Activities for the First Week of Preschool

The first week of preschool can be challenging. There are so many fun projects out there, but at the end of the week I want to give the kids experience with various activities and skills. This will help me evaluate where each child is and also give them a chance to learn or review a skill.

This simple crown is perfect for coloring and a fun photo opp! You can find the free download here.

This is a fun and simple first project. Working on the student’s name is great for name and letter recognition. I found these colorful stickers on Amazon and use them all the time throughout the school year. You can grab a similar free download of the initial template here.

One of our first painting projects is their name. For this activity, I demonstrate how to paint each of the letters of their name and how to place the paintbrush back into the correct color. Our rule is that you can mix your paint on your paper, but not in the paint container. We want to keep it nice for the next student. I also tape each of their names to the wall and when it is their turn they have to find them. I can quickly access who recognizes their name.

Yes, we fingerprint starting on the second day of school. Color mixing is so fun for the kids and we are into it! It will also help the kids be independent with hand washing. By the time we are making brown, everyone will have mastered washing paint off their hands.

Make your first week easy by putting pom poms in your sensory bin! I add a mix of small, medium, and large colorful pompoms and different containers and scoops. Clean-up is so much easier and you can start the year by having the kids clean up their spills and it is not hard for them.

Sponge squeezing and water transferring are favorites in preschool. Learning how to use a sponge is great for their fine motor skills and we can progress into more challenging activities.

The first letter of the alphabet we are learning as a group is the letter s. Here is an easy activity the students can do on their own or in a center. This is a great fine motor activity. Just cut out a snake in the shape of an s and add stickers. Don’t forget to have them draw a face.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons are my go-to books during the first week of school. They are ALWAYS a big hit and the kids are quoting the books all the time! Other favorites are Mix It Up and Dog’s Colorful Day.

The playdough table is a big hit the first week of preschool! Be sure to have this activity available!

(Our first theme of the year is ocean animals.)