The first day of the new school year can feel overwhelming with lesson planning, organizing your classroom, and getting to know new students (or reconnecting with your students after summer) all on your ever-growing to-do list. Here you’ll find a collection of back to school activities, printable worksheets, checklists, and templates, to help ease you into the first week of school and take away some of that back to school angst.
Back to School Worksheets & Printables
Here you'll find our tried and tested teaching resources for the first day of school. Choose from icebreakers, writing and math activities, in-depth projects, and more. Browse the collections by grade level to find the perfect back to school activity for your class.
First Day of School Activities for Elementary
These back to school activities and printables have been created for Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade. You’ll find activities specifically for the first day of school as well as getting to know you printables, and handy “5 minutes left” activities. Many of the worksheets and templates have been designed so that can be used for bulletin boards or open houses and back to school nights.
- First Day Activities For Elementary School Students Themed Packet
- 12 First Lesson Icebreakers For Elementary
- My First Day Of Kindergarten
- My First Day Of SchoolPicture Activity
- My First Day of School Poem
- First Day Of School Thoughts
- Our First Day of School Classroom Book
- "5 Minutes Left" Activities for the Elementary Classroom
- Beginning Of The School Year: Find Someone Who
- All About Me - Getting To Know You Questions
- We All Fit Together
- Get To Know You Turn and Talk Cards
- Getting To Know You Cards For Elementary
- Getting To Know You Suitcase For Elementary
- My Summer Break
First Day of School Activities for Middle School
This collection of first day of school activities and printables is designed for middle school grade levels. It might be time to welcome back your classes from last year or to get to know new classes, either way, these getting to know you and icebreaker activities are a great way to settle in on the first day of school. For new students moving from elementary to start 6th grade, try our packet of helpful transition activities.
- First Day Activities For Middle School Students Themed Packet
- Back To School: Welcome To 6th Grade Packet
- Getting To Know Your Classmates Scoot
- Get To Know You Turn and Talk Cards
- All About Me Worksheet - Getting To Know You Questions
- Getting To Know You Activities for Middle School
First Day of School Activities for High School
For new high school students moving up from middle school, and new classes you may not have taught before, try our first day of school activities packet and getting to know you activities. For those more familiar with their surroundings, the beginning of the year is the perfect time to set goals for the upcoming school year.
- First Day Activities For High School Students Themed Packet
- Back To School Goal Setting Activities Themed Packet
- Getting To Know Your Classmates Scoot
- Getting To Know You Activities for High School
First Day of School Printables for Teachers
The beginning of the year is the time to restock and organize those planners, check off everything you need to do in those first days and weeks and find fun ways to get to know your new students. Here you’ll find a collection of ready-to-use printables specifically for teachers.
Checklists & Templates for the First Day of School
The first day of school is a great time to set classroom rules, expectations, and routines with your class. Use our checklists to make sure you’ve got everything covered, and our planners and templates to get organized for the beginning of the year.
- Teacher Planner 2023-2024
- Back To School Classroom Routines And Procedures Checklist
- End Of The Day Organization Checklist
- Daily Planner Printable
- More Classroom Forms and Graphic Organizers
Tips for New Teachers
The first day of school is particularly intimidating for new teachers not quite sure what to expect or how to prepare. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with all the advice, templates, and printables you could possibly need for your very first day of school as a new teacher.
- New Teacher Starter Kit
- First Day at the Elementary Level
- First Day at the Secondary Level
- FAQs for the First Days of School
- 15 Essential Teaching Tips for Back To School
- More New Teacher Resources
Getting To Know Your Students
The first day of school is your first opportunity to get to know new students and start building a classroom community. Here we’ve included our top tips and ready-to-use icebreaker printables for getting to know your students.
- 5 Tips For Getting To Know Your Students
- 20 Tips For Remembering Students' Names
- Meeting And Greeting Students At The Beginning Of Class
- Ice Breakers For Kids In Elementary And Middle School
- Icebreakers and Getting To Know You Classroom Kit
- More Getting To Know You and Icebreaker Resources
More Back to School Resources
If you’re looking for more support for the back to school season, try these resource collections, for the first day back and beyond!
- Back To School Headquarters
- New Teacher Resources
- Getting To Know Your Students
- Icebreakers
- Classroom Management
- Lesson Planning
- Classroom Organization
- Bulletin Board Ideas
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