Fun lab activities for first week of science class

The very first day of class sets the tone for your entire year, and nowhere is that more true than in a science classroom. Between lab safety, new students, and a room full of nervous energy, the first week of science can feel like a lot to manage. But it’s also the perfect time to show your students that science class is going to be hands-on, engaging, and genuinely fun.

Whether you’re a brand-new classroom teacher or a ten-year veteran, this list of fun lab activities for the first week of science class will help you build classroom expectations, introduce important concepts, and get your middle school students excited to be there — without spending your entire weekend prepping.

Why the First Week of Science Matters More Than You Think

The first week of science is prime time for building the habits and relationships that carry you through the year. It’s a great opportunity to introduce your classroom expectations, get a feel for your new students’ prior knowledge, and start building a classroom culture where small groups, group work, and problem solving feel normal from day one.

The most important thing to remember? You don’t need elaborate lesson plans to make an impression. Some of the best first week of school activities are also the simplest.

Start With Ice Breakers

Before you dive into content, spend some time on ice breakers (but not cringy ones!). A simple name tent activity — where students fold an index card, write their name on the front, and add a few facts on the inside — doubles as a seating reference for you and a low-pressure way for new students to introduce themselves.

Or try my FREE ‘all about me in science’ bunting. This is a safe way for students to introduce themselves to each other and you and what they like / dislike about science. This also doubles to create cute bunting for your classroom as well!

Other fun team-building activity ideas for the first days of school:

• A science-themed school bingo game where students find classmates who match different clues (“find someone who has a pet,” “find someone who’s excited about chemical reactions”)
• A bulletin board where students post a fact about themselves alongside a fact about science
• Quick small-group challenges that get students talking, moving, and working together before you ask them to open a textbook

These activities feel like fun, but they’re quietly doing a lot of work — building classroom community and giving you a first look at how your new students work in small groups.

Lab Safety in the first week of science

Before any major hands-on experiments happen in the first week of science, lab safety needs to be covered — and it’s honestly one of the best opportunities of the whole year to make a serious topic genuinely engaging. Rather than a straight lecture, try a low prep lab safety scavenger hunt, a safety symbol matching activity, or a short digital escape room that reviews the rules while keeping students on their feet.

I’ve got a full set of lab safety resources built specifically for this — designed to be a fun activity rather than a “sit and listen” lesson, with an included answer key so you can hand it straight to a sub if you need to.

Simple, Low-Prep Experiments for the First Week of Science

Nothing sells “this is going to be a great science class” faster than a simple experiment that actually works. Some of my favorite easy science experiments for the first week require nothing more than paper towels, tap water, and a few household items:

• Capillary action with paper towels — a classic, easy fun science demo that shows how water “climbs” through paper towel strips dipped in colored tap water. Zero setup, big visual payoff.
• The gummy worm density experiment — students predict and test how a gummy worm behaves in liquids of different densities. It’s silly, it’s hands-on, and it sparks genuine curiosity about a real scientific concept.
• Quick science experiments that only need one class period, like testing which materials absorb the most water or building a simple filter — great for physical science and earth science topics alike.

These aren’t flashy, but that’s exactly the point. Simple experiments in week one show students that science class is about curiosity and hands-on activities, not just memorizing important concepts from a textbook.

Use the First Week of Science to Introduce the Scientific Method

The first week is also the best time to introduce (or review) the steps of the scientific method, since almost everything you do for the rest of the year builds on it. I like pairing a short, engaging lesson on the scientific method with a genuinely hands-on activity, rather than just handing out notes.

I love to start with the rainbow lab – this is a great way to show the importance of reading instructions carefully and measuring accurately.

My Scientific Method Back to School Bundle was built exactly for this — it walks students through the steps of the scientific method using critical thinking and design experiments style tasks, and includes editable Google Slides so you can adjust it to your class in minutes. If you’d rather ease in with something shorter, the printable Scientific Method booklet is a great, low prep option for building those foundational science skills early.

STEM Challenges in the First Week of Science

STEM challenges are a fun activity for any grade level, but they’re an especially perfect activity for the first week of science because they let you observe how your new students handle group work and problem solving before you’ve assigned any “real” content.

My small-group scavenger hunt activity is a favorite for this — it’s self-correcting, gets students up and moving in small groups, and uses critical thinking rather than a traditional worksheet. It’s also genuinely low prep: print, place around the room, and go.

If you want a slightly bigger first-week centerpiece, a short digital escape room is a great time to introduce problem solving as a class value — students work in small groups, apply critical thinking, and get a taste of what “doing science” together looks like in your room.

Adjusting Activities by Grade Level

Not every first week of school activity needs to look the same. A few things I’d adjust by grade level:

• Middle school science teachers working with younger students (grades 6–7) may want to lean more heavily on ice breakers, bingo, and shorter hands-on activities before introducing longer investigations.
• For older middle schoolers and high school students, you can move faster into the scientific method and STEM challenges, since they generally arrive with more prior knowledge to build on and have done lab safety in previous years.
• A high school science teacher might use the first week to preview physical science or chemistry-specific safety procedures (my chemistry worksheets are a good next step once lab safety is covered), while a teacher of younger students may keep things simpler and more exploratory.

Wrapping Up: Set yourself up for a good first week of science

The first week of science doesn’t need ten hours of prep to feel like a success. A well-planned mix of ice breakers, lab safety, simple experiments, and one great STEM challenge is honestly the best way to start a successful school year — for you and your new students.

If you want the whole first week planned out for you, browse the full back-to-school collection in my shop — everything from lab safety to escape rooms to scientific method resources is ready to print or assign digitally. And if you’re after freebies to test the waters first, grab a few from my free back-to-school resource library.

Here’s to a fun, low-stress, high-engagement first week of science!