Free Back to School Craft: 1st Day Superstar Wristband, Crown & Necklace for Kindergarten
If you’re looking for the perfect first day of school craft for kindergarten, prep, or preschool, take a peek at this super simple activity — and it’s completely free! This 1st Day Superstar craft comes with three ways to wear it: a wristband, a hat/crown, or a star-shaped necklace (which doubles beautifully as a pin-on badge if you’d rather skip the string). Pick the option that best suits your students.
Why This Is a Great First Day of School Activity
The first day of kindergarten is a whirlwind. You’re learning names, calming nerves (theirs and yours), and trying to squeeze in some learning activity that doesn’t require a three-page instruction sheet. This superstar craft was designed exactly for that chaos.
It’s simple. It’s low-prep. And it does a lot more than keep little hands busy.
Three Options, One Low-Prep Resource
⭐ Star Wristband — Decorate, cut, and glue into a wearable band. A gentle first introduction to using glue with precision.
⭐ Star Hat / Crown — Decorate and cut a crown that fits right over little heads. Great for a “look at me, it’s my first day!” moment ( TIP: prepare paper strips to complete the hat)
⭐ Star Necklace (or Pin!) — A star shape on a string to wear around the neck, or simply pin it to their shirt if you’d rather avoid strings on day one (totally understandable with kindergarteners!).
All three are print-and-go, and every option can be copied onto yellow paper if you want an easy, no-coloring-required shortcut for a smoother first day.
More Than Just a Craft: A First Day Assessment Tool
Here’s the part I love most about this activity — while it looks like simple color-and-cut fun, it’s also is a great early assessment opportunity
As your new kinder friends work through their superstar craft, you can observe where each child is at with foundational fine motor and readiness skills, including:
Coloring skills — pencil/crayon grip, pressure, and staying within the lines
Cutting skills — how they hold scissors, whether they’re cutting with control or just “chomping,” and their comfort level with curves
Gluing skills — how much glue they use, whether they understand “a little goes a long way”
Following multi-step directions
Independence and task persistence
This kind of quick, informal fine motor assessment is gold for planning your first few weeks of crafts, morning tubs, and fine motor stations. Need more activities to assess & introduce simple skills? Take a peek at my Free – Starting School – A Booklet for Kindergarten in my TPT store Kindergarten Matters
The Perfect Vehicle for Teaching Classroom Routines & Expectations
Day one isn’t just about the craft itself — it’s your first real chance to explicitly teach and model classroom procedures. This activity gives you a natural, engaging reason to walk through routines like:
Coloring expectations — no white spaces, coloring within the lines, taking your time
Scissor safety and technique — how to hold scissors correctly, turning the paper (not the scissors), walking with scissors safely
Where materials live — where to find scissors, glue, pencils and crayons, and (just as importantly) where they go back
Gluing routines — a dot not a lot, and always putting the lid back on the glue stick
Clean-up expectations — where scrap paper and rubbish get thrown away and where to put work once completed
Teaching these routines as you model the craft.
Phonics Connection: Exploring the Letter Ss
Since “star” and “superstar” both start with Ss, this craft doubles as a natural hook for introducing the letter Ss, especially if like me, you teach the alphabet in SATPIN order – I will follow this up with our Ss for sun craft. Talk about the /s/ sound, brainstorm other s words together, and use “superstar” and “star” as your anchor words for the day. It’s a simple way to tie your first day craft into your literacy block without adding extra prep.
A Gorgeous Keepsake to Send Home
Beyond the skills and the classroom management wins, this craft makes a genuinely lovely first day of school keepsake. Families love seeing their child proudly wearing (or holding) something they made on day one — it’s a simple, low-cost memento that means a lot.
Grab This Free First Day of School Craft in the Free Resource Library
This 1st Day Superstar craft is completely free and ready to print — choose an option, and you’re set for a first day activity that’s meaningful, low-prep, and genuinely fun for your new kindergarteners.
Perfect for: kindergarten, prep, foundation, pre-K, and preschool classrooms · first day of school activities · back to school crafts · beginning of the year fine motor practice · classroom management and procedures teaching · all about me first week of school · meet the teacher activities · letter of the week Ss · star theme classroom crafts.
Have you tried this craft in your classroom? I’d love to see your superstars — tag me in your first day photos!
xxx Annie
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