Back to School Activities and Ice Breakers for Upper Elementary

I asked almost 400 teachers what their favorite returning to school activities and ice breakers were. The answers were amazing! Teachers gave back into school book suggestions, ideas for building a classroom that is positive, ice breakers and much more for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students!

There have been a lot of great ideas them all that I can’t share. So, I organized every one of the answers, interested in the preferred, the essential unique, plus the most back that is practical school activities. A few of the teachers were prepared to share ideas but asked to remain anonymous, so I respected that request. The most activities that are popular a few of my favorites are below!

Most Widely Used Back To School Activities

Several returning to school activities kept coming up over and over repeatedly. Those activities below were some of the most popular, employed by many teachers all over the world.

All about me activity was the All About Me Bag – which happens to one of my favorite back to school activities as well about me Activities – The most popular All. You can read more in regards to the All About Me Bag (and get a free printable) here! Other All About Me Activity ideas included creating exactly about Me posters or pennants and doing an All About Me writing activity.

Two Truths and a Lie – a different one of my favorites! I call it Find the Fib. See how to utilize this as an ice breaker – as well as other pursuits through the school year – here. (comes with a free printable!)

STEAM Team Building Activities – returning to school is a time that is write my paper great integrate STEAM to your classroom! The teachers surveyed had some great activities for STEAM team development at the beginning of the year, including: Saving Fred, Helping Harry, a Cup Stacking Challenge, and a Spaghetti and Marshmallow Challenge.

Back to School Read Alouds – The teachers I surveyed listed a huge number of back again to school books to read for their class, although the overwhelming favorite was First Day Jitters. Other favorites included Thank You, Mr. Falker , School’s First Day of School, Wemberly Worried, Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners, Spider School, The Dot, and Oh, the Places you are going to Go!

Back again to School Ice Breakers

The teachers I surveyed had so many ice that is great ideas that I experienced in order to make a section devoted to just ice breakers and team builders.

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament – Amy, who teaches Grade 5, says that “when students lose they cheer when it comes to person they lost to throughout the tournament.” Find out more here.

Could you Rather Questions – an teacher that is anonymous, “. students choose a side of the room relating to their answer. Example: could you rather reside in town or in the national country?”

The Line Game – comparable to “could you Rather Questions,” 5th grade teacher Amanda Gornitsky said she puts “a blue line on to the floor and if something relates to the student they step on the line. Ex. Step exactly in danger when your favorite animal is a zebra.”

Wc paper Tell – Another anonymous teacher explained this ice breaker. “Pass around a roll of toilet tissue and instruct students to tear for as long or as short a piece while they like. Next, have them count how squares that are many pulled off. Explain that they will tell the one thing about themselves for every single of the squares. That is so much fun and totally hilarious because some kids always get overzealous and rip off a rather long ribbon of rest room paper after which they have to think of something to generally share for anyone squares! I allow other students to encourage them or help them out by asking questions if the student is shy or uncomfortable.”

Small Groups or Partners Ask Each Other Ice Breaker Questions – when you yourself have pre-made questions for students to learn and inquire each other, this makes a great ice breaker. Plus, students get to practice their reading, listening, and speaking skills. These Ice Breaker Questions for many Year will allow you to build a classroom that is positive – and ensure that it it is all year!

Talk about practical! The teachers below had great back again to school activity ideas that served a purpose that is dual after completing the experience, the teachers would make use of it to create a bulletin board.

“through the first week, We have students write a biography poem as a get to know you activity about themselves and share them. Later into the i print them out on half sheets and the students draw a self portrait which appears to be holding up the half sheet week. It really is great to hold up in early stages to give kids some ownership for the room.” – Alexandria Carpenter

“the best activity is a ‘Crayon Name Design.’ I write their name either in cursive or print it since I teach 3rd. Then they slowly trace around it using different colors through to the paper has no space that is white. The colors should bump one another. I hang them up in the classroom for the whole year when they are done. They LOVE it!” – Lisa Kerrins, 3rd Grade

“Every student gets a paper sized puzzle piece. Once finished with names and favorites, they are put by us all together regarding the wall within the hallway to exhibit all of us ‘fit together.'” – Cindy ELA 5–8

“The students trace and cut out their hands and then decorate it inside their ‘style.’ We use most of the hands in order to make a flower that is big stays up all year.” -Anonymous

“I browse the Giving Tree. Then each learning student writes on a leaf what they can provide the classroom. Most of the leaves are attached with a tree and 1 bulletin board done!” – Christine Kosinski, 4th grade

“Everyone loves making videos that are snapchat funny faces and welcoming the students to my classroom. Performing this automatically brings comfort and laughter to my class. The ice breaker that is greatest of all time. The kids think it’s great!” – Valerie Golden Nies (Mrs. Golden) 3rd Grade

“I . like making use of the iPad during my classroom. We’re lucky enough to possess one per student. They’re going into the app Pages and produce a poster shapes that are using stamps, photos which have taken etc., that represent themselves and their interests. Then through Apple TV, the young children have the ability to use their iPad to show their poster regarding the screen. They really like this, and also fun asking one another questions.” -Anonymous