5 FREE Back-to-School Printables for the First Week of School

The first week of school is exciting… but let’s be honest—it can also feel completely chaotic.

Between teaching routines, answering a million questions, helping nervous students settle in, and managing early finishers before you’ve even established your classroom systems, those first few days can feel overwhelming.

That’s why we always loved having a handful of low-prep, high-engagement activities ready to go.

Whether you need quiet morning work, easy time fillers, meaningful community-building activities, or simple ways to connect with families, having the right printables on hand can make the first week so much smoother.

Today, we’re sharing five of our favorite FREE back-to-school printables for elementary classrooms that you can start using right away.

10 PAGE EARLY FINISHER PACKET

One thing we learned quickly as teachers? Early finishers show up fast during the first week of school! While you’re helping students get settled, answering questions, and teaching routines, it’s so helpful to have meaningful independent work ready to go.

Our free 10-page Back-to-School Mini Packet is perfect for those moments. Packed with a fun variety of activities like creative drawing, crossword puzzles, brain busters, cursive writing, and classic coloring pages, this packet keeps students engaged while giving you a little breathing room.

27 PAGES OF I-SPY FUN

Need an activity that students can do independently with almost no directions? Our Back-to-School I Spy bundle is one of our favorite low-prep resources to keep on hand all year long. This freebie includes 27 fun I Spy pages, with 3 themed pages for each school month, featuring adorable seasonal and holiday-inspired images for students to hunt, count, and color.

We love using these pages for early finishers, morning work, sub plans, indoor recess, or anytime you need a meaningful time filler.

ALL ABOUT ME ACTIVITY

The first day of school can feel exciting, overwhelming, and a little nerve-wracking for students, which is why we love having simple, meaningful activities ready to go right from the start. Our free Back-to-School All About Me activity includes two easy-to-complete pages that give students a chance to introduce themselves while easing into the school day.

This is one of our favorite first-morning activities because it gives students something purposeful to work on while everyone is trickling in, unpacking supplies, and getting settled.

While those first-week activities help keep students engaged and your classroom running smoothly, back-to-school season isn’t just about routines and time fillers—it’s also the perfect opportunity to start building strong relationships. And one of the most important relationships you’ll build all year is with your students’ families.

POSITIVE NOTE HOME

One of the best habits we built as teachers was making positive parent communication a priority early in the school year. Our free Positive Note Home resource makes it easy to send quick, meaningful notes that celebrate your students and help families feel connected to what’s happening in the classroom.

We always liked to keep a class list nearby and intentionally check off each student as we sent a note home, making sure every child received at least one positive note within the first month or two of school. This simple habit helped us build trust with families right from the start.

Of course, these are just a few of the free back-to-school resources we have available in our Free Resource Library! From coloring pages and classroom community activities to print-and-go morning work and seasonal favorites, we’ve created plenty of resources to help make your first weeks of school a little easier (and a lot more fun).

All of the resources featured in this post can be found in our Free Resource Library! Simply click the button below to sign up for free and get instant access to these back-to-school favorites plus dozens of other print-and-go classroom resources.

Be sure to check out some of our other FREE back-to-school favorites below, all found in our Freebie Library!