A preschool parent breakfast on the first day of pre-K helps the students ease into the day. The parents are able to join them for the first part of the day so the kids grow accustomed to the surroundings and the idea of preschool. An easy breakfast such as muffins and fruit simplifies the preparation. Introductions help the parents and kids get to know one another. Other options to include in the parent breakfast include a tour of the pre-K area, a game or a simple craft project. After the breakfast and some settling-in time, the parents can congregate in another area so the kids get used to being at school alone.
A homemade book documenting each child's skills on the first day creates a document of the advancements the kids make throughout the year. Create page templates for different tasks such as writing their name, drawing themselves or describing their families. Many of the students won't be able to actually write their names or any letters at all. At the end of the year, repeat the book to see the difference in their abilities.
Provide several magazines that the students will use to find pictures for their collages. They should choose pictures that somehow describe them or relate to their lives.
A similar option is to print out each child's name in bubble letters. The students paint their names and add other decorations or magazine pictures around the name. This helps them recognize the letters in their names. Either of these welcome-back activities makes a good decoration for the classroom walls.