31 Best First Day of School Activities & Ideas for Students

The first day of school can be challenging for educators as students start to pour in and get reoriented to the goals and expectations of the school year. As a teacher, you can face several challenges in setting the right tone, which is why the first day of school activities , designed for kids aged 3 and above, are important to plan out and execute. important to plan out and execute.

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You can focus on in-class decorations, fun introductions, educational games, show & tell activities, and other fun activities that can instill a sense of enthusiasm and playfulness. You can even create fun group mission statements that your class can fill out as a way of expressing intent and vision for the rest of the year.

Related Reading: How to Prepare Kids for the First Day of School

21 Best First Day Of School Activities

4 Name and Introduction Activities

1. Name Tags For Kids

What you will need: Stickers and labels
You can make customized name tags for everyone to get to know each other better. Your students can also use name tags to stick onto toys, books, and other objects. This personalizes the first day of school, which can overwhelm some students.

2. Introductions All Around

What you will need: Instrument
Introductions are some of the most fun first day of school get-to-know-you activities, and you can have your students share a few facts that their classmates didn’t know about. You can also use an instrument to turn introductions into songs. 

3. Get To Know Your Teachers!

What you will need: Printable sheets
The first day of school can be stressful for kids who are more introverted and shyer. This is a great first-day-of-school activity to make the first day less overwhelming. By having fun facts about yourself listed out, along with hobbies, interests, and favorite books, you can encourage everyone to talk to you about anything on the first day.

4. Take First Day Photos

What you will need: Camera or smartphone, printed signs with “First Day of School”, props (optional)
Capture the excitement of the first day by taking photos of each student. These first day of school activities create lasting memories and can be used for future classroom projects.

5 Icebreakers and Group Activities

1. Friends Diagrams

What you will need: Venn diagram template
You can pair up students in the classroom and ask them to find similar interests to fill out a Friendship Venn diagram. This can be a unique way to help students understand how math can be used for practical applications.

2. Two Truths And a Lie

What you will need: Paper, pencils
This is a fun first-day-of-school activity that asks kids to get creative and imagine unique lies and specific truths. You can have them write it down and read it out loud for the entire class to guess.

3. Would You Rather Questions

What you will need: Voting sheets, pencils
You can have your students unpack the first day of school with would you rather questions. You can ask them what they’d like for lunch, what they want to study, what they’d like to play, etc. This can be a group activity as well, with kids voting on what they’d like.

4.  Share a Compliment

What you will need: Large stickers, pencils
You can have your class add blank stickers to their backs as students write compliments on them anonymously. This can significantly uplift children’s morale on the first day of school.

5. I-Spy Back to School

What you will need: Props, quiz list, paper
An I-Spy game with back-to-school elements will make the first school day more interesting. You can have students guess the right answers or write them down for rewards. You can also make the activity more academic by asking kids to solve puzzles for the prompt.

4 Reflective and Personal Activities

1. Individual Promises

What you will need: Template
Your students can fill out a promise sheet about what they plan to do and what promises they plan to keep by the end of the school year. You can customize each sheet to the strengths and exploratory areas you’d like each child to focus on.

2. Sticky-Note Expectations

What you will need: Sticky notes, board, colors
You can have a paper board on the wall and ask students to add what they expect from their class for the year. They can write their thoughts on a sticky note and place it on the board directly.

3. What are Your Hopes & Dreams?

What you will need: Printable sheet, pencils
An interesting first-day-of-school activity is to ask your students what their hopes & dreams are. They can carry the template sheet home and fill out what they hope to achieve during the year, their dreams, and where their interests reside.

4. Classroom Charter

What you will need: Large paper or board, markers
Create a classroom charter where students collaboratively set the rules and expectations for the year. These first day of school games help build a positive and inclusive classroom environment, fostering teamwork and respect.

Related Reading: Best Educational Classroom Games for Kids

5 Creative and Artistic Activities

1. Self-Portraits

What you will need: Paper, colors
You can have your students draw self-portraits and add what they love to the paper layout. You can have them make it unique and personalized by adding their names at the top of the sheet.

2. Designing a Classroom Crest

What you will need: Template, colors, labels, stickers
A memorable first day of school activity can be around designing crests that represent the classroom’s mission and vision. You can prepare templates for kids to draw into, along with a motto and symbols representing different aspects.

3. Printable Coloring Worksheets

What you will need: Paper sheets, colors, templates
You can create coloring sheets around each student’s personality and hobbies and have them fill them out with colors, prompts, and answers to questions. This can be hung up on the classroom wall to make each child feel special.

Related Reading: Free Coloring Pages for Kids to Foster Creativity

4. Art Session

What you will need: Easel, painting supplies, props
Art sessions is one of the best first day of school ideas to keep kids engaged. By organizing a few easels and painting supplies, you can start the first day of school with an art session. You can ask students to express themselves through art and give them a memorable experience for the start of the school year.

5. My Ideal Day Chart

What you will need: Pie chart outline, colors
You can have your students design their ideal first day of school and convert their ideas into a pie chart. You can add instructions on how to color, categorize, and label different parts correctly to have the chart represent their day.

6 Fun and Interactive Activities

1. First Day of School Time Capsule

What you will need: Toys, stickers, notes, labels
You can add fun mementos, toys, stickers, and other unique objects to help kids understand the value of archiving and storing memories. You can also make unique time capsules for each child to take home at the end of the school year.

2. Trivia Day!

What you will need: Trivia questions
You can host a Kahoot-style Trivia Day session, asking questions about what they’ve learned during their break. You can also focus on specific subjects, such as math and science, to get them into the right mindset to return to learning.

Related Reading: Hard Trivia Questions and Answers for Kids

3. Book Reading Activities

What you will need: Story-rich fiction books
Instead of jumping straight into the curricula, you can take the first day of school to read books aloud and engage kids in storytelling. You can make the first day more magical and awe-inspiring, bringing the joy of reading intently back into their mindset.

Related Reading: Best Reading Activities That Turn Kids into Book Lovers

4. Classroom Decor Ideas

What you will need: Empty classroom template, stickers, rewards
You can have your students decide how to decorate the physical classroom space by giving them take-home templates. They can choose the seating arrangements, the decorations, the daily affirmations/notes, and the placement of toys & books.

Related Reading: Best Classroom Door Decoration Ideas

5. STEM Activity

What you will need: STEM activity kit, instructions, access to tools
A great way to get the ball rolling on the first day is to engage them in a STEM activity. You can give them seed kits, cardboard car cutouts, parachute and egg-basket kits, and other fun science-based projects. 

Related Reading: Fun STEAM Activities for Kids of All Ages

6. Outdoor Exploration

What you will need: Notebooks, pencils
Take the class outside for a nature walk and have them observe and record what they see. These first day of class activities help students connect with their environment and can be seamlessly integrated into science lessons.

Related Reading: Best Outdoor Games for Kids of All Ages

5 First Day Of School Activities For Remote Learning Classrooms

Remote learning is quickly emerging as the new norm worldwide, with teachers having to bring out hybrid activity ideas for the first day of school. These fun-filled and engaging online first-day-of-school activities will help you get your classroom excited for the school year.

1. Holiday Snapshots

What you will need: Snapshot template, colors, pencils, online video software
In this activity, students can prepare snapshots of their vacation with different activities, things they learned, places they visited, and other fun memories they’d like to share. You can make the activity even more interactive by having them present their snapshots in class.

2. Emotions Check-in

What you will need: Editing software, template, interactive tool
This activity is great for remote learning classrooms as it allows you to measure your students’ emotions without overwhelming them. You can develop a creatively designed survey sheet that asks your students about how they are feeling about the first day of school.

3. Virtual Sing-Alongs

What you will need: Templates, high-quality microphone, virtual meeting software
One of the best ways to make your students feel joyful and enthusiastic is to conduct virtual sing-alongs. You can also have your students print and cut out fun props, such as microphones, hats, masks, animal cards, etc.

Related Reading: Children’s Songs When You Want to Dance With Your Kids

4. Virtual Icebreakers

What you will need: Ice-breaker questions, online Q&A tool, presentation tool
You can create virtual icebreaker questions, asking your students to name their favorite animals, their deserted island books, or their favorite activities. The answers to these questions can be shared with everyone in class, giving each student a chance to learn something about each other.

5. Online Scavenger Hunt

What you will need: Rules sheet, outlines, rewards
You can create a digital scavenger hunt based on what your students have learned over the past year. These questions can also help reflect how much information has been retained by your students.  

Related Reading: Best Virtual Learning Tools for Kids and Teachers

Conclusion

These first-day-of-school activities will make the day memorable and engaging, helping students build friendships and feel comfortable in their new environment. From icebreakers to creative projects, these activities set a positive tone for the school year. Customize these first-day-of-school activities to fit your classroom’s needs and create an exciting start to the academic journey.

Related Reading: How to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten

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