Getting your group to work together as a team can be easier said than done. You are often dealing with different personalities and abilities as well as moods changing by the minute! All Hands In activities bring a sense of team-building and togetherness to your learning space. They show kids that working together can lead to achieving big results. By adding some of these simple activities to your routine you will see the bond in your group grow! Let’s get stuck in to see how you can achieve this.
1. Me on the Map
This cute activity is a great way for students to think about each other and where they fit in the world. Using circles of colored paper, that gradually increase in size, kids start by writing about their home, then move out to their street, town, city, etc. as they decorate each circle.
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2. Send a Motivational Message
If you can hire a kid’s motivational speaker, great! If you can’t, use this link for a variety of inspiring Ted Talks for Kids. This brings a sense of togetherness to a group and creates inspiration.
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3. Celebrate Successes
Celebrating our successes is something that can be forgotten when life gets busy! Dedicate an hour to celebrating your class’s successes; however small. To see kids celebrating each other is heartwarming and is sure to grow the bond that exists between classmates.
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4. What are our Values?
Focusing on your school beliefs is a great way to foster teamwork and creativity. Ask your students what their values are and open up the discussion to include what school beliefs they would change, and why.
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5. Link Together
This cute craft allows students to think about qualities they like in each other and create a chain. It’s great for self-esteem and is a quick team-building activity. All you need are some strips of paper, a glue stick, and some pens!
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6. All About Me 3D Faces
These adorable 3D faces are a great way to get kids thinking about themselves and their friends. Inside, they will write facts about themselves to share with the class. Be sure to display them in your learning space to show a sense of togetherness.
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7. Guess Who?
This activity is like a real board game but uses photos of learners in your class! This creative, engaging game gets students thinking about each other and is heaps of fun for the whole class.
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8. Create a Connection
By adding in some teambuilding exercises you can create strong bonds in your classroom. Quick icebreakers or team-building exercises give kids a chance to have fun whilst learning about each other.
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9. Ask Me Anything
Hand out a short leaflet about yourself. The students can then take turns asking you questions based on your leaflet. Kids love to quiz the teacher! This fun activity gives them a sense of control and fosters teamwork.
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10. Make a Mood Tree
This can be done individually or as a whole class. Each student is given a leaf that they color based on their emotions that day. The result is a beautiful tree showing different moods.
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11. Workers and Partners
Encourage your students to think of themselves and their peers in different ways. Group or pair the students up to discuss things with kids they wouldn’t normally choose to work with. This encourages good communication skills.
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12. Two Truths and a Lie
Hand everyone a sheet of paper. Students have to write down two truths and a lie about themselves. Each student reads out their three and the class discusses and votes for which is the lie. This is a fun game to get everyone involved!
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13. Host a ‘Trashion’ Show
Get everyone involved with collecting recyclable materials such as plastic bottles and paper bags. Use these items to create outfits and host your own ‘trashion’ show! The most creative outfit wins!
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14. Spaghetti Structures
This is a great STEM activity for kids and gets them working together in teams. See who can build the most stable structure in 20 minutes. Give prizes for the best communication, the highest structure, and that which is most stable.
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15. Classmate Scavenger Hunt
This is a great get-to-know-you activity. Each student takes a sheet and has to move around the classroom interviewing their classmates to get the most correct answers. First one to get all their boxes filled in wins!
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16. Birthday Line Up
A fun activity with a twist. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Students then have to line themselves up in birthday order, but must do so without talking or writing anything down! Definitely a challenge!
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17. Blindfolded Obstacle Course
A great trust activity. Blindfold your students and have them follow you around a large space. This opens up discussion afterward about how it feels to lose one of your senses; creating trust and reliance on your teammates.
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18. Relay Races
A great team-building exercise that encourages kids to get outside. Plus, burning off all that extra energy means they will be better focused when returning to the classroom. There are many different types of relay races to try, so no one will ever be bored!
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19. Act of Service
Volunteering as a group or class to do some community work is a great way to create a team spirit and supports your local community too. Kids love to help out so discuss as a class what you could do, and then have a vote.
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20. Friendship Wheel
This sweet activity gets kids working together creatively. Have learners cut out a large circle and fold it into pizza slice shapes. Allocate each student a slice to decorate with facts and drawings about themselves. The finished product looks great on display in the classroom and serves as a reminder of the friendship and working together!
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21. Picture Pieces
Have your students work together to create picture puzzles for each other. See who can complete their puzzle the fastest! The most creative puzzle and quickest completion can win a small prize.
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21 Push Pin Activity Ideas to Try Today