The first day of school is all about setting expectations, learning about each other, and building culture. It is an anxious time so you’ll want to set your students at ease right away with something to do walking in. As the day progresses, you’ll balance get-to-know-you activities with a review of classroom rules, and an introduction to a few academic routines. Their first day will fly by in the best of ways with our foolproof list of engaging activities. Read on to pick out a few for your new class!
Bell Ringers
1. Name Tag Share
First things first, let’s learn some names! Have your students design a name tag as their first assignment walking in the door. This concrete and simple activity puts them at ease straight away. It’s also a great partner share once everyone has arrived.
Learn More: Name Tag Slide
2. Something You Read/Learned This Summer
Take the pressure of writing off your kiddies by having them share their summer adventures aloud. Did they learn something new about nature on their family camping trip? Did they read a clever graphic novel on the beach? You might be surprised by how quickly you’ll start to get to know them!
Learn More: Retrieval Practice
3. Math Riddles
Kick off your math curriculum with intriguing numeracy riddles! These will challenge your students to think critically and stretch their problem-solving skills. This is sure to make math fun straight off the bat, and encourages their curiosity and engagement!
Learn More: Mental Up
4. Time Capsule Surveys
Take a snapshot of your kids’ personalities with this super time capsule activity. Have them fill out a questionnaire about their current interests and predictions for the year, then seal them up! At the end of the year, they’ll love to see how they’ve grown and changed over time as they read what they wrote!
Learn More: Teaching Mama
Behavioral Expectations
5. Classroom Map / Scavenger Hunt
Get out your compass! It’s time for your kiddos to find their way around your classroom! Have them explore, then draw their very own map to help them get to grips with the new space. You could even build community by pairing them up in small teams to complete this task.
Learn More: Twinkl
6. Classroom Crest
Set your classroom apart by working together to complete a classroom crest. What’s a crest they might ask? Well, they’ll soon find out! This fun activity further builds a sense of unity and belonging in this new space and can establish some common values to guide your kids into the new school year!
Learn More: Committee for the Children
7. Interactive Modeling
Practice interactive modeling to teach your students the key routines in your class. Get everyone moving by practicing standing in a line, organizing their cubbies, or getting their attention with some clapping or call-back signals. This is not only fun but works wonders to achieve order early on.
Learn More: Youtube
8. Hopes and Dreams
This first day of school activity, not only introduces your kiddos to goal setting but can be a colorful addition to your hallway bulletin board. Have them fill in the printable template showing their hopes for the year, then you can go back to them later to discuss how their hopes and dreams have changed and evolved over the year.
Learn More: Responsive Classroom
9. Classroom Charter
Why not create a class charter? Together, have your class discuss and decide upon a set of guidelines, behaviors, and values that will shape the classroom culture and promote respect for the shared learning space and for each other. You can even make it formal by letting everyone add their signature!
Learn More: TES
Fun Icebreaker Games
10. STEM Challenge
Thisteam-building activity doubles as a STEM learning opportunity! Group your kids into small teams and have them work together to build a straw bridge, then test the strength of each bridge using weights. This is a great way to break the ice and get them collaborating. Be sure to review your expectations for teamwork beforehand!
Learn More: Matt Farrell
11. Puzzle Piece Activity
Create a class jigsaw! Print off each of your youngsters a large puzzle piece and let them decorate it with images, colors, and words that represent them, from their hobbies to their personality traits! All that’s left is to put the pieces together to make a super display.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
12. Beach Ball Activity
What are your kiddos’ favorite hobbies? What’s their favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Use a Sharpie to write these questions and more on a beachball then have them throw and catch the ball, answering whatever question their hand lands on. They’ll soon forget those first-day jitters and will be having a ball!
Learn More: Thought Co
13. Paper Snowballs
A snowball fight on the first day of school?! Start by writing some fun getting-to-know-you questions on some paper then scrunch them up into “snowballs”; then have your kiddos have fun throwing them around! After a while call time and have them open them up and answer the questions!
Learn More: Teaching Made Practical
14. FriennDiagrams
Allow your kiddos to interview each other in this fun getting-to-know-you activity! They’ll record their partners’ answers in the respective circle and see what similarities they find. Afterward, allow them to share their answers in front of their classmates. This is a fun introduction to each other and to Venn diagrams!
Learn More: Conflict Resolution Frienn Diagram
15. Two Truths and a Lie
Everyone’s favorite icebreaker, it’s an oldie but a goodie! Let each of your kids take a turn to present three statements about themselves – two of which are true, and one a lie. The rest of the class will then have to vote to guess which was the lie; this is sure to lead to some surprising revelations and lots of laughter.
Learn More: Teachers First
16. Guess the Teacher
Take this opportunity to share some quirky, unknown facts about the teachers and staff with your kiddos! They’ll work to guess who each fact belongs to, which creates a super fun way for them to learn about the grown-ups they’ll be interacting with.
Learn More: Pinterest
17. “Find a Friend Who…” Bingo
Another classic first-day game that’s stood the test of time is Bingo! Give your kiddies a bingo card filled with getting-to-know-you statements and encourage them to mix and mingle to find classmates who fit these descriptions and write down their names. This is a super interesting way to learn about their new classmates!
Learn More: Bingo Baker
18. Who Am I?
All you’ll need for this idea is a pack of sticky notes! Put a sticky note on each of your kids’ foreheads with the name of a famous person, place, or thing. Next, they’ll mingle with one another, asking yes or no questions to guess what’s on the sticky note. It’s a surefire way to bring interaction and laughter to the first day of school.
Learn More: wikiHow
19. Interview Carousel
Put your kiddos in the hot seat with this interview activity! For this icebreaker game, create two concentric circles where your students are facing each other. Each pair will have a brief chat, and then one circle rotates, forming new pairs; let this continue until everyone has met each other!
Learn More: Teach Starter
20. Human Knot
Can your kiddies untangle a human knot? Have your entire class form a circle and reach across to grab the hands of two other students, creating a human knot. They’ll then work together to untangle themselves without releasing their hands, giving them a lesson in teamwork and problem-solving!
Learn More: Theatre Folk
21. Musical Sharing
Play a snippet of music and pass around a “sharing ball” to learn more about your kiddies! When the music stops, whoever’s holding the ball shares a little about themselves. This is a fun way to keep everyone engaged and on their toes, and gives them the perfect opportunity to introduce themselves.
Learn More: Mom Junction
Academic Activities
22. Pica Ferme Nada
Get your students refreshed on place value and their brains firing with this engaging math strategy activity. Pica Ferme Nada is the perfect game to shake off that summer fog and practice the expectations around raised hands and positive peer support!
Learn More: Sarah Buratti
23. My Ideal Day Pie Chart
Review fractions and pie charts while getting to know more about what makes each of your kiddos’ perfect day! Start with a class brainstorm to get the wheels turning and then make sure to give them plenty of time to decorate and color their charts. This is an extra fun way to make their first day extra special!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
24. I Am From Poems
“I am From” poems make for a beautiful, literary way to learn about each others’ backgrounds and jumpstart your literary circle! This classroom activity is perfect for older learners as they’ll work to create a template after reading the original poem and then write their own.
Learn More: UMN
25. Independent Reading Time
The first day is a great time to not only set independent reading expectations but also to tour your classroom library! Invite your class to fill out a reading survey and then go to the library and discuss book picks that are based on their surveys!
Learn More: The Thinker Builder
26. Letter to My Future Self
Time capsule letters are a fantastic way to start the year off with some self-reflection. Have your kiddos envision their future selves and write them a letter; put the letters into a padlocked box that you’ll crack into at the end of the year. You could also let them add things throughout the year too!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
27. Virtual Field Trip
A field trip? On the first day of school? It’s time to take your class on a virtual tour of a museum, historical site, or natural wonder. This experience ignites curiosity and sets a tone of exploration for the academic year ahead. Plus, it’s a great way to roll out routines for safely retrieving and putting away the devices.
Learn More: Discovery Education
28. Mad Libs
Make English fun and tap into your kids’ sillier side with Mad Libs! Start with a quick refresher on parts of speech and then have them work in pairs to fill in the blanks of a story with nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. What a hilarious way to start your school year!
Learn More: Twinkl
29. Word Association Game
Get your class back into the swing of turn-taking with this fun word association game! With your kids all sitting in a circle, have one student say a word and then the next say the first word that comes to mind. This continues around the circle, encouraging spontaneity and creativity!
Learn More: Teach This
30. Quick Writes
Give your class a thought-provoking prompt and a short set time limit to write continuously. It is the perfect way to boost creativity and is a great first-day-of-school formative assessment tool! Over the course of you can extend the length of time to build stamina.
Learn More: Journal Buddies
31. History Mystery
Tap into your kiddos’ curiosity for all things ancient. First, present them with a choice of mysterious, obscure historical facts. Then they’ll work in groups to uncover the significance of these facts, through detective-like investigation. This activity is best suited for older classes and the range of topics you can choose from is limitless.
32. Bridge Building
Start with some STEM! Divide your class into small groups and challenge them to build the strongest bridge using only cups, construction paper, and tape. This one fosters teamwork and engineering skills, as your learners must collaborate on design and construction!
Learn More: PJ’s Summer Camp
Filler Time
33. Captain’s Coming
Captain’s Coming is a game to get heart rates up while having fun. It is important to provide communal games during recess for the first few days of school and this game is the perfect choice as it’s impossible for kids to feel left out! Everyone will return to the classroom more at ease and with all their wiggles out!
Learn More: Mindy Brady
34. Zentangle Coloring Pages
The very best teachers know that brain breaks are key for retention, especially on a day like the first day of school when anxiety can be high for kiddos. Give your new learners time to decompress with these fantastic zen coloring sheets.
Learn More: Just Color
35. Brain Teasers
We all know the cafeteria can turn into a zoo, if not carefully managed. Ask your students some tricky brain teasers during lunchtime to stimulate conversation and keep things lighthearted. Invite other lunch monitors to join in the fun by distributing a list of riddles!
Learn More: Reader’s Digest
36. Would You Rather Questions
Would you rather have sponges for hands, or be followed everywhere by five ducklings for the rest of your life? Ice cream for breakfast every morning or amusement park every afternoon? Cleaning your room, or loading the dishwasher? Questions like these will have your kiddos contemplating with a giggle!
Learn More: Family Education
37. Art For Kids Hub
Give your kiddos a fun, but challenging, art activity for their first day! This follow-along video will show them how to draw a fun fold-out ice cream illustration! They’ll need to concentrate and follow the instructions closely, then when they’re finished, they can add their creations to a bulletin board.
Learn More: YouTube
38. Kahoot
You can’t go wrong with a game of Kahoot – it’s a definite win every time! Make a Kahoot with fun facts about your life to allow your kids the chance to get to know more about their new teacher. This could be a fun way to roll out the Chromebooks or iPads on day one!
Learn More: Teaching Expertise
39. Green Glass Door
Get ‘em head scratching with this tricky word game! The object of the game is to figure out what can be brought through the door. Start by saying “I can bring a tree through the green glass door, but I cannot bring a leaf”. The key on this one is that the object must have double letters, but you can create a new rule each time you play!
Learn More: The Game Gal
40. Poodle
This is like twenty questions but with a twist! In Poodle, it’s all about verbs! The first player thinks of a verb and must try their very best to keep the verb a secret, while their classmates ask questions and try to guess it. This is a great first day of school way to practice quiet hand raising and get some laughs!
Learn More: The Game Gal
41. Emoji Bingo
They might not be allowed to have phones at school, but bring on the emojis! Give each kid their own emoji bingo cards and as each emoji is called out, they’ll mark their cards. What a fun way to kick off the school year!
Learn More: Pinterest
42. Memory Chain
In this memory-building game, each student will share and remember facts about each other! As each person adds something about themselves to the chain, subsequent students have to recall all the previous shares before adding their own! They’ll create a chain of information that challenges memory in a fun way.
Learn More: Funny Game Ideas
43. Classroom Jigsaw Puzzle
Who doesn’t love a jigsaw puzzle? Designate an area of your class to set up a whole class jigsaw and let your kiddos work on it during breaks. This collaborative activity promotes problem-solving and patience, and they’ll have an awesome sense of achievement when it’s done!
Learn More: YouTube
44. Blind Drawing
This game is sure to get your class laughing! Your students will pair up, with one describing an object without naming it, and the other trying to draw it on a piece of paper, based solely on the description. What a fun way to demonstrate the importance of clear communication and listening skills!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
45. Mindful Breathing
This is a great mid-day activity for day one when everyone could use a breather, even you! Start with some simple deep breathing exercises, in for two, out for two, with eyes closed and body calm This’ll easily help to quell the first-day jitters and introduce the concept of mindfulness.
Learn More: YouTube
46. Origami Corner
This is a great one for middle schoolers who love a challenge. Set up a station with colorful origami paper and instructions for various figures for your kiddos to create! This relaxing activity promotes fine motor skills and concentration and provides a quiet, creative break during the busy first day.
Learn More: The Spruce Crafts
47. Escape Room Challenge
Divide your class into small groups and create a mini escape room with puzzles related to the subjects you’ll be teaching throughout the year! Gamifying any lesson is a win-win and with this one, your kids will be practicing critical thinking in a fun way. They’ll definitely feel a sense of accomplishment as they work as a team to solve the challenges.
Learn More: YouTube
36 After-School Activity Ideas For Elementary: Crafts, Experiments, And Problem-Solving Tasks