Making body outlines helps preschoolers ease into the first day by working with one other child. Pair children up, then spread out long sheets of white paper on the floor. Have one child lie on the sheet while the other child draws the outline of his body onto the paper. Spread out more paper and have children reverse their roles. Children can then color in the outlines to look like themselves. Hang up the outlines and have each child stand next to his while he introduces himself to the rest of the class.
Making books gives children a quiet activity to do, which can be helpful to children who are overwhelmed by the chaos of preschool. Give each child a piece of paper divided into four sections. Help children cut the sections apart. On each of the four pages, ask them to draw pictures of themselves, their families, their favorite things and what they want to be when they grow up. Staple the pages together to create books, then have children pass their books around for everyone to see.
Place mats allow students to introduce themselves, and will keep your tables neat during meal times. Give each child a large piece of paper, glue and a cooking magazine. Ask children to go through the magazines and pull out pictures of foods that they like. They can then glue the pictures to their place mats. Write each child's name on the back of her mat. Laminate the mats, then have students hold up their mats and explain each picture. Keep the place mats in the classroom. Set them at the table to show children where to sit each day.
Pair children up to create drawings of each other. Ask children to first introduce themselves to their partners, then give everyone a piece of paper and art supplies. Ask students to draw pictures of their partners on their papers. Once they've finished the drawings, have them ask each other about their favorite things. For instance, ask children to find out whether their partners have siblings or a favorite sport. Have children add drawings of these details to their papers. At the end, children can switch papers.