Hey, Ya’ll!!
As we gear up for the start of the new school year, back to school ice breakers become the secret ingredient to fostering a positive classroom community and a thriving learning environment. Building relationships is the foundation for a successful classroom experience, and what better way to do it than with fun and engaging icebreaker activities? This post will explore a diverse range of exciting ice-breakers and getting-to-know-you activities designed to help your students bond and build a strong classroom community from day one. Let’s pump up the excitement for the school year- get ready to see the magic of back to school ice breakers!
Name Chant
The Name Chant is the most iconic of the back to school ice breakers. I’m sure every teacher remembers their own experience doing the Name Chant as a back to school ice breaker! LOL!
Gather your students in a circle, and have each one introduce themselves with a fun chant. For example, “Hi, my name is Sarah, and I like to skip and hop!” The rhythmic introductions create a delightful and memorable way for students to get to know one another.
Find a Friend Back to School Ice Breakers
Spark excitement with the “Find a Friend Adventure.” Provide each student with a picture or card featuring an object or animal. Their task is to find another student with the same picture and introduce themselves. This activity encourages interaction and initiates meaningful conversations among the students.
My Favorite Things
If you are looking for no-prep back to school ice breakers, this is the one for you. This icebreaker is very simple! Students will take turns sharing something that is their favorite. Other students will give a thumbs-up if they also like it! This activity helps students find commonalities with their classmates right away!
Use these sentence stems to get them started:
- My favorite food is
- My favorite show is
- My favorite color
- My favorite ice cream flavor
All About Me Activities
One of the easiest back to school ice breakers is an All About Me printable. I like this one for when I am trying to help students unpack backpacks and do attendance. Give your students a printed All About Me sheet–you can grab one in this pack! They will write or draw pictures to share different things about them. Once everyone is finished, you can share them!
All About Me Crafts
You might not think about craftivities as back to school ice breakers but hear me out…I love doing a craft during the first week of school! While it sounds daunting…doing a craft with my class tells me a lot about what my students can do. I can see who is able to use scissors and glue independently and who can follow directions, and it allows me to teach my expectations on using tools. A bonus is that the craft also serves as an adorable craft! Check out this adorable rainbow craft here! Or this All About Me Crayon craft here. This is one of the back to school ice breakers I do every year.
Friendship Back to School Ice Breakers
Pair students up and provide them with some blocks. They share something about themselves as they take turns adding a block to the tower. This icebreaker encourages communication and creates a visual representation of their growing friendship.
Common Colors
Give each student a card with a color on it. Once everyone has a card, encourage them to find others with the same color to form groups. Each group then shares one thing they have in common. It’s a powerful way to celebrate diversity and create a harmonious classroom community.
Teamwork Ice Breakers
This is a fun way to show your students how powerful working together than be. Form a large circle with your students and grab a ball of yarn. Hold tightly to one end and toss the ball to a student. As they catch it, they can either answer a question you ask, like “What is your favorite type of food?”
Once they’ve shared, they hold onto a piece of yarn and toss the ball to another student. This time, they can ask a different question or let the student share something about themselves. The yarn passes from one student to the next until everyone has participated.
As the ball travels, an impressive web of yarn forms in the center of your circle. Take a moment to admire this beautiful work of art together. It visually represents how everyone’s effort and contribution are important to creating a strong and connected classroom community.
As the ball travels, an impressive web of yarn forms in the center of your circle. Take a moment to admire this beautiful work of art together. It visually represents how everyone’s effort and contribution are important to creating a strong and connected classroom community. This is always one of my classes favorite back to school ice breakers. They love seeing how the web comes together!
Guess the Sound Challenge:
Add an element of excitement with the “Guess the Sound Challenge.” Play different animal or object sounds for the class, and let students raise their hands to guess what they hear. It’s a lighthearted activity that encourages active participation and laughter.
You now have a treasure trove of back-to-school ice breakers and getting-to-know-you games to create an inclusive and friendly classroom environment during the back-to-school season! From the “Name Chant Extravaganza” to the “My Silly Dance Celebration,” these activities foster connections, encourage communication, and establish a positive tone for the school year ahead.
Incorporating these back to school ice breakers is sure to build a strong sense of community among your students and create a classroom community in your classroom. I can’t wait to hear which of these ice breakers are your favorite! Have an amazing first week of school!
Love these Back to School ice breakers? Check out these other Back to School resources to get your year off to a great start!
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Michelle Staley
Hi! I’m Michelle!
I am a first-grade teacher from Connecticut. I’m living my best life as a wife and mom to two adorable and hilarious kids. In my spare time, I create resources that make life simpler for teachers and school fun for kids. Thanks for spending some of your valuable free time here with us!
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