These free printable first day of school activities provide teachers and parents with a stress-free way to manage the chaotic first morning of a new academic year. This 5-page PDF bundle is packed with highly visual, low-prep templates that help early learners navigate their new classroom, understand daily routines, and express their feelings without needing advanced reading skills.
Keeping students calmly engaged at their desks allows educators to handle essential administrative tasks like attendance and supply sorting. You can easily pair this orientation bundle with our all about me worksheet printable for independent desk work, or combine it with our back to school icebreaker worksheets to encourage peer socialization.
Inside This 5-Page PDF Bundle
This printable packet uses clear visual cues to guide young students through basic orientation tasks. Each page serves a specific purpose:
- My First Day Name Page: A penmanship sheet with dotted tracking lines for name practice, plus a blank box to draw a self-portrait.
- My First Day Feelings: An emotional check-in where kids identify if they feel happy, excited, nervous, or proud, and draw their corresponding emotion.
- First Day Classroom Rules Promise: A behavioral tracing activity covering basic expectations like listening, raising hands, walking inside, and using kind words.
- My First Day School Tour: A visual map of standard classroom areas (cubbies, carpet, desk, bathroom) where students point out locations and write their favorite place.
- First Day Morning Routine: A chronological guide showing students what to do first, from arriving and hanging up backpacks to greeting the teacher and sitting on the carpet.
Practical Classroom Implementation
Print the high-resolution file on standard 8.5″ x 11″ copy paper, making sure “fit to printable area” is checked. Place the “Name Page” and “Feelings” worksheets on student desks before they walk in so they have an immediate, independent task. Use the “School Tour” page as a whole-group walking activity to familiarize them with the room layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I use the school tour page effectively?
Give each student a clipboard and walk around the room together as a group. When you arrive at the cubbies or the bathroom, have them point to the matching picture on their paper and check it off.
What if a child cannot trace the classroom rules yet?
If a student struggles with tracing, read the rule aloud and ask them to color the picture next to it instead. This ensures they still understand the behavioral expectation visually.
When is the best time to do the morning routine worksheet?
Complete this page right after your morning announcements. Talk through the steps they just completed when they arrived, and use the sheet to reinforce what you expect them to do tomorrow.