Fun First Day of School Activities 2nd Grade Back to School Activities (K-2) & Bonus Writing Prompts (2024)

First Day of School Activities 2nd grade, 1st Grade, and Kindergarten— Summer is wrapping up and that means it’s time to start preparing for going back-to-school. Now, the activities In this blog post are focused on the first day of school. Yet, the fun and fabulous first days of school activities shared with you below may also be used at any time during beginning of the school year. Hooray!

Yeppers… you’ll see a list of seven fun first days of the new school year activity ideas you won’t want to miss.

Plus, each idea comes with brief instructions to help you help your kids get the school year started off on the right foot. (Indeed, it’s time to start preparing for the best school year yet for your and for your new students.)

Oh, and be sure to check out the complimentary bonus list of 15 Writing Prompts, too.

So get to it and use these first day of school activities 2nd Grade ideas (and more grades) today. Above all, enjoy, and have a super school year. Yes!

Hello first year, new teachers, seasoned teachers, and all educators. A quick reminder to:

Take a look at the thousands of FREE journal prompts and writing ideas available here on my blog just for you and your students.

Hooray for the First Day of School Activities 2nd Grade

Going back to school is both an exciting and an anxious time for young students in (kindergarten through) second grade. And, no doubt you’ll be quite busy as you buy the decorations for your new classroom, prep your class materials, create the themes for this year’s curriculum, and build routines for your kids.

Yet…

You’ll want to ensure you remember to plan for those all-important first days of school activities to set the tone and culture for your classroom in the new year.

If you need some help coming up with and planning out activity ideas for that first week of school (or weeks!) there are some great activities here for you. Let’s get to it and explore them now.

7 First Day of School Activities 2nd Grade

When it comes to the first day of school, there are plenty of fun activities that can help make it memorable for your second graders and help create rapport among your kids. Best of all, these activities will help you set the proper foundation for your classroom management culture (priceless!).

1. Behavior Books — Read aloud to students a few stories that model what type of behavior will be expected of them in different school settings, such as within the classroom or at the playground.

2. Self Portraits — Have the students draw or paint a picture of themselves. This is a fun and relaxing way for students to get creative while introducing themselves to their fellow classmates.

3. Get to know you icebreaker to help with those first day jitters- This is a great way for kids to start getting to know each other. Have them stand in a circle and share their name, favorite color, and something they did over summer break.

4. Best dressed award – Have everyone vote on who has the best outfit for the first day of school. This is a great way to get kids to chat and laugh with each other.

5. Desk decorating contest – Let the kids get creative and decorate their desks however they like. This is also a great opportunity for them to show off their personality and their craft-making skills.

6. Take a walk down memory lane – Have the kids stop by their old classrooms and see how much things have changed.

7. Lunchtime singing – Let the new classmates sing their favorite songs while they eat lunch.

Yay! I hope you use and enjoy our first day of school activities 2nd grade with your class (or with kids in another grade level for that matter) because fun introductory activities ensure students feel welcome, comfortable, and ready to learn.

Now, check out these two first day of school activity ideas for 1st-grade students.

First day of School Activities Activities for 1st Grade Students

Fun activities to plan for the first few days of school for your first grade students include:

• Classroom Scavenger Hunt — Set up a scavenger hunt throughout the classroom that will help students discover the most important and useful parts of their new room. It’s a fun way to introduce them to their new setting.
• Name Plates — Ask the students to write their names on a nameplate and decorate it themselves. This will help them feel comfortable in their own space in the classroom.

Ok, it’s time to share a couple of activities for kindergarteners. Thereafter, you’ll discover some excellent new school year writing prompts you can use with all K-2 students.

First day of School Activities for Kindergarten Students

Kindergartners are coming to school for the very first time, so your back-to-school activities should be focused on welcoming students, getting to know them, and assessing their current needs. A few activities you should consider include:

• All About Me — This can be their very first homework assignment. Ask them to take home a list of basic questions about themselves and work with a parent to fill it out. It helps you get to know all of your students on a personal level. TIP: There are loads of free printables available online. Here is a free kindergarten worksheet we love.
• My Shape Book — Have the students create a book where each page is a different shape. Ask them to draw the respective shapes to assess their understanding of geometry.

Sweet. Now, let’s get to those back-to-school writing prompt ideas.

15 Writing Prompts to Use with First Day of School Activities 2nd Grade, 1st Grade, and Kindergarten

Have your new students grab their pencils and get writing about their new school year.

1. Write about your favorite memory from the summer.
2. Did you visit someplace new this summer? Write about the adventures that you enjoyed while you were off of school.
3. Write about one thing you feel that you learned over the summer. Was it a different learning experience than you typically experience in a classroom setting?
4. List three goals for this school year. Why did you choose those goals?
5. Write about what you expect this school year to be like. What do you think will be challenging? How will you overcome those challenges?
6. What is your favorite thing to learn about?
   
7. Introduce yourself to your fellow classmates. Write a journal entry that is all about you, the things you like, and the types of things that you do.
8. In August we celebrate Friendship Day. Who is your best friend? Why are you both such good friends?
9. The National Park Service was created in August of 1916. Have you ever visited a National Park? Describe the park that you visited. If you haven’t been to National Park, which one would you like to go to?
10. Write about what you packed in your backpack for the first day of school. Why did you choose those items?
11. Did you read any good books over the summer? Describe your favorite book that you read.
12. Write about a new rule that you want to create for your classroom this year. Why did you choose this rule?
13. What is the one thing you are most excited about for the upcoming school year?
14. Write about the feelings that you had the morning of the first day of school. Have your feelings changed since arriving at school?
15. Describe the qualities that you believe make a great teacher. Explain why you chose those qualities.

Discover 15 MORE fabulous first day of school writing activitiesfor older students.

And here you can see a HUGE collection of Back to School Writing and Journal Prompts.

Lastly, check out these back-to-school free printable resources for your kiddos.

Here’s wishing you and your students an absolutely wonderful start to the beginning of the year. Until next time, write on…

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Thanks!

Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator