Try these easy back-to-school photoshoot ideas

Summer’s wrapping up, and it’s time to dust off those backpacks and lunch boxes. As you gather your back-to-school supplies and perform calculus to solve your new drop-off schedule, set aside a few minutes to capture a fun memory of your kids as they start a new grade.

We have two easy back-to-school photo ideas for you to try using the Nugget® play couch! These builds are pretty low-lift, making them a perfect backdrop for commemorating your Nuggety scholar.

One Nuggety ruler to rule them all

Or maybe just to rule over this mini photoshoot. This back-to-school photoshoot build is a great fit if you’re looking for a creative alternative to pencil marks on a closet wall. 

Set up the Nugget couch (bonus points if it’s Lemonade yellow!) base and cushion in any arrangement that suits you, and then stack the triangle pillows in a tower. Using painter’s tape or washi tape, create the lines of the ruler in alternating lengths just like on a classroom ruler. Pro tip: Make a note somewhere of the intervals you used so you can recreate them next year for a comparison photo!

Posing prompts for your kids: Ask your child to pose standing in front of the tower of pillows. Or maybe have the kids act out measuring each other’s height. You could also make a “first day facts” board using a pre-made chalkboard, a piece of posterboard, or even a small whiteboard. 

If you don’t have props on hand, it could also be fun to interview your child on video! Have them sit on the Nugget® play couch and ask them questions about the upcoming school year. What are they most excited about? What do they want to be when they grow up? What’s their favorite Nugget color/build? 

This back-to-school photo idea has a great aesthetic feel to it, and definitely offers more of a “classic” photo background vibe. If you’re wondering how to get your wiggly Nuggeteer to sit still, keep reading. We’ve got just the thing.

The breakaway banner back-to-school build

All kids love knocking over Nugget builds, making this the perfect action-shot for capturing your child’s back-to-school excitement. This build is the Nuggety equivalent of your favorite sports team bursting through a paper banner as they head onto the field.

Set up the Nugget® base and cushion vertically in two L-shapes, adding pillows to the corners to stabilize the build. You can use felt — or Nugget swatches — to spell out “GUESS WHO’S IN 3RD GRADE?” or “ON MY WAY TO 4TH GRADE” or any other short, fun message. (Check out our letter garland templates here to get started!)

Posing prompts for your kids: Ask your child to put on their new backpack and run through the build at full speed while you capture their excitement in photos or video. You could also put on their favorite song and ask them to do a favorite dance after they burst through. 

This back-to-school photoshoot is great for first-day jitters or high-energy kids who want to get out some zoomies before the school bus comes. 

Play over perfection

Whether you capture a beautifully framed and polished photo, or a blurry video of your young Nuggeteer running full speed into the camera, we applaud your creativity and your efforts to document this moment in life. It doesn’t need to be perfect — it just needs to be playful and fun.

Happy back-to-school season, Nuggeteers!