can fill each bag school items- a notebook, some pens and pencils, erasers, crayons, ect.- (I can go to the dollar store or shop sales to try to find fun designed supplies for cheap.) I can shop at resale stores to find books for cheap and get a different book for each student (which can then be used for an assignment that first week.) I can also put other items that will be part of their daily life- such as their homework folder- in there as well, rather than passing them out separate.
The one concern I did have about this was, especially when I am a new teacher, losing control of the room when the kids are excitedly going through their goody bags. To combat this, I was thinking I could integrate it with the explaining of certain classroom rules and procedures.
I was thinking that I could come up something, using a poem or riddle format, that explains what the contents of the bags are going to be used for throughout the school year. We can open the bags together as a class, and I can read off each item, have the kids take that item out of the bag and we can go through the procedures regarding that item, for instance pencils- I might have a riddle like:

These special sticks have all been blessed
To help you do well on your test.
Just in case you change your mind
They can help you hit rewind.
But if you study hard you’ll find
You never need their other side.
What are they?

The kids can have a little fun guessing what, in their bag, solves the riddle, then we can go through the procedures regarding sharpening pencils, if they forget their pencil or lose it- procedures about borrowing, ect. This will give the kids a chance to ask any questions about procedures as well.
I can type up a motivational letter which talks about what a wonderful school year ahead of us and highlights some of the fun moments of the year to put in their homework folders and read with their parents. I might also have a short, personal handwritten message as well- maybe inside their notebook saying how much I am looking forward to reading their journal writing, or a nice message inside the cover of the book I give to each student. Then after we open their bags, I can give them a little time to decorate their own homework folder.
I think that this would initiate a fun and exciting start of the school year for the kids and be a unique way to hand out materials and discuss procedures.