Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Class Rules Poster: Free Printable Guide for Year 1
- ForYear 1
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Class Rules Poster is a free printable guide for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children read simple, kind rules for a happy room, talk about what each one looks like, and agree which ones they want to keep. It needs only paper, scissors and a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children meet a set of simple rules for a happy classroom, such as be kind, listen to others, use walking feet and tidy up. The sheet has cards to cut out and use, and lines for writing. Children read each rule, talk about what it looks like in real life, and agree which rules they want on their poster. They can then write on the lines, perhaps adding an idea of their own.
- Be kind
- Listen to others
- Use walking feet
- Put your hand up
- Share and take turns
- Tidy up
- Look after our things
- Use kind words
- Try your best
How to build your class rules poster
Cut out the cards
An adult can help with the cutting if needed. Children then lay the cards on the table so everyone can see every rule.
Talk about each rule
Ask what the rule looks like and sounds like. For walking feet, children might show how they move in a corridor.
Agree and arrange
Decide together which rules to keep. Put them in an order that feels right and stick them onto a large sheet of paper.
Add your own words
Use the lines for writing to add a rule or a reason in the children's own words. Display the poster where everyone can see it.
Why agree rules together?
Rules work best when children understand them. A rule such as use kind words is easier to follow once a child has talked about what kind words sound like and how they make others feel. Short, positive rules that say what to do, rather than what not to do, are easier for five and six year olds to remember.
When children help to agree the rules, they often feel more ownership of them. They can say why a rule matters and notice when someone is following it. This is useful at the start of a school year, in a new group, or at home when a family wants a calm, fair routine.
Skills and curriculum link
- Kindness
- Listening
- Taking turns
- Speaking in a group
- Agreeing together
- Early writing
What children will be able to do
- I can talk about kind rules.
- I can agree rules with others.
- I can say why a rule helps everyone.
Ways to help children talk about rules
- Say what to doPositive rules are clearer. Try use walking feet instead of no running. Children then know the action to choose.
- Act it outLet children show a rule with their bodies, such as putting a hand up or tidying a toy. Acting makes the idea concrete.
- Link rules to feelingsAsk how a rule helps people feel. Talking about feeling safe, happy or included gives each rule a reason.
- Use real momentsWhen you see a rule followed, name it. Saying that was sharing and taking turns helps the words stick.
Key words
- RuleA clear idea about how we all agree to behave.
- KindCaring about other people and showing it in what you do and say.
- ListenUse your ears and your attention to hear what someone says.
- Take turnsWait for your go, then let someone else have theirs.
- ShareLet other people use or enjoy something too.
- AgreeDecide the same thing together.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown-up.
- Read the rules together and talk about what each one looks like. Let your child act some of them out.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice and ask why.
- Check against the notes on page 2. Praise the thinking, not only the result.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Add a picture next to each rule. A quick drawing of a hand up, or of tidy toys, shows what the words mean. Read each rule aloud together and let your child point to the picture before talking about it.
To stretch confident children
Write why each rule helps everyone. Use the lines for writing and try starting with the word because. Then think of one more rule the class might need, and explain who it would help and how.
Make it a game
Choose three rules to start with. Decide together what happens if one is forgotten, such as a kind reminder or a fresh start. Act out following each rule, then act out forgetting it and putting it right. Keep it light.
Talk about it
- Which rule do you think is the most important, and why?
- How does it feel when someone uses kind words to you?
- What does a listening person look like? What do their eyes and ears do?
- When is it hard to wait for your turn? What could help?
- What rule would you add to our poster?
- How do rules help everyone feel safe?
Take it off the page
Rule role play
Take turns to act out a rule without speaking. The others guess which rule it is, then say what it would look like at school.
Tidy up challenge
Choose a corner of the room and tidy it together. Talk about how looking after our things makes it easier for everyone to find them.
Kind words jar
Write kind words or sentences on scraps of paper and put them in a jar. Pull one out each day and use it with someone.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead the talking. Link the rules to home life, such as tidying toys or taking turns with a sibling. Keep it friendly and short.
Teachers
Use it at the start of term to build shared class rules, as a PSHE starter or plenary, or as a table activity. It needs only printing and scissors. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
Home educators
Use it as part of a wider PSHE plan alongside stories, outdoor play and everyday talk. Brothers and sisters can help agree one set of rules for your learning space, and you can revisit the poster later.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this, children are learning to play alongside others, to share toys and to say how they feel. Simple routines at home and in Reception, such as lining up and tidying, give them a first idea of why groups need agreed ways of behaving.
After this, children can move on to thinking about friendship, resolving small disagreements and explaining the reasons behind rules. In Key Stage 1 they also start to see that rules exist in many places, such as at home, in school and in the wider community.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Why do we need this rule?
- How does this rule help people feel safe?
- What rule would you add, and why?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Class Rules Poster for?
It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. It also works as a calm starting point for slightly younger or older children who are talking about kind behaviour and shared rules.
- What will children practise?
They practise talking about and agreeing simple kind rules. This builds kindness, listening and taking turns, and gives children a chance to say in their own words why a rule helps everyone.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Read the rules together and talk about what each one looks like. Work through the activity together the first time, then let your child lead.
- What if it feels too hard?
Add a picture next to each rule. A simple drawing shows what the words mean. Read each rule aloud, act it out together, and start with just a few rules before adding the others.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or for another class, and come back to it whenever you like.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour with pencils or crayons if they wish, which also makes the poster feel like their own.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.