Free back to school worksheets for children, with seven printable activities that use real back to school words, for the first day, the first week and every new school year. Print a word search in three levels, bingo cards, a word scramble, a “how many words can you make” page, an acrostic poem, a writing prompt and a fold-up back to school card, each with an answer key where one is needed.
Back to school worksheets to print (PDF)
These four pages show what the back to school maker prints: a medium word search with a word list, two bingo cards on a page, an acrostic poem for the letters of SCHOOL, and the fold-up card that says “Welcome Back to School!” Click a picture for the PDF.
Prefer one download? Grab the ready-made back to school activity pack (PDF), which has every page in one file.
About back to school: the holiday at a glance
A little background makes the words on the page mean more. Here are the basic facts that go with these back to school worksheets:
| When | August or September in most places, and a new term at other times of year |
|---|---|
| Who it is for | New students, returning students, parents and teachers |
| Common feelings | Excitement, nerves and curiosity |
| Supplies | Pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, a ruler and a backpack |
| Routines | Morning arrival, recess, lunch and circle time |
| Good first week goals | Learn names, learn the rules and get to know the classroom |
The story of back to school
The start of the school year brings a mix of feelings for children, from excitement to worry about new teachers and new friends. Talking about the school day beforehand helps young children know what to expect, and games and worksheets that use school words make the vocabulary familiar.
In many countries the school year runs from late summer to early summer, though the dates vary. In the Southern Hemisphere, for example, schools often begin in late January or February. Whatever the date, the first week is mostly about routines, belonging and rules.
Wikipedia’s school article describes how schools around the world are organized.
What is in the back to school activity pack?
Every activity uses the same list of 24 back to school words, so children meet each word several times in different ways. The list is the heart of these back to school worksheets: the word search hides it, the scramble mixes it up, the bingo calls it out and the writing prompt asks children to use it.
back to school word search: three levels
The word search comes in easy, medium and hard grids, with 10, 14 and 18 words from the list.
The longest back to school word is classroom with 9 letters, and the shortest words are bus and art with 3.
back to school vocabulary: words to talk about
Take a few minutes to talk about the words before children search for them. These eight are a good place to start:
| Word | Letters | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| backpack | 8 | A bag worn on the back to carry books and lunch |
| classroom | 9 | The room where a class meets and learns |
| recess | 6 | A break from lessons to play outside |
| notebook | 8 | A book of blank pages for writing |
| ruler | 5 | A flat tool for measuring and drawing straight lines |
| library | 7 | A place with a large collection of books to read and borrow |
| eraser | 6 | A rubber tool that removes pencil marks |
| markers | 7 | Pens with thick, colorful tips |
The other 16 words in the list are school, teacher, pencil, crayons, books, friends, lunch, bus, desk, glue, scissors, reading, math, art, music and learn.
How people celebrate back to school
- Shopping for school supplies and labelling them with names
- Visiting the school before the first day
- Practicing the morning routine, with a set bedtime and breakfast
- Taking a first-day photo with a sign
- Writing goals for the new year
Back to school activities for kids to do with the worksheets
Pair the printed pages with a hands-on idea, and the vocabulary sticks:
- All about me: use the writing prompt for children to say what they are most excited to learn.
- Classroom bingo: play the bingo cards as a get-to-know-the-room game with real objects.
- Supply scavenger hunt: find the pencil, ruler and eraser words in the word search, then find the real thing.
- Name acrostic: write each child’s name down the page and add a describing word for each letter.
- Welcome card: fold and decorate a card for a new classmate or the teacher.
How to use these back to school worksheets in five minutes
The back to school worksheets maker works from the 24-word back to school list, so every back to school worksheets page you print uses the same words. Choose an activity, set the level and press Download PDF or Print, and press New puzzles for a fresh set.
Back to school worksheets: frequently asked questions
What are good first day of school activities?
Name games, a classroom tour, a simple word search or bingo with school words, and a short writing prompt such as “What are you most excited to learn this year?”
How can I help a nervous child before school starts?
Visit the school, talk about the day step by step, read a picture book about starting school and practice the morning routine for a week.
What age are these back to school worksheets for?
Kindergarten to grade 3. The bingo and card suit younger children, and the word search and scramble suit grades 1 to 3.
Back to school printables: find the right page
More holiday worksheets
- Summer worksheets
- Fall worksheets
- New Year worksheets
- All holiday worksheets for 22 holidays and seasons
- Word search generator for your own words
- Bingo card generator for custom cards