August is an exciting time—teachers and students are getting ready to head back to the classroom and start off a brand-new year! The first week of school is always a bustle of energy. Here are three different activities that are sure to be a hit in your classroom.
Materials:
Activity #1: Find Your Classmates!
What better way to get to know the names of your classmates than a word search? Your kids will love finding their own name typed in this word search and finding the names of new friends! This activity is a perfect opportunity for kids to get to know each other’s names.
Simply enter your class list (first names only!) into the Super Teacher Worksheets word search generator. Click here to access the generator. Don’t forget to add your own worksheet title. You even have the option to save the word search to your STW account. Once you have created your masterpiece, simply print off enough copies for your class.
This is an awesome activity to use as kids walk in on the first day of school: Lay out the worksheets on the kids’ desks with a brand-new sharpened pencil. They can get to work on the word search while you take care of the many responsibilities teachers have on the first day. You may choose to have students work independently, or encourage students to talk to each other and share their findings.
Activity #2: All About Me Poster
This is another great option for morning or quiet work during the first week of school. Students will be super engaged filling in each box with information about themselves. Then get out the coloring supplies and encourage kids to colorfully decorate their All About Me poster.
While this is a great independent activity, it also provides a wonderful opportunity for student discussion. After the posters are complete, students can present their posters in front of the class. Another option is to group students into four or five. Encourage the kids to take turns sharing their posters within each group. This also provides an opportunity for kids to ask each other questions or make connections. You will be sure to hear choruses of “Hey, I'm the same age!” or “Blue is also my favorite color!”
Bonus: This activity can serve as an example of student work displayed in the classroom or in the hallway. It’s perfect for Back-to-School Night!
Activity #3: Classroom Friends Game
This engaging activity will get students moving around the classroom and talking to each other. Hand out a worksheet and a clipboard. If you don’t have clipboards available, students can use an individual whiteboard or a hardcover textbook—anything that will provide a hard surface to write on.
The kids will walk around the classroom and find a student who has brown eyes, a student who has a dog, a student who likes math, and so on until they fill up their sheet with the names of other students.
This is a perfect opportunity to practice walking calmly in the classroom, using quiet voices to talk to one another, and politely waiting your turn to talk to someone. Take a look at the second page of this document for more helpful reminders about this game.
Enjoy getting to know your kids during the first few weeks of school and creating relationships that will last the whole school year. Super Teacher Worksheets wishes you and your students all the best in the upcoming school year!
Be sure to check out this page for more printable back-to-school worksheets and activities!
