Free first day of school sign printables

Five printable first day of school signs: four with a blank grade line and one for 4th grade, each with spaces for age, favorite things, height and "when I grow up". Print on card for photos, or use as a first-week writing activity.

5 worksheets

Preschool–Grade 8

Free PDF download

Life skills

Pastel sign: grade, age and favourite subject
Soft cream and pink "First day of School" sign with a blank grade line and two prompts. Simplest design, for pre-K to grade 8.
Bold sign: "First day of ___ grade"
Purple and orange sign with a backpack, favourite subject, age, and a large "When I grow up I want to be" box.
Confetti sign with photo frame
Blank grade, "Today is", a picture box, age, height, favourite colour and food, and "When I grow up". The fullest sheet.
Rainbow and sun sign with height ruler
Yellow-bordered sign with "When I grow up", age, favourite food, colour and subject, and "I am ___ tall".
"My first day of 4th grade" notebook sign
Notebook-paper design with apple and pencil; age, favourite colour, favourite things and "I want to be". Grade is pre-printed.

A first day of school sign is the card a child holds up in the photo on the doorstep, but in a classroom it is also the best first-week writing task there is: every prompt is about the child, so nobody is stuck for an answer. These five designs range from a soft pastel sheet with three prompts to a confetti sheet with a photo box and six. Four have a blank grade line so one print run works for the whole school; one is pre-printed for 4th grade.

What's in this set

Pastel cream and pink. "First day of school" in script, with a blank grade line, "I am __ years old" and "my fav subject". The simplest sign, good for pre-K and kindergarten.
Bold purple and orange. "First day of ___ grade" with a backpack, plus "My favorite subject", "My age is" and a large "When I grow up I want to be" box.
Confetti and stars. "First day of ___" with "Today is", a "Put your pic here" frame, "I am __ years old", "I am __ tall", "My favorite color", "My favorite food" and "When I grow up I want to be a". The fullest sheet, best for grades 1 to 3.
Yellow border with rainbow and sun. "First day of school" with "When I grow up I want to be", "My age is", "My favorite food / color / subject" and a ruler graphic for "I am ___ tall".
Notebook paper with apple and pencil. "My first day of 4th grade" with "I am __ years old", "My favorite color is", "My favorite things are", "I want to be a" and "when I grow up!". Grade is fixed, so this one is for fourth-grade teachers only.

What students will practice

Writing their name, age and grade legibly in a space that is seen by others
Completing sentence stems ("My favorite subject is…") in full sentences for grades 1 and up
Measuring and recording their height for the "I am __ tall" prompt
Talking about themselves to a partner or the class: the sign is a natural show-and-tell script
Reflecting at the end of the year when the sign is filled in again and compared

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How to use these signs in class

Doorway photos on day one. Print sheet 1 or 4 on card the week before, write each child's grade on the line, and photograph everyone holding their sign as they arrive. Parents receive the picture in the first newsletter; the signs go on the "Meet our class" board.
First-week writing lesson. Hand out sheet 3 (or 2 for younger children). Model each prompt on the board with your own answers, then children complete theirs. The photo frame can be a self-portrait if you have no camera.
Measuring activity. Sheet 3 and 4 have an "I am __ tall" line. Set up a height chart by the door and let pairs measure each other in centimetres or feet and inches. This is the first data set of the year: order the heights, find the tallest and shortest.
Talk partners. Children swap completed signs and introduce their partner to the class using the sign as notes: "This is Maya. She is six. Her favorite food is…"
Keepsake pair. Keep the signs. On the last day, hand out the same design again and let children fill it in fresh, then staple the two together. The change in handwriting and answers is a lovely thing for families to receive.

Printing tips

Print at 100% on A4 or US Letter. Card (160 gsm or heavier) does not bend when held up for a photo; ordinary paper works if you mount it on colored card.
Use a thick black marker for the grade and name so they read in a photo taken from two meters away.
Sheet 1 and 5 print well in greyscale; sheets 2, 3 and 4 rely on color.
Laminate sheet 1 or 4 and write with a whiteboard marker for a reusable class sign.

Common mistakes to watch for

Writing too small. Signs are read from a distance. Show a photo of a small-writing sign next to a large-writing one before children start.
Giving sheet 5 to the wrong class. It says "4th grade". Use sheets 1 to 4 for every other year group.
Leaving "I want to be" blank. Some children freeze at a life question. Offer "a footballer, a vet, a teacher, still deciding" as acceptable answers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I write my own grade on these signs?

Yes. Sheets 1 to 4 have a blank line for the grade (or year group), so the same file works for pre-K to grade 8. Sheet 5 is pre-printed for 4th grade.

What paper should I print the signs on?

Card of 160 gsm or heavier, at 100% scale on A4 or US Letter. The designs have a margin, so nothing is cut off on either paper size.

Can I use them for a last day of school photo too?

Yes. Fill in the same design on the first and last day and keep both; the comparison is the point. Cross out "First" and write "Last" with a marker, or photograph the child holding both signs.

Are these signs suitable for a whole class?

They are designed for it. One print run of sheet 1 or 4 covers a class in five minutes of writing grade lines, and sheet 3 doubles as the first-week writing activity.

Can I edit the text in the PDF?

No, the PDFs are fixed designs. All fields are blank spaces to write in by hand, which is what makes the photos personal.

Related first-week printables

The all about me worksheets extend the same prompts into a full page of writing and drawing for the first week. For getting-to-know-you games, try the I spy worksheets, and for a name-writing warm-up the letter worksheets and handwriting worksheets.

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