3 Preschool Circle Time Activities for Back to School

For some young children, starting a new school is a scary experience. They don't know anyone else in their class, and are not sure what the rules are. Returning children need a refresher in rules and procedures. Use these preschool circle time activities for back to school to acclimate children to the new school year.

"Hello, Hello, Everybody"

Preschoolers have a lot of new names to learn at the beginning of the school year. They may also feel nervous about being in a new environment. Use the "Hello" song to welcome everyone and to help them learn each other's names.

The teacher starts by introducing herself to the class. Then, moving around the circle, each child should say his or her name. For those who are too shy, the teacher can just say the name. When all have been introduced, she can sing the "Hello" song. The first verse goes like this:

Hello, hello, everybody
Hello, hello, everybody
Hello, hello, everybody,
Hello, hello!

Next she goes around the circle, saying hello to everyone, repeating the verse as many times as necessary to get through everyone.

Hello Chad, hello Lisa
Hello Martin, hello Jenny
Hello Brittany, hello Jakob,
Hello, hello!

Invite children to attempt singing everyone's names on their own.

Who Am I Describing?

Use this game to see how much children know about each other. The teacher starts by describing one of the children sitting at circle. Children have to guess who is being described. Then the children can take turns describing someone at circle.

The first few times the game is played, aim for obvious physical descriptions, such as "She has long brown hair," or "He is wearing a red shirt." Later get into more abstract characteristics, such as "She has a baby brother," or "He loves race cars."

Who Is Missing?

Have all of the children hide their eyes. Pick one child at random to either hide in a designated area of the room, or just outside the classroom door (with another adult watching him, of course). When he is hidden from the children's view, invite them to put their heads back up. Ask them, "Who is missing?"

Practice calling on the children one at a time, and encourage them to raise their hands while staying on their place at circle. Let them keep guessing until someone gets the missing child's name correct.

When the missing child returns, he can either be in charge of choosing the next person, or the teacher can do it.

Even though these preschool circle time activities are geared toward back to school time, they are fun for the children to play year-round. Mix them up throughout the school year, to keep them fun and entertaining for the children.