17 Fun First Day of School Activities to Try

August 20, 2018 Justin Raudys Teaching Activities

Whether you’ve been teaching for years or it’s your first day as a full-time
teacher, the first day of school is usually accompanied by some anxiety — no
matter how prepared you might be.
It’s the same for students. Uncertainty about friends, teachers, and schoolwork is
enough to make even the most extroverted students a bit nervous.
With that in mind, you should always consider what first day of school activities
can stimulate introductions, get students talking, and set the tone for successful
classroom management.
Get inspired by these 17 fun, creative first day of school activities and try them
out yourself. They’re easy, free, and guaranteed to ease the tension on a busy,
hectic first day of school.
1. Find a friend
The “Find a friend” game is a fun activity designed to help students become
comfortable with their new classmates.
To play, students must first receive worksheets containing a list of topics — such
as sports, foods, games, and so on — from which they must pick their favorites.
Image source: First Grade Schoolhouse, Teachers Pay Teachers

Distribute the worksheet to students, and allow five minutes or so for everyone to
indicate their favorite categories with a pen or pencil. You can create your own
worksheet or access free printables such as the one above.

Then, have students find fellow classmates fitting the description in each box. This
will give them a natural talking point as they meet one another — helping them
find what they have in common and sparking friendly interaction.
Note that:
Students can list each classmate only once on the worksheet
Students should spell names correctly; when they find a friend to add to their
sheet, they should ask the friend how to spell their first name
You can use this chance to have students show you their best handwriting, setting
a good precedent for the school year
2. “Who’s new?” word search
Use a free word search generator such as Discovery Education’s puzzlemaker to
create a word search using the names of your students as the hidden words. Print
copies to place on each desk.
Students will enjoy searching for their names along with those of their classmates.
After 10 minutes or so, students naturally begin helping each other — kindling
conversation and facilitating introductions.
3. Thanks for the compliment!
This lighthearted, confidence-boosting icebreaker encourages students to share
compliments about one another.
To start, every student gets a blank piece of paper taped to their back. Then, each
classmate thinks of a compliment to write down on the back of every other
student. After the entire class is finished, have students remove their papers and
read all the compliments they received in front of the class.
4. Let’s decorate
Invite students to help decorate the classroom — sending the message that their
opinions are valued, their voices are heard, and you welcome their presence.
Split the class into four groups and designate each group to a wall. Distribute
materials such as markers, posters, tape, and pieces of chart paper. For a
personalized touch, have each group come up with one common goal they wish
to accomplish in your class, and to summarize it in one word.
Next, have students write their words in big letters on the chart paper, ensuring
each group has a unique goal.
Once the class is finished, hang them on each designated wall, encouraging your
class to embrace the responsibility of making sure they all achieve the goals they
set for the end of the school year.
5. Prodigy
Try Prodigy — a free, game-based math platform aligned with curricula — to
engage your class while reinforcing lesson content and teaching essential skills.
Borrowing elements from video games such as Pokémon, students use Prodigy to
compete in math duels against in-game characters. To win, they answer sets of
skill-testing math questions.
Prodigy uses adaptive learning and differentiated instruction principles to adjust
problems, addressing each student’s problem areas.
It’s also backed by research. In a recent study, we found schools enrolled in
Prodigy both performed better and enjoyed greater improvements on test results
than inactive schools.
6. “Would You Rather” Questions
Lead, guide, and stimulate healthy debate among students with a set of questions
that are sure to get the classroom talking.
Consider a few examples of “would you rather” questions, such as:
Would you rather play outdoors or indoors?
Would you rather see a firework display or a circus performance?
Would you rather go skiing or go to a water park?
Would you rather everything in your house be one color or every single wall and
door be a different color?
Would you rather visit the international space station for a week or stay in an
underwater hotel for a week?
To keep the class on the same page, consider preparing a few questions on a
printable such as the one below.
7. Group contracts
Write group contracts containing guidelines, and have everyone sign them to
foster effective student group work and good behavior in the classroom.
Group contracts — an important feature of cooperative learning — should be
based on expectations students and teachers have for one another.
You can collect the class’s thoughts by talking about what the ideal group
member does, and how he or she behaves. Once you’ve come up with the
contract, brainstorm with students to come up with consequences for breaking
expectations.
Image Source: The Creative Colorful Classroom
For example, in the flexible seating contract above, students agree to use the
learning space appropriately. If they break the contract, students agree “that my
teacher will move me to a spot that will better meet my needs.”
8. Student surveys
Use surveys to collect and assess information about a broad range of topics that
will help you get a feel for your new students and guide them to success this
school year.
Consider asking questions about preferences for seating arrangements, group
work versus individual work, and noise levels in the classroom.
Use this information to get a better sense of trends in the classroom. See if you
can use the information to differentiate instruction, assessment, and evaluation
to improve the learning environment.

One of the qualities of a good teacher is the capacity to use different teaching
strategies — especially ones that are responsive to different students’ unique
learning preferences.
For example, consider taking a survey of how students like to learn, asking the
following yes or no questions:
First day of school activity: How I like to learn
I work best when it is quiet Yes No
I can work when there is noise in the classroom Yes No
I like to work at a table or desk Yes No
I like to work on the floorYes No
I like to work on an assignment until it is completed Yes No
Sometimes I get frustrated with my work and do not finish Yes No
I like to learn by moving around the room Yes No
I like to work by myself Yes No
I like to work in a group or with a partner Yes No
9. Classroom scavenger hunts
Send your students on a classroom scavenger hunt, helping them to get to know
each other and their new learning space.
Provide a print-out of classroom items to look for, leaving a space for students to
write a brief description of where they found each item.
The completed scavenger hunt sheets can serve as an easy reference for students
in the first weeks of school to ensure they know where to find everything in your
classroom.
You can make the list of items yourself, or use a free printable such as the
example below.
Image Source: The Creative Colorful Classroom

10. Two truths and a lie

Encourage students to write down three statements about themselves, with one
of the statements being false.
After giving students five minutes or so to write their sentences down, have them
read them out loud one by one — and enjoy the entertainment as fellow students
try to guess which of the statements is a lie.
This activity also serves as a simple, early way to get a gauge of the skill levels of
your new students: As your new students write out their sentences, you can walk
around and see which students need help might need help with written
communication.
As they read out their sentences, you can also gauge verbal communication skills.
11. Class time capsule
Create individualized time capsules on the first day of school. Fill them with items
such as personal letters about what students plan to accomplish throughout the
school year.
Letters can include expectations, clubs they would like to join, and desired grade
point averages.
You can also take pictures of your students on the first day, print them out, and
put them inside the time capsules.
On the last day of school, return each student’s time capsule and allow them to
see how much they have learned, grown, and achieved throughout the school
year.
12. Tall Thomas
Encourage students to think of an adjective to describe themselves. The adjective
must suit the student and must also start with the first letter of their name — for
example, “Tall Thomas,” “Funny Frankie,” or “Smart Sam.”
A student stands at the front of the classroom with her teacher, talking to her
classmates, who are seated.
Encourage students to try and memorize every name to add a skill-testing
element to the activity.
Have the class stand in a circle, and then have one student state his or her new
nickname. Then, have the next student try to name the previous name before
saying their own name.
Make sure to keep the activity lighthearted and fun. Feel free to stand in the circle
and join the fun to further engage with your students!
13. Don’t answer
Ask your class to stand in a circle. Have one student engage with another
classmate, and pose the other student a question about his or her personality. To
clarify, give students a few examples: “What is your silliest habit?” or “What is
your pet peeve?”
However, explain that the student who is asked the question may not respond —
with the student to their left answering for them. Note that the answer doesn’t
have to be right, and that each student can make their answers as imaginative or
creative as possible.
14. Draw a Self-Portrait
Provide a self-portrait worksheet such as the one below as an easy beginning-of-
year activity. When everyone is finished, have each student present their self-
portrait to the class as formal introduction to their colleagues and to yourself!
15. Be unique
Have everyone stand in a circle. Encourage each student, one by one, to say
something they believe to be unique about themselves. For example: “My name
is Jason, and I have two brothers” or “… and I speak three languages.” If another
student also has two brothers or speaks three languages, they must sit down.
The goal is to stand as long as possible and therefore to share very special things
about yourself that no one else typifies.
16. Six word story
Get students to explain what they did over the summer using only six words,
writing the statement down as a complete sentence on a piece of paper.
Then, have students exchange papers with a classmate, with that colleague also
adding a comment comprised of only six words. You may choose to rotate the
papers to adjust the length of the story to your preference!
17. The question web
This activity helps students learn interesting facts about one another. Have your
students stand in a circle. Next, take a ball of yarn or string and hold on to the end
of the it while passing the ball to another student.
Young students sit in rows, raising their hands to answer the teacher's question.
Ask this student an interesting question such as “If you could travel anywhere in
the world, where would you go and why?”
Once they have answered the question, have them pass the ball of yarn to
another student in the circle and ask them a question. When all your students
have had their turn, explain that the web they created represents the uniqueness
of your classroom — and that their participation makes the classroom a special
place for learning and creativity.
15 fun back to school classroom activities
First day of school activities are based upon one goal: to get to know each other.
Most activities are more suited for elementary students, but I included a few as
well for middle school students and high school students. Some can be used for
all ages too.
Back to school activities for elementary students
1. All about the bag
Hand out a paper bag to all your students the first day of school and put a little
note on it:
Directions:
Fill this bag with 4 things or objects that tell something about yourself. (only 4
things, no more, no less)
All your objects have to fit in this bag.
Decorate the bag if you wish!
Bring the bag back tomorrow and be ready to share with the class.
Back to school activities
2. Figure me out
In fourth grade, students have already learned arithmetics. You could let them
create a profile of themselves, describing some fun facts using arithmetics. Take a
look at the image below for an example.
Back to school activities
Students have to figure out the person by calculating the facts. Then they have to
guess who that person is.
3. Beach ball game
All you need for this first day of school activity is a beach ball and a marker. Write
down several questions on the beach ball in a random order.
Examples of questions:
What are you most proud of?
What’s the most heroic thing you did?
What’s your favorite animal?
What color is your toothbrush?
I am thankful for _____
What’s your favorite movie?
What’s your favorite sport?
How many siblings do you have?
What’s your favorite dessert?
What do you like to do after school?
When’s your birthday?
And so on.
Now form a circle and throw the beach ball to a student. Wherever the student’s
left thumb lands, is the question he has to answer. After answering that question,
he can throw the ball to another student.
4. Create a time capsule
You probably already know the concept of a time capsule. If you have ideas of
your own, go with it. If you don’t, here’s something you could do with a time
capsule an the first day of school.
Let your students write down their wishes and hopes for the following school
year. What do they want to learn this school year? Then put everything in the
time capsule and bury is somewhere safe beneath the ground. You could also put
a fun class picture in it.
At the end of the school year, you dig up the time capsule and let your students
reflect on what they’ve learned and if their wishes at the beginning of the school
year came true. You can also try to make the exact same class picture. It’s fun to
see who has changed in one year and who didn’t.
5. Nice mnm'ing you
Everyone loves mnm’s. Besides eating them, you could also use them for a fun
back to school lesson. Divide the mnm’s over a few cups and share them with
your students. Students have to pick out a mnm blindfolded and tell a story or
answer the question. Every color represents its own story.
Tell us
Red: something about yesterday
Orange: something you do well
Yellow: something about your childhood
Blue: something you learned last week
Brown: something you can’t live without
Green: something you watch or listen to
Oh, one more thing… Of course students may eat the mnm’s after finishing the
question. Guess who’s going to be the most popular teacher this year? 😉
Back to school activities
6. Randomness
The Randomness widget from BookWidgets is handy for creating a variety of
back-to-school games. Spin the wheel to generate a student and ask them to talk
about a randomly selected topic. Alternatively, you can give a specific topic and
spin the wheel to see which student is chosen. Curious for our example? Click
here.
Topics may include:
What would you do with 1 million euro?
What is your favorite place on earth?
What is your biggest dream?
7. Would you rather
To get to know your students you could ask them crazy choice questions. Make
fun cards and let them pick one. They have to answer the question “would you
rather…?”.
Here are some examples:
Would you rather have to eat raisins every day or eat peas?
Would you rather walk around with a hole in your pants or with a broken zipper?
Would you rather eat a salad or liver?
Would you take a bath or a shower?
Would you rather have lunch with the president or a famous singer?
Would you rather wear gloves or a hat in the winter?
Would you rather eat chocolate or skittles if it’s all you had to eat on a hike?
Would you rather adopt a cat or a dog?
Would you rather go snowboarding or skiing?
Would you rather wear flip flops or sneakers?
Would you rather have an in ground pool or a horse?
Would you rather live in Hawaii or in Italy?
Would you rather get in trouble with your parents or your teacher?
Would you rather ride on an elephant or a giraffe?
And so on.
You can also put these questions in a “randomness widget” with BookWidgets
and let students spin the wheel.
8. Snowball fight Let each student take out a sheet of paper and write down 3
interesting, but not widely known, facts about him or herself. There can’t be any
names on the papers!
Let students crumple up their papers into balls and have a paper “snowball” fight.
After a few minutes, all the paper snowballs will be all over the classroom. Now,
students have to find a snowball, and unfold the paper. Each student must try to
find the student whose snowball he or she retrieved.
9. Fit in puzzle
Create a giant blank puzzle and hand out a blank piece of the puzzle to every
student. They have to decorate the puzzle piece with drawings that say something
about themselves. After, you collect the puzzle pieces and complete it again with
the help of your students. Now you have something to put on your empty
classroom wall!

Back to school activities for middle school students

10. Tell it with emojis
Let your students summarize what they did during their summer break using only
emojis! If you have new students, you can also let them introduce themselves
using emojis.
For example:

Hobby(s): 🎨 💃🏻

Family: 👨🏻 👩🏼 👧🏽 👧🏻 👦🏻

pet: 🐶

Loves: 👗

Hates: ☔️

Favorite food: 🍝
Back to school activities
11. Bingo
The back to School Bingo is a fantastic icebreaker activity for middle school
children as it will help them to get to know their classmates. Create a Bingo Card
in BookWidgets and in each square, write a brief description, such as:
Lives close to school
Likes pizza
Has 3 siblings
Loves sport
Can juggle
Challenge your students to go around the room, asking classmates some
questions. When they have a match, they are allowed to tick off that square. Click
here or on the image to check it out.
12. Art-phone
Social media and smartphones are going to be omnipresent during this school
year. This fun classroom activity for the first day of school is a nice reminder of
that fact. Let’s get crafty and create an art-phone like the one in the image.
Create an Instagram wall, a chat session and a social profile.
For more details, take a look at this Pinterest pin.
13. (B)all about me
It’s kind of the same as the creative Instagram activity above this one, but still a
little bit different.
Students have to decorate their paper ball with drawings of themselves. Check
out what I mean by clicking on this Pinterest link. The result is beautiful!
14. Get on that chair
For this classroom icebreaker, students need to be flexible and balanced. For
every student, the teacher places a chair. All the chairs should be lined up in a
single line. Every student has to stand on a chair. Then, the teacher asks them to
go stand in a certain order. For example: “I want you to organize yourselves from
young to old.” The students now have to change places without touching the
ground.
With this 1st day of school activity, the students get to know each other better in
an interactive way. The teacher can give other orders like: “from tall to small.” or
“from A to Z.” Every time the students have to change their positions without
pushing someone off the chairs. If you want to make it more challenging, you can
set a time limit.
15. Lie to me
This first day of school activity is a fun way to get to know your students better.
Not just the basics, like where they live or if they have a brother, but real stories
and anecdotes.
The students have to tell 3 facts about their life. Something that happened to
them. Two of them should be true, and one should be a lie. The other students
have to find out which one is the lie. You’ll be surprised what kind of crazy things
can actually happen! (Or how good your students can lie!)
I hope you now know what to do during your first day of school. Share this with
your teacher colleages to give them some inspiration. Here comes the new school
year! 🎉