Back to School Activities for the First Week
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated June 11, 2025
In beautiful BC, Canada, we are about a month away from returning to our classrooms. I am not sure about you, but to me this summer seems to be flying by at an alarming rate. While I am spending this year away from the classroom, I can honestly say that I miss all of the hustle and bustle that the first week brings. There is something really exciting and wonderful about getting into the building to decorate the room. I honestly loved being able to crack open the new boxes of school supplies and start prepping back to school activities for the first few weeks back. I have always enjoyed the enthusiasm and anticipation that a fresh new year brings.
Grab some no-prep activities to help make your back to school season run smoothly by checking out the resources in my TPT shop – just click on the image or button below!
Back to school Activities
It isn’t all rainbows though, as a new year can sometimes be a bit nerve racking. With things like school swaps, grade changes, new students to build rapport and connections with, and all sorts of professional development requirements, a new year can sometimes be a bit stressful. Because there is so much to think about, I thought I would take a little off your plate by sharing some of my top tips for back to school activities to help structure the first week back in the trenches.
For additional back to school activities and tips, be sure to check out our Back to School Resource Roundup!
Get to Know Your Students
As teachers, we know that the most important thing to do at the start of the school year is to get to know your students. I have always found that the best way to do this is to go straight to the source, and ask the students themselves. Middle School students are typically quite good at articulating who they are as learners. They often have a solid understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.
These Learning Style Inventories are a great way to get to know your students as learners and make perfect back to school activities. These back to school activities are designed to do this quickly and effectively at the start of a new school year. Knowing this information helps me to switch up my lessons and projects. In addition, it helps me to meet the needs of the learners in my room.
Knowing their personal learning style is very helpful for students as well. First, knowing this important information helps them to take responsibility for their own learning. Also, it helps them to figure out the best ways for them to learn information.
Grab my complete Learning Styles Inventory resource by clicking here or on the above image. For more information on teaching all about learning styles in the classroom, check out our complete guide to learning styles in the classroom!
For another fun way to get to know your students during the first week, be sure to check out our post about personal mandala art projects!
Help Students make peer connections
As important as it is for you to get to know your students, it is also crucially important for them to get to know each other. Building bonds quickly helps make everyone feel included. In addition, it builds classroom community and makes classroom discussions and partner work run much more smoothly.
To do this, for back to school activities I like to build in some icebreakers into my lessons. Playing through a few rounds of “Two Truths and a Lie” or “Would You Rather” is a surefire way to get the kids mixing and mingling. They also make for great classroom discussions!
You an grab these icebreakers in my Middle School Back to School Bundle by clicking here or on the image above.
For more fun activities to get students up and moving, check out our favorite brain break activities!
Assign Meaningful Tasks that provide time for reflection
It is also important to center ourselves during the craziness of the first week. To achieve this, I make sure to assign some back to school activities that students can work on quietly and independently. This gives me time to meet with students one on one, while giving the rest of the class time to focus and reflect.
These back to school activities ask students to share some fun facts about themselves. When completed, I add the completed worksheets to each student’s record folder. This way I can go back and re-read them at different points during the year. I love having this information to start the school year. It helps me to find things that we have in common. Also, it helps me to build connections with the kids right from the start.
The first week back can be overwhelming for everyone, and I think students enjoy the opportunity to have some quiet reflection time as much as I enjoy the calmness it brings to my classroom!
Grab these reflection activities by clicking here or on the image above.
Build Parent Connections
Parents can definitely be our biggest allies in the classroom, and it is super important for them to have an opportunity to share their voices. I like to send these “Parent Perspective” and “Interest Forms” home during the first week, and have students fill them out with their parents. It is a great opportunity for parents to share their insights, concerns, and unique perspectives.
You can grab these forms here or by clicking on the image above.
Interested in testing out some of the activities mentioned in this post?
All of the activities mentioned in this post can be found in the two resources below. Click on the images to head directly to my TPT shop and grab copies for your classroom!
looking FOR MORE back TO school information?
Check out the blog posts below!
Learning Style Activities for Back to School
Back to School Resource Roundup
Mandala Art Projects for Back to School
Do Unto Otters – The Perfect Back to School Read Aloud
Have You Downloaded Our Free Back to School Planning Guide?
Make your Back to School planning easy with this FREE comprehensive planning guide, especially designed for teachers in grades 3-5! This all-inclusive resource is packed with everything you need to streamline your planning process and set a positive tone for the back to school season.
Inside, you’ll find calendar pages to help you stay organized, curated Back to School read aloud lists, engaging activities and worksheets for important dates like Orange Shirt Day and Patriot Day, and a variety of Back to School planning tips and tricks. Engage your students with back to school themed graphic organizers that encourage interaction and learning. Make your monthly planning smooth, efficient, and enjoyable with this essential planning guide!
✅Includes 50+ pages of free teaching tips, activity suggestions, and worksheets – click on the image or button to download for FREE!
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