It's back to school time! The classroom is set up and you're ready for those students. Time to get to know those new students, help them get to know each other, and build that classroom community.
Building classroom community helps to build those important relationships to set the tone for the rest of the year. It's important that the activities are fun but meaningful in building expectations and relationships.
Here are a few of my favorite back to school activities.
1. Bucket Filling
Have you heard of bucket filling? It's the idea that we all have an invisible bucket and feel good about ourselves when it's full and bad when it's empty. Doing kind things for others fills their buckets as well as our own. Doing things that aren't nice to others dip from their buckets as well as our own.
The first week of school I read the book How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer. We talk about what being a bucket filler means. After that we do this Bucket Filling activity to reinforce what it means to be a bucket filler.
Then, throughout the year, we fill out bucket filling forms to fill each other's buckets. Each Friday I have a class set with a person's name from our class on each slip. I mix them up and pass them out. The student who gets it, writes a kind note to the person whose name is on it, and then they are passed back out and everyone gets to see the kind note written to them. I have had many students that have hung on to these notes all year long.
2. That's Me
A fun activity for getting to know a little about your students and for them to get to know each other is That's Me. I've played this activity for many years and students really enjoy seeing what they have in common with each other.
To play this activity, start with a list of questions. Some examples include: Who rides their bike to school? Who likes pizza? How has a sibling? To answer the question, students either raise their hands or stand up and say "That's Me!" I usually use a list of about 20 questions. This year, I'll be using this already created slideshow so that I'm all ready to go when August rolls around.
3. Assemble a Puzzle
Assembling a puzzle together is a fun group activity for students. It's a great chance to practice those cooperative skills and to do some team building with other students they will be sitting with. In the past, I've picked up puzzles at the Dollar Tree. I bought one more puzzle than I had groups, so that quick finishing groups can swap out for another puzzle.
Another activity that I've done, is used puzzles I've printed and cut with back to school affirmations. After students finish completing the puzzle together, they get a coloring sheet with their affirmation and spend time coloring it. Then, those pages can be hung up around the room.
4. Two Truths and a Lie
This activity has been around since I started teaching more than 20 years ago. Each person takes a turn and shares two things that are true about them and one thing that is made up. The trick is to try to choose things that others don't already know about you. Then the rest of the class tries to choose which statement is the lie. It's a lot of fun and a great way for students to get to know each other. This Google Slide activity is a great way to do the activity because students have to think ahead of time about their 3 statements so they're all ready to go when it's their turn.
5. Do Unto Otters
The book Do Unto Otters is a great read aloud for the beginning of the year. It's a perfect chance to talk about manners and the expectations for how students should be treating each other. It shows students that saying something as simple as "please" or "thank you" can go a long way.
After reading the book, I have students draw an otter and write about one way that they will show manners. Here's a step by step drawing video from Art for Kids Hub on YouTube.
What are your favorite back to school activities? Comment below and let me know.
~Jill
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