First Week of School Activities
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated March 22, 2024
First Week of School Activities for your Classroom
The first week back to school is an important and exciting time. As teachers, we know it is crucial for setting the tone for the year ahead, building relationships, and establishing classroom routines. It is the perfect time to foster a sense of community and excitement about learning among the students in your classroom.
Looking for some ready to teach activities for the first week of school? Click on the image or button below to see all of the back to school resources available in my TPT shop!
(This post contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!)
20 Fun First Week of School Activities
In this post we explore 20 engaging first week of school activities designed for upper elementary and middle school classrooms – they aim to break the ice, ignite curiosity, and create a collaborative (and fun!) learning environment. Read on for 20 of my very favorite first week of school activities!
1- Enjoy A classroom Scavenger Hunt
Create a scavenger hunt that helps students familiarize themselves with the classroom and school grounds. Include fun facts about the school or classroom rules as part of the clues to blend learning with exploration.
2- Introduce Students to Your Classroom Library
In order to become avid readers, students need to be presented with quality books and time to read them. Having a well stocked classroom library allows students to be surrounded by books on a regular basis. This provides opportunities for them to pick them up and explore them at a moments notice.
Your first week of school activities should include some time to introduce your students to your classroom library. Share some favorite books, do a few book talks, and give students time to explore and read. This is a great way to introduce some quiet moments into days that are often exciting a bit chaotic.
Read more about classroom libraries, and grab a great freebie, by checking out our post on Building a High Interest Classroom Library.
3- Play Two Truths and a Lie
This classic icebreaker has each student share two truths and one lie about themselves, with classmates guessing the lie. It’s a fantastic way to learn interesting facts about each other and spark conversations.
Grab all of the templates to complete this fun icebreaker (and a whole pile of other activities!) by clicking on the image or button below!
4- Create Interest Inventories
Have students fill out an interest inventory or questionnaire. This not only helps you get to know your students better but also allows you to tailor lessons to their interests, increasing engagement.
Grab some print and go interest inventories by clicking on the image or button below!
5- Play Question Ball
Use a beach ball with different get-to-know-you questions written on each section. Toss the ball around the classroom; when a student catches it, they answer the question facing them. This lively activity is great for building a comfortable and open classroom atmosphere from day one.
6- Share Some Fun Read Alouds
Sharing read-alouds during the first week of school is a wonderful way to welcome students into the world of literature and create a shared classroom experience. It’s not just about reading a story; it’s an opportunity to ignite imagination, foster a love for reading, and introduce themes and discussions relevant to students’ lives. Read-alouds can also provide comfort and build a sense of community, showing students that their classroom is a place where stories are valued and shared.
Some of my favorite read alouds for back to school are listed below:
- Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller
- All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
- On the Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
- A Letter From Your Teacher on the First Day of School by Shannon Olsen
- Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen
For more information on fun books to use for first week of school activities, check out our very favorite back to school read aloud!
7- Create Personal Mandalas
This creative activity involves students in crafting their own personalized mandalas. Within these mandalas, they incorporate symbols and colors that mirror their unique personalities. This activity significantly heightens student engagement and encourages introspection. It facilitates a deeper understanding of their identities and offers you insights into their individual personalities, making it one of my very favorites first week of school activities.
Grab a copy of these resources to use with your learners by clicking on the image below.
Read more about this fun activity in our post all about personal mandalas!
8- Play Four Corners
When it comes to first week of school activities, “4 Corners” is a fantastic way to get students moving, laughing, and breaking the ice.
First, label each corner of your classroom with a number from 1 to 4. Explain that when the music starts (or when you say “Go”), students must choose a corner to stand in. Once everyone has chosen a corner, randomly select a number between 1 and 4—this can be done with a dice roll, drawing numbers from a hat, or using an app. Students standing in the corner with the selected number are either “out” for that round or can be given a small task like answering a get-to-know-you question. The game continues with fewer and fewer students in each round until you have winners, or you can simply restart the game to keep everyone involved.
“4 Corners” not only helps students familiarize themselves with the classroom but also encourages them to make choices and interact with different classmates, making it a perfect activity for building community right from the start.
9- Take Learning Outside
Outdoor learning adventures make excellent first week of school activities. Outdoor learning not only offers a change of scenery but also introduces students to the concept of the environment as an extended classroom, where learning is not confined to four walls. This approach can significantly boost engagement, creativity, and well-being by providing fresh air, natural light, and a more relaxed setting that often encourages more open communication and collaboration among students.
For a wide variety of different outdoor learning projects that make great first week of school activities, click on the image or button below!
To learn more about taking learning outdoors, check out our guide to Place Based Education!
10- Complete Learning Style Inventories
Learning Style Inventories help you understand how your students prefer to learn. They’re designed to provide quick insights at the start of the school year. Having this knowledge allows you to vary how you teach and customize your lessons to meet the unique needs of the learners in your classroom.
Students also benefit significantly from recognizing their personal learning styles. Firstly, being equipped with this vital information encourages them to assume ownership of their own learning journey. Moreover, it aids them in identifying the most effective approaches for absorbing new information.
Grab a copy of these engaging learning style resources by clicking on the image below.
Read more about using learning styles in the classroom by checking out our complete guide!
11- Encourage Calm with a Word search
Word searches can be great ways to calm anxious minds, making them perfect first week of school activities. Grab a great back to school worksheet for FREE by clicking on the image or button below!
12- Create a classroom Contract
Collaboratively create a classroom contract that outlines expectations, rules, and goals. Involving students in this process empowers them and fosters a sense of responsibility and community.
13- Share a Laugh with Would You Rather Activates
Engaging students in challenging yet fun activities can be a hard task for any teacher, but using “Would You Rather” writing prompts in upper elementary is an excellent way to get kids involved and excited about learning. Not only are ‘Would You Rather?’ activities fun and interactive, but they also provide many educational and developmental benefits. This makes them excellent first week of school activities!
Grab some FREE Would You Rather Prompts to use for first week of school activities by clicking on the image or button below!
14- Encourage new friendships
Encouraging new friendships during the first weeks of school is vital for creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment. As students transition from the familiarity of old friendships or face the anxiety of being in a new school, fostering connections becomes key to their social and emotional well-being.
Teachers can play a significant role in this process by organizing activities designed for students to learn about each other’s interests, cultures, and backgrounds. Encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones to form new bonds helps build a supportive community where learning thrives on the foundation of strong, positive relationships.
15- Create Vision Boards
Let students create vision boards that represent their goals and aspirations for the school year. Use magazines, stickers, and drawings for a creative and inspiring activity that personalizes their learning space.
16- Share Summer News
Have students share the highs and lows of their summer vacations with this fun free activity. Students use the included templates to write about and illustrate key events of their summer break. Grab a copy to use with your learners by clicking on the image or button below!
17- Encourage a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is an invaluable asset for students to have in the classroom. It means developing a positive attitude towards learning, understanding that mistakes are part of the process and embracing challenges as opportunities for personal development. A growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed with effort and practice.
For more information about growth mindset in the classroom, and ways you can incorporate it into your first week of school activities, check out these 5 activities!
18- Set Goals for the Year
Lead a goal-setting workshop where students identify academic and personal goals for the year. Discussing steps to achieve these goals can help students start the year with a clear focus and motivation.
19- Celebrate with a cereal party
Celebrate the new school year with a fun breakfast party! This has always been a memorable activity for the learners in my classroom. Have students volunteer to bring in box of cereal to share with the class, as well as a spoon and bowl. On the day of the party, stop on your way to school and pick up a few jugs of milk. Then, place all of the cereal boxes and milk at the front of the classroom, and celebrate the new year by enjoying breakfast together. It is an easy and relatively mess-free way to share an informal meal with the learners in your classroom!
20- Create Cereal Box Autobiographies
Save the empty cereal boxes from the cereal party and use them to make cereal box autobiographies! Using the empty boxes and the templates provided in the resource below, have students create personal cereal boxes that share important details about them. This is a fun twist on the typical “All About Me Project”, and the completed projects make gorgeous bulletin board displays!
Grab a copy of this activity by clicking on the image or button below!
Looking for More First Week of School Activities?
Check out some of my previous posts below!
Back to School Resource Roundup
Six Things Every ELA Teacher Should Do at the Start of a New School Year
Essential Activities for the First Week of School
Back to School Read Aloud Favorites
Interested in Signing up for my Email List?
If you are interested in signing up for my email list, you can do so by clicking on the link below. I periodically send out emails with free resources, teaching tips, and exclusive deals. Signing up will also give you immediate access to some of my best selling Interactive Notebook resources – foldable projects, graphic organizers, and other fun activities.
