5 First Week of School Activities You Don't Want to Miss

It’s wild how fast that first week of school can sneak up. One minute you're soaking up summer, and the next you’re standing at your classroom door greeting a brand new group of students. I always looked for first week of school activities that helped set the tone, build community, and give my students a soft landing into our routines. Here are some ideas that helped students feel welcome, got us talking, and set the stage for a strong year. Plus, I've included a few bonus gems you don’t want to miss!

You won't want to miss these 5 first week of school activities that are full of fun games, group discussions and more to start the year right!

Why the First Week of School Activities Matter

The first week of school sets the foundation for the entire year. It’s the time when our students are figuring out the classroom climate, learning what to expect, and forming impressions about their teachers and their classmates. That’s why choosing the right activities for the first week of school is so important. The goal isn't just to keep them busy. It’s to help them feel safe, welcomed, and excited about what’s ahead.

Meaningful first week of school activities can do a lot of heavy lifting in just a few short days. They help build relationships, establish routines, and give our students a voice. Whether you’re using team-building games or creative writing prompts, the activities you choose can show your students that their ideas matter and that your classroom is a place where everyone belongs.

These early activities also provide us with valuable insights. They reveal learning styles, communication preferences, and areas of strength or struggle. In my experience, the more intentional I was with these first few days, the smoother the rest of the year went. It was like planting seeds that continued to grow in every subject area and classroom interaction.

First Week of School Activities That Helped Students Get to Know One Another

Get to know you games are perfect first week of school activities.

One of my favorite first week of school activities was always a simple get-to-know-you game. I used my Back to School Get to Know You resource. It includes two printable games that helped break the ice right away. These low-prep activities got my students out of their seats, chatting with classmates, and discovering fun things they had in common. It was the perfect way to ease those first-day nerves and spark new connections.

Not only did these games spark lots of laughter, but they also gave me an instant glimpse into my students’ personalities. Watching who jumped right in, who hung back, and who bonded over shared interests helped me plan intentional groupings and conversations for the weeks ahead. I found myself referencing those early games often when working on partner or group activities later in the year.

What I appreciated most was how these activities set the tone for a welcoming and inclusive classroom. They encouraged every student to participate and share without feeling pressured. Since they were engaging without being overwhelming, the activities helped establish a classroom culture where my students felt safe being themselves from day one.

Get Your Students Writing Right Away With These First Week of School Activities

Get your students writing right away with these back to school activities

Getting my students back into the rhythm of writing was always a top priority. I loved starting with something fun and creative. Back to School writing prompts were a big win. These prompts helped my students reflect, share, and warm up those writing muscles again. They made it easy to transition from summer break to classroom routines.

One of the most engaging activities in this set is the Roll-a-Cube task. Students roll to reveal a figurative language prompt, such as onomatopoeia, personification, or exaggeration. Then, they use it to spice up their writing. The cube makes it feel like a game, but the learning is meaningful and skill-focused. I saw my students stretch their creativity and gain confidence as they applied more advanced writing techniques.

This resource works beautifully as a quiet writing task or a partner-share warm-up during the first week of school. It provided me with valuable insight into where my students stood with their writing skills and also allowed me to plan future lessons based on what they needed most.

First Week of School Activities That Built Community and Ownership in Math

Create a math constitution during the first week of school with your students to help foster a sense of ownership in their learning.

Another activity that made a lasting impact was creating a Math Constitution. This idea gave my students a voice in setting the tone for how we’d approach math for the year. We used an anchor chart to brainstorm ideas like: "We will explain our thinking using math words," or "We will make mistakes and grow from them." You can grab this one as a guide to use in your classroom.

Once we had a long list of ideas, we narrowed it down as a class to 5–7 core statements that captured the spirit of our math community. We wrote them in student-friendly language and created a poster to display in our classroom. Then came the best part - everyone signed it. That small act of signing the Math Constitution added a sense of commitment and pride. My students saw themselves as important members of a team, ready to learn together.

This activity worked beyond just math. You could absolutely use the same format to create constitutions for reading, writing, science, or even a general class contract. The key was giving students ownership. It helped me build a growth mindset culture. It also provided us a shared language to refer back to whenever challenges popped up throughout the year.

Bonus First Week of School Activities Worth Adding to Your Plans

These bonus activities were always a hit in my classroom and added variety to those early days.

"If My Summer Was a Snack..." Writing Prompt

Students can share about their summer using this creative first week of school activity that can be shared as a quick presentation, illustration or writing project.

This one was always a crowd-pleaser. I had students choose a snack that represented their summer and explain why. Some examples included popcorn for a summer full of movies, jalapeño chips for a wild and exciting vacation, or a granola bar for a calm and steady break. It offered a fun peek into their personalities and made for great hallway displays!

What made this writing task especially effective was how easy it was to differentiate. Some of my students wrote just a few descriptive sentences, while others composed full paragraphs explaining the metaphor. It helped me gauge writing levels early on, all while maintaining a light and creative tone.

You could extend the activity by having your students illustrate their snack or turn it into a quick presentation. Whether it stayed on paper or turned into a show-and-tell, it was always a memorable way to kick off our first writing block.

Back to School Glyph with Math Integration

Back to School glyphs are another favorite for first week of school activities that help students share about themselves in a fun way!

Another favorite was the Back to School Glyph activity. It blended art, math, and writing in a way that helped my students express themselves while collecting class data. This resource also includes a summer writing prompt that makes it easy for students to share their summer adventures by creating a "summer sub". The math tie-in made it great for cross-curricular integration from day one.

Once the glyphs are done, you can dive into analyzing and comparing data. My students always loved seeing which classmates had similar responses. After completing their glyphs, we often created different types of charts and graphs to visualize the class results. It was an easy win for incorporating math into a creative task.

Just as with the snack writing prompt, the glyph activity provided me with quick insight into my students’ preferences, confidence, and ability to follow directions. It was one of those first week of school activities that truly checked multiple boxes.

Don’t Miss These Engaging Back to School Activities

If you’re looking for even more first week of school activities that help your students feel welcomed and excited, you’ll love Engaging Back to School Activities. It’s full of creative ways to build classroom connections! The ideas are simple and easy to prep. They will help you start building a strong classroom community from day one.

Plan First Week of School Activities That Set the Tone for a Fantastic Year

The first week of school is your chance to build community, spark curiosity, and show students that your classroom is a place where learning is exciting and everyone belongs. When you choose meaningful first week of school activities, you’re setting the stage for everything that follows.

These early experiences help your students feel seen, heard, and valued. They also provide a glimpse into your learners' personalities, strengths, and needs. You can meet them where they are from day one. Whether you’re focusing on creativity, collaboration, or mindset development, the right activities create lasting ripple effects throughout the year. Start strong, be intentional, and watch it all unfold!