Once you’ve set down some rules and guideline in your classroom, there are so many fun things to do on that first day of second grade! The list below contains ideas, suggestions, and books that can be used to get the year off to a great start!
1. Name Game: Sit everyone in a circle. The teacher begins with, “My name is ______, and I______”. The student to the right of the teacher repeats, “Her (the teacher) name is ______ and she______. My name is ___________ and I like to ___________.” The game continues with the person repeating what the individual before him/her just said, and then they introduce themselves. After the circle is complete, a review of names and likes is repeated together. This is a cute and easy way to get to know everyone’s names on the first day of second grade!
2. Star Student - The first week of school, I (the teacher) am the start student. I fill out the star student board with facts all about me. I bring in pictures of my family, my friends, my pets, vacations, etc. to share with the children. I also bring in something for show and tell. This helps the children get to know me a little bit better on the first day of school and it also shows them how the weekly star routine works!
3. Writing Activity - Read Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods that Make My Day, by Jamie Lee Curtis. This is a very funny story and the children always get a kick out of the main character’s moods! After reading this story, have the children write about how they are feeling. Start them off with: “Today on the first day of second grade. Last night I felt______. I felt ____________when I was getting ready this morning. Right now I feel__________ and I am feeling _____________ about second grade.” I then have them add on a couple more sentences on their own. Once they are finished, I let them illustrate their mood on a blank face di-cut. The children are then allowed to share what they have written. This is also a good informal writing assessment to see how they are writing. **Before starting this activity, tie it in with the first Writer’s Workshop mini-lesson to let students know expectations for their writing. ***
4. Math Activity – Pass out a bag of M&M’s to each child. Read the book More M&M’s Chocolate Candies Math by Barbara McGrath. The children will add, subtract, sort, and graph their candies in this fun, hands-on, yummy math activity for the first day of second grade! This is also a great informal assessment to see how their math skills are!
5. Don’t forget to take their pictures (alone) at some point during the day! You WILL use it for some type of memory book or first day of school gift for parents!
6. Classmate Survey – The children will LOVE going around the room finding out facts about their new friends on the first day of school! This is another informal assessment to see who can read their papers and who is having troubles…
http://www.abcteach.com/Backtoschool/classsurvey.htm
7. Take the children on a tour of the school, whether they are new or not. Practice correct procedures for the hall, the lunchroom, the library, dismissal routines, bathrooms, etc!
8. Windows on my first week of second grade: At the end of each day of the first week of school, I have my students color a picture of the events of their day in a window pane I have copied onto white paper. In each of the four panes, they write something about that day. We do one for each day of that first week, then we place all five windows into a folder that is labeled “Looking at my first week in second grade”. This is also a cute place to put other keepsakes from those first few days (like a photo!).
9. First day “kiss†– I send the children home with a note that says, “You had a great first day of second grade, you deserve a KISS!” and a Hershey’s Kiss!
If you have any other great ideas for the first day of school for second graders, please share them below!
July 28th, 2006 at 7:26 am
I just wanted to say that your site is fabulous!! This will be my first year teaching in Canada ( I spent a year overseas) I am going to be teaching Grade 2 as well. I have heard its a dream age so that helps calm my anxiety a little. I am not so niave to think everything will flow perfectly. Your site has been added to my favorites list. Thank you Thank you!!
July 29th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
I really appreciate your kind comments about my site. I’ve only been teaching for a few years myself, but I thought that I would share what I could about this amazing ride I’ve been on. Your first year is going to be a doozy, but you are going to fall in love with those 2nd grade babies! Good luck and I’m here for any questions you may have!
August 7th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Hi Crystal!
This website is great. I started my student teaching last week and I am going to visit this site more as I prepare to have my own classroom next year. It was nice to meet you the other day. Have a great school year!
August 8th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
Hey Ginger!
Thanks so much for visiting my site…I have so much more to add to it…it’s just finding “the time”. I’m excited for you…you’ll love student teaching! Some of my favorite memories are from student teaching and from being a para-pro at the school you are at. The people that are around you are great. I learned a lot from that group of teachers and I know that you will feel prepared to teach your own classroom after being with them. We also had a great time the other day and hope to keep in touch! Good luck!!!
May 13th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Hello!
I am currently attending college to become a second grade teacher. I love kids and love to help them learn. While going to college I substitue some for a local elementary school. I am also starting a teaching file for one of my college classes, we have to have 30 lesson plans and I found your site to be quite helpful for the first day of school activities. Keep up the great work!!!
July 16th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Hi, I will start teaching this fall and I was browsing the web for some first week of school activities. I have a question about your Writing Activity (
in which you first read, Today I feel Silly and Other Moods …). The last
remark you make is to tie it in with the first Writer’s Workshop mini-lesson to
let students know expectations for their writing. Where can I find the first
Writer’s Workshop mini-lesson? Thanks … Gennie
August 14th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Put 4 different coloured blocks in a tin for each student. For example, if you have 20 children, put in 5 blues, 5 reds, 5 yellows, 5 oranges. Have each child come up and pick a block without peeking into the tin. Record on separate pieces of colour-coordinated paper what colour they chose. This will be their colour for the year. It is simply a student organization tool. Orange group come to the carpet, blue group line up, red group put your planners in your backpack etc. Just a way so you’re not calling everybody’s name for directions and an easy way to stop congestion! Works like a charm. P.S. This is for a beginning teacher, I know experienced teachers do these types of things already!
July 5th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hi Crystal!
I have been teaching for 8 years, but last year was my first time teaching 2nd graders. Thank you for this fun website that shows all of us that it’s important to keep things fresh and enjoyable for the kids! You have some wonderful ideas :)
August 11th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
You are an ANGEL sent from the heavens! I am about to teach second grade SELF-CONTAINED and I have NO information about curriculum, children, IEPS, etc. but I’m a planning freak and know I only do well when I’m ready to go. I now feel so relieved and even excited for my first week! Thank you! Could you also add info on supplies and how you manage not spending a gazillion of your own dollars! haha
July 30th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Great ideas! Thanks. Something I do every year to teach my students about the impact of our words and how we speak to each other…each pair of kids is given a small tube of toothpaste, a toothpick and a paper plate. I give them about a minute to squeeze all of the toothpaste onto the plate. Then I tell them that they need to work together to try to put the toothpaste back in the tube with their toothpick. Of course, no one can do it. We talk about how the tube is like our mouths and the toothpaste is like the words we speak. Once we speak to a friend we cannot get back the words. We then talk about why it is important to think about what we are going to say first b/c hurtful words – even though we can apologize – are never forgotten.
August 13th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Angie,
I LOVE this toothpaste idea!! I am teaching k-2 (a small class) and I think this will be a super object lesson!– Thankyou for sharing!!
August 16th, 2009 at 9:52 am
http://www.kinderthemes.com/backtoschool.html
Here is a great idea that I found on the above website. It’s great to teach children about class rules and using good manners through making friendship salad. check out the website for a detialed plan.
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Hi, I’ve been a teacher for about 35 years and I’m still learning. One of the things that I do is to take a roll of toilet paper and each child has to tear off “enough”. I don’t tell them what we’re going to do with it. After everyone has their amount of paper, I give directions.
For each square you tear off, you have to tell something about yourself. For example, if I tear off 5 squares, I may say, “I love to sing. I have 2 birds. I have a schnoodle by the name of Flea. I have 2 grandsons. I was born in Virginia.” Sometimes I have to stop as if I have a large class they can get tired of it. Then I just finish the next day. They love the idea of playing a game with toilet paper.
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
wow. that is a very good activity to use with any students but i believe it might have a great impact on our little third graders(well in my opinion). from what i have experienced third graders are in the middle and often become confused because that’s when they begin to have there own little clicks and drama and saying very mean and inappropriate things to their classmates. so this is a great way to teach them and help them understand that words are very powerful things and with any kind of power that is given to us comes great responsibility. so i absolutely adore your toothpaste idea.
August 23rd, 2009 at 7:43 am
I would also have the kids bring in a “me” bag with several items that help the kids get to know them. The kids take turns discussing each item from their bag and shy it is important to them. They could also make a shoebox diorama to display for the first two weeks.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
super site!!
school starts on monday and i was having nightmares as to what to do on the first day of school with my second graders. thanks so much for starting this.
March 13th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
awesome! Thanks for that!
June 21st, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Hi! I love this site! I am going to be a senior in high school and will be doing a program in which we study teaching techniques, observe classes, and plan activities and help instruct students. Your site is inspiring and giving me some great ideas! I plan to start a blog about my expierences through the program and just about my struggles/ and about being excited too of course. It would be a good place for current teachers to offer advice and ideas to me. I will post a link once that’s started, and I would love to put a link to this page because it’s got so many great ideas!
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:12 am
Thank you so much. I beagan teaching 2nd grade at the END of the school year last year, and this is my first – first day of school. These are GREAT ideas and I feel better already! Thank you for your willingness and efforts to share with us! :) Have a great year!!!
claudine
July 24th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Hi, Crystal
I am teaching 2nd grade for the first time. I have taught Pre-kindergarten for 10 years. The 2nd grade will be different in some ways and alike in other. I appreciate a site like this to help with the transition.
Thank you
July 30th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
I teach 2nd grade in Kansas. I am looking for another 2nd grade class in another state to be penpals or email pals with our class.
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:13 pm
I teach 2nd grade in North Carolina. I also am interested in being penpals or email pals with another second grade class from another state. If you are interested, please let me know.
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Thank you for this! I am starting Monday and I am really nervous. This is my first year teaching and I really appreciate websites such as these that help with the first day jitters.
Barbara, if you want, I think having pen-pals would be a lot of fun.
August 6th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Thank you for all the wonderful ideas! I will post some as I find them because I am searching now! I would also love to be pen pals with a 2nd grade class from another state. My school is in Michigan. Let me know!
Lakeshore has Star of the Week posters that come in a bag of 30 (back in the poster kit section). They look like newspapers and there are two versions – easier and harder. I got these so that you can just send one home with each student the week before their star week. I am going to do one myself for the first day. They have to answer questions and they can attach pictures or draw/ color. Another 2nd grade teacher said they work well and sometimes its too hard for students to buy and make their own posters.
August 7th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Hi,
I’m interested in becoming pen pals with another classroom. I saw where Johnathan in North Carolina was also interested. How can I get in touch with him?
I’m also planning for our first day on Monday. Your ideas are great. I am a veteran teacher but always looking for new ways. Thansk!
Debbie
Newnan, Georgia
August 8th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I have been teaching 24 years and love new ideas for the first of the year!
Love the toothpaste idea. We are starting Character Pillars and I think that will fit nicely into that curriculum.
Idea: I have a wrapped small box with a mirror in the bottom and a hole in the top. I pass it around and tell the class that the principal gave me a gift and it is in this box. As they look inside, one at a time, they
will see the gift the principal gave me. It is a treasure that I promise to care for and take really good care of. I don’t want to trade this gift. Of course, the student is seeing themselves. Good relationship builder. Calms first day jitters for some anxious kids.
August 9th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I will be teaching 2nd grade for the 1st time this year. The last three years, I have taught kinder. I would love for my class to be pen pals with another class. I live in Phoenix, Arizona. My e-mail is [email protected]. Please only e-mail me if you are serious. No spam, please! Thanks!
August 10th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Do you have a copy of the window pane you used in the Windows on my first week of second grade activity?
August 14th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Debbie- I would be interested in being class penpals… I teach in Florence, SC- 2nd graders.. rural school… email me if you’re interested- [email protected]
August 22nd, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Well, I begin my first year teaching the 2nd grade on Tuesday. I had an opportunity to look through a lot of your ideas and love them. I also enjoyed the input so many other teachers made on the message board. I am excited and scared all at the same time, but really just can’t wait for it to get started. I want to have an amazing year and quickly learn how to balance work and my personal life. I don’t want to be a first year horror story. So you will see me on here checking out ideas and providing feedback. I also love the idea of penpals from another state and am very interested. Not sure how soon that will start but if your interested please email my school email: [email protected]
Good luck everyone!!!!
August 24th, 2010 at 5:11 am
Wonderful ideas will certainly employ a couple of them. I am a teacher in Bermuda and would love to have an “international” pen pal for my 2nd grade class. Please email at [email protected].
Have a wonderful year!!!!
August 25th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
I am also interested in an international penpal relationship for my 2nd graders. My email is [email protected].
September 3rd, 2010 at 11:39 pm
I’m a 2nd grade teacher in New York. I love this new website and I too am interested in having class pen pals. As of this date, I have 21 students (you know how that changes throughout the year). I hope everyone has a great year!
September 4th, 2010 at 10:19 am
I am a new second grade teacher starting the school year after it has already began, so I am going to use these ideas my first day to help incorporate me being new, and having a great fun-filled day with my students. These seem like great activities. Thank you :)
September 7th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Hi there, great website. I am also a 2nd grade teacher in New York City. I am looking for another 2nd grade to be penpals with (actual pencil and paper, not internet). I would love to culminate our year with an online skype between classes. I currently have 28 students. Please let me know! Thanks.
September 18th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Hi! This site is fabulous! I just got a job teaching 2nd grade, and I start Monday! I now have so many ideas for first day activities. I am a little nervous because the school year started two weeks ago. My students began the year with a sub. I have not been able to see the classroom or look at the curriculum or any materials. I’m not sure how the first day will go, but I think the sub will be there, which will be good for a smooth transition. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to handle classroom management as a teacher who is starting after the school year began? Please let me know. Thank you! Also, I would be interested in pen pals! I will be teaching at a school in Chicago. I’m not sure how many students I will have.
January 30th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
Hello everyone, my situation is a bit different as I will be homeschooling my nephew who lives in Italy beginning in Sept. for 2nd grade. I taught High School English for several years, many years ago so this is an entirely new experience but one that I am excited about. There is a very small homeschool group that I am not too well acquainted with yet as I am moving to Italy from Florida in July. I am writing to say that I love all of these ideas and would love to incorporate them into my teaching. Since it is one on one, I have lots of time and minimal costs to do elaborate projects. I am most interested in becoming pen pals with different 2nd grade classes and wondered if we could trade information regarding the specific state that you live in, in exchange for information about the beautiful country of Italy. If you are interested, please email me at [email protected] and any ideas or suggestions would be most helpful. Thank you!
May 10th, 2011 at 1:40 am
thanks, i got good number of ideas from this site. i feel this site is very usefull to many teachers.
thanks
May 19th, 2011 at 5:52 pm
To Phoebe’s comment about the wrapped gift box with the mirror in the bottom: I know you posted this idea a long time ago but I am just reading it today as I am looking for ideas for “Transition Day.” Transition Day is something new for our building- the principal has given me my class list for next year and the new students (1st graders) will spend one day with me in their new 2nd grade classroom. I will use your idea along with the picture book Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden by Edith Pattou. I think I will buy a flat of flowers- all different kinds- to give to each student at the end of the day! Thanks for the creative idea. I think it will be a nice extension to this wonderful book! Thanks.
June 24th, 2011 at 9:37 pm
I have an idea that helped me put names with faces. I provide card stock big enough for the students to write their first and last name. I have pre-punched two holes in the top two corners, and tied yarn to make a necklace. I took a close-up picture of each student with my digital camera. I create a file in My Pictures for my class and download each picture. This way I have a name with each face to help me learn names. I also create a PowerPoint and they get a kick out of seeing their faces on the projector screen. You can also just open this file of pictures and let it scroll as a slide shoe instead of creating a PowerPoint.
I love this web site. Thanks for allowing us to share on a forum that is free.
July 20th, 2011 at 10:31 am
The first day of school can set the tone for the whole year. In my 2nd grade class, I always meet the students at the door. I have my daughter take individual pictures of the students; I guide them to their seat, where they have a fun activity waiting for them on their desk. It takes away all those first day jitters. After everyone arrives, we go outside, and have a class picture taken. I have been teaching for 14 years, and I have loved having that class picture on the first day of school. I make copies for each student and include it in their portfolios to be taken home at the end of the year. I use their individual pictures for a variety of things. I have a large bulletin board outside the room, which is a school space station. The children make objects to go in space, including them on space vehicles traveling towards the space station. I personalize the space station with our school name. There are SO MANY things to do on the first day. This is a great site to get ideas all year long.
July 21st, 2011 at 8:46 am
I have the children stand in a circle, take a ball of yarn say my name and something that I like then toss the ball of yarn to one of the children, they do the same and toss it to someone else. We call it our web of friends. I also take grocery bags and write W on one, E on one, etc. until the word welcome is spelled out. I put 3-4 things in each bag that begin with that letter. The kids guess what each item might be by writing their idea on a sheet of paper. Then we pull out the items and see if anyone guessed correctly. It is a quick way to see if they get the beginning sound idea, how they write, and…it is fun!
July 31st, 2011 at 8:51 pm
I will be teaching 2nd grade for the first time. I’ve only taught middle school!! I would love to have a pen-pal group for my second graders this year. I live in Indiana. If you’re interested, please send me an email [email protected] Thanks!
August 1st, 2011 at 11:01 pm
To help learn student’s names, I copy pictures of my students from last year’s school yearbook. I make out a seating chart and put a picture and student name in each square. This way I can take attendance and help students find their seats on the first day.
August 2nd, 2011 at 9:44 pm
Hi,
I am going to teach 2nd grade for the first time this year. I have taught Kindergarten for the past three years and loved every minute of it. I am so excited to teach a new grade and I will be in a brand new school that opens this year. I live in sunny Florida and would love to connect with another class in a another state (preferably on a different coast)! If you are interested please email me at [email protected]
Good Luck!
~L
August 10th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Hello! Going back to work in 2nd grade after staying home for 3 years. VERY excited to get back to it! I wonder if you could possibly start a page on your website for us to list our names, grades, states, emails, etc. to have a penpal page. I always do a unit with my 2nd graders on the USA and we divide the states among the kids and then spend several weeks collecting info, filling out posters for each state, writing letters to other 2nd grade students, etc. and then display everything in the hall for our other classes to see. This not only covers social studies skills, but soooo many other areas. The kids LOVE it! Anyway, this is the very first thing I have looked at on your site today, so I’ve got to quit typing and get busy looking at the rest of it! :) Thanks for the great info!!!
August 20th, 2011 at 7:15 am
I also do a “Fifty Nifty United States” unit and love the idea of corresponding with someone from another state! We have a hat project, with a small show at the end of the unit. I have paper copies of everything which I would be happy to share if you would like to email me your school address.
August 22nd, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Hi All,
I am teaching 2nd grade in Colorado and would love to be pen pals with another class in a state a bit different from ours. A coastal state would be fabulous as I think it would be fun to compare the differences! If interested, please contact me at [email protected]. Thanks.
August 29th, 2011 at 8:23 am
I’ve taught third grade for ten years, but it has been a very long time since I’ve worked with younger children, and so I was thrilled to see some fresh new ideas from this site. Thank you! I’m looking for tips because I don’t want to overwhelm the kids or set my expectations too high (based on kids one year older than they are!) too soon! :)
October 11th, 2011 at 12:44 am
Hi everyone,
a big thank you to whoever create this ideas for all of us second grade teachers to learn from and share our experiences together…. This is my 4th year in teaching 2nd grade, but still i can see some weakness as i read through these ideas… thanks to all of you…