First Day of School Craft Ideas for Young Children

Select a craft project for the first day of school.

The first day of school is both a time of excitement and anxiety for young students. Craft projects, typically a favorite activity among children, are an ideal way to put youngsters at ease while welcoming them into the classroom. Select a project that allows children to introduce themselves to the group or set a theme for the upcoming school year.

Moving Day

In essence, the first day of school is moving day, where children move into the class and settle into their desks and new surroundings. Help them create their own space by selecting craft projects to customize their work areas. Pencil boxes or pencil cans are one such idea. Children can decorate a recycled juice cans or cigar boxes using paper, glue and other embellishments. To help remember the students' names, have the children create individual nameplates to set on their desks. A simple nameplate project requires nothing more than construction paper and crayons, while a more elaborate project can involve paints, stamps and other embellishments.

Student Flower Garden

Create a student flower garden on the bulletin board. Fill the flower garden with colorful paper flowers, with a student's photo in the center of each flower. Begin by taking several group photographs of the class using a digital camera. Print out the picture, using the classroom printer. While you are printing out the picture and cutting out the individual student portraits, have each child cut out a flower from construction paper. Make a three-dimensional flower by gluing on two layers of petals, which are folded into position. After a child finishes his flower, he can bring it to your desk, pick up his picture, and glue it onto the center of his flower before affixing the flower to the bulletin board.

Scrapbook

Set the tone for the upcoming year by promising the students that there will be interesting adventures ahead. To capture those moments, begin by creating a scrapbook folder. Use the scrapbook or scrapbook folder as a place to put students' finished work. A simple project might involve nothing more than each child decorating a plain file folder, using techniques such as decoupage or paint. For more of a scrapbook feel, consider having the students create book covers, using two separate pieces of cardboard. Over the year, they can add pages to the book. Binder rings can hold everything together.

References

• Artists Helping Children: Can Crafts for Kids
• Crafts for Kids: Decorated Cigar Box