I’ve learned that the first day matters, and you want to choose your activities for the first day of school carefully. So I’m going to give you LOTS of choices – enough to plan activities for the first WEEK of school!

This post is all about amazing activities on the first day of school. Read on for games for the first day of school, group activities for the first day of school, games for the first day of school, and crafts for the first day of school!

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Jump to…

• Group Activities
• Craft Activities
• Games
• Read Aloud Books

Group Activities On The First Day Of School

The class discussions and activities on the first day of school can be especially important to set the tone for your classroom community. We want to make every child feel safe in their new classroom space. These group activities for the first day of school can help build a feeling of trust and responsibility among students.

First Day Feelings

Talking about our feelings on the first day of school can be especially helpful for students. Starting a new school year is a lot to process! It’s always a good idea to have some activities on the first day of school that help students express and accept whatever they are feeling.

On an anchor chart, write or draw some different feelings (happy, nervous, excited, sad, etc.). Lead your class in a discussion about how feelings are normal and everyone’s feelings are different. (“First Day Jitters” and “A Tiger Tail” are two great book choices to read with this activity. Read below for more book suggestions.)

Give every student a sticky note to write their name and let them put the sticky note on the anchor chart next to the feeling that they most identify with. (This anchor chart template is available here in my TPT store.)

Class Promise

One of my favorite activities for the first week of school is to create a class promise together. Lead your students in a discussion about what a great class should look like, sound like, and feel like. Collect all of their ideas on an anchor chart.

Then you can select the ones you want to go on the class promise. Have children decorate a handprint, heart, or cutout person of themselves to go around the class promise, sealing everyone’s pledge to one another.

(The book “I Promise”, listed below, is a great companion to this activity!)

We Want To Learn!

Amidst all these beginning of the year activities, we also want to get our students excited to learn! Grab an anchor chart and some colorful markers and start sharing with your students some amazing things they’re going to learn this year. You can share photos of fun activities from past years or share with them skills that you will help them master! I recommend including PE and arts in your discussion to include students who don’t feel as confident academically.

Then have each student think about something they’re excited to learn! Put all of these ideas down on an anchor chart (or two, if you have a big class) and post them in the classroom to keep your students motivated all year long! (This anchor chart template is available here in my TPT store.)

Get To Know Your Teacher

One of the most important things to do on the first day of school is to make sure students get to know YOU! Students are most likely having thoughts like “What will my new teacher be like?” and “Will my teacher like me? Will I like my teacher?”.

You can share pieces of your life with your students in a variety of ways, but one of my favorite ways is through a heart map.

Draw a big heart on an anchor chart or butcher paper and divide it into sections. In each section, draw or write something that is important to you! Some examples might be: my dog, my sisters, my students, reading, swimming, etc. This will give students insight into who you are and help them feel more connected to you! (This anchor chart template is available here in my TPT store.)

If you want all these anchor chart templates and lesson plans, you can check out the First Week Activity Bundle here!

Craft Activities On the First Day of School

Crafts might just be my favorite activities on the first day of school. Students love a good art project, and they are such a fun way to celebrate the beginning of the year!

They are also the perfect opportunity to introduce classroom and art supplies. Here are a few crafts for the first day of school that your students will absolutely love!

Letter To My Teacher

This is one of those fun activities for the first day of school that could work in any elementary grade. Students will love that they get to share things with their teacher on the first day of school. (This craft template is available here in my TPT store.)

Heart Map

This craft for the first day of school is a great companion activity to Get To Know the Teacher, listed above. It gives the students a chance to share about themselves, get to know each other, and get to know you! A great celebration of individuality. (This craft template is available here in my TPT store.)

Reach for the Stars

If you are looking for a gorgeous bulletin board for the first week of school, look no further! These celebrate the goals that students have, and they look amazing in the classroom. (This craft template is available here in my TPT store.)

Name Bookmarks

One of my favorite activities on the first day of school! Students love coloring in their bookmarks, and it's a great task to have as students first come in or if you have some time to fill at the end of a lesson. (This craft template is available here in my TPT store.)

Materials Flipbook

This has become one of our staple activities for the first day of school since the pandemic. Until we are all free of these masks, I will keep on doing this one! (This craft template is available here in my TPT store.)

Classroom Rules

This a super low-prep project that students will still adore. You can take this craft for the first day of school up a notch by laminating the finished bookmarks so that students can keep theirs all year long! (This craft template is available here in my TPT store.)

Want templates of all these Back to School activities, plus even more? I have that available for you right here in the Classroom Community Megabundle!

Games for First Day of School

Here are some games for first day of school ideas to get your students moving around, having fun, and getting to know each other!

Name Games:

Name games are always one of the best beginning of the year activities. These are some extra fun ways to help your students start learning each other’s names (and to help you learn them too!)

• Name Movements: Students stand in a circle and take turns saying their name with a big movement to go with it. The rest of the class repeats the student’s name along with their movement. For example, I might say “Ms. Laura!” while I jumped up with my arms in the air. Then all the students would repeat “Ms. Laura!” while jumping up with their arms in the air. For shy students, it can be helpful to give them the choice to do a simple wave with their name if they don’t want to do a big movement.

• Name Alliteration: Students sit in a circle and take turns saying their name and one thing they like that starts with the same sound as their name. So I might start and say “I’m Ms. Laura and I like lollipops.” (or something that starts with “L”) and everyone else in the class says back “She’s Ms. Laura and she likes lollipops.” If you have older kids, you can challenge them at the end to say everyone’s name and what they liked! It’s a fun challenge for the teacher to try to remember, too!

• Welcome Train: This is one of the best games for the first day of school if you teach younger children. As each child’s name is called, they come from their circle spot to line up in the train. Once every name has been called, go around the room singing the last verse several times. You can also do this as a rap if you don’t want to sing!

“The welcome train is coming 
Get on board! Choo- Choo 
The welcome train is coming 
Get on board! Choo-Choo 

Welcome to (child's name) 
Get on board! Choo-choo

Welcome to (child's name) 
Get on board! Choo-choo

Welcome to (child's name) 
Get on board! Choo-choo

Etc.

The welcome train is coming 
Get on board! Choo- Choo 
The welcome train is coming 
Get on board! Choo-Choo”

• Good Morning Song: Children start sitting in a circle. The whole class sings as children are prompted to greet the child sitting next to them.

(Sing to the tune of “Make New Friends, But Keep the Old”)

“Good morning (child's name)

How are you?

Shake hands with (child's name) next to you.”

You can substitute “shake hands” with “high five” or “bump elbows”.

Warm Breeze Blows:

Stand in a big circle. The teacher says “A warm breeze blows for anyone who _____” and names something. For example, you could say “has a dog” or “has a little sister” or “likes french fries”.

Any student who agrees with the statement has to run into the center and try to find a new spot in the circle.

It can be extra fun to say phrases that apply to all the students, like “is starting first grade today”. Then they all have to run around and switch places! If you have older students, you could eventually let them be the leaders and say the prompts.

Friend Scavenger Hunt:

Make a checklist for students that includes items like “A classmate who has two younger siblings” or “Someone who has the same favorite color as you” or “Someone who went to a different school for kindergarten than you”.

Students then go around the classroom trying to find a student’s name to write next to every item on the list. This gets them walking around, meeting new people, and talking to each other!

I'm offering the Find a Friend Scavenger Hunt for free right here!

Books for the First Day of School

Of course, one of my favorite things to do on the first day of school is to read specially chosen books to my class. There are so many wonderful choices that talk about first day hopes, fears, and expectations. Here are the books for the first day of school that you cannot skip!

Our Class Needs You: This is a beautiful children's book for welcoming every child, celebrating differences, and building classroom community. It talks about how every student has their own talents and interests, and each one is needed in the classroom.

A Tiger Tail: A funny book about a girl who wakes up with a tiger tail on the first day of school! She’s worried about what the other kids will think about her, but when she gets to school she realizes that everyone has differences they might feel self-conscious about!

King of Kindergarten: A wonderful celebration of starting kindergarten with a positive attitude and ready to learn!

First Day Jitters: A funny story that teaches students that everyone gets nervous on the first day of school – teachers too!

 All Are Welcome Here: A beautiful book that sets a tone of community and inclusion. A must-read for every classroom.

Our Class Is A Family: Another great story to build inclusion and set an expectation of classroom community.

I Promise: This story teaches children that their commitment to do their best and to make good choices is important.

A Letter From Your Teacher: A teacher shares her hopes and dreams for the school year in a letter to her class.

For even more book recommendations, you can check out my blog post all about the best books for the first week of school.

I hope you now have lots of fun ideas for activities on the first day of school!

What is your favorite thing to do with students on the first day of school?
xoxo
Laura

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The post 21 Amazing Ideas For Activities On The First Day Of School appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Every teacher wants to help their students learn to be kind. But it can be hard to know where to start when talking about kindness in the classroom. I find that crafts about kindness are one of the most effective ways you can teach your students about kindness.

Kindness crafts are a fantastic resource because they are a fun activity that students will want to do, they can be pulled out any time you need them, and they really do help reinforce kindness. Now, there are so many ideas for crafts about kindness, it can be very overwhelming. Luckily, I've done the work for you and rounded up the very best kindness crafts I could find.

Read on for the 10 best crafts about kindness for the classroom… I've even listed a children's book about kindness you can read to your class for each craft!

(Looking for some kindness activities that are ready to print and go? Check out my Kindness Activity Bundle right here.)

This post may contain affiliate links. I make a small commission when you make a purchase using my links.

Crafts About Kindness

Before I dive into my favorite crafts about kindness, here are my top tips on how to use these to the best effect in your classroom:

• Choose a clear teaching point
• Pick your timing
• Make it fun

The very best kindness crafts should have a clear teaching point. Yes, we want them to be fun and cute. But the most important part is helping our students get a better understanding of kindness. The kindness activities I pick for my students are always chosen with a clear intention.

For example, let's say I'm noticing that students are using unkind words with each other. Then I'll choose an activity that gets students to think and practice kind ways of speaking. Or, if I'm seeing a lot of competition and arguments, I'll look for a craft on kindness that focuses on patience and flexibility.

Timing is important too. Sometimes I'll choose to do a whole Week of Kindness if I feel that we need a really hefty dose of kindness in our classroom (read this post to find out how to do a Week of Kindness in your classroom)! Other times, I'll just sprinkle in one of my favorite crafts about kindness on a specific topic whenever I see the need.

Finally, it's important that it not feel like a lecture or a punishment. Students will get so much more out of it if it's a fun break from academics. After all, crafts about kindness should be fun, right?

Kindness Crafts To Try

Okay, without further ado, here are my top 10 favorite kindness crafts! I've included the specific teaching point that I think they would be great to use. I'm also going to list a children's book about kindness that would be absolutely perfect to pair with each kindness craft. (Want to see all my favorite children's kindness books? You can shop my favorite books on kindness here.)

Notes To Classmates – Spreading Kindness

This is the perfect way to get kind vibes spreading all over your classroom. In this craft about kindness, students write kind notes to give to other students. You can make these available for students to grab and write on their own Or, you can assign students other students to write to in order to make sure everyone gets a note.

The kindness children's book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? would be a perfect companion to this craft.

Kindness Rocks – Spreading Kindness

If you're a teacher who loves hands-on, crafty projects, then this is perfect for you! Painting kindness rocks is a kindness craft your students will absolutely love. Pair this craft with the kindness book A Small Kindness.

First, help your students think of kind phrases that would cheer people up. Then let them paint their rock with the phrase and decorations. Finally, hide the rocks around the playground for kids in other grades to find and keep! This is one of the best crafts about kindness for practicing generosity as well as spreading kindness.

Bucket Filler – The Effects of Kindness

This craft for kindness is perfect for emphasizing the effect that kindness can have on all of us. The bucket metaphor is one that students can immediately grasp – when someone is kind, it fills their bucket, but when someone is mean, it dips their bucket.

If you've never checked out the book How Full Is Your Bucket? you definitely need to add it to your list! It's always on my list to read to my class year after year.

Kindness Crown – What Kindness Means

The word “kindness” gets thrown around all the time, but there are lots of other fantastic words that go hand in hand with kindness. I like to introduce students to our “WOW words” – like generous, inclusive, helpful, flexible, etc. Talking about these traits helps students understand how to be kind. Plus, you then have a list of wonderful adjectives to use when noticing your students and positively reinforcing their kind behavior.

Weaving in a crown craft is a great way to learn about and celebrate these WOW words. This is one of my favorite crafts about kindness because it ends with something students can wear! Always a big hit.

The book Tomorrow I'll Be Kind describes many of these important words, and it would be a perfect companion book for this kindness craft.

Class Quilt – Friendship

Creating a class quilt is a wonderful way to display your students' commitment to kindness in your classroom. First, students decide how they want to be a good friend. Then they trace their hand and decorate their square of the quilt. Finally, display these in your classroom on a bulletin board!

I Walk With Vanessa is a story of friendship and kindness. This is a great book to have students brainstorm ways to be a kind friend.

Kindness Bingo – Putting Kindness Into Action

This kindness bingo board is one of the most fun crafts about kindness! Throughout the week, students try to complete the kind acts on their boards to get bingos. You can celebrate bingos with a sticker or a small class cheer. (If you want a full class activity version of this, I have a class anchor chart version you can check out here.)

The children's book When We Are Kind helps students reflect on the effects of kindness. It would be a wonderful companion to the kindness bingo craft.

Kindness Cootie Catchers – Putting Kindness Into Action

In this fun kindness craft, students create cootie catchers with kind actions inside. When they play with a friend, whatever kind action the friend lands on – they have to do that! A great way to make kindness into a fun game.

A book that would be wonderful to go with this craft is Be Kind. It helps demonstrate the importance of kind acts every day.

Friend Flipbook – Friendship

Being a good friend is a skill that students are working on at school just as much as the academic skills. Teaching explicit ways to be a good friend helps students in their social life, but it also helps your classroom run smoother. Students are friendly to one another can work well together, making partner and group activities much more successful.

Finding crafts about friendship are an important piece of your crafts about kindness. Friendship and kindness are so interwoven, and it's such a big part of classroom dynamics.

Each Kindness is a poignant children's book that really gets students thinking about the effects of their actions and behavior towards others. It will help them examine whether they are being a good friend to other students who are in need of a friendly word.

Kindness Flower – Acts of Kindness

In this craft for kindness, students write down acts of kindness on the petals of a flower. This helps students think of different ways to be kind throughout their day.

Class Kindness Rainbow – Acts of Kindness

Students brainstorm acts of kindness and add it to a handprint cutout. Make sure you pass out handprints in all the colors of the rainbow. When you put the handprints together in a display, they make a beautiful kindness rainbow! For a larger rainbow, invite students to make more than one handprint.

Read Kindness Is My Superpower with this craft about kindness. It will help students brainstorm different ways they can be kind throughout the day.

Crafts For Kindness

These crafts about kindness will help fill your classroom with positivity and happiness. It's no secret that when students are treating each other kindly, schoolwork and teaching is easier for everyone. Finding time in your week to slip in a kindness craft and book here and there will have undoubtedly have a positive effect on your classroom.

If you're looking for enough kindness activities to use throughout the year or to do a kindness unit, check out my Kindness Activity Bundle. It includes 10 printable craft templates, 5 anchor chart templates, and 5 days of lesson plans with companion books.

Which craft are you excited to use? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Laura

Resources For You

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The post Crafts About Kindness You Need To Try In Your Classroom appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

Read on for the ultimate guide to paper Thanksgiving crafts for kids that are fun to make but easy to prep! (This post may contain affiliate links. I make a small amount of comimssion when you shop through these links.)

Click here to check out the Gratitude and Thanksgiving activity bundle!

Thanksgiving Projects for Elementary Students

Thanksgiving is a special time in school because it provides an opportunity to express gratitude and honor the earth. These paper Thanksgiving crafts for kids can help students practice gratitude in ways that are engaging and fun. 

This is an especially important time to talk about Native American culture and to honor it in a respectful way in your classroom. There are lots of Thanksgiving projects for elementary students that can help students understand and respect Native American culture. Here are some of the very best paper Thanksgiving crafts for kids of all ages!

Printable Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

If you are looking for Thanksgiving crafts for kids easy on the prep and low on materials, then printables are the way to go. There are lots of printable options out there that can still be rich and engaging. Here are some of my very favorite Thanksgiving crafts for kids at school that are no-prep printables:

Gratitude Crown

This leaf crown is another fun craft project. Students write down people or things that they are grateful for on the leaves and then glue it to their crown.

Thanksgiving Traditions Turkey

This printable turkey craft is one of my favorite printable Thanksgiving crafts for kids. Students write different things they love to do for Thanksgiving on the feathers of the turkey.

Coloring Sheets

This collaborative coloring poster is such a fun choice for Thanksgiving time! Each student gets a square to color. Then the class uses teamwork to put the pictures together to create a complete display. It requires no prep, just lots of fun. This resource comes with ten gratitude and Thanksgiving themed designs to choose from.

Native American Designs

Making a Native American-inspired drawing. First, help your students research tribes that live or used to live in your area. Then find out what kind of symbols they used in their designs and artwork. Students can use these symbols to decorate their own artwork.

Coloring Placemats

This placemat coloring is a fun chance for students to share with the class some of the foods that their families like to make for Thanksgiving. It also provides a chance to talk about decolonizing Thanksgiving by talking about some traditional Native American foods to your students. This article includes many wonderful dishes that come from Native American culture. You can even share these recipes with students and their families.

Grateful For The Earth

Reading books like Wild Berries by Julie Flett can help inspire students to appreciate the beauty of nature. This craft inspires students to name all the ways Earth provides for them. Another beautiful book to read with this craft is We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom. You can get the template to this craft in my TPT store right here.

Gratitude Anchor Charts

Anchor charts are a great paper activity to use in the classroom. These anchor charts are all about celebrating gratitude, and they are perfect for November and Thanksgiving time. These anchor charts have an element that the students cut out and write on their own, making them great paper Thanksgiving crafts for kids.

This is a fun anchor chart to help students brainstorm and reflect on things that they are grateful for in their lives. Pass out a paper leaf to each student, have them write their idea on the leaf, cut it out, and paste it on the anchor chart!

This anchor chart is a fun way to have students share their favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Each student gets a feather, writes down one of their favorite ways to celebrate, and then adds their feather to the turkey on the anchor chart.

Thanksgiving Crafts Construction Paper

There are lots of fun Thanksgiving crafts construction paper can be used for. Many photocopy machines can run construction paper, making it easy to use colored construction paper as part of any craft. Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving crafts construction paper is used with.

Gratitude Chain

This gratitude chain is one of my favorite paper Thanksgiving crafts for kids that can be done as a whole-class activity. Have your students think about all the things they are grateful for in their classroom or school. This might be teachers and friends, certain classes or resources, or features of their school buildings. This activity can help students realize the great privilege of having access to education.

Pastel or Chalk Drawings

You can use construction paper with pastels or chalk to get a striking look for this craft. Celebrate Native American legends using books like The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble and Tasunka, A Lakota Horse Legend by Donald F. Montileaux.

Construction Paper Weaving

This is a great example of Thanksgiving crafts construction paper could be used for. This festive fall weaving project can be printed out and copied on colored construction paper. Cut out construction paper strips for students to use for the weaving.

Paper Thanksgiving Crafts For Kids

I hope these craft ideas have inspired you with lots of ideas! These Thanksgiving crafts for kids will help your students learn about respecting and honoring Native American culture, as well as celebrating gratitude for the big and small gifts in our lives.

Which activity are you excited to try with your students for Thanksgiving?
xoxo
Laura

Want some Thanksgiving activities that are ready to print and go? Check out the bundle here!

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The post 11 Paper Thanksgiving Crafts For Kids That Are Fun and Easy appeared first on Love Grows Learning.