First Week of School Activities for Kindergarten and 1st Grade (The Whole Week, Already Planned)

The back-to-school countdown is on. Your classroom is set up, your name tags are laminated, and your back-to-school outfit is picked out. But your first week plans? Still a Google Doc full of half-finished ideas and tabs you meant to come back to.

Sound familiar? I know, because I’ve been there.

The first week of school is everything. It sets the tone for your classroom community, your routines, and how your students feel about being there. That’s a lot of pressure to put on five days! But here’s what I’ve learned: when you have the right activities already lined up, the first week stops feeling overwhelming and starts feeling really, really good.

Instead of scrambling to piece together random activities from Pinterest and old files, imagine heading into Monday with a full week already mapped out, with activities that actually work together and do the heavy lifting for you.

That’s exactly what the First Week of School Bundle is built for. Five ready-to-use resources that take you through every single day, and honestly, well beyond it.

Before we dive in, I put together a free First Week of School Checklist that maps out everything you need to get through the week feeling organized and prepared. Grab it below and keep it open while you read!

Free First Week of School Checklist

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What’s Inside the Bundle

Every resource in this bundle was chosen with a purpose. They’re not just five cute activities thrown together. They work as a sequence, each day building on the one before it, so your classroom culture has a real foundation by Friday. And because everything is already planned and ready to go, you can actually be present that week instead of running on fumes.

Here’s how the week comes together!

Day 1: First Day Feelings

Start the year with emotional safety, no planning required.

The very first morning sets an emotional tone for everything that follows. Before you dive into procedures or expectations, students need to feel like your classroom is a safe place to land.

First Day Feelings gives you an anchor chart, an interactive feelings graph, and differentiated student activities to help students identify and talk about how they’re feeling on day one. It’s SEL from the very first morning, and it opens the door to so many meaningful conversations about emotions all year long.

When students feel seen right away, they feel safe. And that safety is what everything else gets built on.

Day 2: Behavior Lesson

Teach expectations in a way that actually sticks, hands-on and low prep.

Once your students feel comfortable, day two is the perfect time to talk about what your classroom looks and feels like. The Behavior Lesson makes those expectations hands-on and memorable with a pocket chart sort, cut-and-paste activities, and the strong choice headband.

And trust me. . . they LOVE the headbands. Like, really love them.

More importantly, you’re not just telling students what good choices look like. You’re letting them experience it, talk about it, and wear it on their heads. That sticks way more than a lecture ever will!

Day 3: Chrysanthemum Activities

A ready-to-teach read-aloud day that celebrates every student in your room.

If you haven’t used Chrysanthemum as a back-to-school read-aloud, this is your sign to start. It is such a beautiful book for talking about names, kindness, and what makes each of your students uniquely wonderful.

This activity pack pairs perfectly with the read-aloud and includes name activities, a kindness lesson, glyphs, and a flower craft. It’s one of those days where everything just feels warm and good, and your students leave feeling celebrated.

All Week: Icebreaker Games

Three editable, no-prep games you can pull out anytime, all week long.

Classroom community doesn’t happen in one day. That’s why these Get-to-Know-You Icebreaker Games are designed to use all week long!

You get three editable, no-prep Google Slides games that get students talking, moving, and genuinely connecting with each other. Use them during morning meeting, transitions, or brain breaks whenever you need a quick community builder. They’re easy to customize, and kids ask to play them again. That’s always a good sign!

All Year: Memory Book and Writing Portfolio

Start it on day one. Watch it grow all year. No extra planning needed.

This one is my favorite, because the Year Long Memory Book and Writing Portfolio starts on day one and grows with your students all year long.

Each month, students add a new memory page so that by the time June rolls around, you have a beautiful record of just how much they’ve grown. It also doubles as a name writing portfolio for Kindergarten, which makes it incredibly flexible. The covers are fully editable so you can make it work exactly the way you need it to.

Watching students flip through their pages at the end of the year? There is nothing quite like it.

Why This Bundle Works

Here’s the thing I love most about this bundle. It’s not just five separate activities. It’s a sequence.

Day 1 helps students feel emotionally safe
Day 2 gives them clarity on expectations
Day 3 celebrates who they are as individuals
All week builds connections between students
All year shows them how far they’ve come

That intentional flow is what makes the first week feel smooth instead of scattered. When every day has a purpose and everything connects, you’re not just filling time. You’re building the kind of classroom culture that carries you all the way to June.

By Friday, your students don’t just know the rules. They know each other. They feel comfortable in your classroom, and you already have routines and community starting to click into place. That’s the kind of first week that sets everyone up for a great year.

What Teachers Are Saying

Don’t just take my word for it! Here’s what teachers are saying about the resources inside this bundle:

“I loved this activity for the first day of school! It was truly my favorite from my first week. Students were so engaged!” — 1st Grade Teacher

“What a great idea for throughout the year! It is a fun memory book to look back on and all the pages are wonderful.” — 2nd Grade Teacher

“This is a terrific resource to use at the beginning of the school year. My students really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it!” — Kindergarten Teacher

Ready to Head Into Your Best First Week Yet?

No more piecing together random first week activities at the last minute. This bundle gives you a full week of purposeful, connected activities that help you start the year feeling prepared and confident.

The First Week of School Bundle includes all five resources for less than $3 each. Everything is planned, everything is ready to go, and all you have to do is print and teach.