The first week of school in the primary grades can feel like an absolute whirlwind! With tiny shoes to tie, names to learn, and classroom routines to teach… there’s a lot to keep track of. That’s why having a stash of simple, engaging first week of school activities ready to go can be a total game changer! The ideas I’m sharing today will simplify your planning, ease the transition, build confidence, and ensure plenty of fun to kick-start the year!
Choosing the Right First Week of School Activities
So, what goes into planning your first week of school activities? For me, it’s all about being realistic about what my kids can be expected to do during those first few days. I think we have all likely made the mistake of planning activities and lessons that are a bit too complicated or a bit too advanced for the first few days. That is not what you’ll find here today! Instead, I am going to be focusing on simple, fun, and engaging first week of school activities that will ease you into the year. Here’s what to look for when it comes to your first week of school activities:
- Low-prep because you’re going to be busy!
- Engaging because we want to show our students that school is fun.
- Allows for some get-to-know-you opportunities.
- Simple and don’t require a ton of skills that your kids might not have yet.
Luckily, I’ve got a whole roundup of ideas that fit the bill perfectly. These ideas will blend seamlessly into your day as you work on getting to know your kids, teaching routines and rules, and getting into the swing of things.
Kick off Your First Week of School Activities with a Great Book
Picture books are such a wonderful way to bring your students together, build community, and connect as a class. As you gear up for the first week, consider reading aloud a book like Bitsy Bat, School Star by Kaz Windness. In this book, children will learn what it means to embrace individuality and learn to love and appreciate what makes them unique. I think that this is such a great message to send during the first week of school, as your students are getting to know each other.
After reading, follow up with the activity included in this Shine and Share Bulletin Board Set. Students will write about what makes them special on a cute star cutout. Then, you can display the stars on a bulletin board along with the included letters, banner, and decorative elements. The great thing about this activity is that it encourages children to consider what makes them unique and special, all while giving a great visual of their new classroom family. Not to mention, this adorable bulletin board display can be prepped in advance as you get ready for back-to-school time. Then, after reading and writing, just hang up your stars and you’ve got a cute display that everyone will love!
Get Started with a Morning Work Routine
Perhaps one of the most important things to include in your first week of school activities is something to build a solid morning routine. The way you start the day will make or break how the rest of it goes, so consider working on this from day one! My advice is to choose predictable morning work activities that teach independence, review key skills, and are easy to use.
These Editable Pre-Primer Sight Word Worksheets are just the thing! Each page includes 5 different activities to practice a common sight word, including rainbow writing, tracing, writing, coloring, and building. Students will love practicing a new word each day, and you’ll love that these activities are something they can learn to be totally independent with! As a bonus, they got lots of fine motor practice as well. There’s even a cute joke on each page that your kids will love!
And don’t forget, since these are editable, you can add any words you’d like to focus on. Just type and print for custom morning work pages! Also included in this resource are editable flashcards that are great for centers, fine motor trays, homework review, and more! You’ll find tons of ways to use these activities in the first week and beyond. Looking for primer words instead? You can find those here!
Review Skills with Easy-to-Use Printables
When planning your first week of school activities, you’re going to want to make sure you incorporate some low-prep, yet engaging printables to review important skills. This will majorly lighten your planning and preparation load. And that means it will help ensure you have time to do all the things on your list, without totally losing your mind! My favorite to fill this need? Back to School Color by Code!
This set includes editable coloring pages that cover letters, numbers, sight words, and number sense skills, making them the perfect review option for primary learners! Plus, they have fun back-to-school-themed pictures that are revealed as students color them in. I love to sprinkle these throughout our schedule during the first week of school to ease back into academics. They are great for morning work, centers, independent learning stations, and fast finishers. These coloring pages are editable too! Use the included pre-made pages for quick print and go options, or customize the editable ones with just about any skill you can think of!
If you’re looking for more coloring page options, be sure to check out these Editable CVC Word Mystery Puzzles. These are another great option to weave into your review activities at the beginning of the year. There are 10 pre-made pages with common CVC words included, as well as 11 editable pages that allow you to add any words/skills you’d like.
All About Me Crayon Craft
Are you a fan of classroom crafting? There are so many great benefits to this, and even during the first week of school, I always include a craft or two. The key is to choose a craft that isn’t too tricky for your students to make. This All About Me Crayon Craft is the perfect option that you can work on over the first week of school. Students will write words or sentences and draw pictures to share details about themselves, including:
- This is Me Page
- My Family Page
- My Friends Page
- I like to…. Page
- My Favorite Food Page
- When I Grow Up Page
- My Favorite Animal Page
- My Favorite Toy and so many more!
You can pick and choose which pages to include and prep them ahead of time to make simple booklets. If you have parent helpers, try to delegate this task out! You can work on a page or two per day during the first week of school. Then, when students are finished, they will create a simple crayon craft to make the cover for their booklet. This is such an adorable keepsake that parents always love to see and the kids really enjoy making!
Don’t Forget Games in Your First Week of School Activities
There’s nothing more fun than playing whole-group games, and they are such a great way to build classroom community! Try this Editable CVC Word BINGO for a fun and easy game for the first week. Your students will love playing BINGO so much that they won’t even realize how much they are learning. Not to mention, it’s a great way to teach expectations with games and “break the ice” a little during the first few days.
These BINGO cards have a cute, Back-To-School theme but can be used any time of the year. They cover common CVC words, and even include a fully-editable file that allows you to make your own custom BINGO cards with the words of your choice. You can use the pre-made CVC word cards for a quick and easy low-prep option, or edit them to create your own custom game. I know your kids will love this one!
Give Your Students a Fun Gift
Last on this list, I have some Back to School Bookmarks that make the perfect candy-free gift for students! I like to print these in full-color, on cardstock, and laminate them for each student. Then, I write their names on the back in permanent marker. I like to place them on their desks for the first day as a fun “Welcome to School!” surprise.
There is also a black and white version included that looks great printed off on colorful paper. You can even print these on white paper and let the kids color them to make their own custom bookmarks. No matter what you choose, this is a fun addition to your first week of school activities!
Plan Your First Week of School Activities in a Flash!
Ready to simplify your planning for the first week of school? You can find ALL of these great activities in my Back to School Activity Bundle! This will make planning and preparing for the first week a breeze. Inside you get:
- Color by Code Activities (letters, numbers, sight words, and number sense)
- CVC Words Mystery Pictures
- Back to School CVC Words BINGO
- Editable Sight Word Worksheets & Flashcards
- Back to School Bookmarks
- All About Me Crayon Craft
- Shine & Share Bulletin Board & Writing Activity
This bundle will not only save you money, but it will make planning your first week of school activities quick and easy! Make sure to grab this bundle today and make your first week back in the classroom easier.
Looking Beyond First Week of School Activities?
Once you’ve got your first week in the books and your students are starting to get the hang of your routines and procedures, you might be looking for more centers and activities. Be sure to read this blog next for everything you need to keep the fun going!
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