# Kindy Orientation Day NSW: Activities for Early Stage 1 > Plan Kindy Orientation Day in NSW with transition activities, parent welcome packs, and Early Stage 1 starter resources for incoming students. ## What Kindy Orientation Day looks like in NSW Kindy Orientation Day in NSW state schools is the formal welcome session for children starting Early Stage 1 the following year. It usually runs in November or early December, often in Week 7, 8, or 9 of Term 4, and most schools combine an Early Stage 1 classroom session for the children with a parent information session run by the principal, the assistant principal, or the Stage Supervisor. Some schools run a single day. Others run a series of two or three shorter sessions across the term so the new students can build familiarity with the school environment in stages. For the receiving Early Stage 1 teacher, Orientation Day sets the tone for the whole transition. The activities you choose, the language you use with families, and the materials you send home shape how confident the children feel on Day One the following year. A well-run orientation reduces the number of distressed drop-offs in Week 1 of Term 1, identifies the children who need a head start on classroom routines, and gives parents the practical information they need (uniforms, lunches, library bag day, sun-safe hats) before the summer holidays arrive. ## Activities that work in an Early Stage 1 orientation classroom The goal is for children to leave the orientation session feeling capable, curious, and connected — not overstimulated. The activities that achieve this are usually short, hands-on, and built around routines the children will use again on Day One. Common winners include name-card making, a guided story-time on the mat, a fine-motor station with playdough or pegs, a simple sorting activity using familiar objects, and a quick whole-group song with actions. Many teachers use a buddy-class approach where current Year 5 or Year 6 students lead small groups through the rotation, which has the dual benefit of building leadership in the older students and giving the new Early Stage 1 children a friendly face. The activity bundles in this guide are designed for that 60- to 90-minute orientation block. Each pack includes a session plan, printable name cards or labels, the read-aloud picture-book recommendation, a fine-motor activity sheet, and a take-home letter for families. Several packs include a Term 1 readiness checklist parents can work through over the summer holidays, covering simple self-help skills like opening a lunchbox, putting on a hat, and recognising the child's own name in lower case. ## Information for parents and carers The parent session is just as important as the children's classroom block. Most NSW schools cover school hours, uniform suppliers, the canteen and lunch system, the lost-property routine, the library day, and the sun-safe and water-bottle policies. Stronger schools also use the session to introduce the Early Stage 1 team, walk through what a typical Early Stage 1 day looks like (with photos), and signal the school's approach to literacy and numeracy in Term 1. For families who are anxious about the transition or whose child has additional needs, a follow-up phone call or a short individual meeting in the last fortnight of Term 4 is often more valuable than another whole-group session. Many of the resources below include a Learning Support intake form schools can adapt, plus a parent-friendly checklist of when and how to flag a concern with the school in the first weeks of Early Stage 1. For literacy and oral-language readiness, the [school readiness speech and language guide](/teacher-guides/school-readiness-speech-language) is a useful companion. For broader Term 1 planning, the [back to school checklist](/teacher-guides/back-to-school-checklist-2027) covers the practical side from a teacher's point of view, and the [Early Stage 1 English phonics and oral language guide](/teacher-guides/early-stage-1-english-phonics-and-oral-language) maps directly to the first weeks of explicit instruction in Term 1. ## After Orientation Day: setting up for Day One The week between Orientation Day and the end of Term 4 is the right time to finalise classroom layouts, name labels, take-home folders, and the Day One welcome routine. Several resources in this guide are designed for that final-week setup — printable name displays, take-home folder labels, a Day One classroom map, and a Day One parent letter. For schools running a staggered start in Week 1, the orientation packs include sequencing recommendations so the early days flow smoothly across half-day and full-day groups. ## Kindy orientation activities _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## Starting school resources for Early Stage 1 _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## Early Stage 1 transition and Term 1 starter packs _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## Frequently Asked Questions ### When does Kindy Orientation Day happen in NSW? Most NSW state schools run Kindy Orientation Day in November or early December of the year before the children start school, typically in Week 7, 8, or 9 of Term 4. Some schools run a single full session. Others stagger two or three shorter sessions across the term so families and children can build familiarity in stages. Catholic and independent schools set their own dates and often run earlier in Term 4. ### What should I cover in the parent information session? Most parent sessions cover school hours and gates, the uniform shop and supplier, the canteen and lunch system, library day and sun-safe hat rules, the drop-off and pick-up routine, and the school approach to early literacy and numeracy in Term 1. Stronger schools also introduce the Early Stage 1 team, walk through a typical day with photos, and explain how parents can flag concerns about their child in the first weeks of school. ### What activities work best for the children on Orientation Day? Short, hands-on activities built around the routines the children will use on Day One work best. Common choices include name-card making, a mat-time read-aloud, a fine-motor station with playdough or pegs, a sorting activity, and a whole-group song with actions. Buddy classes from Year 5 or Year 6 are often used to lead small-group rotations, which builds leadership in older students and gives the new Early Stage 1 children a familiar face. ### How do I support children who are anxious about starting school? A follow-up phone call or a short individual visit in the final fortnight of Term 4 is often more useful than another whole-group session. Send home a simple visual schedule of what Day One will look like, encourage families to walk past the school over the summer holidays, and share a photo of the classroom and the teacher if possible. The Learning Support team should be looped in early when a child has additional needs that may affect the transition. --- Source: https://teachbuysell.com.au/teacher-guides/kindergarten-orientation-day-nsw Marketplace: https://teachbuysell.com.au