First Day of School 2026 Activities Teaching Resources for 2nd Grade

Hopes and Wishes Jar - Goal Planning Template

Have your students craft a hopes and wishes jar to set goals for the school year.

All About Me Sundae - First Day Activity

Printable SMART Goals Template

Start the school year by having your students use a printable template to set their own S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Student Interest Survey Pack

Use a Student Interest Survey to get to know your new students at the beginning of the school year.

Back To School - Listening Skill Refresh Activity

Refresh student listening skills with a Back to School Listening Skill Refresh Slides and script.

All About Me Jersey Design Template

Kick off the year and get to know your new team of students with an exciting All About Me Jersey Design Template.

I Wish My Teacher Knew Activity Sheet

Add an ‘I Wish My Teacher Knew’ activity to your first-day plans to learn more about your new students.

Free Blank Face Templates

Use these blank face templates to create fun back-to-school art celebrating the individuality and diversity of your new students!

Lettuce Get To Know You Craft Activity

‘Lettuce’ Get to Know You with a fun back-to-school Hamburger All About Me activity.

Procedures Scoot!

Review classroom procedures and expectations with with this back to school SCOOT activity.

Back to School - Personalized Name Coloring Bookmarks

Inspire your new students to read, read, read with their very own personalized name bookmark to color!

Get to Know Me Collaborative Tessellation Art Activity

Invite your students to get to know each other by creating a collaborative About Me Tessellation Art Project.

Goal Grid - Goal Setting Template

Set goals for the new school year with a printable goal-setting template for kids.

Back to School Word Search Worksheets

Warm up your students’ vocabulary skills with this set of Back to School word searches.

Back to School - Plan a Field Trip Project

Integrate STEM activities into your beginning-of-year math and economics lessons by inviting your students to plan a field trip, calculate costs, and follow a budget.

Back to School Supply Shopping Task - Primary Grades

Calculate the cost of school supplies and answer questions with this back-to-school math activity.

Playdough STEM Challenge – Task Cards

Use this set of STEM challenge cards to foster critical thinking and problem-solving by building various items with playdough.

All About Me Name Tag Template

Use this All About Me Name Tag Template to have your students design a name tag for their desk on the first day of school.

This Is Me Game - Task Cards

Get to know your students on the first days of a new school year with this fun 'This is Me' game.

Back to School Today! Poem for Kids

Ease back-to-school jitters and launch your students into a love of poetry with a short poem for kids written just for the first day of school!

Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down Expectations Sort

Review appropriate classroom behaviors with this sorting activity.

Color Me Carefully – Geometric Animals

Hone in on your students' speaking and listening skills with this barrier activity.

Funky Apple Craftivity

Have fun on the first day of school with a fun customizable, Funky Apple Craftivity.

Stand Up, Sit Down Game - 'Sit Down If' Icebreaker

Have your students giggling on day 1 with this Stand Up, Sit Down Game as a classroom icebreaker.