The first day of school is right around the corner, and back-to-school time always full of excitement and jitters. Everything is new: There's new school supplies, new daily routines and schedules, new teachers and new classmates. So, after they've snapped their big back-to-school photo and found their way to their classrooms, what should they actually do on the first day of school?
These fun back-to-school activities are sure to calm the nerves, break the ice and get everyone ready for a year of learning. Some are designed to get kids to open up and talk about themselves, so classmates and teachers can get a better sense of who they are. Others set the expectations for the class and introduce new rules, learning styles and other classroom procedures. Some begin the teaching process right away, with different hands-on learning activities that launch them right into the subjects they'll be tackling throughout the year. And some are just fun back-to-school craft projects designed to give kids a fun take-home on their first day. But whether they're in preschool, elementary school, middle school or high school, there's a back-to-school activity here that'll get the year started off on the right foot.
Reading Confetti
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Craft Stick School Bus
Let them bring home something fridge-worthy on the first day, like this picture frame that cleverly uses craft sticks to make a school bus. The school picture fits perfectly in the windows.
Get the tutorial at Reading Confetti »
LibbyBratt.com
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The Partiologist
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Happy Tot Shelf
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Scaffolded Math
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Amy Stults/Teaching With Jennifer Findley
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Get-to-Know-You Jenga
Jenga is fun on its own, but with a few tweaks it can also be a good icebreaker. This colorful set comes with different questions to answer based on what color block gets pulled.
See more at Teaching With Jennifer Findley »
FatCameraGetty Images
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Guided Meditation
After the past couple of years, schools have shifted focus to include more social-emotional learning to help kids with stress and anxiety. Starting off the year with guided mediation might help them ease their first-day nerves. You can try a five-minute morning meditation, or try a ten-minute version specifically for anxiety.
Happiness Is Homemade
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For the Love of Teachers
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AHigherClass
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Sensory Path
Let them wiggle their nerves away! A sensory path has designated spots for different movements, from hopping on one foot (the candy-striped circles here), balancing on a line (the train tracks), pushing against a wall (the hot air balloons), and so on. You can DIY your own, or buy themed sets of decals online.
Around the Kampfire
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Mrs. E Teaches Math
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Stay Small Art Club
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Apple Tag
Students are known to bring an apple to the teacher on the first day of school, but this activity lets them make their own, either for their desks or a bulletin board. Some tissue paper and watered-down glue make for a fruitful activity.
Get the tutorial at Stay Small Art Club »
Mrs. Strawberry
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Teaching in Paradise
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Buggy and Buddy
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Self-Portrait Paper Dolls
Another way for the class to get to know one another is to create a group "portrait" of paper dolls on a bulletin board. Everyone gets to showcase their style through their dolls' outfit.
Get the tutorial at Buggy and Buddy »
Jewel's School Gems
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SteinDesignLine
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Grow With Me Tee
If they're in pre-K or kindergarten, give them a class shirt that'll last with them through the ages. They can make a handprint on the first day of every new school year, and see how much bigger they are each time.
Charity Mika
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Get-to-Know-You Sculpture
In this activity, certain attributes are represented by certain features in a sculpture. Does a student love books? They can add a green zig-zag. Play sports? Give them a black arch. Every sculpture will be unique — just like every artist.
Get the tutorial at Charity Mika »
kali9Getty Images
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Write a Letter to Themselves
Tell them to write a letter to a very special pen pal — themselves. They can include private thoughts on their hopes, fears and anxieties for the next year. Deliver the letter on the last day of school, and they can see how much has changed over the course of the year.
Teachers Without Tears
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Class Rules
Kids will be more likely to follow the rules if they have a hand in shaping them. On the first day, it might be helpful to establish the class rules and brainstorm examples of following them. (This teacher recommends reading Do Unto Otters first to get the ball rolling.)
Get the tutorial at Teachers Without Tears »
MALLOCDESIGNS
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Student Scavenger Hunt
Have a first-day-of-school party where you can play a modified version of "Find the Guest" Bingo. In searching for classmates who can hula hoop, write with their left hand and bike to school, your students will get to know each other better. You can come up with your own attributes that will best fit your class.
Running Press
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Summer Memories
Read some of the funny poems in What I Did on My Summer Vacation, then go around the room and have the kids take turns either talking about or drawing their own summer adventures.
Big Dot of Happiness
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First Day Photo Booth
Take photos of your students with these silly props, then print out the photos and pin 'em to your classroom bulletin board. They'll have fun looking at the pics all year.
Courtesy of Surviving a Teacher's Salary
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Courtesy of Miss Klohn's Classroom
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Sticky-Note Expectations
Ask questions on a giant sheet of paper, and have students "fill in the blank" on Post-It notes that they can stick on the page. Beware: This teacher went through 600 notes on the first day!
Get the tutorial from Miss Klohn's Classroom »
Courtesy of Genia Connell
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"D-ice" Breakers
Break your students up into small groups, then have them roll dice and answer creative questions like the ones on the printout this teacher made.
Erin Castillo, #okayteacher
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Mental Heath Check-In
Back-to-school season can bring up a lot of anxiety and negative feelings. Erin Castillo of #okayteacher came with a great way to start talking about mental health in her classroom. She invites each of her students to write their names on the back of a sticky note and put it on poster board in accordance with their feelings; it's a discreet and non-verbal way of figuring out who needs some extra help.
Preschool Tool Box
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"All About Me" Coloring Page
Kids love talking about themselves, so they'll get a kick out of filling out these worksheets with their current faves. It's also fun to do it again at the end of the year and see how the answers have changed.
Courtesy of Proud to Be Primary
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Guided Drawing
Set up an easel in the front of the room and guide your students step-by-step through making a drawing. It'll serve as a first-day-of-school souvenir to bring home to Mom and Dad.
Get the tutorial from Proud to Be Primary »
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Marisa LaScalaSenior Parenting & Relationships EditorSenior Parenting & Relationships Editor Marisa LaScala covers all things parenting, from the postpartum period through empty nests, for Good Housekeeping; she previously wrote about motherhood for Parents and Working Mother.
Amina Lake Abdelrahman, Good Housekeeping InstituteEditorial AssistantAmina is an editorial assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she works with lab experts (who test all the latest products) and writes original content based on their recommendations.
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