11 Back to School Activities for Special Education Classrooms
The first week of school sets the tone for the entire year, especially in preschool, kindergarten, or early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms.
Whether you're welcoming brand new students or supporting returning learners, having the right back to school activities for special education can make all the difference.
Over the years, I’ve found that structure, visuals, and play-based routines create a sense of safety and connection right from the start.
In this post, I’ll share my favorite back to school activities, visual supports, and some other ideas to help your students feel secure, supported, and excited to come back each day.
Included in this post are the following activities / ideas:
1. Social Skills Story
2. Scavenger Hunt
3. First Day of School Crown / Hat
4. First Day of School Posters
5. Getting Familiar with Routines using Visual Schedules
6. First Name Craft
7. All About Me Playdough Mats
8. Name Beading Activity
9. Adapted Books
10. Task Boxes
11. Interactive Binders
Back To School Social Narrative
The first week back to school can be a lot for our students. After a long break, even small changes feel big.
One thing I’ve found helpful year after year is starting with a simple back to school social story. It helps students know what to expect, name their feelings, and feel a bit more settled before everything starts.
I like using a version that’s visual, easy to follow, and written in first person. The one I use includes high-quality Boardmaker Icons, simple language, and can be customized depending on the student or classroom.
It’s an easy, low-prep way to prepare our special ed. students for the transition back to school.
Click here to get the Back to School Social Skills Story that I use and love.
2. Back to School Scavenger Hunt
One of my favorite ways to start the year is with a back to school scavenger hunt. It’s such a fun way to ease into the space and routines while helping students get comfortable with where things are.
For many of our learners, especially those in preschool, kindergarten, or special education, navigating the school building can feel overwhelming at first. This activity turns that challenge into a playful, structured experience.
I like using a version that includes visuals for each location so that even students who are non-speaking or new to the environment can participate.
It’s fun, easy, movement-based, and can even be adapted to include staff members at different stops (which my students love). If your students aren’t writing yet, stamps or stickers are a great way for them to mark off each spot they visit.
Click here to check out my back to school scavenger hunt that I use to help students feel comfortable in their space right from day one.
3. First Day of School Crown
One of the simplest back to school crafts I return to every year is a first day of school crown. It’s such a joyful and accessible way to celebrate the start of a new year, and students love it.
Whether you call it a first day of school hat, a crown, or something else entirely, the idea is the same: give each child something they can proudly wear and take home.
Click here to download the first day of school crown freebie that I use with my students.
4. First Day of School Posters
Another simple but meaningful activity I love is using printable first day of school posters. These make great back to school crafts that are accessible for all learners.
Students hold up their posters while someone takes a photo of them—either individually or as part of a group.
I like printing an extra copy to use for a back to school bulletin board, and I always send one photo home as a keepsake for families. These little touches mean a lot, especially for parents of students in preschool, kindergarten, or special education.
You can also pair these with my matching last day of school posters to see each child’s growth from the start to the end of the school year.
Click here to see the first day of school posters I use in my classroom.
5. Getting Familiar with Routines using Visual Schedules
One of the most important things we can do during the first week is help students get familiar with the daily routine. Predictability builds trust, and for many of our students, that’s what allows learning to begin.
I always start with a classroom-wide visual schedule so the whole class knows what to expect. I’ve used the same set for years and still love it.
It uses Boardmaker icons, bold, readable text, and comes in a variety of colors, which makes it easy to coordinate with whatever theme I’m using that year.
For students who need a bit more, I set up individual supports too. I use a flipbook that comes with a token-based schedule, real photographs, a first-then board, a token board, social skills stories, and more.
It gives those students a clear, step-by-step plan for their day, and that can make all the difference in a special ed. classroom!
Click here to see all my different printable visual schedules for special education.
6. All About Me - First Name Craft
This is one of my go-to first day of school crafts because it’s easy to prep and super accessible.
Just print each student’s name on a long strip of paper and let them trace the letters using bingo daubers. It’s a simple way to work on name recognition, fine motor skills, and classroom routines all at once.
Even students who aren’t ready to write yet can participate and feel successful. Plus, it makes a great piece to display on cubbies, lockers, or a welcome board.
7. All About Me Sensory Activities for Special Ed.
Sensory play is such a natural entry point for building connection during those first few days of school. I like to tie it into All About Me activities so students are not only engaging their senses, but also exploring their identities and practicing communication.
One activity I come back to often is a name recognition sensory bin. I fill a bin with sand, soil, or another sensory base, and students dig through it to find the letters of their name. It's playful and calming, and it also encourages sharing, turn taking, and social language. I keep the included core board nearby to support communication and model words as we go.
Another favorite is using face-building playdough mats. Students use playdough to represent themselves, but it also supports fine motor development in a really accessible way.
Both of these activities are low prep and easy to rotate into centers or set out as invitations to play during the first week.
Click here to see these Blank Face Playdough Mats I use at the start of the year.
8. All About Me - Name Beading Activity
Another easy and hands-on All About Me activity I love is name beading. It supports name recognition while building fine motor skills at the same time. I prep this as a task box by writing each student’s name on a card and setting out alphabet beads and string.
You don’t need anything fancy—alphabet beads and laces from the dollar store work just fine.
Click here to download the free name beading task box I use during the first week of school.
9. Adapted Books for BTS
Last year, as I was getting ready to head back into the classroom, I decided to make and share 10 free Adapted Books with you all. These are still available to download for free. These Adapted Books cover basic academic skills, social skills and school routines. Click here to check them out!
10. Back to School Task Boxes
Task boxes have become one of my favorite ways to introduce new routines at the start of the year.
They’re structured and predictable which helps build independence and confidence.
Plus, once a system is in place, they’re easy to rotate and reuse all year long
Click here to check out my MANY task boxes!
11. Back to School Interactive Binders
Having a solid morning routine makes such a difference in how the rest of the day goes.
I’ve found that using an interactive morning work binder is a great way to give students meaningful structure while also building important early learning skills.
We use ours during circle time to review the calendar, practice days of the week, and talk about the weather and seasons.
It also includes name spelling, number tracing, letters, and even an emotions board with diverse skin tones so every student can see themselves represented.
It’s a hands-on, visual way to anchor our mornings and helps students start the day feeling calm and focused.
Click here to download my FREE interactive morning work binder for special education.
I hope this blog post gave you a great starting spot for what to plan for the first week of school in your special ed. classroom!
I have many, many more back to school activities that you can click here to see!
I really hope you have a wonderful start to the school year!
