For 1st graders, “back to school” is especially exciting, since it means the start of grade school. They are starting one of the most wonderful adventures of their lives—the adventure of learning and growing up. Fresh from summer vacation and ready to build on the foundations learned in kindergarten, kids need engaging back to school writing activities to give their minds a warmup. And the best way to get kids back into the habit of thinking critically and writing creatively is to encourage them to tell their own stories. Here are a few writing activities that will give your students an opportunity to express themselves and prepare for the new year, while developing their creative and cognitive skills.
Writing Activity #1: “I’m a big kid, look what I can do!”
What 1st grader isn’t proud of being one of “the big kids”? Welcome your 1st grade students by asking them to list what kinds of things they can do now that they are in 1st grade. Ask your students: “Now that you’re a 1st grader, what new things are you able to do?” Suggest answers to get kids thinking like, “Now I can run really fast,” or, “Now I can count to 100!”
PROJECT IDEA
Instead of working individually, you can use this prompt as a back to school icebreaker by discussing the question and brainstorming answers together as a class. After discussion, ask each student to choose one item on their own personal list of “can dos” and have them illustrate and write about it. Then, publish their work in a big collaborative “Big Kids” classbook!
Writing Activity #2: “This year, I will…”
This writing activity helps your 1st grade students learn to plan for the future by asking them to set some simple personal goals. Ask your students to fill in the blank with as many activities as they can write down in a set amount of time. For instance, a student interested in insects might write, “This year, I will learn about bugs!” Or, if they’re more into sports, their response may include something like, “This year, I will play soccer!” It’s a great way to get your kids excited about what’s in store for them in the upcoming year while practicing their writing skills.
PROJECT IDEA
Of course, teaching your students about following through on their goals is just as important as teaching them how to set them. You can easily turn this activity into a simple but poignant year-long project by asking them to write a short journal entry every time they complete an item on their list. Then, towards the end of the year, ask them to write about all the things they accomplished. Ask them to draw an illustration of their favorite goal that they completed. Finally, publish their art and writing in an inspiring classbook that will both preserve great memories and motivate them to pursue their passions and goals well into the future!
Writing Activity #3: “Tell a story about making a new friend.”
Going back to school is an adjustment period for kids. Being in a different class with a new teacher and new peers can be a little intimidating, and certainly will take some getting used to. Writing offers your 1st graders a chance to express and work through their feelings in a constructive way. This short personal narrative writing activity is an opportunity for your students to either share a happy memory of meeting a new friend (“I made a new friend by sharing my markers on the first day of school!”) or tell a story about how they hope to make friends in the coming year (“I can make a new friend this year by being kind”). After writing, be sure to ask your students to discuss their responses. Sharing stories, after all, is an excellent way to meet new friends!
PROJECT IDEA
Collect your students’ responses and look for stories kids have written about each other. For example, Sally’s story may talk about how she became friends with Jeff. Then you can give both of these students a second assignment to write a story about their friendship together. You can combine both of these students’ stories and publish a single book about about their shared friendship together. Lastly, take a picture of the friends together and put it on the book’s cover.
Writing Activity #4: “Write about your favorite thing you did this summer.”
One of the joys of childhood is boasting about all the cool things you did over summer vacation. A great beginning of the year icebreaker is to ask your 1st grade students to share the happiest parts of their summers while getting to know one another. Have them write about their favorite summer activity and challenge them to include as many details as they can remember. If they can’t think of a real example to write about, encourage them to come up with a fictional (but realistic) one, such as, “My favorite thing I did this summer was fishing with my grandpa. We caught the biggest fish in the whole lake!”
PROJECT IDEA
Ask parents to email you pictures taken over their child’s summer vacation. Then print out a picture and ask the student to write a story about it. For example, if a parent sends a picture of their family’s trip to Disney World, have the student write about it. Then put all the pictures and stories together and publish a book about what the class did over their summer vacations. Kids will love seeing the pictures of all the cool things their classmates did. Pro tip: Make this project even easier by using an online bookmaker to compile the photos and design the classbook.
Writing Activity #5: “My first day of school was ____ . I played ____. I learned ____. It was ____.
The first day of school is always exciting, and a lot can happen in just one day! Ask your students to fill in the blanks of this back to school writing activity with details about how their first day went—and how it made them feel. For instance: “My first day of school was great. I played jump rope. I learned math. It was fun!” It’s a simple but effective way to help them sort through both their memories and their feelings about the new school year while helping them practice good handwriting and solid sentence structure.
PROJECT IDEA
Revisit this project on the last week of school. Show kids their writing about their first day of the first grade and have them complete the same writing prompt, but about their last day of school. Then put each student’s first and last day of school essays next to each other in a published book, which allows them to see how much they have improved as writers over the school year. This helps to boost confidence, and will make parents proud.
Back to School Writing Activities Get Kids Ready to Learn
In kindergarten, they took their first steps into the wonderful world of reading. Now, in 1st grade, your students get to experience the exciting next chapter—writing! These writing activities are the perfect introduction to both the new year and the incredible journey of learning how to write. Creating and publishing a back to school themed classbook together can help build their confidence and show them how rewarding sharing their stories can be—and it leaves you and your students with a treasured keepsake of one of the most important years of their youth.
Are you looking for more great ideas for back to school writing activities for your 1st graders? Visit our online teacher’s lounge, and sign up for your free publishing kit today!
Image sources: Lead image via Shutterstock; Images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 via OpenClipart.org