30 First Day of School Activities for Elementary Students
The first day of school activities, you choose, sets the tone for everything that follows. Students are nervous, curious, and watching everything you do — and the right mix of icebreakers, community building, and creative activities can turn that anxious energy into something that actually works in your favor.
These are 30 first day of school activities for elementary classrooms that help students feel at home, learn each other’s names, and give you a real picture of who you’re working with this year.
This post contains links to affiliate websites, such as Amazon, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you using these links. We appreciate your support!
Icebreakers and Name Games for the First Day of School
The earlier students know each other’s names, the faster the classroom starts to feel like a community. These icebreakers are low-pressure, easy to run, and genuinely fun — even for students who are shy.
1. Beach Ball Icebreaker
Write questions on a beach ball with a permanent marker before the day starts. Sit in a circle, toss the ball, and whoever catches it answers any question visible on the ball before tossing it to someone else. It gets students talking without putting anyone too much on the spot. Works at every grade level. Grades K–5.
2. Just Like Me
Sit in a large circle. One student stands and shares something they did over the summer. Any student who did the same thing stands up and says “Just like me!” enthusiastically, then sits back down. Students quickly discover what they have in common, and the energy in the room picks up fast. Grades K–5.
3. Human Bingo / Find Someone Who
Give each student a bingo-style card with squares like “flew on an airplane” or “has a dog.” Students walk around the room, finding classmates who fit each square and writing their name in it. The first student to fill the whole board wins. This is also called Find Someone Who — you can grab a free version to use right away. Grades 1–5.
4. Two Truths and a Lie
Each student shares three “facts” about themselves — two true and one made up. The class guesses which one is the lie. Prepare for some creative answers and a lot of laughter. It’s also a good way for you to learn surprising things about your students early on. Grades 2–5.
5. Teacher Q&A
Let students ask you questions — favorite food, favorite color, favorite animal, anything they want to know. You can answer on the spot, or turn it into a quiz where they guess your answers first. Students love knowing something personal about their teacher, and it establishes right away that you’re a person, not just a classroom authority figure. Grades K–5.
6. Play a Name Game
Pick one name game and do it. Any of them. A classic: each student says their name and something they like that starts with the same letter (Marcus likes movies, Sarah likes soccer). Every time students hear each other’s names in a structured context, the names stick a little better. Here are 37 name games if you want options for different grade levels. Grades K–5.
Community Building Activities for Elementary Students
Community doesn’t happen automatically — it’s built deliberately, especially in those first days. These activities give students a shared experience to point back to all year.
7. Community Building Puzzle
Leave a puzzle piece and box of crayons on each desk before students arrive. When they walk in, they write their name and color every inch of the piece. Later in the day, the class assembles the puzzle together — and it becomes a bulletin board display titled something like “A Perfect Fit for a Perfect Year.” It’s a calm morning activity that gives you time to greet families at the door, and the finished puzzle stays up all year as a reminder that everyone belongs. Get the Community Building Puzzle here. Grades K–5.
8. Getting to Know You Small Group Craftivity
Break students into small groups and give each group paper shapes to cut out and decorate. Students complete sentence starters like “I feel appreciated when…” and share within their group. It’s a quiet, creative way for students to learn something real about the people they’re sitting with. Find the full activity here. Grades 1–5.
Getting to Know You Small Group Craftivity for Back-to-School
Help your students learn to work together as a team within their table groups. This folding person craftivity asks students to reflect on what they can do to effectively work with other students.
9. Classroom Cheer
Spend a few minutes at the end of the first day brainstorming a class cheer together. Students love contributing to something that belongs to the whole group, and you’ll use it all year to celebrate wins. Keep it simple, silly, and theirs. Grades K–5.
10. Start a Community Circle
A community circle is one of the most useful routines you can establish from day one. Students sit together, share ideas and feelings, and learn to listen to each other. Use it on the first day to introduce yourselves, talk about hopes for the year, or just decompress at the end of the day. The routine pays off all year long. Grades K–5.
Need ideas of questions you can ask your students? This post directs you to the right question for the right purpose.
11. Social Contract
Post four large papers around the room, each with a different question: How do I want to be treated by the teacher? By other students? How do I treat the teacher? How do we solve conflicts? Students write answers on sticky notes and place them on the posters. Then small groups sort the responses and identify the most common themes. The result becomes the class’s Social Contract — a set of expectations students helped create. Because they made it, they own it. Grades 3–5.
12. Class Mission Statement
Work with students to write a class mission statement or pledge they recite each morning. It connects naturally to student goal setting — once students define who they are as a class, they can set goals that align with it. Even younger students can contribute to a simple class promise. Grades 1–5.
13. What I Really Want to Learn
Put up a large piece of chart paper and have each student write one thing they genuinely want to learn this year. Read through the responses and look for opportunities to weave student interests into your curriculum throughout the year. Students notice when you follow through on this. Grades 1–5.
First Day of School Read-Alouds
A good read-aloud on the first day does double duty — it settles the class and opens up conversations about feelings, names, belonging, and community. These three are worth having on your shelf every year.
14. First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
First Day Jitters is a perfect first-day read because the twist at the end catches students off guard and gets them talking. After reading, have students write you a letter with advice about why you shouldn’t be nervous. It gets them thinking about their own feelings while building empathy. Bonus: serve Jitter Juice alongside it for a memorable first morning. Grades K–3.
15. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
This one is a kindergarten and first grade staple for good reason — it speaks directly to the separation anxiety many young students feel. After reading, have students trace their hands, add a heart to the palm, and fold the fingers down. Send it home at the end of the day. It becomes a keepsake families genuinely appreciate. Grades K–1.
16. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
After reading, ask students to go home and find out how they got their name. Have them write about it as their first writing assignment of the year. Students learn something about themselves, share it with the class, and you get a piece of writing that tells you a lot about each student right away. Grades 2–5.
Creative Activities and Crafts for the First Day
Creative activities give students something to do with their hands, which is especially useful during the more anxious parts of the first day. These also produce keepsakes that mean something by the end of the year.
17. Back-to-School Bus Craftivity
This is a great end-of-day wind-down activity. Students complete a flap book where they tell about themselves, reflect on the first day, review the rules, and think about what makes a good classmate. It keeps students productively busy while giving you time to wrap up the day. Parents love taking it home. Get the Bus Craftivity Flap Book here. Grades K–3.
Bus Craftivity Flap Book for Back-to-School
Make back-to-school fun with this engaging flap book craftivity! Perfect for the first weeks of school, this resource helps students share about themselves, learn classroom expectations, and build community through writing and creativity.
18. Self-Portrait
Have students draw themselves on the first day. Keep the portraits and repeat the activity on the last day of school. The comparison between August and June is always striking — both in drawing ability and in how much older students look. Display the first-day portraits in the hallway to welcome visitors to your classroom. Grades K–5.
19. Dear Me Letter
Ask students to write a letter to their future self about what they’re hoping for this year, what they’re nervous about, or how they’re feeling right now. Seal the letters and return them on the last day of school. Students are always amazed at how much their handwriting changed — and how much they’ve grown. Grades 2–5.
20. When I Grow Up
Ask students what they want to be when they grow up — and actually listen. You’ll hear answers that surprise you, and you can use those dreams to make personal connections throughout the year. (“Didn’t you say you wanted to be a marine biologist? We’re studying ecosystems this week — pay attention to this part.”) Grades K–5.
21. Name Tags and Labels
Let students write their own names and decorate a border on name cards for their desks or cubbies. Laminate them for durability. It’s a simple activity that gives students ownership over their space from day one. Grades K–5.
22. Photo Keepsake
Take a photo of each student on the first day and again on the last day. Share the side-by-side comparison at the end of the year — it’s one of those moments students and families genuinely love. If photos aren’t logistically easy, a self-portrait drawing (see #18) works just as well. Grades K–5.
23. Kindness Quilt
Give each student a square of fabric or heavy paper to decorate with kind words and drawings. Assemble the squares into a class quilt and display it in the room all year. It becomes a visual anchor for classroom community and a reminder of what students built together on day one. Grades 1–5.
Exploring the Classroom on the First Day of School
Students who know where things are and how the space works feel safer. These activities turn the classroom itself into content.
24. Classroom and School Tour
Walk students through the classroom first — where supplies live, what areas are just for them, what areas are yours. Then take them on a tour of the school: bathrooms, gym, cafeteria, computer lab. For new students especially, this reduces anxiety about basic logistics. If your social studies standards include maps, this is also a natural hook for a mapping unit. Grades K–2 especially.
25. Classroom Scavenger Hunt
Turn the classroom tour into a scavenger hunt. Give students a list of things to find or questions to answer about the room and school. They can work independently or in pairs. It’s active, it’s social, and students learn the space without it feeling like a lecture. Grades 1–5.
26. Sticky Note Survey
Draw a large bar graph on chart paper. Ask a survey question (“What’s your favorite season?” “How do you get to school?”) and have each student place a sticky note in the correct column. Change the question throughout the day. Students love the interactivity, and you can naturally weave in math concepts like data and graphing — which makes it a genuine lesson, not just a filler. Grades K–5.
27. STEM Challenge
A well-designed STEM challenge on the first day does exactly what you want: it gets students working together, problem-solving, and talking — before they’ve had time to feel awkward about any of it. It also signals right away that your classroom is a place where curiosity is valued. Grades 2–5.
Here are 10 back-to-school STEM challenges designed specifically for the first week.
Classroom Procedures and Expectations
The best first-day activities mean nothing if students don’t know how to function in your classroom. Weave procedures throughout the day — don’t save them for one long block.
28. Teach and Practice Classroom Procedures
Don’t skip this. It’s the most important thing you do on the first day. Go slowly through every routine that matters — how to get the teacher’s attention, how to work with a partner, how to transition between activities. Model the right way, model the wrong way, then model the right way again. Have students practice. Have them practice again. The investment pays off every single day for the rest of the year. Grades K–5.
29. Discuss Student and Teacher Roles
Talk with students about what they expect from you and what you expect from them. Anchor charts that define “what a good student does” and “what a good teacher does” make expectations concrete and give students agency. This connects naturally to goal setting activities you can introduce in the first week. Grades 1–5.
Do students know what their classroom roles are, how to make friends, and how their parents can help them at home? Teach it during the first week of school.
30. One-on-One Time With Each Student
This one isn’t dramatic, but it matters. Find a few moments throughout the day to connect individually with each student — when you’re handing out supplies, during independent work time, or at the door. Say their name. Ask one genuine question. Jot a quick note on a sticky note so you remember. By the end of the first day, you’ll have a richer picture of your class than any first-day activity can give you on its own. Grades K–5.
Building Your First-Day Plan With These Activities
You don’t need all 30 of these first day of school activities for elementary students in one day. Pick 4 to 6 that fit your grade level and your students, and plan more than you think you’ll need. The first day rarely goes exactly as expected — having extra in your back pocket means you’re never scrambling. Mix community building with procedures, creative work with movement, and you’ll end the day with students who feel like they belong in your classroom.
Looking for ready-made resources to use on day one? The Community Building Puzzle, Getting to Know You Small Group Craftivity, and Back-to-School Bus Craftivity are all designed for K–5 and ready to use the moment students walk in.
Want to Reduce Disruptions So You Can Actually Teach?
Check out this 100% FREE Micro Training
from my friend Linda over at Teach 4 the Heart.
Creating a calm classroom environment can be hard…and you probably didn’t learn everything you needed to about classroom management in college. (I know I didn’t!)
But there is hope and a way to make your teaching experience more fulfilling and less stressful.
Watch this quick 28-minute training to learn how you can minimize disruptions so you can actually teach your content (and get to do the projects & activities that make learning more fun for EVERYONE!
Linda WON’T just tell you to “build relationships” because, frankly, even the best connections can’t eliminate all classroom challenges. Achieving a smooth-running class requires a more nuanced approach.
So join me for this FREE 28-minute training and discover their Calm Classroom Blueprint, used by thousands of teachers to:
- Significantly reduce disruptions during lessons & work times.
- Gain confidence In handling challenging situations (that previously left them dumbfounded).
- Lower daily stress levels and find joy in teaching again!
On thing I always do on the first day of school is have my students do an information card– this helps me randomly pull students names the next few days when I’m still getting to know their names!
I teach first grade, and I always do a ‘tour’ of the classroom. They get to see where the supplies are, and this is a time for me to define teacher and student areas.
I really love reading “First Day Jitters” on the first day of school and having students write a letter to the teacher about why she shouldn’t be scared! It is so cute at really any grade2-5!
I have a giant metal bowl that the students sit in one at a time. Each student gets to sit in it, we say their name and spin them in the bowl to get to know each others names. They love it:)
One thing I always do on the first day of school is get my students to think outside the box & complete breakers that emphasize team building, etc.
One thing that I do on the first day of school is I have my students complete an information sheet. It asks questions like what is their favorite…color, animal, food, dessert, candy bar, book, television show. What is the most interesting place they have been. What do they want to be when they grow up. Who is the person they most admire. I collect these sheets and each week one is pulled and I read the answers. Students quess who they think the owner is. The owner then reveals themselves if no one selected them. The owner is then the student of the week.
At the end of every school year, I have my students write letters to the new students who will be in my class the next year. I pass them out on the first day of school and my new students read and keep them.
On the first day, we always read “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” The kids always get such a kick out of writing their own stories about summer, and I love seeing which kiddos are serious and which ones have wild imaginations!
I really enjoy reading your emails!
Every year on the first day of school, we draw first day of school selfies. Then on the last day (or close to that) we draw a new one and then compare. My kids love it.
This is only my 3rd year that I’ll be starting, but something I enjoy doing is playing a get to know you game of some sort. I teach first grade, so it’s something the kiddos love and it helps break the ice for the students that don’t already know one another.
A fun game that I have used at various elementary grades and now in middle school is “Just Like Me”. Students sit with their chairs arranged in a large circle/oval (the whole class makes one oval). One person starts by telling something they did over summer. For instance, the first person might stand up and say, “I went on an airplane!” if anyone else in the oval traveled on an airplane over summer, those students (and teacher, if true for the teacher too) stand up and say, “JUST LIKE ME!” (They are to practice being enthusiastic about it.) Then, the person to the left continues with something different. The game continues until every person in the circle has had a chance to start. This game can be played after summer, after a weekend, as an “about me” type of game (“I play the piano.”), and so on. It’s a great way for players to find commonalities with classmates! 🙂
I love this
Understood I do to! She helped me on the first day of 2ed grade!
Jean your comment is 100% correct!
It’s all about setting tone on the first day, so I love to play goofy “get-to-know-you” games! I switch them up every year, but I like to lighten things up and let the kids get to know me a little bit too!
I always play a Name game to break the ice. I also always talk about the word EXPECTATIONS!
I always read “First Day Jitters” and we make and drink “Jitter Juice” to wash those nerves. I also take a picture of each student holding a cute first day sign and send it to their parent to help those grown-up jitters. 🙂
Lori I love this as a first year teacher I would love to copy your idea and make it my new annual tradition please!! I would also love to win the gift card.
Great idea. How do you get the picture to the patent?
We always do First Day Selfies! I use these photos to put up in the room with their “Hopes and Dreams” for the year.
I always greet students at the door!
I am a new(ish) teacher who is excited to start he school year with a gallery walk to get my students up and to know me, and then have them create their own artifact bag so they can teach the class about themselves later in the week! 🙂
One thing I always do on the first day of school is have a 2-3 minute conversation with each and every student at some point during the day. It’s a short amount of time, but I learn a lot from them and they can begin to see how much I care about each one of them.
I take a picture of my students holding a sign that says “First Day of –Grade”. In June I repeat with a sign that says “Ready for — Grade” I use these pages as a beginning and and to their writing portfolio.
We always have a snowball fight! The students write 3 things about themselves on a piece of paper and crumple it up. The students get to toss around the papers for a minute or two. When the time is uo, they all pick one, read the clues out loud ang guess who it was! We of course go over what is acceptable before tossing the snowballs!
I always have my students tell me what they hope to learn in science for the year and to list their ideas for science projects.
I always have my students do a peek a boo prtrait of themselves and list their three goals for the school year!
We always take first day of school pictures! My kiddos love to compare these to the Last day of school pictures at the end of the year! They grow so much, in so many ways!
Every year on the first day of school I take a picture of each student. We use them throughout the year for various projects.
I always have everyone introduce themselves.
I love the first day of school; maybe it’s the smell of new books or the idea that this year I will teach my nephew the richness of reading those new books. We take our first day slow and go over our class rules and my expectations for the year. This year my daughter will be in first grade and this is a huge year for her as she has been watching for four years and not truly participating. Very excited about this year.
I always read “First Day Jitters” by Julie Danneberg so students realize that new beginnings cause many people, even teachers, to feel nervous. Students love the illustrations and humor. This is often accompanied by a discussion and an art/writing activity. We revisit this story, as it’s in the “Treasures” third grade book, and use it to analyze many literary elements.
A Bingo sheet with different items on it, “has blue eyes,” “has been to Galveston beach,”, etc. This way the kids know what they have in common and it is a great ice-breaker.
On The first day of school, I always have the students decorate a gingerbread cut out and decorate it to look like themselves and after the students go home, I laminate the gingerbread cut-outs. Then I cut them out and attach the cut-outs to the student’s lockers.
One thing I always do on the first day of school is read “First Day Jitters.” My students and I always have a great conversation after about how even teachers can be nervous for the first day.
This year will be my second year teaching, and I am going to start my first day with an all about me page! I’m super excited to use this as a way to get to know my students! I’m also going to read “The Night Before 1st Grade.” I’m hoping to get my kiddos excited for the coming year!
On the first day, we complete how we go home graphs. We also draw a self portrait and work together creating our class mission, rules, and jobs.
First day jitters… more for me! Lol. Time capsules. And procedures.
ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL I TAKE PICTURES OF ALL MY STUDENTS. WE GATHER IN A CIRCLE AND PLAY NAME GAMES AND DO A SCAVENGER HUNT. ONCE WE HAVE WARMED UP TO EACH OTHER WE DISCUSS AND SET WHOLE CLASS AND INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR THE YEAR!
I have always read Salt In His Shoes. This year I’m teaching growth mindset, but that book still works!
One of the things I always do on the first day is a Teacher Quiz. It’s going to be particularly interesting this year because I will have been with my students for three years. Curious to see what they know or think they know:)
I always like to do some kind of STEM team-building exercise. It gives the kids a chance to work together and get comfortable, and it gives me the potential to get to know what kind of learners I have right off the bat! I can see who has strong leadership skills, who is struggling to have their voice heard, who has outside of the box thinking capabilities, who is a more concrete and hands-on learner, etc. It’s such an informal quick glance at who my students are!
One thing I always do on the first day of school is have a longer morning meeting. I first explain to my students what morning meeting is, what it will consist of everyday and my expectations for a smooth meeting. Students then start with a simple name greeting and a dolphin wave (our school’s mascot is a dolphin), so that everyone gets a chance to learn each others names. I have a simple back-to-school share posted on my morning message and each student goes around the circle and shares one highlight from their summer. This gives everyone a chance to start learning about one another and helps to start building a positive classroom community. I select someone to read to the morning message, and then we have an activity. Since it’s the first day of school, I start with a dance party to help take some of their nerves away… the kids love it!!! I then let them do a second activity (You want them to have the best first day ever!) and I have a Find-Someone-Who activity that they complete. It gets students up and moving, as well as talking to one another from the very beginning. I then have students share what they learned about their classmates. This helps establish a strong community right from the start and helps students begin to feel comfortable… their smiles last the whole day! The first day of school is without a doubt one of my favorite days of the year 🙂
I’m changing grade levels this year, so I’m looking for some changes for the beginning of this year. But something I always do (that I will still make a point to do this year) is make sure I have a short conversation with each student. It’s so important to develop those relationships!
I’ve only completed one full year of teaching, but for the last two years, I’ve started the school year our by sitting on the floor with my students to reassure them that I care about them, will respect them, and will always try my best to foster their learning in fresh ways.
I always read a funny or silly book.
One thing I always do the first day of school is read, First Day Jitters and the scholars write their own feelings about the first day of school. We use this as their first writing of the school then document growth throughout the year.
Getting to know the students and friend banners so they can get to know each other! ❤️
One thing I always do in the first day of school is a get to know me Q and A. The kids always have some many questions about who I am. I want them to know I am an open book and they can trust me. I feel like answering their questions makes me more than just the teacher but an actual person they can relate to.
I always have large paper grocery bags lining the back wall for each student to dump their supplies into and a mini essential set of supplies at their desk to immediately get started with.
I have the students write a letter to themselves that I will return to them the last week of school.
On the first day of school, I always go over my classroom expectations, as well as our school wide expectations since we are a PBS school. We spend a lot of time modeling these expectations in different locations of our school. Then I always read First Day Jitters to them. We predict the book and then we compare/contrast ourselves to Sarah in the story.
I am going to do a get to know you game. The students will write at least 3 things about their shoulder partner and present it to the class. Students usually have fun introducing their classmates.
Smile!
I always read a “first day” book (depending on what I get from the library) and let the students explore the class for a bit and give them an opportunity to look through the books!
I always give the kids a pop quiz….about me! It’s a fun way for them to see what they already know about me and to learn new things about their teacher. I then let them ask (nearly) anything they want about me. It’s fun to see what kind of questions they come up with!
The first day of school, we always play getting to know you games and share our highlights of our summer adventures.
My school is very small (10 kids per grade!) And I’m a well known teacher… So my first day tradition is a chemistry experiment and discovering together what makes for good classroom “chemistry”
Love your resources!
One thing I always do on the first day of school is make an anchor chart for “What kind of teacher do you want me to be?” The students tell me all the different thing and I tell them these are my essential agreements. Then we make the class essential agreements and the students sign the anchor chart like I sign mine. That way we all have our agreements to follow for the year. We revisit these in January and call them our New Year’s Resolutions.
I always read “The Night Before First Grade” and the class writes and illustrates how they feel on the first day of school.
The first thing I always do on the first day of school is to have a welcome back party. The kids shocked. I start out by asking them why we only have a party at the end of the year. Why don’t we have a party because we are so excited about being back at school and looking forward to all the exciting and challenging activities they will experience. I usually serve a variety of donut holes, orange or apple juice and bananas and grapes. Then we sit together and share summer stories and talk about expectations for the year. They love to talk! It really sets the tone for the entire year.
As a school we always do common areas expectations. My para brings the kids to the different locations and teach staff member is assigned an area to teach. I always get stuck with the computer lab.