37 First Day of School Activities To Start the Year Off Right

The first day of school can come with lots of excitement and, often, a bit of the jitters. It’s the start of a fresh academic year with new challenges and loads of learning opportunities. It’s also time to meet new people, make new friends, and learn different perspectives. These first-day-of-school activities will help you start off the year with a bang as you and your students form your community and begin your journey together.

4. Open up with a teacher Q&A

Holding a Q&A session is a great way for your students to get to know more about you. Sit center stage and open the floor to their questions. Or create a multiple-choice quiz about yourself and let students guess the answers. Not only will this establish trust and help your students feel more comfortable with you, it is a great way to model how your morning circle will work.

6. Establish first-day-of-school traditions

Over the years, you’ll find that a few first-day-of-school activities stand out. Create a tradition and return to them year after year to mark the day as special and help set the tone for a fun year ahead. Check out our list of teacher-touted First Day of School Traditions Your Students Will Love.

8. Use anchor charts to set classroom norms

Setting up your classroom community correctly from the get-go plays a huge role in how your year will turn out. Kids need a clear understanding of the rules, procedures, and expectations in order to feel safe and do their best learning. These Classroom Management Anchor Charts will help you cover everything from basics like good listening and hall procedures to treating each other with respect in a visual, interactive way. They help get the year started on the right foot with students.

10. Put together a group puzzle

Create a beautiful collage of student art with a group puzzle. Hand out one puzzle piece to each student and ask them to decorate it in a way that expresses their personality. Either use a puzzle template printed on card stock, or find some inexpensive puzzles with large pieces and have students use the back sides. Once everyone has completed their piece, give students time to put the puzzle together. Once they’re done, apply clear contact paper over the puzzle and turn it into a hangable piece of art for your classroom.

12. Set aside one-on-one time

Spend a few minutes one-on-one with each of your students. Ask them questions. Find out what interests them and what they’re excited or nervous about this school year. Have a laugh or offer words of encouragement. Tell them about yourself too. It’s a great opportunity to help students feel seen and welcome in your classroom. Plus you gain valuable knowledge you can use throughout the year to connect with your students.

14. Just play!

Remember that you don’t have to have every single minute of your first day together scripted. Yes, there should be structure and limits. But hopefully, you’ll be able to build in a good amount of free play time. So much can be gained by just giving students time to explore and talk and get comfortable in their new environment. Set up stations with Play-Doh, art supplies, books, blocks, etc., and let students choose.

15. Try a few Kagan strategies

Kagan strategies are play-based activities that help build a positive classroom community. Activities like Find Someone Who, Mix-Pair-Share, Team Charades, and more are designed to not only be fun but also to boost self-esteem, enhance learning, and promote risk-taking. Learn more with our roundup What Are Kagan Strategies?

17. Document the beginning

Kids grow so much over the course of a school year. Be sure to capture a snapshot of each student on the first day and do an All About Me writing activity. Then, after displaying them for a while, put them in a safe place. At the end of the year, do the same thing and compare how much they’ve changed and grown! Check out this variety of options.

19. Set the stage for a great year

The key to a well-planned classroom management system is finding out what works best for you and for your particular group of students each year. Here are 20+ teacher-tested Brilliant Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques to help you design and maintain your ideal classroom learning environment.

20. Create art together

Get to know your new students with creative projects that incorporate writing and art. From Summer in a Jar to Heart Maps and more, your students will love these Awesome Art and Writing Activities for the New School Year.

22. Play a team-building game

Team-building activities are a super way to kick off the first day of school. They give your students the chance to get to know one another, build trust as a community, and, best of all, let them have fun! Try some of our favorites: Awesome Team-Building Activities for Kids.

24. Use a beach ball

A classic get-to-know-you activity, this fun game of toss comes with a twist. Take an inexpensive blow-up beach ball, and using a Sharpie, write questions in each of the ball’s colored sections. Include questions like “What is your favorite color?,” “Do you like breakfast, lunch, or dinner best?,” “What is your favorite sport?,” “When is your birthday?,” etc. Gather the kids in a circle and toss the ball around. When a student catches the ball, they read and answer the question under their right thumb. Continue around until everyone has had a chance to answer.

Want 11 more first-day-of-school activities? Grab our free printable bundle.

This free bundle includes all of these worksheets:

• Classmate Bingo
• All About Me page
• Back-to-School Scavenger Hunt
• Writing prompts
• First-day-of-school Venn diagram
• First-day-of-school poem
• I wish my teacher knew …
• First-Day Flip-Book
• What we do when …
• What our classroom looks like during …
• 3, 2, 1 Back to School

Plus, check out Welcoming Classroom Doors for Back to School.