I have a wonderful Freebie for Pre-K to 5th Grade. It includes a "First Day of School" and a "Last Day of School" page for each grade, even a blank for multi-leveled school students.
Your students will love showing up on the first day of school and creating a self-portrait. You will love how happily engaged they are so you can meet those last few parents at the door.
I wrote a previous post {click here to read it} about crayon management on the first day of school. Today, in addition to pictures of this freebie, I've added a few more comments to help you with the stress of the first day of school.
For Pre-K I recommend just setting out just one large Ticonderoga My First Pencil already sharpened and a small party pack size of Play-Doh. Once they finish their portrait, with or without help from a parent or classroom aide, they can open the gift of Play-Doh to give you, the teacher, a few more minutes talking to the parents or answering any of their last minute questions.
By only having 8 crayons to start, your kindergarteners can start working on the basic colors. I wrote a post {click here to read it} about using crayons for the first few days of having a non-English speaking student in your class that also has great tips for teaching your kindergartener about reading color names from the crayon label.
Click Here to Read More About Learning Color Names
A couple of ways you can get the 8 crayons in the baggie before the boys and girls come to school.
1. If your meet the teacher or open house is before the first day of school, many of your students will bring their supplies that night. No matter what your school list states for Kindergarten, still pull out the basic 8 colors and you can add the rest of the colors to their pencil box later. Or add all those red-oranges, orange-reds to your art center.
2. Goodwill and Salvation Army stores have crayons, snatch up any unused ones for your supplies and make the baggies over the summer.
3. When the back to school supplies hit Target and Wal*Mart in June {hahaha, I know, way toooooo soon!} it is worth a few of your own pennies when the boxes are on sale for twenty-five cents. Then store the crayons your students bring in for refills later in the year.
4. Many years, students move in and out of your classroom and you might have an overstock of crayons. Use those and then replace your supply with the new crayons your students bring in the first week.
5. Ask your friends for donations to your class.
6. Add them to the latest trend #ClearTheList when asking for donations. Click here for the inexpensive Crayola Basic 8 pack at Amazon.
For First Grade, I use to lay out markers.... all together now, ooooohhhhhhhh, aaaahhhhhh! Children love markers and they sure are messy on paper, but joyful to use! In this picture, I had bought some gifts for my family from Amazon and each one came in a mid-size white gift box. Counting the top and bottom separately, nine of the gifts gave me 18 white boxes, just perfect for having 8 markers on the first day of school.
I have other Coloring Pages for your class in my TpT Store. Instead of a self-portrait, welcome your boys and girls with back to school pictures or an apple picture at their seat. Just add crayons or makers!
If not, click here to read that Freebie Friday blog post and download your copy of Even and Odd Color By Numbers.
Enjoy your weekend friends!
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Disclosure: The links on this page to Amazon cost you nothing extra if you click on them to buy your back to school items. The small profit I make goes towards hosting this blog so that I can continue to send terrific teacher tips your way! Click here for my full disclosure page.
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