Back to School Activities and Assignments for Middle School - First Weeks

Start the school year with this thoughtfully designed collection of back-to-school activities created specifically for middle school classrooms. This bundle includes six engaging, low-prep resources that help students introduce themselves, reflect on their goals, practice writing, and interact with their peers. These activities give teachers multiple options to build relationships, establish classroom community, and learn more about students right from the start. Whether you need a back to school activity for the first day, first week, or the opening stretch of the school year, this resource makes it easy to set a positive, welcoming tone while keeping students engaged and on task.

What Teachers Are Saying About These Back To School Activities And Assignments:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I've used the First Day of School questions as journal prompts and discussion prompts in class. My students enjoyed the "selfie" activity.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved having so many options to choose from. Given the structure of my class, I need several "getting to know you" activities that are easily completed and not so repetitive.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a great resource! I really love the Letter to My Future Self piece. It was very interesting to read my students' responses the first week of school and I'm curious to see what they think when they get their letters back at the end of the year!

Included In Back To School Activities And Assignments

➡️ Snowball Introductions: Start the school year on a high note with Snowball Introductions, an interactive and engaging back to school icebreaker perfect for any subject area. Students respond to thought-provoking prompts, crumple their papers into “snowballs,” and toss them to the front of the room. As papers are redistributed, students discover fun facts about their classmates and share responses during attendance. This activity builds classroom community, encourages participation, and gives teachers valuable insight into their students.

➡️ Oh, Snap! Selfie Get-To-Know-You: Tap into students’ love of selfies with this creative back to school activity perfect for the first week of school. Students capture snapshots of themselves while sharing interesting details about their personalities, interests, and aspirations. Display their completed selfies under matching posters in the classroom or hallway for a colorful, personalized way to learn more about your students.

➡️ Back To School Apps: Start the school year with a creative twist using this engaging design-based activity. Students invent four unique phone or tablet apps that represent their personalities. From naming the app and designing a logo to explaining its purpose and importance, students practice creativity and self-expression while building design skills. Finished apps make a great classroom or hallway display.

➡️ Back To School Passport: Begin the school year or semester with this interactive back to school activity designed to build community and encourage goal setting from day one. Students travel around the classroom completing different tasks to earn stamps in their passports. Along the way, they share personal information, connect with classmates, and reflect on goals for the year ahead.

➡️ Writing To My Future Self: Kick off the year with this reflective writing assignment focused on goal setting and self-awareness. Students respond to detailed prompts that clearly explain what to include in each section, making expectations easy to understand. At the end of the course or school year, return the letters to students so they can reflect on how they’ve grown and changed.

➡️ Get To Know Me Questions: Simplify your first day back with this easy-to-use assignment designed to spark meaningful connections. Featuring 18 thoughtful and engaging questions, this activity allows students to share about themselves while giving teachers valuable insight. Use it as an in-class activity or assign it as homework—it works perfectly either way.

What Teachers Are Saying About These Back To School Activities:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So many fun back to school activities in here to help break the ice with a new group of students. Love the variety that allows students to move around, meet new friends and learn about everyone they'll be spending the next 10 months with. Great class community opportunities.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My students had a blast doing the snowball activity and the letter to their future selves. Students were engaged and on task, plus I enjoyed reading their work and learning more about them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have used these back to school activities with my students for the last three years. They are fun and engaging and helps me to get to know my students right away. Students favorite activity is always the Snowball Introductions. Thanks for a great product!!

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→ Daily Bell Ringers True Or False Questions

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