Free Starting School Activity Pack for Children Starting Reception in 2026

June 10, 2026

Starting school in September?

Starting school is a big step, for children and their grown-ups. Whether your little one is counting down the days or feeling a bit unsure, a little fun and practice over the summer can make a big difference!

That’s why we’ve created a free printable Starting School Activity Pack to help you both feel more confident, prepared and excited for the big day. It’s full of simple, playful activities to enjoy together over the summer, perfect for 3–5 year olds getting ready to start Reception.

Little and often is best! These activities are easy to fit into busy days and build key school-readiness skills through play.

Skip straight to the free starting school activities!

What’s inside the FREE Starting School Activity Pack?

Busy Things Free Starting School Activities - free printable pack

Inside the starting school activity pack you’ll find quick, fun ideas to help your child build confidence and skills ready for their big first day…

A colourful progress checklist to track and celebrate new skills
Letter and number activities to build early confidence
A silly story game to practise listening and following instructions
Pencil grip tips and hand-strength ideas
Scissor skills, mark-making and colouring activities
A gross motor movement dice game
A matching game and feelings poster to explore emotions
A tangram-style shape challenge to encourage problem-solving and creativity
A “Ready for School” certificate to celebrate
AND an invitation to play Busy Things school-ready learning games FREE over the summer!

Most activities just need scissors, pencils and things you already have at home.

What does my child need to know before starting Reception?

Children don’t need to know how to read, write or do maths before starting Reception. But a few simple skills can help them settle in more confidently…

Our Free Starting School Activity Pack supports these key areas:

Self-care: Getting dressed, using the toilet and washing hands are big wins for independence – use the checklist to tick them off as they master them.

Name recognition: Your child will need to spot their name on trays, pegs and clothing – the letter tiles and activity ideas in the pack are a great place to start with this.

Listening and taking turns: Good listening is a really important skill to develop. It helps with everything from following instructions to joining in with stories, songs and phonics activities – try the silly story game together.

Fine motor skills: Threading beads, drawing and snipping with scissors all help build the muscle strength for writing – try the crocodile pencil grip method and scissor skill activities.

Early number sense and literacy: Spotting numbers, counting, singing rhymes and recognising letters are all great ways to build confidence – there are lots of activity suggestions to help with this in the pack.

Curiosity and creativity: Children learn best through play! Encourage your child to ask questions, explore, investigate and create – try the tangram shape challenge to help them experiment, solve problems and have a go at something new.

Feeling confident and involved: Let them help choose their school water bottle, read books together about starting school and practise the route to school together. The more they know what to expect, the more confident they’ll feel – use the checklist to tick these off together.

For EYFS teachers:

This pack is handy for new starter packs, transition days, stay-and-play sessions or welcome emails to families. It gives parents something simple and useful to do at home without making school readiness feel like a test.

The activities are quick to complete, use everyday resources and help reinforce many of the skills children will be developing as they prepare for Reception.

Try our FREE online starting school activities too!

Want even more fun, school-prep activities?

Try our FREE Busy Things Get Ready for School Guest Account this summer!

We’re offering unlimited access to ALL our award-winning Early Years games and activities for ages 3–5. They’re all completely free to play until September!

Use your Busy Things Starting School guest account login details (you’ll find them inside the starting school activity pack) to explore playful, purposeful learning activities like these: