First Day Jitters Activities
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg is a wonderful first-day-of-school book that captures the anxiety of starting something new, in this case, the first day of school. This book is perfect for children feeling nervous about new experiences. After reading the story, we use special beads to make a bracelet and chase the magic away!
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First Day Jitter Beads
Before reading the story, I introduce the word jitter. In kindergarten, most students have never heard the word before. I share the definition and examples of when someone may have the jitters. We practice making an expression we might have if we have the jitters. Here are a couple of questions I ask my students:
Can you remember a time when you were nervous about something new?
How did you feel the night before your first day of school?”
Jitter Beads
My favorite activity we do after reading First Day Jitters is make jitter bead bracelets that help chase the jitters away. I show my students that the beads they use are magic and might help them feel less nervous about the new school year. Here is what you will need:
- UV beads
- Pipe cleaners
- Ten frames (optional)
- Jitter Bead poem (grab the freebie below)
First, I have my students each count out ten beads. I teach kindergarten so I give them a ten frame because not all my students can count out ten yet.
Next, we place them onto a pipe cleaner. This is a great fine motor activity!
Pipe cleaners are easy to twist and make into a bracelet.
Before we go outside to see the magic happen, I read them a jitter bead poem.
Download the Jitter Bead Poem here.
My students are so amazed at the “magic” of their bracelets. When we return to the classroom, they notice that the beads turn back to the translucent color they started as. This makes for a good conversation about why they turned back. What changed? Why do you think they changed back?
First Day Jitters is an excellent story for helping children understand and manage their emotions around new experiences. These activities will make the reading experience more interactive and help children build confidence in facing new challenges.