Digital morning meeting slides and printable activities for first grade classrooms provide a structured, no-cost way to implement daily community-building routines. These resources are designed to help elementary educators facilitate engaging morning meetings that include greetings, sharing, activities, and messages. According to the provided documentation, these freebies typically offer sample content to help teachers get started, with options to purchase full year-long bundles for extended use.
Morning meetings serve as a foundational element in many elementary classrooms, particularly for first and second grade students. The routine generally consists of four key components: a greeting, a share prompt, a short activity, and a message. This structure helps students transition into the school day, feel connected to their peers, and prepare for learning. For first grade specifically, keeping these meetings short—approximately ten minutes—and visually engaging is recommended to maintain student attention and momentum.
Several sources offer free digital slides and printable resources to support these routines. For example, a free sample of digital morning meeting slides is available, consisting of nine pages in Zip and Google Apps formats. This sample is intended to give teachers a preview of how digital slides can liven up morning meetings, though it does not constitute a full curriculum. Similarly, other resources provide free printable morning message cards and journal prompts, with full bundles containing 190 messages available for purchase.
Components of a First Grade Morning Meeting
A typical morning meeting for first grade students includes four essential segments. These components work together to create a predictable yet dynamic start to the day.
- Greeting: Students are encouraged to greet one another using simple, inclusive language. Variations might include saying good morning in different languages or using creative gestures.
- Share: A prompt is provided that students can answer in one sentence. This allows each child to participate briefly and feel heard.
- Activity: A short movement or visual activity keeps students engaged. Examples include games like "I Spy," "Would You Rather," or quick movement breaks.
- Message: A brief class message or question is displayed for discussion. This might be an academic prompt, a social-emotional check-in, or a fun fact related to the day's lessons.
Free Activities and Games for Morning Meetings
In addition to digital slides, various free activities can be incorporated into morning meetings to maintain student interest throughout the year. These activities focus on movement, social-emotional learning, and academic practice, all within the short morning meeting timeframe.
Movement and Engagement Activities
- Guess the Action: A reverse charades game where two students act out a prompt while their peers guess.
- Friendly Freeze Dance: Students dance until the music stops, then freeze and greet a nearby classmate.
- Movement Breaks: Quick physical exercises such as stretches, jumping jacks, or simple yoga poses.
- Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Students respond to scenarios or ideas with a thumbs up or down, sparking discussion and critical thinking.
Social-Emotional and Community-Building Activities
- Feel-Good Affirmations: Students repeat positive statements to build self-confidence.
- Classroom Compliments: Students write or share compliments about classmates using provided templates.
- Growth Mindset Moments: The teacher shares inspiring stories or quotes about overcoming challenges.
- Morning Meeting Role Play: Students act out social-emotional strategies to handle common classroom problems.
Academic and Creative Activities
- Morning Message: A message displayed on a whiteboard or smartboard with updates, fun facts, or vocabulary words.
- Story Starters: A prompt or picture that students use to collaboratively build a story.
- Daily News Highlights: A student "news reporter" shares a brief news item or fun fact.
- Joke of the Day: A daily joke to start the day with laughter.
Digital and Printable Resource Formats
Resources are available in multiple formats to suit different classroom technology setups. Digital slides, such as those compatible with Google Apps, allow for on-screen presentation and interactive elements. Printable resources, like morning message cards and journal prompts, offer a tangible alternative for classrooms without consistent digital access. Some freebies serve as samples to demonstrate the format and content of larger, paid bundles, which may include up to 40 weeks of ready-to-go slides or a full year of daily messages.
Conclusion
Free digital morning meeting slides and activities provide first grade teachers with accessible tools to establish a consistent and engaging classroom routine. By incorporating greetings, shares, activities, and messages, these resources support student community-building and readiness for learning. While free samples offer a starting point, educators seeking comprehensive, year-long content may need to explore full resource bundles. The variety of available games and activities—from movement breaks to social-emotional exercises—allows for customization based on classroom needs and student interests.