Back to school activities for Preschool mostly consist of procedures and routines. In this post area some great activities to boost vocabulary and get your class ready for the year to come!
Back to School Vocabulary
To start, I like to bring back to school images and vocabulary into every area of my classroom. So, I put up School-themed vocabulary posters, and I always have pocket chart vocabulary strips prominently displayed. We even add a Back to School Alphabet over our existing alphabet wall! I like to change my alphabet wall to go with our themes. As a result, there are pictures and print vocabulary nearly everywhere in my classroom!
Back to School Centers for Preschool
Back to School Activities for Preschool would not be complete without a sensory area, block center, and a simple dramatic play area! For this reason, our block table will consist of simple wooden blocks. I will add animals, cars, or even people as the days go on to keep the block table fresh, and keep imaginations blooming! In addition to that, our sensory bin will have sand, sand toys, and alphabet letters to bury and uncover. And of course, our Baby Nursery Dramatic Play area is always an easy way to introduce dramatic play.
Back to School Math Activities for Preschool
I love this Fine Motor, Counting, Sorting, and Graphing activity! First I created a Spin and Sort mat, making sure to include 4 colors with coordinating unifix cubes. Then I ordered clear spinners from Hand 2Mind from Amazon. They come 6 to a set, so I have enough for small groups. Next, I give the kids a mat with a spinner and a basket of unifix cubes. The idea is to spin the spinner and place the unifix cubes above thee colors as you add them. The kids love to see which color is winning, and they LOVE it when there is a tie. Consequently, this activity is always a hit. We count thee blocks in each row and talk about “more” and “less”. We also link the blocks together and see which towers end up taller and shorter. it is a fantastic activity to teach many concepts at once.
Above are more of the simple and fun back to school math centers and activities that I use to start our year. Remember to choose math activities that cover your standards. The printable activities pictured above do just that! Counting, numeral writing, numeral identification, and basic shapes. Make sure your class is getting a comprehensive math curriculum from the start!
Back to School Literacy Activities for Preschool
A lot of kids coming to preschool don’t know many letters if any. So this Seek & Find letter activity is a great place to start. Turn over a letter card and the kids can find it on the mat and cover it with a button. Of course, you are there to help them every step of the way. Use this time to talk about the letters, the colors of the letters, and just get to know your group of kids! Don’t try to do the whole alphabet…the kids will lose interest and then you are in for a world of hurt. Keep it short and just a good introduction.
Above are a some more of the engaging Back to School literacy centers and activities that I love to do with my classes each year. I can’t stress enough just how important it is to teach to your state standards for literacy right from the start. All of the above activities will start you off on the right track and keep you moving in the right direction all year. Make sure you have letters, initial sounds, letter identification, letter formation, and lots of vocabulary in each theme and unit.
My Back to School Bookshelf
One of the most important centers is the classroom library. Keep your shelves stocked with plenty of age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction books. For the beginning of the year I like to put out books about starting school, what school is like, and the emotions involved in starting something new with new people. As a result, you’ll encourage more interest in books. As well as a love of reading that will last a lifetime!
If you like any oof the ideas and activities you see here, these and many more amazing resources can be found in my TPT store Teach Pre-K. My mission is to keep kids learning through play, and to help teachers be the best they can be!
Have the BEST Back to School EVER!
If you are teaching remotely this year, check out my Welcome Back to School Distance Learning/No-Prep packet for Preschool, Pre-K, and Homeschool.
If you use BOOM Cards or an interactive whiteboard I have a FREE Staying Healthy and Safe at School BOOM deck to help empower kids and teachers during the pandemic.
