Ahhh... the first day of kindergarten! It's such an exciting day! An exhausting day! But what do you plan for that day? So many things you are excited to do with your students, but you have to remember it's the first day and keep it all in perspective!
This blog post is full of ideas for the First Week of Kindergarten. Includes book suggestions, activities, and links to accompanying ideas.
These ”First Day of School” crowns and award certificates can be printed for your class. First Day of School Crowns These printable first day of school
Do you want to kick off the kindergarten school year the right way? Get the full list of the top 8 do's and don'ts
Does the first week of Kindergarten have you shaking in your boots? You are not alone! I've been at this for a little while now so you would think it would get easier with time but I am here to tell you it does not! I still get anxious right before school starts. What will they be like? Will I remember what to do at line up time? What if I don't set things up right and I mess up the whole rest of the year? (sounds dramatic but that is really what goes through my head!) I sat down as soon as school got out and wrote down my first week of lesson plans to put my mind at ease. It has really helped with my worry so far! I wrote down the first five days, plans and procedures I need to introduce, brain breaks, classroom community building activities, easy morning work to get started with and even got my welcome back gifts ready. My mind is officially at ease. I want to make sure I have a lot of fun and a LOT of books planned for the first week too. Here are a couple of fun crafts to go with the books I have planned. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. You can't skip this book the first week of school! Our focus will be all about names the first week (or more!). I put together all of my favorite books with some crafts to help teach all of those back to school procedures like cutting, gluing, and of course following directions. The Wheels on the Bus This one is fun for a little first sound fun. The students change the words to match the first sound in their name. A My Name is Alice by Jane Bayer Alphabet books are the best the first few weeks of school. A My Name is Alice Jane Bayer is the best! This is a fun activity to do after we read the book and they will make really cute self portraits to hang in the hallway the first week of school. Not only did I plan out the activities for these books but for lots of other favorites like Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, Rosie Takes a Walk by Pat Hutchins, No David by David Shannon, and Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. So now I don't have to feel guilty when I am floating in the pool this summer (just kidding, I never feel guilty doing that!) But honestly, I can relax knowing all I have to do is hit print when I get back to school. These plans can work for you too! Click here to see them in my store! Or if you are not ready to think about school yet pin this for later! P.S. Get a FREE ALPHABET ACTIVITY when you sign up for my newsletter HERE!
Come read about what our first day of school looks like and download our first day of kindergarten lesson plans for FREE!
Not sure what to do on the first day of school in elementary music for kindergarten and first grade? Try these 4 lesson ideas!
The back to school dreams have started, my room is almost ready, and summer has come to an end, which can only mean the first day of school is upon us! I wanted to spend some time today talking about all things Kindergarten, especially the first few weeks of school… The Good, The Bad, and...
If you're feeling the pressure of planning the first day of kindergarten, check out these activity ideas and free lesson plans!
First Day day of kindergarten printables are essential tools for capturing your childs major milestone..
Come read about what our first day of school looks like and download our first day of kindergarten lesson plans for FREE!
These free printable first day of school signs are great for taking that all-important picture on the front porch! Choose from colored, chalkboard signs and back and white printables to suit your style. They make a great back to school tradition for kids.
We had our first week of school! Beth Carter posted wonderful pictures of her students drawings on the first day with the title “I had art today!” I borrowed the concept and made sheets for my kindergartners and first graders to take home on their first day of art class. Here is the PDF download of “I Had Art Today!” I had my students draw a picture of themselves as an artist or a picture of themselves in class with … Read more... →
1st Week of Kindergarten Plans & Ideas including a freebie. Teaching little learners with purpose and fun.
Looking for beginning of the year activities for Kindergarten? Read more about 10 activities for the first day and the first entire month...
The first day of school is almost here, and it is very important to have everything ready to go (ESPECIALLY IN KINDERGARTEN) so t...
Free printable First Day of School Signs that your kids can color! Capture those Back to School photos with our 2024-2025 signs that cover preschool, kindergarten, and up to twelfth grade.
Oh, the first day of school! It's such a fun, but chaotic day. Most of my first days are a little bit of a blur. This is why I have to write very detailed lesson plans or I'll forget everything from that day. I always try to have the same activities for that first day
Kids and moms will love this First Day of School Handprint Poem. The FREE PDF includes two poems perfect for preschool and Kindergarten!
We're going on a bear hunt on the first day of school. You should, too! Turn the traditional school tour into a fun and interactive scavenger hunt!
This freebie 1st day art project is an easy assessment to learn what our students can they do as far as writing their name, color, cut, and glue. And, of course, teachers need to know if students can follow directions!
The beginning of the year is always a whirlwind with the first few days of school and Open House/Visitation. Whether you have your Open House/Visitation before school starts, or once the year is already in full swing, it’s still a huge undertaking! Today I’m sharing with you my 5 favorite tips for your Open House ... Read More about Kindergarten Visitation!
It is the first week of kindergarten! What do I teach? I get this question all the time! I am so excited to put together this page together for you. I’m sharing our favorite first week of kindergarten read aloud stories and the free coordinating printables I made to go with them. Plus I will s
Need help for the first day of Kindergarten? Take a deep breathe and lets get the year started off the right way! You can do this... we can help.
This blog post lists ten must-dos for the first day of school! I want to share some actions you may know (or may not know) to ensure you have a great first
It is the first week of kindergarten! What do I teach? I get this question all the time! I am so excited to put together this page together for you. I’m sharing our favorite first week of kindergarten read aloud stories and the free coordinating printables I made to go with them. Plus I will s
Looking for beginning of the year activities for Kindergarten? Read more about 10 activities for the first day and the first entire month...
Free Printable First Day of School Sign {Pencil}. Preschool, kindergarten, and first grade through high school first day of school picture signs.
Lesson plans, resource links, and freebies for the first week of kindergarten. Great for brand new teachers or veteran teachers in need of fresh ideas!
Howdy peeps! Lindsay here . . . Well, I survived. Barely. Our school district had its first day of school yesterday, but at my scho...
Head back to school with The Kissing Hand book by Audrey Penn. Pair it with activities and crafts to go along with the theme of the book or even buy Chester
To My Firstborn, on your First Day of Kindergarten. Your little years are behind us, and we begin a new adventure, together.
Now that my new air conditioner is installed and up and running (YES- I lost air at the start of the summer! EEK!), and I've gotten my fair ...
Send students home from their first day of school with a special name crown. Encourage family communication and begin building a classroom community as children start to learn each other's names.
FREE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN ACTIVITIES It is the first day of kindergarten! What do I teach? I have taught kindergarten both in the classroom and homeschooling my own daughters. After years of teaching kindergarten, I have come up with the perfect activities for the first day. I have d
So flash back to the end of the school year. You were high-fiving and hugging your practically first graders and sending them off for some fun in the sun. You sent them off as readers and writers, scientists and mathematicians. In that moment, it's difficult to remember how they came to you. When you met them in August, they couldn't read, write, add, tie their shoes, spell their name. Oh, and they were short. When do they get so tall?!?? The first few weeks, from what I can recall (since I block most of that stuff out) are... well... uhh... interesting. Once or twice you might find yourself asking, "What was I EVER thinking becoming a kindergarten teacher?" It's okay. You're not alone. Hang in there. It gets better... in fact, it gets SO good! I thought I'd share with you what week 1 in Mrs. Kelly's Klass looks like. Do you have a Meet the Teacher night prior to the first day of school? This is such a good way to: 1. Get the kids excited about school. 2. Meet your students to help eliminate fear. 3. Open the door to communication with parents. 4. Get yourself organized before the school year starts. Here's how Meet the Teacher works in my classroom! Here are some of the forms families complete. I do my best to stay organized - get contact information in place, know what parents are interested in helping in the classroom, know how kids are getting home. These forms help me get all that information in order, and they go in a binder with copies of the kids' enrollment cards. All of the items for Meet the Teacher night are available alone in my Meet the Teacher pack OR as part of my HUGE First Week Pack that has everything you will read about next! (Don't get both! The forms are included in the First Week Pack!) So then, school starts. The beginning of the year is a chaotic but exciting time in Kindergarten. We practice, A LOT. I set clear expectations from the very beginning and I enforce them from the very beginning. But along with these expectations, I also like to kinda dive right in, so to speak. I want the kids to start doing some of the things they will do all year long -- like printables and stations, sitting for read alouds, participating in whole group and small group activities, reading, all of it! I like my kids to learn the rules, routines, and expectations in TANDEM with the actual things they will be doing for the rest of the school year. I like them to learn what is expected of them by DOING. I refuse to spend an entire week just talking at my kids about rules. We do stations. For the first few weeks, kids participate in stations that will get them acclimated to the materials we will be using all year {unifix cubes, snap cubes, pattern blocks, dry erase markers, clipboards, play dough, etc.) I like to introduce a station whole group -- go over the instructions and expectations for using that particular material {i.e. snap cubes are NOT for building swords and/or guns and playdough is NOT meant for squishing into the carpet}. Then EVERYONE in the class does the same station. They get used to working in a group, and I don't have to worry about managing 5 different activities at the same time. Next day, new station, and so on... until I've introduced enough stations to start an actual rotation! We do printables. Kids need to get used to putting pencils and crayons to paper. I don't expect them to be writing novels, but you have to start somewhere. I can use this opportunity to teach them how to get supplies, what to do when their pencil breaks, where to turn papers in, how their mailboxes work, etc. We sit at the carpet! Two of my favorite books to read during the first week of school are Wemberly Worried and The Kissing Hand. Perhaps it's because I'm a bit of a worrywart myself. These books are so relateable and by reading them, whole group, at the carpet, we get to practice norms for read alouds. And we do whole group activities! These books make for great jumping off points for some whole group fun and small group fun! We will do a school room scavenger hunt after reading The Kissing Hand. Students will search the school for clues left behind by Chester. They get to find all the important places AND we get to practice hallway expectations. (This mini unit is included in my Beginning of the Year pack, but also sold separately!) We'll talk, chart, and write about our feelings after reading Wemberly Worried. Developing that strong classroom community early on is so important. When kids can relate to one another and open up about their feelings, they create a positive and welcoming environment. We dance! Because they are FIVE. Because they are nervous. Because they have never been asked to sit still for this long. Because they miss their moms. Because dancing is FUN. Because it's good for their sweet little brains and bodies! Above all, have fun and be happy. If you're happy, they will be happy. If you're welcoming, they will feel welcomed. If you create a structure, they will fall in place. You can pick up all the activities/printables/STUFF shown above in one nice pretty package by clicking the image below. For those who return to school next week, wishing you a happy school year! :) Grab EVERYTHING you read about today all in one place by clicking here or the image below. OH, and if you missed it before... be sure to go pick up these Dismissal Tags for FREE! I blogged about them last week. Click here to read and click the image below to download.
These cute and creative first day of school picture ideas will perfectly capture your little one of their big day back to school!
Last Day of School Sign Free Printable poster. Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade, through Senior year. Print this sign for last day of school pictures.
This spring is presenting new challenges for teachers all across the country. Some of us are getting ready to go back to the classroom for the first time this year. Some of us have been in person all year, but we are about to get new virtual kids. Some of you have been in the ... Read More about Classroom Management and Expectations
An open letter to my son on his first day of kindergarten. A great post on feeling all the feels and letting go a little bit!
Use the 1st day of school handprint craft activity to make back to school fun for kids and parents! Preschool & kindergarten included!
Start the year out on a high note with these 10 easy ways to make the first day of kindergarten so special for your child!
