In my last blog post, I shared 5 fun icebreaker activities for the first school day to help foster friendships and build a positive classroom community from day one. In today’s blog post, I will share fun first week back at school activities ideas to help release your students and perhaps even your anxieties as everyone returns to the classroom.
Fun First Week Back At School Activities
First impressions are always the lasting ones, right?!
The first week back at school is a time for you and your students to connect and get to know each other, establish classroom routines, set rules and expectations and most importantly (in my opinion) set the tone for your classroom community.
Incorporating fun and engaging back at school activities during the first week of school will foster friendships and inclusivity and a love for learning.
Here are some fun first week back at school activities to kickstart the new school year with a bang!
1. A letter from your teacher on the first day of school
Use this inspiring letter to welcome your students into your life and classroom all while reminding them of their unique strengths and abilities. Reminding them that you are always there to guide them and support them whenever they need your guidance and support.
This letter is perfect for breaking barriers and connecting building trust with your student on the first day of school. Boosting their morals and self-esteem.
Alternatively, you can use these groovy back to school gift tags for meet the teacher nights or on the first day of school.
2. All about my teacher
The first week of school is the perfect time to connect and build a strong and healthy relationship with your students.
These all about my teacher can help you do just that by sharing a bit about yourself with your students – such as your favorite place to vacation or perhaps things you would like to learn.
Explore This All About My Teacher Resource
3. All about me writing
The first week of school is a great time to get to know your students and help your students get to know each other. And that’s where this classic first week of school all about me writing activity packet comes into play.
Students get to share a little bit of themselves such as how many family members are in their household. Favorites. Things that inspire them and things that they are not interested in.
Visit the 3rd & 4th Grades All About Me activity packet.
1st Grade All About Me activity packet.
Kindergarten All About Me activity packet.
PreK and Preschool All About Me activity packet.
4. Would you rather writing
Use these back to school would you rather writing prompts to get kids into a debate while teaching them that everyone’s opinion matters even if their choice differ.
These back-to-school writing prompts are also a fun way to gauge your students’ writing abilities while helping them build fluency in their writing.
These back-to-school opinion writing prompts are designed for 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students.
You could use these writing prompts as part of your:
- morning meet-ups.
- Writing corners.
- Small group discussions.
- Independent work.
- Fun Friday’s writing.
5. Icebreaker Activities
Icebreakers are ideal for breaking barriers and easing your students into new environments. Helping them get acquainted with you and their new classmates, thus building friendships.
Starting your first week of school with icebreaker activities would also set the tone for your classroom, building your classroom community from day one.
In my last blog post, I shared 5 fun and engaging icebreaker activities that I know you and your students would love.
See My Whole Icebreaker Collection
6. Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is right around the corner, so why not stock up on some fun teaching resources while getting your back-to-school shopping done?
Add this fun Hispanic Heritage Month activity packet to help your students embrace diversity and inclusivity through a culture widely celebrated in their county,
Activities included in this fun packet are:
- word scramble.
- word search,
- I Spy
- Guess the Hispanic Heritage famous quotes
- Hispanic Heritage trivia
You may also like this Hispanic Heritage Month bingo game.
7. Digraph worksheets
If you’re a kindergarten, first-grade, or second-grade classroom teacher, you would definitely want to consider grabbing these digraph worksheets to help your students build fluency in digraph consonants – ch, sh, wh, th.
These digraph worksheets include fun activities that would make learning digraphs a breeze. With coloring activities, cut and paste, writing sentences as well as brainstorming digraphs.
8. Math worksheets
What better way to cultivate a love for math than by starting the year with fun and engaging math worksheets?! Sharpen your student’s mathematical skills and foster a positive attitude toward learning.
If your kindergarteners love all things kitties then you would want to grab these kindergarten kitties themed math resource.
These worksheets are ideal for morning work and your math centers.
Looking for a more back-to-school-themed set of math worksheets for your kindies? Then you may prefer this BTS-themed math worksheets resource.
These BTS color by number worksheets would also be a fabulous addition to your math center!
More math resources that you may like!
- Matching numbers to quantities
- Addition fluency 1-10 worksheets
- Addition fluency 1-20 worksheets
- 2nd grade math review packet
- 2nd grade addition and subtraction with and without regrouping
9. Cut and paste activities
Cut and paste are fantastic activities to help kids strengthen their fine motor skills as well as build their confidence. But, that’s not all! At least not with these animal home resources. Students would learn about animal habitats all while building confidence and strengthening their motor skills.
These animals and their habitat resource is a must for your science animal homes unit.
Check Out My Whole Cut and Paste Collection
10. Reading and grammar
Let’s get your reading and grammar lesson plans and centers stocked up! With fun writing prompts, simple reading comprehension passages, and more!
Foster a love for reading within your first graders while reinforcing essential language skills with these bite-size reading comprehension passages with questions.
Other resources you may want to stock up on for your Grammar centers/units:
- Homophones worksheets and anchor charts for 2nd, 3rd & 4th grades
- Parts of speech review worksheets and anchor charts
Writing prompts that are fun to help build your student’s writing fluency:
- Fall would you rather writing prompts
- Bundle and save with all four seasons would you rather writing prompts
You may also like this beginning of the year activities for 2nd and 3rd grades.
It includes back to school math, writing prompts, critical thinking activities, and more!
11. Classroom community-building activities
The first week of school is the ideal opportunity to set the tone for your classroom community. You could do so with icebreaker games and activities as mentioned earlier or you could choose to stock up on these character-building classroom management resources that would be handy during the school year.
These classroom community activities are geared towards 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades.
- Whole class behavior management and self-esteem building worksheets.
- Flexible thinking worksheets
- Bullying prevention and conflict resolution situation
Bundle and Save With All Three Resources
Conclusion
Starting the school year with engaging and enjoyable activities sets a positive tone for the academic year. From icebreaker games to classroom community and character-building activities. All about me writing activities to math and grammar resources.
The first week back to school is the perfect opportunity for students to connect, build relationships, and establish a supportive classroom community. By incorporating fun activities into the curriculum, you would foster a love for learning and create an environment where students feel valued and excited to come to school each day.
Other Posts You Might Love
- Icebreaker activities for the first school day
- Interview a friend worksheets
- Would you rather writing prompts for kids
- Cut and paste activities for first grade
Pin For Later
Head to your back to school Pinterest Board and save these fun first week back at school activities.
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