Starting the day with morning greetings in the classroom can help students have a positive day. Use seasonal morning meeting greetings to switch things up and keep things fun throughout the school year.
Morning Greetings for Kids for the Whole Year
Starting the day with a warm greeting can make all the difference in setting a positive, welcoming tone in the classroom. A friendly “hello” or a fun high-five can help students feel seen, valued, and ready to learn. Morning greetings are simple, but they go a long way in building a strong, caring classroom community.
Why not try seasonal or holiday-themed greetings to make it even more exciting? Adding a winter-themed wave or a festive “ornament shake” during the holidays brings extra fun and connection to the time of year. It’s a small way to help kids feel the season’s magic and start each day with a smile. Plus, they’ll look forward to seeing what you come up with next!
Fall Morning Greetings
Add cozy and playful greetings to the mix in the fall to start conversations about leaves, changing seasons, hibernating animals, and pumpkins! Here are some fun ideas:
- “Leaf Shake” – Shake hands with a leaf “flutter” motion.
- “Pumpkin Patch High-Five” – Give gentle high-fives as if placing pumpkins.
- “Scarecrow Hug” – Give a gentle, open-arm “scarecrow” hug.
- “Acorn Fist Bump” – Tap your fists like two acorns bumping.
- “Apple Pick Wave” – Pretend to pick apples from above and wave.
- “Autumn Breeze Clap” – Give soft claps like falling leaves.
- “Hay Bale Hug” – Kids will love these gentle side hugs like stacking hay.
- “Owl Wink” – Wink one eye like an owl greeting.
- “Fox Tail Wave” – Wave with a flick of the wrist like a tail.
- “Crow Caw” – Cup your hands and make a soft “caw” sound.
Halloween-Themed Morning Greetings
Incorporating Halloween themes during morning meetings is a fun way to get kids excited about the spooky season. They will love these October-themed greetings for the fall.
- “Ghost Wave” – Give a slow, spooky wave like a ghost.
- “Monster Stomp” – Have kids stomp their feet lightly and wave.
- “Witch’s Cackle” – Say “Good morning” in a witchy voice.
- “Pumpkin Pat” – Pat your head like a pumpkin top.
- “Bat Flap” – Gently flap your hands like bat wings.
- “Skeleton Jiggle” – This is a playful body wiggle like a skeleton dance.
- “Black Cat Purr” – Give a soft purr as a greeting.
- “Spider Wave” – Wiggle your fingers as if spinning a web.
- “Mummy Walk” – This is a slow-motion wave like a mummy.
- “Candy Corn Wave” – Give a gentle wave with your hands stacked like candy corn.
Thanksgiving Morning Greetings
While giving these greetings, focus on gratitude and thankfulness in the classroom. Have a conversation about how we can show thankfulness to our peers and families.
- “Turkey Gobble” – Say “Gobble gobble” with a wing-flap.
- “Pilgrim Bow” – This is a small, polite bow to each other.
- “Feathered Handshake” – Shake hands as if holding a feather.
- “Harvest Hug” – Give a soft hug as if harvesting corn.
- “Pumpkin Pie Pat” – Pat your head like a pumpkin pie.
- “Cornucopia Clap” – Move your hands to act like filling a cornucopia.
- “Grateful Greeting” – Say “I’m thankful for…” before a hug.
- “Family Wave” – Give a warm, two-handed wave, like greeting family.
- “Corn Shake” – Shake your hands gently like corn husks.
- “Stuffed Belly Laugh” – Give a friendly laugh while patting your belly.
Winter Morning Greetings
The magic of winter can inspire fun winter greetings. Add these to the mix to get kids through the chilly months.
- “Snowflake Fist Bump” – Fist bump with hands “floating” down.
- “Penguin Waddle” – Waddle your bodies and high-five.
- “Warm Hug” – Give a cozy hug like wrapping in a scarf.
- “Icicle High-Five” – Give a Slow, icy high-five.
- “Reindeer Hoof Tap” – Gently tap your foot and wave.
- “Snowman Wink” – Wink and wave like a frosty friend.
- “Hot Cocoa Hug” – Cross your arms in a “hug” as if holding a mug.
- “Snowball Shake” – Shake your hands as if tossing a snowball.
- “Sled Slide” – Slide your hands together like sledding.
- “Frosty Clap” – Clap slowly as if dusting off the snow.
Christmas Morning Greetings
Christmas-themed greetings can add holiday cheer during December. These are fun and inviting as kids await the holidays. Add them in with some fun holiday activities!
- “Candy Cane Wave” – Wave with a big “hook” like a candy cane.
- “Elf High-Five” – Give a small, quick high-five.
- “Santa’s Ho-Ho-Hug” – Hug with a hearty “Ho-ho-ho!”
- “Christmas Star Clap” – Clap your hands in a star shape.
- “Ornament Shake” – Give a light handshake as if hanging ornaments.
- “Rudolph Nose Tap” – Do a gentle nose tap and giggle.
- “Gift Wrap Hug” – Cross your arms in a hug like wrapping a gift.
- “Jingle Bell Wave” – Wave with your hands shaking as if ringing bells.
- “Snowy Hi-Five” – High-five with a soft “snow” sound.
- “Stocking Pat” – Pat each other’s shoulders like filling stockings.
Valentine’s Day Morning Greetings
While giving these greetings, talk about love and kindness. Use greetings to remind students how to act with a kind heart during February and throughout the year.
- “Heart High-Five” – High-five and say “heart you!”
- “Cupid Clap” – Clap your hands like Cupid’s wings.
- “Love Hug” – Cross your arms over your heart, then hug.
- “Rose Wave” – Gently wave like offering a rose.
- “Heartfelt Hello” – Say “Hello” with hands over your heart.
- “Sweetheart Shake” – Give a soft, friendly handshake.
- “Cupid’s Wink” – Wink and wave at friends.
- “Friendship Fist Bump” – Fist bump and smile.
- “Valentine’s Pat” – Pat each other’s shoulders.
- “Candy Kiss Wave” – Wave like blowing a “candy kiss.”
Spring Morning Greetings
Spring brings a refreshing feeling of renewal. Use these refreshing greetings to invite warmer weather and make students smile.
- “Butterfly Flap” – Gently flap hands like butterfly wings.
- “Bee Buzz” – Say “Good morning” with a “buzz” sound.
- “Flower Bloom Wave” – Wave with a hand “opening” like a flower.
- “Raindrop Clap” – Clap your hands like raindrops falling.
- “Sunshine Hug” – Hug like feeling warm sunshine.
- “Rainbow Handshake” – Shake your hands, moving up like a rainbow.
- “Chirp Hello” – Say “Good morning” in a chirping voice.
- “Garden Pat” – Pat your heads as if “planting seeds.”
- “Blooming Bow” – Bow like a flower blossoming.
- “Ladybug Fist Bump” – Give a gentle fist bump with a “ladybug” touch.
Easter Morning Greetings
Spring is a playful time, and Easter is a fun time to add springy greetings. Use them to talk about new birth and spring themes.
- “Bunny Hop High-Five” – Hop and high-five at the same time.
- “Egg Hug” – Give a small, cozy hug like holding an egg.
- “Peep Wave” – Wave with fingers like bunny ears.
- “Chick Peep” – Say “Peep peep” as a greeting.
- “Carrot Clap” – Clap with your hands shaped like a carrot.
- “Basket Handshake” – Shake your hands as if holding a basket.
- “Bunny Wiggle” – Wiggle your nose and wave.
- “Egg Roll Fist Bump” – Give a light fist bump like rolling an egg.
- “Springtime Bow” – Give a quick bow like a blooming flower.
- “Garden Greeting” – Say “Good morning” in a gentle voice.
Morning Greeting Resources
Free Week of Morning Meetings
With this FREE resource, you can try a week of morning meetings in your classroom! Use the morning meeting activities to start the morning on the right foot. Choose from different prompts and activities to get the kids chatting and greeting one another.
Click the image below to grab a copy.
Morning Greetings
Use Morning Greeting Cards to welcome kids to the classroom every day. They can choose how they want to greet you and their peers as they enter the classroom, which is a great way to let kids choose how they are comfortable greeting others.
Morning Meeting Bundle
Try the Morning Meeting Bundle by Proud to be Primary. It includes 40+ weeks of editable morning meeting materials. There are prompts to start discussions, and you’ll find themes like Mindful Monday, Take-Charge Tuesday, Wise Wednesday, Thoughtful Thursday, and Friendly Friday!
If you enjoy these ideas, you will also love these Holiday Drawings! They offer kids great opportunities to draw, communicate, and work on fine motor skills anytime.
More Morning Activities for the Classroom
PIN for Later
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