Head back to school in 2026 with activities, classroom decor printables and so many more teacher resources created by teachers for teachers just like you! Whether you're planning for your very first day as a teacher or just your first day of the 2026-2027 school year, we've got you covered with everything you're going to need to make students feel welcome when coming back to school and your classroom. Explore editable Google Slides templates, printable back to school coloring pages and word searches, inspiring back to school quotes to hang on the walls of your classroom ... and that's just the start of what's in store for your teacher toolkit. Get the peace of mind that you'll be all set to head back into the classroom with everything you need for a successful school year!

Looking for ideas for getting your students excited about going back to school? Read on for tips from our teacher team, including back-to-school jokes you can share with your class and some back-to-school songs with a positive vibe to set the tone for the school year!

Silly Back to School Jokes for Kids

There's no question that telling jokes in your classroom can help build that student-teacher relationship. Are you hoping to incorporate a few kid-friendly (and seriously silly) puns into your planning? Here are a few that have a school theme and are appropriate to share with the younger elementary students:

Why did the math worksheet look sad? It had a lot of problems.
How do bees get to school? They take the buzzzzz.
What did the crayon say to the pencil? You're pretty sharp.
What did the pencil say to the sharpener? Get to the point!
What do you call a dinosaur that sometimes teaches school? A "sub"-saurus!
What's a teacher's favorite type of music? Class-ical!
What's a vampire's favorite kind of test to take? A blood test!
What is a snake’s favorite subject? – Hiss-tory.
What did the bus driver say to the frog? Hop on.
Why are fish so smart? They spend a lot of time in schools.

Back to School Songs to Play in the Classroom

Going back to school comes with mixed emotions for teachers and students. Excitement to see friends and learn new things can be mixed with apprehension — especially for pre-K or kindergarten students who may have never ridden a school bus or been in a school setting before. You'll want to set a positive tone from day one to help students start the school year off feeling energized and excited. What better way to motivate your class and pump them up than playing songs perfect for back to school? You can play them quietly as students filter into the classroom in the morning on their first day, use them for a dance party brain break mid-day or add them to a classroom playlist for those times when you need to turn on some jams while kids work in small groups. Here are a few favorite kid-friendly back-to-school songs from the teachers on the Teach Starter team:

Welcome Back to School by Dwayne Reed — It doesn't get more on target than this fun tune from a Chicago educator. Teaching kindergarten? Check out Reed's Welcome to Kindergarten for a song that's more specific to your class.
Happy by Pharrell — This song about not letting anything ruin your happy mood is perfect for establishing a positive vibe. You can also use it as an example of using repetition as a persuasive device in writing.
Can't Stop This Feeling by Justin Timberlake
We're All in This Together by the High School Musical cast
ABC by The Jackson 5
School Days by Chuck Berry — This is an oldie that most students will have never heard before, but it's still a goodie!
The Educate Song — This is a cover of Bruno Mars' Grenade that's all about education, and it's sung by a group of public school students!

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Back to School STEM Challenge Cards – Primary