The first days of kindergarten are vital to helping students get acquainted with each other, their new teacher, and the rules and routines that come with the classroom setting. Fun, hands-on back-to-school activities help students learn to thrive in the classroom and other important developmental skills. Read on to learn more about engaging back-to-school activities and discover the benefits of the JLP Inspiring Minds private kindergarten program.

10 Back-To-School Activities That Kick-start The Learning Process

This list of the 10 best back-to-school activities will get students excited about starting school and introduce important skills in a fun way.

1. Do A First Day Of School Emotions Activity

The first day of school can be an emotional time for students as they encounter new surroundings, new people, new rules, and cope with missing home and loved ones. Setting aside time in the schedule for students to talk about how they feel can go a long way in making this exciting but stressful day easier for everyone.

For this activity, the teacher can ask each student how they are feeling about their first day of school (excited, nervous, homesick, etc.) and make a graph to tally up how many students are experiencing each emotion. This will help establish community in the classroom and make children feel less alone when they see that others are experiencing similar feelings.

2. Make A Classroom Name Graph

Learning each others’ names is an important start to getting students acquainted. Making a name graph helps introduce students to each other and gain early exposure to skills like counting, memory, spelling, and pronunciation.

To make a name graph, give each student a strip of paper with their name on it and have them count how many letters are in their name, then let each student put their name in the corresponding row on the graph for how many letters are in their name. It can also be helpful to read each name aloud so the kids will know how to correctly pronounce each name.

3. Put Together A Class Book

Creating a class book is another fun way to help students learn each others’ names and how to spell and write their own names.

Give each student a coloring page with the first letter of their first name on it and let them write their name on the page as well. It may be helpful to include a picture of each student on their page to help them associate names as well as faces. Once every student has completed their name page, use a three-ring binder to put the pages together in alphabetical order and keep it in the classroom library for students to look through during the first few weeks of the school year.

4. Go On A Classroom Number Hunt

A classroom number hunt activity is a great way to encourage teamwork and introduce numbers during the first week of school.

Make ten paper circles, number them one through 10, and draw or paste a picture of a different type of school supply (a pencil, a pair of scissors, a bottle of glue, etc.) on each numbered circle. Hide the circles around the classroom and let students work together to find them all and then color or circle each school supply picture.

5. Practice Arts & Crafts With Liquid Glue

Using a variety of school supplies for arts and crafts is one of the most fun parts of starting school. Liquid glue is an important tool for arts and crafts, but using it can get messy. The “One Dot Club” activity lets students experiment with using glue in a neat and fun way.

Make a poster titled “One Dot Club” and draw a star on the poster, then have each student add one dot of glue inside the star and then add glitter over each dot of glue to show each student’s membership in the One Dot Club.

6. Make A Back-To-School Mini Reader

Making a back-to-school mini reader lets students practice coloring with crayons and be introduced to new words.

Be sure to remind students to use the right amount of pressure so the color goes onto the paper, but not too much pressure for the crayon to break. This activity will get kids excited about starting to read and give them something to take home to show off to their families.

7. Make Back-To-School Hats

Making back-to-school hats is a fun way to practice using scissors and reflect on the exciting things about starting school, like new friends, learning, and fun.

Students can cut out, glue together, and color in pictures from the back-to-school hats template. Depending on when students are ready to use scissors, this activity can be done on the first day of school or during the first week of school.

8. Solve Back-To-School Mystery Puzzles

Back-to-school mystery puzzles let students practice counting, identifying numbers, cutting, and pasting.

For this activity, students will need to match the numbers on the puzzle pieces to the correct pieces on the puzzle.

9. Do A Back-To-School Pencil Craft

Doing a pencil craft is a fun activity for the first week of school once students have had some practice using arts and crafts supplies.

Give each student a printout of a large pencil with space for them to draw a self-portrait and write their names. When everyone is finished, you can decorate a classroom bulletin board with everyone’s pencil crafts.

10. Create A First Week Of School Memory Book

Having each student create a first-week-of-school memory book is a great way to get students excited and can be worked on each day of the first week of school.

This activity includes writing, coloring, crafts, and drawing. It gives students a way to commemorate new friends, new experiences, and their thoughts, goals, and feelings throughout the first week. It makes a great keepsake and can be book ended with an end-of-the-year memory book.

JLP Inspiring Minds Private Kindergarten

JLP Inspiring Minds is a private K-5 school in Tamarac. We nurture each child’s character, creativity, and intellect with personalized attention to foster a lifetime of learning Our kindergarten curriculum focuses on reading and math for a strong foundation in these core concepts.
Download an application for admission or call us at (954) 746-5437 to learn more about our program, tuition, and financial aid.