What comes to mind when you think about the first week of school—excitement, nerves, or a stack of lesson plans? Maybe all of the above? Let’s turn that chaos into confidence! In this post, I’m giving you a full first-day breakdown—from arrival to dismissal—plus a preview of the fun, engaging, and purposeful lessons I’ve lined up for the rest of the week. You’ll leave with a toolkit of easy-to-implement ideas, a sprinkle of magic, and some ready-made plans to make your first week your best week. Oh—and don’t miss the must-have freebie and first week kit that’ll have you starting strong and stress-free!
There’s so much to squeeze into the first week of school—but let’s be real for a second: everything takes three times longer than you planned. Every. Single. Time. The pencil sharpeners break, someone cries, you forget where you put your coffee (again), and suddenly it’s lunch. We always seem to forget how sloooow the first week moves—because we’re not just teaching content, we’re teaching how to do school. Teaching routines, building relationships, and re-training yourself, too. Teacher déjà vu is forgetting the chaos and somehow signing up for it again! And yes, you’ll probably question every life decision by Thursday which is totally normal.
That being said, you’ll notice I include way more activities than you’ll probably have time for. Why? Because downtime is the enemy during those early days. It’s always better to over-plan and not use it all than to be stuck with 20 minutes and nothing but your teacher stare. You’ll also notice suggested time blocks. Feel free to adjust them based on your class. These are just flexible ideas to get you started. This post also contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
So, where are the activities? Right here—my go-to favorites for building community, teaching expectations, and kicking off the year with fun and purpose.
Back to School Lesson Plans Day One
One of the most crucial things to plan for is what students will be doing as they enter the room on the first day. There is A LOT to dive into, but we want to be very mindful when thinking through what happens as they walk through the door. This is what our morning block looks like:
Arrival Time 8:15-8:30
While students are arriving, it’s important to have a place for their belongings and something for them to do. We always start our morning by coming to the carpet. They come with their backpacks and we practice hanging them up. When students come to the carpet, I have a read aloud playing for them to listen to. This gives us all the time we need and gives students something to do while they wait. Remember, downtime is the enemy. By playing a read aloud from Youtube or Storyline, you are also free to support students during this time.
Connection Circle 8:15-8:30
After students have finished putting up their things, we will start the day how we plan to for the rest of the year with a connection circle. During this time we will begin practicing those connection circle expectations to get students into the routine. These times are crucial to set the foundation for the rest of the year. Start with a light topic like, “What are you excited for this year?” or “What is your favorite thing about school?” Learn more about connection circles HERE!
Classroom Tour and Scavenger Hunt 8:30-9:15
One of the biggest goals of the first few weeks of school is helping students to learn the space and navigate it independently. We want students to thrive without us and of course take care of their space. As you will see with the next activities we’ll do just that, while sprinkling in expectations and procedures along the way.
Not only does this activity help students learn to navigate the classroom, but it also builds in much needed movement. Students can locate cubbies, the classroom library, and more. After wrapping up this activity, build in some practice time for important morning routines and procedures.
When you practice each new procedure with students, discuss what it looks like and sounds like. Create an anchor chart with students and have them practice at least two times and provide feedback after practicing. Learn more about teaching procedures HERE!
Many of our first week plans will include built in movement, practice with procedures, and community building. Read alouds are the perfect segue for important topics you want to cover with students at the beginning of the year. I love using lots of different engaging stories that also have a fun companion activity!
First Day Jitters Read Aloud and Activities 9:15-9:45
After getting in some movement, it’s the perfect time to read a story or complete a calming activity. Begin by having students come to the carpet and practicing how to sit on the carpet together. Then read First Day Jitters to students. After reading, have students think about how they are feeling during their first day of school. As a class, complete the First Day Feelings anchor chart and the fun craft to go along with it. This is also the perfect time to practice using school supplies properly!
We work on their craft for an allotted amount of time because it’s ok if you they don’t finish. We always spend the last day of the week finishing unfinished things as a quiet time activity. After crafting, have students move around and meet some friends with Find a Friend bingo! This is the perfect way to build in movement and help foster student relationships. Encourage students to find friends they don’t know yet and even try to go for a blackout to complete their entire bingo sheet!
Hot Seat and Brain Break 9:45-10:15
Begin with a brain break to get those extra wiggles out. Then play a few rounds of hot seat with students. This allows students to get to know more about each other in a fun way. One student will take the “Hot Seat” while the other students get to ask questions.
The students have 1 minute to ask as many questions that they can about the student in the hot seat. Some questions I’ve heard are, “What’s your favorite color?”, “Do you like dogs or cats better?”, and “Do you have a favorite toy?” It is totally student led and they always enjoy being in the hot seat, as well as asking questions about their peers. Students in the hot seat can always pass on a question they don’t want to answer to ensure everyone feels comfortable. Students can also practice raising their hands and being respectful while playing this game!
Recess Activities 10:15-1o:35
Before we head out for recess for the first time, we read The Recess Queen together and discuss how we treat others during recess. There are all sorts of crafts you can do with students depending on the time you have. This is also a great opportunity to discuss how we line up, how we behave outside, and during lunch time. If you have the time and desire to do so, you can also go outside with the students and get to know them a little better and watch how they interact. It’s also a great time to take a break and enjoy some quiet time.
Recess Lunch 10:35-11:20
Calming Time 11:20-11:25
Students have A LOT of energy after returning from lunch and recess. I always use this time as an opportunity to bring down the energy before diving into a new activity. It’s a good time to reset for the afternoon because there is still a ton of learning to be had. We always come back to a dark room and a calming brain break. The Go Noodle Flow brain breaks are great for this time!
Teamwork Challenge 11:25-11:55
It’s crucial to have students learn to work together. It’s a life skill and something they’ll have to do all year long so it’s important to start from day one. Begin by reading Teamwork Isn’t My Thing. Have students think about the importance of teamwork and why we need it in the classroom. Then it’s time to play!
Students will practice BEING a good teammate in groups of 4 or 5. Each group is given a stack of cups and a rubber band with 4 or 5 paper clips (based on the number of students in the group). They are NOT allowed to touch the cups or rubber bands, ONLY their paperclip, and they have to work as a team to stack the cups into a pyramid! Students love the challenge and although some get super frustrated, it’s a great way for them to practice great teamwork skills!
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Back To School Lesson Plans for the Afternoon
Take a quick break here to give yourself a pat on the back for making it through the morning! And also maybe take a quick coffee break to gear up for the next part of the day!
School Tour 11:55-12:25
Just like we want students to feel at home in the classroom, we want them to confidently navigate the rest of the school, too. So—grab your hallway voice and go on a school tour! Stop by the essentials: the bathroom, office, library, and wherever your specials are housed.
While you’re out and about, it’s the perfect time to practice hallway routines: how to line up, where to pause, and how not to turn into a herd of stampeding wildebeests. I like to plan these stopping points in advance so students learn exactly where we pause throughout the building. And of course, end your tour at the playground—review expectations and sneak in that all-important movement break.
First Day Crowns 12:30-12:50
Crowns are a great keepsake for their first day of school. They are also a quiet, calming activity after a day full of excitement and fun. Put on some calming music and let students decorate their crowns. We have a rule in the classroom that anything colored must have at least 5 colors. This is the perfect time to discuss quality work and coloring expectations. Remember, everything you do this week sets the tone for the rest of the school year.
Would You Rather 12:50-1:00
Inject some laughter and friendly debate into your day with a “Would You Rather” activity. Pose questions related to back to school and watch your students’ imaginations run wild. It’s a surefire way to spark engaging conversations, while having so much fun. The best part is you can totally add movement to this fun game. For example, allow students to sit, run in place, or do jumping jacks to show their choice. Get as creative as you’d like! The beauty of this simple activity is that you can have it be as rowdy or calm as you want, and no matter what, kids have a blast! This is also the perfect add for a time filler in your back to school lesson plans because it can be used throughout the day or week.
Specials 1:00-1:45
Before heading to specials, discuss how students behave during specials time. This is also a great time to review and practice lining up and walking in the hallway. If students are struggling, don’t be afraid to stop and start over. This is the prime molding time to get those expectations set up right. Give yourself extra time to practice before specials time so you aren’t late. If you arrive early, you can play a silent game of Simon Says or the quiet game.
While students are at specials, it is the perfect time to finish prepping anything needed for the remainder of the day. Or maybe even sit in silence for a little while. The first day is A LOT. Take a break if you need one.
Hula Hoop Challenge 1:45-2:00
After specials, head right outside with students for the next activity. Discuss those teamwork expectations from earlier and explain the game to students. This can be done as a whole class or as teams. Students are split into teams holding hands in a circle. Place a hula-hoop on one student’s arm before they close their circle and the challenge is to get the hula-hoop all the way around their circle without letting go of each other’s hands. The team to do it the fastest wins! If anyone lets go, then we will start over.
You can play this game as many times as students have the attention for. You can have them try and complete it faster and faster if they get really good at it. It’s a great game to practice teamwork and cheering each other on!
Back to School Lesson Plans Dismissal Time
End of Day Procedures 2:00-2:15
This is one of the most stressful times of the day. While we have 15 minutes blocked out, you may want to give yourself more time during those first few days. Just like the other important parts of the day, really think through what all the end of day procedures look like for students so they know exactly what to do and what success looks like.
We follow a simple dismissal routine so that students know exactly what is expected of them at the end of the day. They follow each part of the routine and then sit on the floor with their backpacks when they are finished. Again, a simple read aloud is a great quiet activity for the end of the day.
Jitter Juice 2:15-2:3o
After students have finished cleaning up for the day, it’s time for the final activity! Read the Jitter Juice poem and provide students with Jitter Juice. We love this adorable poem from Mrs. Bishop and drink some Jitter Juice! They LOVE it! You can have them drink their Jitter Juice in the classroom or outside. You can even give it to students on their way out the door. Totally up to you! If you do decide to drink it as a class, you can have students share their favorite activity from the day while everyone sips.
Here is a simple Jitter Juice recipe you can use:
1 part Sprite
1 part Hawaiian Punch
Sprinkles
Optional: 1 scoop of sorbet
For the rest of the week, the days will look very similar. Much of the time is spent building community, teaching expectations, practicing procedures, and having fun. I am going to share a few of our favorites for each of the days. Remember, you can grab our first week plans, for FREE, and have the entire week mapped out from start to finish!
Back to School Lesson Plans – Day 2
As previously stated, the rest of the first week of school will continue to be filled with fun, productive activities that students will love. Here is a sneak peek of day two through five and some of the engaging activities that go on in our classroom:
Chrysanthemum and Heart Activity (30 minutes)
Before reading the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, provide each student with a cutout of a heart Students are then instructed to crumble their paper a little bit every time they hear something unkind in the story. At the end, challenge students to open up and smooth out their hearts to try and see if they can make it look like before. This teaches an important lesson to students that those little scars will stay on our hearts so we must always think before we act. Perfect for teaching kindness this first week of school!
Class Dojo Growth Mindset (30 minutes)
One of my FAVORITE tools to teach growth mindset is with The Class Dojo mini series! These are 5 short videos that can be watched over a week’s time. Every day we watch one that leads to great discussions about having a growth mindset which is crucial throughout the school year, especially during back to school.
Rock Paper Scissors Championship (30 minutes)
After reading The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, students pair off to play a game of rock, paper, scissors. When they lose, they become a cheerleader to the person they lost to. The winner will then find another opponent. By the end, there should only be two players left, but they each have a TON of cheerleaders! It’s such a fun way to cheer each other on and have fun with a little competition!
Back to School Lesson Plans – Day 3
Most Magnificent Thing and STEM (30 minutes)
The Most Magnificent thing is the PERFECT read aloud to introduce STEM concepts in the classroom. It’s a must on the back to school lesson plans! The main character shows students that even when we have an idea, things may not go how we planned, but we must NEVER give up. It’s a perfect lesson to build flexibility and patience in students and to help motivate them to keep striving when things aren’t going like they thought it would during a project. It shows students how to be resilient and persevere through! Insert in your favorite STEM activity afterwards and it’s a perfect lesson. I love using THIS Name Stem resource.
Our Classroom Promise (30 minutes)
We read What if Everybody Did That? which is a great story that captures the bigger picture of how our actions affect others at and beyond school. It challenges them to see how we collectively we can make a positive impact on our world. After reading, we come up with our own classroom promise.
This classroom promise outlines our class norms, rules, and expectations. We emphasize values like kindness, respect, and positivity, discussing their importance and committing to them. These themes are documented as they arise in various discussions and read-alouds, ensuring they remain a central part of our classroom culture.
Four Corners (30 minutes)
Four Corners is a great way to continue building community, while getting in movement. Students get to choose a corner of the room and discuss their choice to your questions. Ask away to get to know your students, see how much they’ve been listening while learning their new classroom, or review some skills from their previous year to come up with questions. Provide students with answer options for each corner and let them move!
Back to School Lesson Plans – Day 4
Rainbow Fish Activity (30 minutes)
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister is a great read aloud with a sweet central message that allows students to see why they are special, why sharing matters, and how to be kind. We then engage in a fun writing activity and craft for students to complete to accompany this story. I love hanging them in the hallway when completed because they all turn out so unique. What better way to start your year off by celebrating the special qualities of each of your new students!
Back to School Scoot (20 minutes)
Your students will have a BLAST with these back to school engaging prompts. They are the PERFECT way to make students feel special, get excited for school, learn more about each other and get some fun movement in. You can check it out HERE!
“What Were You Thinking?” Read Aloud & Problem Solving Activities 30 minutes
After a read aloud of ‘What Were You Thinking?” by Bryan Smith, we engage in some fun problem solving activities. First we start with a big vs. little problems sorting activity. Next, we role play scenarios to practice solving common problems that may occur in the classroom. If there is time you can then expand to help learn how to meaningfully apologize to each other as well.
Back to School Lesson Plans – Day 5
Kindness is Cooler Mrs. Ruler and Kindness Project (25 minutes)
Start by reading the book Kindness is Cooler Mrs. Ruler and then give the students the same assignment that Mrs. Ruler gives out! It’s a fun way to engage students in kindness activities at home. Each student gets 5 hearts on Friday afternoon and as they bring them back in, have them share their acts of kindness. Ultimately we create an anchor chart with the class’s kind acts. They LOVE showing off and it spreads even more kindness!
Class Puzzle (20 minutes)
For this activity, provide each student with a blank puzzle piece. These can be found at Michaels or on Amazon. Students use materials to uniquely decorate a puzzle piece that represents who they are. After everyone has finished decorating their puzzle pieces, gather all the students to work together to complete your classroom puzzle! It becomes a beautiful reminder of teamwork and showcases who the class is, both together and individually, displayed all year long.
Back to School Escape Room 45 minutes
When you need to insert instant engagement in the classroom you only need two words: ESCAPE ROOMS. These mysterious challenges lure you in from the mission and kids are so eager to crack the codes they need to “escape”. Students learn each other’s strengths, get great problem solving practice in, and they have fun while learning! Check out this special Back to School Escape Room to help students work together and get to know each other!
Back to School Lesson Plans Done For YOU!
I have taken YEARS of learning, hard work, mistakes, and activities to compile this amazing tool! Let me help plan out your entire first week of school with NO hard work for you. You’ll walk into your classroom day one with an overabundance of activities and plans so that you know exactly what to do. This way you can focus on what really matters- spending the time getting to know your amazing new group of kiddos.
If you want to have ALL of these activities done for you and more, you need this First Week Kit! It is an absolute MUST HAVE for the first week of school!! It has been designed to include EVERYTHING you need for the first 5 days of school. We’re talking
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You’ll have the first 5 days of school planned out and I guarantee you’ll have activities leftover to get you through the first month of school. I’ll show you how and when to teach important procedures during the first week so that you will have a solid foundation built with students.
There are editable plans included so that you can make it to meet your specific classroom needs. Be amazed at how much will be taken off your plate the first week of school! With that weight lifted, you can actually ENJOY your time with your new class. It’s truly a must have for first week success. And once you assemble the entire kit, you can use it for years to come!!
All this and more is part of the First Week of School Bundle! You’ll be OVER planned for the first week with TONS of activities that your students will love. The best part is it takes the stress off YOU so that you can also enjoy this momentous time that only happens once a year.
I really hope you enjoyed learning all about easy and fun back to school lesson plans for totally rocking the first week with students! Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list! You’ll get the most up to date tips, tricks, and classroom projects! And of course more fun FREEBIES including the First Week Lesson Plans FREEBIE! You will also have exclusive access to tons of digital how to videos! If you would like to learn about this and other things happening in my classroom follow me @sweetnsauerfirsties on Instagram.
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