Hey there teachers!
Can you feel that excitement in the air? The smell of new pencils, the buzz of chatter, and the anticipation of another incredible school year are upon us. That’s right, it’s time to dust off those teacher pants and gear up for a fantastic back-to-school experience.
As teachers, we have the unique privilege of shaping young minds and fostering a love for learning, so why not kick things off with a bang? Let’s dive into some awesome back-to-school activities that will have your students excited to come to class each day!
1. All About Me Activities
All About Me activities provide students with an opportunity to answer that all important question, “Who am I?” It gives little ones a chance to explore more about themselves, their family, and friends. It helps children to learn that we are all unique, different, and special and why that should be celebrated!
Try incorporating activities like name crafts, self-portraits or chances to show and tell. These worksheets provide an opportunity for students to learn more about themselves, while practicing math and literacy concepts.
2. Icebreaker Activities
You know the drill – the first day of school can be nerve-wracking for both students and teachers. A little icebreaker activity can work wonders in breaking down those initial barriers and setting a positive tone for the entire school year.
Try playing a game that will gently open your students up and have them bonding over commonalities. This activity is not only fun but also encourages active listening and builds community! Can you hear the lifelong friendships forming?
3. “Guess the Teacher” Quiz
As important as it is for students to get to know each other, it’s also important for them to get to know their teacher. For some students, this is their first time away from home and it can be quite scary not to have their caretakers around. The sooner they start to feel comfortable and supported, the sooner their learning can thrive!
Let your students get to know you better through a “Guess the Teacher” quiz. Prepare a set of fun and quirky questions about yourself and ask the class to guess the answers. It’s a lighthearted way to build rapport and create a relaxed atmosphere from day one.
4. Show and Tell, Teacher Edition
On top of verbally telling your students about you, you can also indulge your visual learners by sharing your own passions and hobbies in a “Show and Tell, Teacher Edition.”
Whether you’re into playing musical instruments, painting, or practicing martial arts, take some time to showcase your talents to the class. This activity humanizes you as a teacher, creating a connection between you and your students beyond the content you teach them. It also encourages them to pursue their interests passionately.
5. Setting Student Expectations
Creating a sense of unity and community is incredibly important in the first few weeks of school! A great way to do this is by collaboratively deciding on the values and expectations that everyone in the class will uphold.
This can make your littles feel empowered by having more control and knowing that the rules are fair and reasonable, which will make them more likely to actually follow them!
After your class expectations have been established, make sure to display them where your students can see them and refer back when needed.
When they are proudly displayed, it can act as a daily reminder of the commitment you all share and can set the stage for a positive and supportive learning environment!
6. Classroom Economy
Another great way to establish classroom community at the start of the year is to create a classroom economy! Assign students little classroom jobs (line leader, calendar manager, lights helper etc.) and decide how much class cash they can earn each day.
Then, reward your students once a week (or as often as you choose) by allowing them to choose prizes from a prize box!
Prizes can be physical, like stickers, pencils etc. or use prize coupons, like “Eat lunch with the teacher.” or “Wear slippers for the day.”
You can also choose to deduct class cash for negative behavior, rather than taking away things like recess time, which is important for students.
Students will learn a sense of responsibility for the care of their classroom and classmates. They will also begin to understand the value of money and the importance of working together as a team to achieve a common goal.
7. Mindful Moments
Our students come from all different types of home environments and life experiences. It’s important to give them space to work through feelings in a healthy way. You can do this by incorporating mindfulness and self-care into your daily class routine.
Start or end each class with a short mindfulness exercise, such as deep breathing or guided meditation. Encourage your students to be present in the moment, fostering focus and reducing stress.
Mindful moments help create a positive and nurturing classroom environment, ensuring that both you and your students are mentally and emotionally prepared for the day’s challenges.
Another way to do this is by introducing a “calming corner.” This can be a safe space where children can go to process their emotions without judgement or distraction. Learning to identify their emotions and better regulate them can create lifelong benefits.
8. Alphabet Adventure Hunt
Let’s kickstart our little learners’ reading journey with an exciting Alphabet Adventure Hunt! Hide letters of the alphabet all around the classroom.
Armed with magnifying glasses or special detective hats, the kids can go on a letter-finding mission. As they discover each letter, they can shout out its name and a word that starts with that letter. It’s a playful way to reinforce letter recognition and phonics.
Introduce a new letter each day and help assess with some alphabet worksheets, like these ones! Let your students practice and review what they’ve learned, so that they’re more likely to retain the information and be able to build off of it!
9. Colorful Art Activities
The beginning of the school year can be stressful for students. It’s important to provide them with a space to be creative and take a little mental break.
Plan art centers where children can explore different art materials and create masterpieces. Set up stations with finger painting, watercolors, and playdough.
Let their creativity run wild as they express themselves through colors and shapes. Display their artwork around the classroom to celebrate their artistic talents.
10. Back-to-School Read-Alouds
We all know how much our littles adore story time! It’s an amazing way to set your students up for success! Introduce books about classroom community, expectations, first day jitters, and welcoming differences!
Not only will this foster a love for reading and storytelling, but it will teach your students about the importance of respect and help provide safe learning environment.
11. Shape Treasure Hunt
Shapes are all around us, and our little ones are about to become shape detectives! Hide cutouts of various shapes throughout the classroom, and provide them with a “Shape Detective Checklist.”
Students can go on a treasure hunt, checking off each shape they find. It’s a fantastic way to introduce basic geometry and spatial awareness.
Help review what they’ve learned with a fun bingo game! Play as a whole group, or use in during center time with small groups! You can use as practice or to assess where your students are at.
If you have gifted children in your class, they can even be the bingo callers. If you’re looking for more help on how to incorporate bingo into your classroom, give this blog post a read!
12. Task Cards
The beginning of the school year can be overwhelming for our littles. One way to help them ease into learning is with task cards.
Task cards are excellent for students who benefit from focusing on one problem at a time and helps prevent overwhelm. They also give students a sense of accomplishment when a task is completed!
Not sure about task cards yet? Give them a try for FREE with these math and literacy cards, perfect for the first week of school!
13. Sight Word Activities
Sight words are commonly used words that appear frequently in the spoken and written English language. This means that they appear often in your students early reading materials.
Learning sight words can set your little ones up for becoming fluent readers and writers. It can also promote better reading comprehension and confidence!
Try incorporating sight words into centers, morning work, or as digital activities!
14. Music, Movement, and Laughter
Let’s get those little bodies moving and grooving by incorporating music and movement into your classroom! Not only are movement activities great for burning off some energy, but they provide an opportunity for laughter and act as a reset button for learning!
Create a playlist of energetic and age-appropriate songs. Allow the kids to dance, jump, and twist to the beat. Or, if you’re looking for a bit more structure, try out a movement game that you can play with music in the background!
15. Kindness Rocks
Inspire kindness and positivity with “Kindness Rocks.” Provide smooth stones and art supplies for the children to decorate their rocks with colorful designs.
They can give them to their classmates as a little act of kindness. It’s a wonderful way to cultivate a caring and compassionate classroom community during the first week of school!
As teachers of little ones, we have the unique privilege of introducing our students to the wonders of education and inspiring a love for learning.
I hope these back-to-school ideas will help lay the foundation for a year filled with laughter, growth, and unforgettable memories!
Need some quality back-to-school activities, but don’t have time to create them? Skip the prep and scoop up these activities at a great price!
If you do end up using any of these back-to-school activities in your classroom, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see the unique ways you inspire your learners!
Wishing you a strong start to the school year!
Until next time,
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