KinderCone

Starting first grade marks a milestone in every child’s life. While the prospect of learning and meeting new friends proves exciting for both children and their parents, embarking on something so new and unfamiliar can feel daunting, too. To help make this transition easier and more fun, young children in Austria and Germany are given a Schultüte, a cone made from sturdy, colorful paper and filled with treats and school supplies, as they leave home for the first day of first grade.

Born and raised in Munich, Germany, Vivian Lie was eager to share the tradition of Schultüte with others  when she moved to the United States. In 2008, she founded KinderCone to spread the word about this 200-year-old tradition and to provide families with the opportunity to surprise their own children with Schultüten on their first day of school. Take a look at this video to learn more about KinderCone and the age old tradition of Schultüte.

Here’s what MotherTalk reviewers are saying about KinderCone:

Superdumb Supervillain says: “I think the KinderCone is a nice tradition to start with your children. You can also add your own small gifts and candies to personalize it more. There are also empty KinderCones if your child is not entering first grade but you’d still like to give them a gift that celebrates school and learning. Just add some school supplies, books, and treats and hang it from their doorknob (there is an integrated hanging loop) for a surprise they will surely remember.”

Wendi’s Book Corner says: “In all, the cone is a great way to keep track of special moments from your child’s First Grade year (thanks to the included journal), as well as a great way for your child to make new friends by sharing pencils and temporary tattoos with other children. This would also be a great gift to send with your child to camp, just fill it with some fun treats for your child to share.”

Dagmar’s Momsense says: “You have no idea how exited I was to learn about the KinderCone. Growing up in Germany I was given a “Schultuete” on my first day of school, filled with little gifts. It’s a big deal for kids in Germany to get a Schultuete and I remember standing next to my best friend Danja in front of the school with our Schultueten that were as big as we were while my dad took a picture of us…I’m so exited that KinderCones are now available in the U.S. and hope that this sweet tradition will also start to be celebrated here.”

Hooey! Critic says: “I really like the idea behind the KinderCone. I think presenting the kids with something special on their first day of school is one way to help make it a positive experience, but I love the fact that the cones are meant to be educational as well as fun. I can’t wait to fill them back up when school starts in August! I’m sure I’ll come up with some fun treats!”

Bee in the Bonnet says: “So what is this Schultüte thing? Well, it’s a large paper cone filled with candies, trinkets, small gifts, school supplies or other small items that is given to a child on his or her first day of school. H particularly remembered the cone being full of his most favorite candies (his mother assures me that there was other stuff in there, but H had an eye for the sugar, apparently!). The idea behind this tradition is to “sweeten” the transition from (relative) freedom to the rigors of a scholastic routine.”

Products that are Fabulous says: “KinderCone wants to inspire every family and their young children to enjoy learning by celebrating this special event in their lives. After learning about what this tradition was all about I got so excited! The cone came to the house and wow my son thought it was a Giant Ice cream cone!  I am going to give the cone to him on his graduation day from kindergarten, which is coming up soon.”

Life as Lou says: “Traditionally, the Schultüte was a decorated cone filled with small treats. This could happen at Kindergarten graduation, or be given at the start of 1st grade. I love celebrations and traditions. They do so much to bring families closer together and to help people slow down and have appreciation for special moments and special people. This particular moment is a hard one for many parents- I know I’m concerned with Maggie heading off to school next year!”

My Little Patch of Sunshine says: “Basically, it’s a German tradition of receiving a cone of goodies for kids moving from Kindergarten into First Grade. The cone we received was very large and colorful! It included some pencils, a sweet stuffed animal (which Lydia loves and took as her own immediately), some tattoos and a journal for first grade. I added some small notebooks and candy to the cone before I presented it to my children. It is definitely cute, and a sweet gift to receive at the end of a long school year.  You can purchase them filled with goodies, or empty from the Kindercone website.”

Five By the Sea says: “My 5 year old was brimming with excitement and anticipation as we gently took the cone out of the tissue paper. The vibrantly colored beautiful red cone with cute little illustrations all over it, she was in awe and we hadn’t even peeked inside!!…As we went through our treasures and talked about them we got more and more excited about school and all of the fun things that comes with entering 1st grade. All of this thanks to KinderCone!!”

Black Belt Mama says: “When we unpacked our KinderCone at our house, my son loved it.  It included a stuffed animal, school supplies, and other assorted fun items.  He had such a blast taking out each item and he told me that he thought it was a good thing to do when getting ready to go to all day school (for him, this is kindergarten).  He asked if we could do this every year! I simply love this idea…to send our kids off to school knowing they are loved and that we have taken the time to prepare something special just for them.”


Watch Us Grow! says: “I was amazed at how BIG the cone was! It comes with some pretty fun goodies and I know my daughter is going to go crazy for it! I will probably add some hair accessories and more crafty stuff to it before I give it to her. And I’m already thinking about how I can reuse the cone every year.”

Blessings of Love says: “Not only am I excited to give him [reviewer’s son] this, but I am also excited to be able to educate my kids on traditions of other countries! Can’t wait to see what he thinks! I’m sure he will want to keep the cool cone and fill it up with some of his toys or more likely since he is a boy, use it as a sword.) This cool gift is a KinderCone, a big cone shaped box filled with little goodies for my boy! In Germany and Austria they call them Schultutes. They are given on the children’s first day of school in 1st grade!”

Sisterly Savings says: “The KinderCone is based on a German tradition dating back to the early 19th century. Oftentimes, the first day of school can be a bittersweet moment in a child’s life, but in Germany and Austria it is marked by a day of celebration and appreciation. On that day, families present their first grader with their very own Schultüte. Inside, the child finds little gifts, treats, and school supplies. When we received our KinderCone, I was amazed at all the goodies inside and my son was THRILLED with his new supplies!!”

Savvy Housewife says: “The KinderCone is a great way to celebrate the first day of first grade or kindergarten graduation. My daughter will have pre-K graduation next week and I told her her special gift, which includes a notebook for recording special memories for 1st grade and a cute plush KinderCone kitty cat, was to celebrate her officially being out of pre-K. This would be such a fun tradition to start with your family. I think it would be especially fun to fill your cone with little trinkets and candy on the first day of school each year during the elementary school years (in fact I may do that in mid-August when school starts for both my 3rd grader and kindergartner.)”

Red Sox Mommy says: “My beautiful little five year old was the lucky recipient of a KinderCone recently, again thanks to Mom Central and KinderCone. As you can see from the smile on her face it was a big hit! She loved it! Inside she found a little stuffed cat named Karli, a book to fill in exciting moments from her school year, pencils, temporary tattoos and a certificate. She had so much fun pulling out each item…She’s getting very excited to start school in just a few months and this just added to her excitement!”

Mom Most Traveled says: “As a preschool teacher, I love this idea because it makes the first day of school something EXCITING instead of SCARY. I give the whole KinderCone philosophy, Celebrate School, two thumbs up!”

Because Nice Matters says: “I have recently learned of a neat tradition in Germany. It is called a Schultute. It is a cone shaped box filled with school supplies and treats that is given to a child on their first day of first grade. Kindercone was founded by Vivian Lie, who was raised in Germany, and is trying to bring this German tradition to the United States.”

Composter Mom says: “The KinderCone company sent me a modern-day Cone to see and review. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of it; I’d expected something smaller. It’s bright, colorful, and exciting: just the atmosphere to help a new student feel confident and enthusiastic about the coming year.”

Gotcha Baby says: “The large, colorful cone is filled with school supplies, and a very fun journal called, Me, Myself & First Grade. You can personalize the cones by putting your child’s own favorite things. Check out www.kindercone.com to see all of the options to create the perfect gift for your kindergarten grad or beginning first grader. I know that MaM will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this surprise. It’s going to be tricky hiding the giant cone for the next year, but the look on her face will be priceless.”

Mama Knows Best says: “Despite Ethan not being quite the age the KinderCone was intended for, he has absolutely fallen over in excitement about the idea behind the cone.  He is looking forward to receiving a KinderCone after he graduates from Kindergarten and heads into First Grade!  And while I know the contents of the KinderCone, I have not shared them with Ethan…We want it to be a total surprise to him when he reaches the age.”

The Zen of Motherhood says: “I received a KinderCone to review (I plan to give it to my kindergarten graduating nephew; go, William!), and it is just the cutest thing. I was really impressed with the quality; this thing is not flimsy. The Karli the Cat is six inches tall and has its own little messenger bag. The Me, Myself, and First Grade journal is a great way to encourage kids to write and will make a really sweet keepsake. There is also room inside the cone to add a treat or two of your own. The KinderCone is a really clever, fun way to commemorate one of the big milestones in a child’s life.”

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.