Help children get to know one another by having them create books about themselves. Send a letter home asking families to send in pictures of each child as a baby, with her family and doing something she enjoys. Give each child several pieces of paper. Help them to tape each photo onto a separate page, then ask children to add more illustrations to the pages. Staple each child's book together and ask children to "read" their books to one another.
September is the beginning of fall, so use crafts to introduce the season to preschoolers. Take children outside to collect fall leaves. Inside, spread the leaves out on tables with the veins facing up. Give children paper and peeled crayons. Show them how to place the paper over the leaves, then rub the sides of the crayons over the leaves to create an imprint on the paper. If no leaves are on the ground yet, cut leaf shapes out of sandpaper for children to use for rubbings.
Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday in September, is the first patriotic holiday of the fall. Once the school year starts, talk with children about the importance of the hard workers who built our country. Give each child a piece of white paper with an outline of stripes. Ask children to color every other stripe red, starting at the top of the paper, then pass out blue squares cut from construction paper. Once children glue these squares into place, have them color white stars in the blue sections to complete their American flags.
Help children get accustomed to preschool by creating pictures of the coming year. Give each child two pieces of paper. Ask them to draw one picture that shows themselves right now. Once they're done with those pictures, ask children to imagine where they'll be and what they'll look like in one year. Once they've finished these pictures, ask children to explain their pictures. You'll be able to talk with them about what they'll learn and how they'll change in the coming year.