First Day of School Activity that your kiddos will LOVE! (and make the whole day a little easier!)

   Ah!  I hate to break it to you, but the first day of school is coming, and there is nothing we can do to stop it! That being said, I have a super fun, engaging first day of school activity that will help make the whole day just a little bit easier!

First day of school Activity!

Wow!  The first day of school is a real whirlwind. I don’t know about you, but I like the first day to be as relaxing and fun as possible. So, I start out the first day with …Play Dough! When the kiddos come in on the first day, I want them to bring in all of their stuff so I can teach them the correct way to use their lockers, where to put their things, etc. But, what should they be doing while they are waiting for everyone to show up? The answer is, play with playdough and talk to their classmates! What a great way for the kiddos to start getting to know each other. I also like to walk around and ask the students about their wonderful playdough creations! It is a great way for me to get to know my new students as well.

I have been giving the kiddos playdough on the first day of school for years. They love making things and sharing what they made with their new classmates. You could make your own play dough, but I get my playdough through Amazon. You can check out the listing here (affiliate link):

To help facilitate this process I have these great Printable STEM Play Dough Mats!

These play-doh mats have suggestions for the things that your students could make (most are pretty open-ended) and a spot in the middle for “Freestyle” or make whatever you want! There are fronts and backs or any combination you would like. Just print, laminate, and create! They come in two sizes, legal and letter. They also come in both black and white and color versions!

My students LOVE them! The best part is that I have my kiddos keep their play dough and their mat in their desk for the next few days. Every time they finish with something and have extra time they already have something to do that is fun, engaging, good for small muscles, and thought-provoking! If they get tired of the mat that they have, they can trade with another student! There is tons of variety so your students can use these for a long period of time! These mats would also be perfect in your STEM or STEAM centers (or in a “Smoosh” Station) or in your maker space! Interested? Check them out here:

You try it before you buy it here: 

Pin the image below to keep this fun First Day of School Activity idea safe!  Share it with your teacher friends who are looking for a fun, engaging activity that your students will love! 

Even if you don’t use the playdough mats as your first day of school activity, having playdough for your kiddos on the first day of school is a great way to start the year on a positive note.  This also is beneficial at Christmas time, because I like to give the kiddos a can of play dough for Christmas.  They always think back to the first day and remember playing with their dough fondly! I would love to hear what you do on the first day of school!  Leave me a comment below!

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