Group games allow you get your class awake and alert for the day by having a little morning fun. For young students, you can play a few rounds of "I Spy." Locate an item in your classroom and say the following: "I spy, with my little eye, something that begins with the letter ..." Say the first letter of your object. Let your students guess until one of them gets it right. This game gets them looking around the classroom, improves their awareness of your class and practices their association of letters to words. For a more complex game, ask your students to spell the object once one of them gets it right.
The early morning is an excellent time to lead your class in some practice work from the prior day. Write a few math problems on the board and ask the students to solve them, using the tools you taught them the previous day. Alternately, you can quiz your students on their vocabulary or spelling words. These practice times reinforce your prior lessons, while preparing their minds to learn. Additionally, this gives you the opportunity to look at their practice work and determine if they are catching on to their recent lessons.
You can use you morning activities to let your students practice reading something they will enjoy. Select a book that your class wants to read. Set aside a few minutes every morning and pass the book around the room. Have each student read a section or a page. Guide your students through the reading if they get stuck or confused about a word. You can reinforce this time by asking your class questions about the book, such as having them predict the ending and then asking their reasons for selecting that ending.
Physical exercise helps your students wake up and improves their alertness throughout the day. Take your students for a walk outside or teach them a few stretching exercises in your classroom. Make sure your entire class is participating and encourage them to enjoy the activity. Keep your exercise time fun by changing up the activity. Select one day a week to take a walk, another to do stretching exercises and another to visit the gym and play ball for a while.