How to Include Name Writing Crafts during Back to School

When you think about back to school season in a preschool, kindergarten or even a first grade classroom, you probably picture lots of hands on activities. You may also think of name writing activities that help students develop their handwriting skills and learn to spell and write their name properly. Most kids prefer an engaging way to practice writing their name instead of using plain lined paper. These four name writing crafts are a wonderful way to help students master their names. I’ve put them into a bundle for you HERE.

Backpack Craft

The first name writing activity is this cute and colorful backpack. The backpack can be printed onto any color cardstock, as can the letter squares for writing their name on. I like to print the backpacks onto a variety of colors so the students can pick and choose their colors. This also makes our bulletin board that much more colorful when we are finished.

Students put the letters of their name in order and glue them to the main piece of the backpack. Then, they practice writing their name on the primary dotted lines. This craft can also be printed as a coloring page so students can decorate and customize their backpack.

Pencil Name Writing Craft

My kids adore this pencil writing craft activity because it is extremely simple. You can print it onto colored cardstock so students can easily assemble the pieces. You can also print the coloring page templates for students to complete independently.

We like the coloring option because the kids can really take their time coloring and using their fine motor skills. After coloring or assembling the pencil, they writing their name on the line.

This craft comes with two different versions, one of which has rainbow letters that form each of the kids names. They cut and paste the letters of their name in order on the pencil before writing their name. The other version gives the pencil a cute face!

Crayon Name Writing

The next craft is a great activity to pair with the story, The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf. You can watch it online here. We like to read that story, or any other story about crayons and then complete this crayon name writing craft.

I print the crayons onto multiple colors of construction paper and let the kids choose which they want to use. Students practice writing their name independently and they also trace the color word associated with the crayon they are working on. This crayon craft can also be printed as a coloring sheet for students to customize.

Apple Tree Craft

Since back to school usually happens as we near fall, the apple tree name writing craft is perfect. This craft allows students to put the letters of their name in order AND count how many letters they have in their name. You can see that number on the center of the tree. It’s a great activity for a math center at the beginning of the school year.

This craft makes a really cute back to school bulletin board that displays all of your students’ names. If you prefer, you can print the craft using the coloring page templates and students can get creative with their trees.

All four of these name writing crafts are a fun way to invite students into the classroom this fall. Kids love sharing their names and practicing them with friends. Each craft can be printed on colored cardstock or construction paper or colored by students. They all make colorful and exciting bulletin board displays and are fun to complete! Use them as morning work, in independent math or literacy centers or as small group activities.

You can grab the whole bundle HERE.

Take a look of the backpack craft in action below!