A new school year often brings anxiety and apprehension along with excitement. Kids need a way to relax and get comfortable in new surroundings. If you liked the activities in Group and Classroom Icebreakers, here are some more to keep the fun and learning going strong.
Simon Says. An oldie, but a goodie. Older kids can handle a faster pace and more variation in movements. Kids love the aspect of competition; it can be a great physical workout, and its lots of fun.
Find Someone Who. Prepare a list of categories, each of which you would expect to apply to at least some of the students in your group. (for example: took a vacation out of state this summer, has a dog, loves math, etc.) Each student gets a copy of the list. Students circulate the room, trying to “find someone who” fits each category. Students can initial each item to verify. The object of the game is to get each category initialed: the object of the activity is to generate conversation and help students discover things about each other. Make your categories broad enough to include everyone, yet make some specific enough to provide some challenge. Younger children might like doing this game in a “bingo” format. You can even take this activity one step further and have kids do a writing assignment based on something they learned about another student.
Step Forward, Step Back. Students line up along the back of the room while the group leader stands in the front. The leader calls out a series of descriptors: if the statement is true, students take a step forward. If it’s not true, students take a step back. This is a low-threat way to get to know something about classmates without much direct interaction, and would be especially appropriate for a first activity with a group made up of students who don’t know each other at all. Make your descriptors general or content based, if you like. Also find a way to ensure that students “steps” are of relatively equal size to ensure fairness. When a student reaches the front of the room, they can become the leader for the next round.
Memory Box. More a game of memory and concentration than a social activity, this game will test kids’ ability to remember a group of common items. Depending upon the age and skill level of the group, choose ten random everyday objects and put them in a bag. (Some starters: pencil, comb, apple, photograph, etc.) At one time, place all the objects on a table in plain view of the students. Set a time limit (5 minutes or so) for students to study the objects. Encourage them to develop strategies to remember the objects, but don’t allow any note taking or collaboration. When time is up, return the items to the bag and ask each student to return to their seat and see how many items they can recall and list.
These are also great activities to use throughout the year, too. Use them to re-energize kids when they’ve lost focus, to help develop social skills, to reduce stress, or to re-group after a vacation. Kids love leading these games, too, and this provides an opportunity for kids to develop their confidence and communication skills, too.
Please also see Group and Classroom Activities for more ideas!
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