First Day Of School Feelings Worksheets

Explore these first day of school feelings worksheets and activities to connect with your students from day one.

The first day of school is exciting, but for many kids, it can also feel a little overwhelming.

The thought of a new classroom. New teacher, new friends, new routines. Sooo much new happening around them!

As an educator, one of the most powerful things you can do at the beginning of the year is help your students feel emotionally safe and welcomed.

That’s exactly why I created these first day of school feelings worksheets!

To provide teachers with meaningful tools to support their students as they navigate all those “big feelings” that come with the start of a new school year.

Why Feelings Activities Matter During the First Week of School?

It’s easy to jump into classroom rules, supplies, and schedules. But taking a moment to check in on how your students feel can transform your classroom environment.

When your students know from day one that they can talk about their emotions (or even just name them), it builds trust and connection. Two things I believe every classroom needs to thrive.

I designed these back-to-school feelings printable worksheets and activities specifically for kindergarten, first, and second-grade students.

They’re developmentally appropriate, calming, and open-ended, so students can express themselves in a way that feels natural and safe.

First Day of School Feelings Worksheets Included

This resource is packed with intentional tools to support both you and your students as you all transition into a new school year:

Feelings Journal Cover – Students can color and decorate their feelings journal cover to create a special first day of school feelings journal.

16 Feelings Worksheets – Students will explore their emotions by drawing or coloring how they felt on the first day, at recess, meeting their teacher, trying something new, and more. These open-ended prompts help normalize all feelings, happy, worried, scared, excited, and even unsure.

16 Group Discussion Prompts – Perfect for morning meetings or calm-down time, these prompts encourage verbal expression and classroom community building. Questions like “What was something new you tried today?” and “Can you name a time you felt really happy?” can help build emotional literacy and classroom community.

(These come as printable cards, 4 per page, and are available in both color and black and white.)

8 Emotions Posters – These mini feeling cards feature emotions like happy, sad, worried, excited, grumpy, and more. They’re great for classroom displays, check-ins, or SEL stations.

Suggested Ways You Can Use These Worksheets in the Classroom

The beauty of this resource is its flexibility.

Here are just a few ways you can use it:

• Morning Work – Start each day with a feelings activity as students settle in.

• Reflection Time – Use worksheets during the first day or week of school to create a calm, consistent SEL routine.

• Morning Meetings – Choose discussion cards to spark conversation and connection.

• Partner Shares – After drawing how they feel, students can share their picture with a friend.

• Feelings Walk – Tape the emotions cards around your classroom and have students walk to the one they identify with. From there, they can chat with a friend, you, or draw a quick doodle explaining why they chose that feeling.

I created these activities so that they are not just fun, but also meaningful and thoughtful.

To help you understand your students better and give your students permission to feel all the things that come with being back in the classroom.

Why You Need This Resource?

If you’re an educator who believes that relationships come before routines, this packet is for you.

You’ll be able to:

• Build a foundation of trust with your students

• Create a warm, emotionally safe classroom environment

• Support your students in identifying and expressing their feelings

• Encourage friendship building through discussion and shared reflection

Even if you only use a few pages, the emotional tone you set in the first week will carry through the rest of the school year.

Grab the Feelings Worksheets on TPT!

Grab these printable first day of school activities from my TPT storefront and let your students know that their feelings matter, and that their classroom is a safe place to be exactly who they are.

SHOP FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FEELINGS WORKSHEETS

More Back-To-School Activities

Here are some more back to school blog posts you may be interested in:

• Free back-to-school writing prompts 
• A fun, free back to school activity mat for your students
• Free back to school coloring pages printable pdf

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