Looking for a few fun, ready-to-go icebreakers to help your students settle back into the classroom and inspire learning? These five back-to-school icebreakers from Scholastic Teachables are perfect for welcoming your young learners back to school and helping you to get to know your new students.
Plus, check out these five books and activities to help create a culture of kindness in your classroom at the beginning of the year!
1. Blast Off! Play-by-Play Through Your First Day
This 16-page resource provides a framework for the first day of school, from first bell to last. Specific routines, activities, and ideas for each grade (Kindergarten to grade 4) help welcome students, orient them to the classroom and the school, establish classroom rules and routines, and introduce them to each other (and you!) with icebreaker activities and a “Treasure Chest” fill-in page.
2. No One Slept Well Last Night—The First Days of School: New Teacher Resources
Experienced teachers share tips, tricks, and advice on how to make the first days easier for everyone in this helpful packet. Includes several student interest surveys (across all subject areas) and get-to-know you and team-building activities like Find Someone Who…, Partner Interviews, and more.
3. Welcome to My Neighborhood! Mini-Book
Early learners will share about themselves as they each create their own mini-book about where they live. Work together to draw and discuss where children play, what they see in their neighborhoods, who they know, and what they like best.
4. Creating an Autobiographical Sketch
Kick off this lesson with a small-group icebreaker activity that asks students to share about themselves on a specific topic (pets, hobbies, favorite foods, etc.). Then model and use the three leveled graphic organizers to prompt and inspire students to write short autobiographical texts.
5. What I Treasure Most: Personal Narrative Activity
Ask students to think beyond objects to identify the things they treasure most—people, animals, or special skills and qualities. Choosing something from their lists, students then use this activity to complete a prewriting graphic organizer, write a narrative, and create a three-dimensional pop-up page to share their treasures.
These fun and engaging icebreakers are a great way to ease back-to-school jitters and create a welcoming community within your classroom. And of course, Scholastic Teachables has printable resources perfect for all your back-to-school needs! Resources in the article are free to Scholastic Teachables subscribers. Not a subscriber? Sign up now, and get a 30-day trial, or purchase each resource à la carte through the links above.
And, for more ways to get kids comfortable at the start of the school year, take a look at these books about school below. You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.