Welcome students to your classroom with a space themed display. Line the back of a bulletin board, the front of your classroom door or a wall in the front of your classroom with black construction or butcher paper. Print out two or three images of spaceships that feature windows and display them on the board, as if they are flying through the sky. Print out images of planets, stars, the sun, the moon and any other type space related object and display it on the board as well. Title the display with the caption "Blast Off to School." When your students arrive, take photos of them and hang them on the display inside the windows of the spaceships.
Assigned seating allows you to get to know the names of your students and can help avoid chaos in the first weeks of school, as children aren't left to pick their own seats. Incorporate the space theme while assigning your students to seats. Cut out images of stars from different colors of construction paper and print students' names on them. Tape the stars to desks or to the surface of tables. Your students will know exactly where they are supposed to sit and the stars will add a touch of space to their seats.
Use this activity as an icebreaker to help get your students comfortable with one another. Arrange children in a circle, present them with a volley ball and tell them that they are going to pretend the volley ball is a moon. Toss the ball around the circle and as students catch it, they must share something about themselves; their names, their favorite colors, or their favorite activities.
Have a space scavenger hunt to help familiarize your students with their new surroundings. Hide space related items; pictures of stars, moons, planets, etc. around the classroom and create a list of clues for students that they can use to locate the items. For example, to help students find a moon that is hidden in the art center, you could provide a clue that reads, "You can change the colors of this orb with the items from this location." For younger children, divide them in groups and allow the groups to search through the classroom to find the space items.