Finding ideas for the first day of school for an early childhood education or child care program can be difficult. But creating a welcoming and engaging environment is crucial for building trust and excitement among young learners.
Here are five ideas to make that first day of school memorable and smooth!
1. Welcome Circle Time
Objective: Foster a sense of community and ease first-day jitters.
Begin the day with a welcome circle time in which each child introduces themselves.
Use a simple, friendly icebreaker like “what is your favorite color?” or “what did you do this summer?” This activity helps children learn each other’s names and encourages them to express themselves in a group setting.
Pair it with a catchy “hello” song to engage auditory learners and create a fun, musical atmosphere. For more song ideas, check out this Growing Book by Book blog that shares seven circle time welcome songs.
Tips:
- Use name tags to help children remember their peers’ names.
- Incorporate a soft, friendly puppet to lead the circle and make introductions less intimidating.
2. Classroom Scavenger Hunt
Objective: Help children become familiar with their new environment.
Design a simple scavenger hunt that leads children to key areas of the classroom, such as the reading nook, art station or snack area. Provide visual clues and a small map to guide them.
This activity promotes exploration and independence while making the classroom feel like a welcoming space.
Tips:
- Create pairs or small groups to encourage teamwork and social interaction.
- Use stickers or small rewards for children who complete the scavenger hunt.
3. Personalized Art Projects
Objective: Allow self-expression and create a sense of ownership.
Provide materials for a simple art project, such as decorating a paper cutout of a school bus or creating a “my first day” poster. Encourage children to use their favorite colors and include personal touches like handprints or drawings of their family. Display these projects around the room to give children a sense of pride and belonging.
Tips:
- Use a variety of art supplies like crayons, markers and stickers to cater to different interests.
- Display their artwork prominently to create an inclusive classroom environment.
4. Story Time with a Twist
Objective: Introduce classroom rules and routines in an engaging way.
Choose a storybook that relates to themes of friendship, sharing or school routines. After reading, discuss the story’s messages and connect them to the classroom rules. This method makes abstract concepts more concrete and understandable for young minds.
Tips:
- Select books with vivid illustrations and relatable characters.
- Ask open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking and discussion.
5. Interactive Play Centers
Objective: Encourage social interaction and hands-on learning.
Set up various play centers around the classroom, each with a different focus such as building blocks, sensory bins or dramatic play areas. Allow children to rotate through these centers, exploring and interacting with their peers.
This activity helps children discover their interests and develop social skills in a structured yet flexible environment. These centers can be a key part of preschool daily schedules as well, helping reinforce a learning theme.
Tips:
- Observe children’s interactions to gain insights into their personalities and preferences.
- Rotate centers regularly to maintain engagement and introduce new skills
Enhance Learning With a Curriculum Designed for ECE!
For more ideas, check out our blog that shares more ideas for first-day-of-school activities for preschoolers!
And for more lesson plans that can be used year-round, check out Procare Early Learning powered by Learning Beyond Paper, an all-digital early childhood curriculum specifically designed to meet the unique needs of educating children from infancy through pre-kindergarten.
The curriculum is embedded into Procare, making it easier and less time-consuming for busy teachers and administrators to provide high-quality education.
With Procare Early Learning powered by Learning Beyond Paper, child care centers can:
- Equip teachers with state-of-the-art online curriculum at their fingertips
- Dramatically reduce the amount of time spent on lesson planning each week
- Offer children a high-quality, developmentally appropriate curriculum
- Save money with this cost-efficient solution that’s integrated with Procare
This curriculum can be used in ALL child care center classrooms, with 52 weeks of lesson plans and daily activities for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and pre-kindergarteners. Learning areas include STEAM, language and literacy, physical development, cognitive, music and movement as well as interactive reading. Plus, teachers get tips and tools they can use in real time!
Procare is the only solution that can deliver the entire early childhood education ecosystem — lesson planning, lesson delivery within the classroom as well as assessment and parent engagement. Being able to do all of these with one platform simplifies classroom management and planning!
How much time and money could your child care center save using a digital curriculum designed for young learners? Enter your number of staff, number of students and type of program into our online calculator to learn your potential savings!
Procare Cost and Time Savings Calculator Automated Payment Processing Cost & Time Savings Calculator Digital Curriculum Cost and Time Savings Calculator
Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s all-in-one child care management software. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*: Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s secure and effortless child care payment processing. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*: Calculate your potential cost and time savings by using Procare’s classroom management. All we will need from you is some information about your child care location*:
* Our data model is based on our experience working with over 100,000 child care centers, before and after school programs and youth organizations since 1992.
Switching to will save you hours and a month!*
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We understand that smaller centers and in-home daycare providers are operating on a tight budget, and that is why we provide all these features for the affordable price of just $25 per month. Let us handle the business of child care so you can get back to caring for your children.
To learn more about Procare home version, click below.
*Please note that the report you see only factors in cost and time savings for the in-home solution features. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative. *Please note that the report you see only factors in cost and time savings for the in-home solution features. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative. *Please note that the classroom management functionality is not available for in-home users. For Procare home version users that are interested in seeing how they can benefit from Procare’s full suite of capabilities, contact us today to speak to a Procare representative.
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Procare Cost and Time Savings Calculator
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