Have students help to write a list of "Class Rules". Be sure to include rules you feel are necessary.
Fourteen Great Activities for the First Days of School!
Find My Seat
Academy HomepageGreat Ideas for Back to School
| Pre School to Grade 2 | Grades 3-5 | Grades 6 - 8 | High School |
| Activity Name | Description / Directions and Materials |
| Environmental Picnic | Take students outdoors to enjoy a walk/talk/eat time discussing the outdoor environment. Identify various trees, shrubs & plants. Discuss wildlife and human activities. Play related games and enjoy an outdoor picnic |
| School Store | Invite students to buy items at the "Store" using realistic dollars and change. Give each student $5.00 in paper and coins to spend and a "grocery list". Have students determine how much they are spending and how much change they should get back using pencil and paper. |
| Students on Broadway | Give small groups of children scripts of short plays to act out for the rest of the class. |
| Map Quest | Give students maps of the school to follow to "make a delivery" to another class. |
| Memory Book | Each student makes a "Book". Each page includes a "memory" from this year either written of a picture with a caption |
| High School/Elementary Book Projects | Older students come into class and interview individual students. The older students write a book about their partner and come in and read it to the class. The high school student keeps one copy and the partner gets another. |
| Letter to Posterity | Students write letters to next years students to be read the first day of school. Have them tell about what they learned, fun projects they have done and their thoughts on "handling the teacher". |
| Five Senses | A Thematic Unit |
| Friendship Book | Student partner groups make a "Friendship Book" together using this template. They then read the book to the whole class. |
| Alpha Bios | Have students working independently create their own alphabetical autobiographies. Here's an example: "A is for Annie my middle name. B is for Barrington where I live. C is for cat what I want for my birthday. |
| Getting to Know You | Have all of the children sit in a circle. Pass a ball around the circle and as each child receives the ball they say their name aloud (to help everyone learn everyone's name). Go around the circle several times. You can vary it by having the children SHOUT their names or whisper their names. You can increase the speed so that everyone tries to say their name quickly as they pass the ball around quickly. Then tell the children when they get the ball, they can say a new friend's name and roll the ball to that person (Help with the names, if the children are unsure.). Continue rolling the ball across the circle until everyone has at least one turn. |
| First Day Back | First day back story starter and materials |
| Find My Seat |
Using pictures of apples, each cut out in a different pattern two pieces per apple. Place one half on each desk then give each of them one half of an apple puzzle. They find their desks by matching the piece they are holding with one on a desk. This way the seating arrangement is truly random. |
| About Me | Arrange all the desks in a large circle, with everyone facing the center. This makes it easy for the children to talk and get to know one another. Ask each child to introduce himself or herself and provide one fact about themselves. After everyone is introduced have students go around again and try to remember facts about other students. |
| Sticker Friends | Each student is given a sticker upon entering the classroom. Be sure there is a partner (matching sticker) for every student. Ask students to find their partners and interview them (name, grade, hobbies, etc.). Each student is responsible for introducing their partner to the rest of the class. A fun way to get to know each other. |
| Detective Time | A clue sheet is handed to each student with fill in the blanks like . . . "When I grow up I will be a ____" "My favorite hobby is ____ " "This summer I ______." When completed each student hand in the paper that has no name in it and the teacher hands out the papers randomly. Students play detective by trying to find the correct person by questioning various classmate until they find the right person. |
| My Favorite Thing | Divide a bulletin board into "window panes," for each child in class. Have each child bring in something special that they want to share with the class. After they show the item and tell the class about it put it in a plastic bag and hang it on that child's window. |
| If I Were . . . | Creative circle activity. "If I were an Animal I'd be a _____ because _______. The teacher does several samples for the students, then the students make up their own. After each child the teacher the teacher may repeat the child's name and their choice of animal. |
| Word of the Day Activity | Teacher chooses a word of the day, uses it it a few sentences, then writes it on a large sheet of paper 4' x 6' is good. The teacher writes her/his name on the paper in a manner that is appropriate for the word. |
| First Day Checklist | The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for kids, parents and teachers! Everyone looks forward to a happy, fun, successful school year. This link provides a first day checklist, activities and suggestions to help the first few weeks of school go smoothly. Checklist |
| Students on Broadway | Give small groups of children scripts of short plays to act out for the rest of the class. |
| First Day Treasure Hunt | Before school begins hide various objects throughout the school, then write out clue cards for the students. On the first day of school, read the clues and follow them around the school, into the office, the library, restrooms, playground, etc. As the clues are read, look for the objects in the areas. The last clue will lead the students to a treat (cupcakes, donuts to be enjoyed back in the classroom. The class will then create a map of the school. |
| Quick and Easy Personalized Portfolio | Take a digital picture of each student on the first day of school. Insert each into a word processing document in which the student types or writes about what they would like to learn this school year. Glue this to a file folder and put samples of student's work in it during the year. At the end of the year, take a picture of each student the last week of school and have students write what they learned this year. Send the Portfolio home as a keepsake for the student and parents. |
| Looking Forward to Tomorrow | The night before school starts, call each student. Let them know that you can’t wait to meet them and ask them some questions about how they feel. End the conversation by asking them to bring something special to share the next day with their class. This call gets you off on the right foot with the students and parents. |
| Ideas from Around the World |
Fourteen Great Activities for the First Days of School! |
| Activity Name | Description / Directions and Materials |
| First Day Checklist | The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for kids, parents and teachers! Everyone looks forward to a happy, fun, successful school year. This link provides a first day checklist, activities and suggestions to help the first few weeks of school go smoothly. Checklist |
| My Favorite Thing | Divide a bulletin board into "window panes," for each child in class. Have each child bring in something special that they want to share with the class. After they show the item and tell the class about it put it in a plastic bag and hang it on that child's window. |
| Pass It On | Groups of four students will work together to build a story on a selected topic. One student will write one paragraph on their topic, and then pass the paper to the next student in their group who will add a second paragraph and so on until the fourth student completes the story. |
| What Does That Word Mean This Time? | Discuss word with multiple meanings and how the context determines the meaning. Practice with the following websites - Multiple meaning Online Practice #1 Multiple meaning Online Practice #2. Then use the following practice sheets for follow up activities Practice 1 Practice 2 |
| Produce a TV Commercial | Challenge students to create their own new breakfast cereals. Have students work in groups of two or three to create packaging and a TV commercial to go along with it. If you can make a video of "commercials" |
| ABC Books for Days! | Have students create and ABC book on topics that interest them, pets, cars, and topic that interests them. Find Ideas at "Education World" story ABC Books Aren't for Babies. |
| Drama | Put on a play! Students write their own script, or use a script provided by the teacher. Check-out "Education World" All the Classroom's a Stage! |
| Library/Resource Scavenger Hunt | Develop questions for books in your classroom, library, or encyclopedias.. Students can work in teams to create the scavenger hunt or they may be teacher made. Students then work in teams to complete other groups scavenger hunts Prizes may be given |
| Twenty-One | Provide students with four numbers drawn randomly from numbers on paper placed into a container (coffee can . .) Students are to add, subtract, multiply or divide all four numbers to equal 21. Rules can vary, use each operation once, use as few or as many of operations as you need or whatever. Students should use parenthesis correctly. |
| First Day Back | First day back story starter and materials |
| About Me | Arrange all the desks in a large circle, with everyone facing the center. This makes it easy for the children to talk and get to know one another. Ask each child to introduce himself or herself and provide one fact about themselves. After everyone is introduced have students go around again and try to remember facts about other students. |
| Sticker Friends | Each student is given a sticker upon entering the classroom. Be sure there is a partner (matching sticker) for every student. Ask students to find their partners and interview them (name, grade, hobbies, etc.). Each student is responsible for introducing their partner to the rest of the class. A fun way to get to know each other. |
| Act-Out Noun, Verb, Adjective |
Give a student a slip of paper with an Noun, Verb or Adjective (depending on what you are reviewing) written on it. Have the student act out the word without speaking. Groups that get the correct word first get a point and get to act out the next word |
| Our Expectations | Share your plans for the year ahead as well as class rules and expectations. Then ask the students their expectations of a good teacher? Ask them about the best teacher they've ever had and what made that person such a good teacher? |
| Mini- Books | Using magazines, old phonics books, old text books or whatever, show the children how to do a pattern book and then cut out pictures, paste one on each page, write a patterned sentence, ex. One red ball, one red dress, one red shoe and so on. These can be given to your kindergarten or first graders. |
| Name Our Class Word Search | Create a word search puzzle containing the first names of all the students in your class. Go to Puzzlemaker to create your puzzle. |
| If I Were . . . | Creative circle activity. "If I were an Animal I'd be a _____ because _______. The teacher does several samples for the students, then the students make up their own. After each child the teacher the teacher may repeat the child's name and their choice of animal. |
| Word of the Day Activity | Teacher chooses a word of the day, uses it it a few sentences, then writes it on a large sheet of paper 4' x 6' is good. The teacher writes her/his name on the paper in a manner that is appropriate for the word. |
| Detective Time | A clue sheet is handed to each student with fill in the blanks like . . . "When I grow up I will be a ____" "My favorite hobby is ____ " "This summer I ______." When completed each student hand in the paper that has no name in it and the teacher hands out the papers randomly. Students play detective by trying to find the correct person by questioning various classmate until they find the right person. |
| Paper Cup Fun | Provide instructions for folding a drinking cup from a piece of paper, and see how many students can make a cup. Use the printable template and instructions at the Origami Japanese Paper Folding Web page. Fill each complete cup with apple juice to see how many students correctly followed the directions! |
| Rules for Rules |
CPR:
Cooperation,
Productivity, and Responsibility. Have students help to write a list of "Class Rules". Be sure to include rules you feel are necessary. |
| True or False | Write four facts about yourself on the board . Three are true, and one is false. Don't tell them that only one fact is false, have them decide if the facts are true or false. Go over the statements together and see what the students thought. Then have the students write three facts about themselves that are true and one that is false. Throughout the day, ask a student to try to "Beat the class". |
| Ideas from Around the World |
Fourteen Great Activities for the First Days of School! |
| Activity Name | Description / Directions and Materials |
| Egg Drop | A great Science activity. Each student works within to fashion a container for an egg so that the egg won't break when the student drops it from an established height, See Education World story Why All the EGGS-citement About EGGS? |
| First Day Checklist | The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for kids, parents and teachers! Everyone looks forward to a happy, fun, successful school year. This link provides a first day checklist, activities and suggestions to help the first few weeks of school go smoothly. Checklist |
| Twenty-One | Provide students with four numbers drawn randomly from numbers on paper placed into a container (coffee can . .) Students are to add, subtract, multiply or divide all four numbers to equal 21. Rules can vary, use each operation once, use as few or as many of operations as you need or whatever. Students should use parenthesis correctly. |
| Act-Out Noun, Verb, Adjective |
Give a student a slip of paper with an Noun, Verb or Adjective (depending on what you are reviewing) written on it. Have the student act out the word without speaking. Groups that get the correct word first get a point and get to act out the next word |
| First Day Checklist | The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for kids, parents and teachers! Everyone looks forward to a happy, fun, successful school year. This link provides a first day checklist, activities and suggestions to help the first few weeks of school go smoothly. Checklist |
| Our Expectations | Share your plans for the year ahead as well as class rules and expectations. Then ask the students their expectations of a good teacher? Ask them about the best teacher they've ever had and what made that person such a good teacher? |
| Teach the Class! | Have students write a few paragraphs explaining, "If they could teach the class, how would they make it more interesting and what would they avoid doing?" |
| Detective Time | A clue sheet is handed to each student with fill in the blanks like . . . "When I grow up I will be a ____" "My favorite hobby is ____ " "This summer I ______." When completed each student hand in the paper that has no name in it and the teacher hands out the papers randomly. Students play detective by trying to find the correct person by questioning various classmate until they find the right person. |
| If I Were . . . | Creative circle activity. "If I were an Animal I'd be a _____ because _______. The teacher does several samples for the students, then the students make up their own. After each child the teacher the teacher may repeat the child's name and their choice of animal. |
| Word of the Day Activity | Teacher chooses a word of the day, uses it it a few sentences, then writes it on a large sheet of paper 4' x 6' is good. The teacher writes her/his name on the paper in a manner that is appropriate for the word. |
| Paper Cup Fun | Provide instructions for folding a drinking cup from a piece of paper, and see how many students can make a cup. Use the printable template and instructions at the Origami Japanese Paper Folding Web page. Fill each complete cup with apple juice to see how many students correctly followed the directions! |
| Rules for Rules |
CPR:
Cooperation,
Productivity, and Responsibility. Have students help to write a list of "Class Rules". Be sure to include rules you feel are necessary. |
| True or False | Write four facts about yourself on the board . Three are true, and one is false. Don't tell them that only one fact is false, have them decide if the facts are true or false. Go over the statements together and see what the students thought. Then have the students write three facts about themselves that are true and one that is false. Throughout the day, ask a student to try to "Beat the class". |
| Ideas from Around the World |
Fourteen Great Activities for the First Days of School! |
| Activity Name | Description / Directions and Materials |
| First Day Checklist | The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for kids, parents and teachers! Everyone looks forward to a happy, fun, successful school year. This link provides a first day checklist, activities and suggestions to help the first few weeks of school go smoothly. Checklist |
| Teach the Class! | Have students write a few paragraphs explaining, "If they could teach the class, how would they make it more interesting and what would they avoid doing?" |
| Ideas from Around the World |
Fourteen Great Activities for the First Days of School! |
| Getting to Know You | Have all of the children sit in a circle. Pass a ball around the circle and as each child receives the ball they say their name aloud (to help everyone learn everyone's name). Go around the circle several times. You can vary it by having the children SHOUT their names or whisper their names. You can increase the speed so that everyone tries to say their name quickly as they pass the ball around quickly. Then tell the children when they get the ball, they can say a new friend's name and roll the ball to that person (Help with the names, if the children are unsure.). Continue rolling the ball across the circle until everyone has at least one turn. |
| First Day Checklist | The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for kids, parents and teachers! Everyone looks forward to a happy, fun, successful school year. This link provides a first day checklist, activities and suggestions to help the first few weeks of school go smoothly. Checklist |
| Sample Welcome Letters | Welcome Letters |
| First Day Back | First day back story starter and materials |
| Our Expectations | Share your plans for the year ahead as well as class rules and expectations. Then ask the students their expectations of a good teacher? Ask them about the best teacher they've ever had and what made that person such a good teacher? |
| About Me | Arrange all the desks in a large circle, with everyone facing the center. This makes it easy for the children to talk and get to know one another. Ask each child to introduce himself or herself and provide one fact about themselves. After everyone is introduced have students go around again and try to remember facts about other students. |
| Sticker Friends | Each student is given a sticker upon entering the classroom. Be sure there is a partner (matching sticker) for every student. Ask students to find their partners and interview them (name, grade, hobbies, etc.). Each student is responsible for introducing their partner to the rest of the class. A fun way to get to know each other. |
| Fun Activities | Fun activities for the first week of school. |
| Story Starters | Funny, cute pictures for students to use as story starters |
| Mini- Books | Using magazines, old phonics books, old text books or whatever, show the children how to do a pattern book and then cut out pictures, paste one on each page, write a patterned sentence, ex. One red ball, one red dress, one red shoe and so on. These can be given to your kindergarten or first graders. |
| Name Our Class Word Search | Create a word search puzzle containing the first names of all the students in your class. Go to Puzzlemaker to create your puzzle. |
| Paper Cup Fun | Provide instructions for folding a drinking cup from a piece of paper, and see how many students can make a cup.Use the printable template and instructions at the Origami Japanese Paper Folding Web page. Fill each complete cup with apple juice to see how many students correctly followed the directions! |
| Rules for Rules | CPR: Cooperation,
Productivity, and Responsibility. Have students help to write a list of "Class Rules". Be sure to include rules you feel are necessary. |
| True or False | Write four facts about yourself on the board . Three are true, and one is false. Don't tell them that only one fact is false, have them decide if the facts are true or false. Go over the statements together and see what the students thought. Then have the students write three facts about themselves that are true and one that is false. Throughout the day, ask a student to try to "Beat the class". |
| Ideas from Around the World |
Fourteen Great Activities for the First Days of School! |
| If I Were . . . | Creative circle activity. "If I were an Animal I'd be a _____ because _______. The teacher does several samples for the students, then the students make up their own. After each child the teacher the teacher may repeat the child's name and their choice of animal. |
| Word of the Day Activity | Teacher chooses a word of the day, uses it it a few sentences, then writes it on a large sheet of paper 4' x 6' is good. The teacher writes her/his name on the paper in a manner that is appropriate for the word. |
| Detective Time | A clue sheet is handed to each student with fill in the blanks like . . . "When I grow up I will be a ____" "My favorite hobby is ____ " "This summer I ______." When completed each student hand in the paper that has no name in it and the teacher hands out the papers randomly. Students play detective by trying to find the correct person by questioning various classmate until they find the right person. |
| My Favorite Thing | Divide a bulletin board into "window panes," for each child in class. Have each child bring in something special that they want to share with the class. After they show the item and tell the class about it put it in a plastic bag and hang it on that child's window. |
| Teach the Class! | Have students write a few paragraphs explaining, "If they could teach the class, how would they make it more interesting and what would they avoid doing?" |
| Find My Seat |
Using pictures of apples, each cut out in a different pattern two pieces per apple. Place one half on each desk then give each of them one half of an apple puzzle. They find their desks by matching the piece they are holding with one on a desk. This way the seating arrangement is truly random. |
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