Schools and photographers do sometimes try to jazz it up with "fun" backgrounds, accessories, and effects - but these are usually add-ons that cost extra, and the results while occasionally hilarious usually just miss the mark.

Good news for you, we have a lot of experience not only getting our pictures taken - but having fun doing it.

Never boring, not even at the DMV

So! Read on for ways to inspire your child's imagination on picture day - it's the best way to make them smile for the camera without coaxing or coddling, to get pictures that truly reflect a happy moment.

Get Into Character

As you saw in our license photos, we're big fans of dressing up. Why not let your little one represent their current obsession in their school photo? If the school frowns upon full costuming, switch schools. Just kidding. (Kind of *laugh*) In all seriousness, "bounding" can be almost as fun as a full costume itself - think a yellow dress with a blue sweater and red headband to remind them that they wanted to be Snow White in 1st grade, or hair in two bunches and orange togs to bring back great memories of their Pre-K love for Daniel Tiger.

One high school in Michigan took this idea and ran with it, with students using minimal but key accessories to represent everything from Muppets to memes. 

This one is my favorite!

Make a Tradition

One of the sweetest articles I've read recently was about a family who had kept a dress for 50 years, so that all the little girls (spanning 4 generations!) could wear it in their kindergarten photo. When I was trying to find that article, I accidentally stumbled across this one. And this one.

It's never too late to start a tradition, and I think this idea is so sweet. Perhaps you could even flash back a little by finding a piece for your offspring that looks like the one you wore when you were little!

Keep it Consistent

I know it sounds counter-intuitive; how can wearing the same outfit year after year inspire imagination? Considering that it would certainly be difficult to wear the same shirt at 6 and 16 (although I personally have managed to hold on to one beloved camp shirt for 24 years), you start to think creatively after a while. Think of the viral trend of recreating childhood photos, where adults put together the outfits they wore in old family favorites. Also, it will make for a pretty nifty end product by the time they're 18!

Not the exact same outfit, but pretty spot on, even 637 years later *wink*

Plant an "Easter Egg"

This might be my favorite! Pick a small item, something that can be incorporated into a hairstyle, or stuck in a pocket, or otherwise casually snuck into the photo. It's fun the first time, and as the years go by, coming up with more creative ways to bring back the special accessory is even better!

First question.

Do you want to serve your guests more food than just cake? If you'd rather live off pizza crusts and protein shakes than deal with potential picky eaters, it's best to avoid commonly considered mealtimes. Ending a celebration by 11:30 am or beginning after 1:30 pm gets you off the hook for lunch, and if you let your guests know they'll be leaving before 5 pm, they probably won't expect any dinner bells.

Second question.

Is your child a napper? If the answer is yes, or if they're phasing out of naps but most of their peers still take them, you want to pick a time when your little one will be awake and refreshed, and end it before exhaustion sets in and the meltdown potential is rapidly rising. (Both for you, and the children *laugh*)

Play hard, nap hard!

For toddlers who might not be used to spending extended periods of time with other children, limiting the celebration to an hour is a great idea. Pre-schoolers, who are used to playing around others for several hours, can last a bit longer. (I'd suggest 1.5 hours - some free play, a Group Activity, and then of course - cake!) Holding parties for these ages between 10 and 11:30 am is my favorite time.

As children get a bit older, they can handle longer celebrations. For friends over 4, up to about 10 years old, 2 - 3 hours is wonderful. The most popular time for parties for that age group, in my experience, is between 1:30 and 4:30 pm. I would definitely suggest providing some sort of snack at the 3 pm mark!

Yum. Cupcakes are food, right?

After 10 years old, children are a bit more self-sufficient (and want to feel very grown-up!) so they may want an evening party or a sleepover. (If the latter is the case, just be sure to be clear about morning pick-ups. I advise a window to accommodate both early birds and night owls *wink*.)

The hard part is that we also really, really, reeeealllly like sleep! *laugh* So staying up late, while fun, can be difficult when you have bunnies or dragons or tiny humans who like to wake up before 7 am and demand your assistance *wink*.

They're cute, though!