3 Ways To Make the First Day of Pre-K Memorable and Fun

The first day of Pre-K is a BIG DEAL! The first day of a new school year is a lot for us as adults, so it can definitely be an overwhelming day for our little ones who might have never stepped foot in a school or classroom setting before. It can easily feel like chaos and full of big emotions unless you have a great plan in place.

Read on for 3 ways to make the first day of Pre-K memorable and fun for your new little learners!

#1 Create a Special Welcome

Make the first day of school super fun, and have a surprise or two ready for your new little learners. Exciting distractions (and some extra high fives, fist bumps, or hugs) are often just the right recipe to help forget about the rising nerves.

One of my go-to favorites is gifting each student with a fun crazy straw or piece of candy tied to a balloon gift tag. Place these at each student’s seat or put them into cubbies for an unexpected treat when little ones arrive.

Recently, I found these superrrr cute scratch-off cards and fell in love with them! You can customize the scratch-off part with a picture of you or use another fun image like your classroom mascot. (use my code UPANDAWAY for a discount)

These little touches are sure to help your new preschoolers or TK kiddos feel special and welcome as they begin a new adventure!

#2 Teach the Basics

Once your preschoolers are feeling good, start to teach them the information they need to know about themselves, the school, and the classroom while also introducing the different procedures that make your classroom tick.

Keep your main focus on teaching the basics!

Pre-K Info

Child’s name
Your name
Grade
School name
Room number and/or hall

Let’s face it, a lot of times little ones come to us on their first day of school and can’t tell us too much. They might have been called a loving nickname (“Baby girl”, “Bobo”, “Mommy’s Princess”) for the past few years of their lives and really not even know their first and last name. They’ll likely try to call you “teacher” or *sweetly* get your attention by saying “hey you” a few times on the first day.

Knowing basic facts about the school and classroom are so helpful if a child accidentally gets separated from your group or turns the wrong way when leaving the emergency trip to the bathroom.

Procedures

These are the most important procedures I focus on with my new students. Highlighting these from the start really helps our year go so much more smoothly:

Sitting on the carpet
Sitting in a chair
How to line up
Where to line up

Of course, you will have to review all these facts many times (probably each day for the first few weeks if I’m being honest), but the first day is the best day to lay it all out.

Repeat, repeat, repeat! …then repeat some more!

#3 Plan Simple Activities

While the focus of the day is still teaching basic information and making little ones feel welcome in an unfamiliar place, it’s important to plan a few simple activities to keep them engaged throughout the day.

Kids love hands-on activities! Teachers love low-prep!

Here are a few of tried and true favorite activities to meet both of these needs on the first day of school:

Make a necklace using each student’s name. Just add string to these typed letter cards to help your littles build their names.
Draw self-portraits and write names independently using this year-long template. This activity gives insight about what each student is capable of and is a great way to see growth throughout the year.
Color first day of school hats (or call them “crowns” for an extra special twist). Encourage your preschoolers to wear them proudly all day long!