One of the best ways to kickstart your school day is to gather together on the carpet for a class meeting. There are many activities you can do but one of the key components of morning meeting are your morning meeting greetings. This simple practice not only fosters strong connections but also cultivates essential social and communication skills in our young learners.
In this blog post, we'll explore a variety of ways that you can incorporate positive affirmations and greetings into your morning meetings in kindergarten and first grade.
1. Student Name Greetings:
When I was a child there was a television show called Romper Room. In this show, the teacher named Miss Nancy, would teach a group of preschoolers about good manners and citizenship.
At the end of each show the teacher would recite this poem “Romper, stomper, bomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic mirror tell me today. Did all my friends have fun at play? Then she would hold up the magic mirror and tell the names of some of the students she could “see” in the television screen. It was magical and I waited every day for her to say my name.
Starting the day with personalized greetings using each student's first name creates a strong sense of belonging. Whether it's a cheerful “Good morning, Sarah!” or an enthusiastic “Hello, Alex!” saying a student's name creates a meaningful connection that sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. It's a great way to make eye contact with each child in your classroom and make sure that everyone is feeling well and happy as you begin your morning meeting activities.
2. Different Language Greetings:
Adding a touch of multiculturalism to your morning meeting greetings can be exciting and educational. Teaching simple greetings in a foreign language fosters an appreciation for diversity. Students will get a kick out of learning how to say hello in Spanish, French or German. You can even teach students how to say hello in sign language.
If you aren't sure how to say these greetings yourself, you can use this YouTube video to help you out. It's super cute and shows kids how to say hello in 15 different languages Incorporate one new foreign language greeting every month of the school year. By the end of the year your class will be a pro at saying hello 9 or 10 different ways during your morning meeting activities.
3. Positive Affirmation Greetings:
Boost your students' confidence and create a positive classroom climate with affirmation greetings. Hang a daily affirmation near your morning meeting area and each morning as you say good morning repeat the affirmation together as a class. This morning routine can add a sense of positivity to your whole day. Students will begin to take the daily affirmations to heart which will boost their confidence. When you hang your daily affirmation anchor charts where everyone can see them, students can refer to them all day if they're feeling unsure of themselves.
4. Simple Greetings:
Sometimes simple morning meeting greetings are all it takes. A wave, a smile, or a thumbs-up can be just the perfect way to greet each other and start the day on a positive note. Here are a few ideas for simple greetings that kids will enjoy:
- Favorite Breakfast Food Greeting – Each student shares their favorite breakfast food as a greeting. Whether it's a cheerful “Good morning, I'm a pancake person!” or a lively “Hello, I love Fruit Loops!”, this approach not only welcomes interaction but also tells you a little bit more about each child.
- Pass The Prop Greeting – Another playful greeting involves passing something around the circle as you all say good morning. Provide a fun prop such as a stuffed animal, and the student who's leading the greeting passes it to the next person while saying “Good morning, [Student's Name]!” This tactile element adds an element of engagement and interaction that kids adore.
- High-Five Line Greeting – Students stand in a line, and as each student walks by, they exchange high-fives with the student next to them while saying, “Good morning!” This active greeting not only wakes up their bodies but also promotes a sense of unity and camaraderie within the class.
- Beach Ball Greeting – Blow up a beach ball and use a permanent marker to write different types of greetings. Have students sit in a circle and roll the ball back and forth to different children. When the students stop the ball, they have to do the kind of greeting that's written under their hand on the ball.
- Fist Bump Greeting – Kids will love coming up with different kinds of fist bumps to greet their friends during morning meeting activities. Modify the regular fist bump by having kids do things like animal bumps. They can bump wings like birds or bump paws like a cat.
5. Holiday Morning Meeting Greetings:
Embrace the festive spirit by tailoring your morning meeting greetings to match holidays or special occasions. Try fun greetings like “Good morning! Have a spook-takular day” at Halloween to “Ho, Ho, Ho have a happy day!” in December. Here are a few other holiday-inspired morning meeting greetings your kids will love:
- Springtime Surprise Greeting – When spring arrives, have each student prepare a simple flower with a cheerful message inside. As they greet their peers, they hand over the flower, sharing their warm wishes for the day. This hands-on approach not only celebrates the season but also encourages creativity and kindness.
- Costume Connection Greeting – During October ask students to greet each other as if they were a character from their favorite book, movie, or fairytale. This imaginative approach adds an element of mystery and fun to your morning meetings, while also fostering a love for storytelling and creativity. They can even say hello as their Halloween character and students can have fun guessing what others will be dressing as for Halloween.
- Monster Mash Greeting – during the week before Halloween make your morning meeting greetings more engaging by playing songs like the Monster Mash or creepy haunted house music during your morning meeting activities.
- Frosty Friends Greeting – This greeting is perfect to use when winter arrives. Provide each student with a blank snowflake template. During their morning arrival, students can decorate the snowflake with their name and a friendly message, then exchange it with a peer during your morning meeting. This is an activity that kids will enjoy and will give them something to do for morning work when they first enter the classroom.
- Cupid's Compliment Greeting – When February arrives have each student prepare a compliment for the person they greet, such as “Good morning, you're a great artist” or “Hello, you're a fantastic friend!” This is a great way to teach students about kindness and have them think about their friends in a different way.
- Nature's Message Greeting – When Earth Day rolls around encourage students to find a small natural object, like a leaf or a pebble, and share it with a friend during the morning meeting greetings. Have students look around during recess for a special stone, flower, or other object in nature that is unique and pretty. Your students will look forward to seeing what treasures everyone finds outdoors.
By infusing your morning meeting greetings with these unique and holiday-inspired greetings, you'll not only celebrate special occasions but also enrich your students' learning experiences with creativity, kindness, and a sense of wonder. These innovative ideas will ensure that your kindergarten or first-grade classroom is a place where every day is a reason to celebrate and connect in meaningful ways.
CLICK HERE FOR A YEAR OF MORNING MEETING SLIDES
6. Days of the Week Greetings:
Why not tie in some learning with your morning meeting greetings? Incorporate the days of the week into your morning meeting routine. For instance you could say a simple “Happy Tuesday, everyone!” as your morning greeting. Here are a few ways to incorporate the days of the week into your morning meeting activities:
- Weekday Riddle Greeting – Occasionally as you greet students, share a riddle related to the current day of the week. For a Tuesday, you might say, “Good morning, it's not Monday, but it's not yet Wednesday. What day is it?” This approach sparks curiosity and critical thinking skills in your young learners.
- Feel-Good Friday Greeting – On Fridays, students share something they're looking forward to over the weekend as they greet their peers. Whether it's a movie night or a visit to the park, this practice fosters anticipation and a sense of shared excitement among classmates.
- Wonderful Wednesday – Encourage students to share a question or a wonder they have. As they greet each other, they might say, “Hello, I wonder why the sky is blue?” This approach cultivates curiosity and critical questioning skills, promoting an inquisitive mindset among your students during your morning meeting activities.
- Monday Story Starter Greeting – Each student contributes a sentence to an ongoing story as they greet the next person. This cooperative activity not only sets a positive tone for the week but also encourages creative thinking and collaborative storytelling during morning meeting greetings.
7. Other Favorite Greetings:
Let your creativity flow! Whether it's a special handshake, a virtual high-five, or even a secret greeting chosen by a student leader, there's no shortage of fantastic ideas to explore. Here are a few more ideas that you can add to your favorite greeting ideas for morning meeting activities:
- Animal Greetings – Connect your morning meetings with the natural world by using animal-themed greetings. Have students share their favorite animal sound, as a a good morning. For instance, they can roar like a lion or purr like a kitten as they greet their friends. Students can guess which animals they are for the day.
- Movement Greetings: Start the day with a burst of energy by incorporating movement into your morning meeting greetings. Have students greet each other with a dance move, a simple yoga pose, or even a quick stretch. This not only wakes up their bodies but also adds an element of fun and laughter to the morning routine.
- Storytelling Greetings: Create a collaborative storytelling experience as part of your morning meeting greetings. Each student adds a sentence to an ongoing story as they greet the next person. For instance, “Good morning, I woke up in a castle!” The next student continues, “Hello, and I found a magical key!” This interactive greeting encourages imagination and teamwork during morning meeting activities.
- Colorful Greetings: Add a splash of color to your morning meetings by assigning each student a color. As they greet their peers, they can share something related to that color, such as “Good morning, I'm feeling as sunny as yellow!” or “Hello, my favorite color is blue, just like the sky!”
- Favorite Things Greeting – Have students tell one of their favorite toys or tv shows as they greet their friends. They can say things like “Hello I love to watch Paw Patrol” or Hi, my favorite toy is my barbie doll.”
Remember, the power of morning meetings goes beyond just greetings. It's a time for connection, team building, and setting a positive tone for the rest of the day. Incorporate morning meeting greetings into your classroom routine, and you'll witness the remarkable impact it has on your students' overall engagement and classroom dynamics.
From the first greeter to the last student, morning greetings are a cornerstone of a successful morning meeting routine. As educators, we have the privilege of starting each day in a way that promotes connection, positivity, and growth. So, let's continue to explore new ways to make every morning a great day for our students!
Morning Meeting Daily Slides
Ready to take your morning meeting activities to a new level? This no-prep year-long bundle includes morning meeting slides and activities for every month of the school year. No more need to think about what you'll be doing for your morning meeting each day! Simply pop the slides up on your interactive board and everything is right at your fingertips including:
- Question of the day
- Today's Date
- Song of the day
- Vocabulary word of the day
- Sight word of the day
- Joke of the day
- Today's special class
- Daily feelings graph
- Daily affirmation
CLICK HERE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS RESOURCE
Looking for more ideas for your daily morning meeting? Take a look here:
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