The First Day of Kindergarten: Tips, Read Alouds, and Activities

The first day of kindergarten is one of the most exciting milestones for both children and teachers. For many students, it’s their first classroom experience and for teachers, it’s about creating a warm, welcoming environment that sets the tone for a great school year.

In this post, I’m sharing practical tips for teachers, a favorite first-day read-aloud with an activity, and a few tried-and-true resources that make the day run smoothly.

First Day of Kindergarten | Tips, Read Alouds, Free Activities

Tips for Teachers on the First Day

The first day should focus on helping children feel safe, happy, and excited to come back tomorrow.

Greet each child warmly at the door with a smile and their name.
Begin with a calm arrival activity—playdough mats, coloring pages, or simple puzzles work well.
Keep lessons short and flexible. The day will fly by, and students may need extra time for transitions.
Plan more activities than you’ll need. Extra books, songs, or games are handy for any downtime.
Introduce routines slowly. Practice lining up, using supplies, and cleaning up step by step.
Focus on building community. Use name games, partner activities, and sharing time to help students feel part of the class.

Teacher greeting kindergarten students on the first day of school — A warm greeting at the door helps every child feel welcome on their first day.

Read-Aloud Idea: Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

Cover of the children’s book Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate, a colorful back‑to‑school story about a teacher preparing her classroom and students for the first day of school. Includes a free printable class book activity to go with the read‑aloud.

This delightful story follows Miss Bindergarten as she prepares her classroom for the first day and introduces all 26 children in her class, one for each letter of the alphabet. It’s colorful, engaging, and perfect for helping children feel excited about school.

Before Reading

“Today is our first day of kindergarten! This book is about Miss Bindergarten getting her classroom ready and meeting her students for the first time. Let’s see what everyone is doing to get ready for school!”

After Reading

What did Miss Bindergarten do to get ready for her class?
What are some things you did to get ready for school today?
How were the children in the story different from each other?

Class Book: How We Got Ready for Kindergarten

After reading, talk about how each child in the story got ready in their own way: some packed lunch, some brushed their teeth, and some took a ride to school.

Invite students to draw one thing they did to get ready for school that morning. It could be eating breakfast, putting on shoes, or packing their bag.

Give each student a page template with the sentence starter:
This morning I…
Have students draw and write (or dictate to you) one way they got ready.
Combine all the pages into a class book titled How We Got Ready for Kindergarten.
Read the completed class book together and place it in the classroom library for children to enjoy all year!

👉 Want to make this easy? I’ve created a free class book templat e you can download to use right away!

Free editable class book activity How We Got Ready for Kindergarten, inspired by the book Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. Includes student page and cover page for the first day of school.

More First Day of Kindergarten Activities

Here are other activities that work well on the first day:

1️⃣ Name Graph Class Activity

Students trace, cut, and count the letters in their names, then place them on a class graph to see how many letters are in each name.

Editable name graphing activity How Many Letters Are in Our Names, perfect for the first day of school. Includes number cards and name letter pieces for students to trace, cut, and graph their names.

2️⃣ Feelings Chart

Use a simple chart where students place their name or photo on how they’re feeling (happy, nervous, excited). It’s a wonderful way to start conversations about emotions.

How I Feel Today class activity chart for the first day of school with editable name tags for students to show if they feel happy, nervous, or excited + more.

3️⃣ Classroom Scavenger Hunt

Turn learning about the classroom into a fun adventure! Students explore the classroom using a picture checklist and matching color cards to find important areas like the calendar, backpack spot, and teacher’s desk.

Free Kindergarten Classroom Scavenger Hunt | Printable scavenger hunt sheet on a clipboard and colorful classroom item cards. A fun first day of school activity for students to explore the classroom by Lavinia Pop.

4️⃣ Cutting and Gluing Practice

Give students the chance to practice coloring, cutting, and gluing with two fun activities. They can give a “haircut” by cutting along the dotted lines and then color and cut out school-themed pictures to glue onto a matching page. These hands-on tasks help students develop fine motor skills while building confidence with scissors and glue.

Free Color cut and glue kindergarten fine motor activities for the first week of school. Includes haircut pages and school supply cut and paste worksheets to build scissor skills and matching practice.

Tips for Parents to Prepare for the First Day

Read books about starting school together in the weeks before.
Practice opening lunchboxes, putting on shoes, and packing a school bag.
Talk about what the day will be like and who will pick them up.
Create a special morning tradition—take a first-day photo or enjoy a fun breakfast.

Child opening lunch box — Practice opening lunchboxes.

Final Thoughts about the First Day of Kindergarten

The first day of kindergarten is about more than academics—it’s about creating a safe, joyful space where every child feels they belong. By focusing on read-alouds, self-expression activities, and routines, you’ll set the tone for a wonderful year of learning.

What’s your favorite first-day tradition? I’d love to hear in the comments below!