15 Ways to Kick Start the First Day of School

The first day of school is always filled with a clamor of activity. The day begins with the customary getting-to-know-you session, but once that wraps, we’re on to serious business: textbooks, rules, expectations, and syllabus review.

Suddenly it’s three-o’clock, the bell is chiming us out of the classroom, and our students are gone. We don’t know them any better than they know us.

Of course, we have nine months to connect with our students, but we’ve always believed that first impressions have a way of setting the tone and giving shape to our classroom culture. Because of that, we like to begin the first day of school with introductory activities or icebreakers.

In our guide you will find 15 of our favorite getting-to-know-you games, projects and icebreak... Some of them simply aim to amuse and diffuse the first-day jitters; others—like the Blackout Art project and The Time Capsule—give students the opportunity to create something and document their first experience in your classroom. We wish you and your students the best in the forthcoming school year!