These fun and easy ice-breaker activities, intended for use with elementary students, can be used on the first day of school or any time you’d like to help your kids get to know one another better and feel more engaged. We’ve been sure to include activities for both virtual and in-person classrooms so that you can utilize them no matter your teaching setup! Keep reading to discover 32 ways to turn your classroom into a welcoming, positive community!
1. Matching Animal Sounds Game
This ice-breaker will make your classroom feel like a zoo—in a good way! Start by assigning each of your students an animal in secret. Make sure every animal is assigned to at least two of your kids. Then, challenge your students to find a classmate with the same animal as them. The fun part is that they can’t talk or use gestures to note what animal they have—your little ones have to imitate the sounds of their assigned animals!
Learn More: YouTube
2. All About Me Book Creation
This is an ideal way to get to know your students—and have them get to know each other! Invite your kids to write their own books which must be all about themselves! This comprehensive ice-breaker includes interesting writing prompts about your students’ preferences, families, friendships, and goals, as well as a book jacket cover that they can design to their liking. Once they’ve finished, give your brand-new authors some time to look at their peers’ books.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
3. Candy Colors Game
This fun icebreaker game will help your students learn facts about each other based on the color of the candy that they are given or choose at random. You can assign a color for favorite hobbies, cherished memories, dream jobs, or even a wildcard color which will prompt them to share anything they’d like. Talk about a sweet start to the year!
Learn More: Live Craft Eat
4. Concentric Circles Game
This is a low-prep ice-breaker that will give your kids the opportunity to connect with many classmates in a short period of time. Help your students arrange themselves in two circles—one inside the other; with your little ones facing each other. Ask your students a question and have them share their responses with their partner. After a minute or two, get one circle to rotate and fire off a new question!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
5. Favorite Celebrity Game
This game is a bit trickier so it’s a good option for older elementary students. Place name tags of various celebrities or fictional characters on each of your kids’ backs— ensuring that no one can see their own name tag. Next, instruct everyone to mingle with their classmates and try to figure out which famous person they are by asking only “Yes” or “No” questions.
Learn More: Group Games
6. Classmate Bingo
This is a quick way to get your kids walking around—and talking to each other! Work together as a class to have your learners design their own “classmate bingo” cards. Your students can choose the clues they’d like to include on customizable cards using a free and simple app. Then, they’ll need to find classmates that fit the clues!
Learn More: My Free Bingo Card
7. Blow-Up Beach Ball Game
This classic game is fun to play inside or outside. After writing a question or two on each section of an inflatable beach ball, let your students toss the ball around. Whoever catches it has to answer the question under their left thumb.
Learn More: Thought Co.
8. Roll of Toilet Paper Game
Nothing will get elementary kids giggling faster than talking about toilets! Hand around a full roll of toilet paper to your class; instructing your kids to tear off as many squares as they want. Once the roll of toilet paper has been passed around to everyone, explain that for each piece of paper torn off, your students must share one fact about themselves. The facts can be simple—such as their favorite book or their birthday month—or more elaborate, depending on their level of comfort.
Learn More: Guide Inc.
9. Would You Rather Game
Looking for a game that requires almost no prep? Try a few rounds of “Would you rather”! All you have to do to get your kids thinking and talking is ask them some engaging questions. You can have them share their answers with each other by raising their hands to vote or walking to a specific side or area of the classroom to indicate their responses.
Learn More: Splash Learn
10. Choose Three Game
Choose Three is an easy way to get your kids laughing during a virtual class. Start by asking everyone to choose three items. Then, you’ll read out a scenario or challenge and have everyone share the item—from their chosen three—that they would choose to rely on in a given scenario. The fun part will be hearing everyone’s creative reasoning behind the choices made.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
11. Getting to Know You Writing Activity
If you want your class to get to know each other, this is the perfect ice-breaker for you. A list of hand-written getting-to-know-you prompts will develop your kids’ writing skills and allow them to reflect on what they’d like to share before they present themselves to the class.
Learn More: Education
12. Stand Up or Sit Down Question Game
This is an excellent virtual ice-breaker activity! Have your students stand up or sit down depending on their answers to a series of questions. A good tip is to include fun questions as well as thoughtful ones to help you gain deeper insights into your students and their likes and beliefs as well as their struggles.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
13. Time Bomb Name Game
To play this fast-paced name game, start with your students standing in a circle. Then, throw a ball to someone in the group. The catch is that it’s not just a ball; explain to your kids that it’s actually a time bomb! Whenever someone catches it, they’ll have two seconds to call someone else’s name and throw the ball to them before the “bomb” explodes and they’re eliminated from the game.
Learn More: Happy Everyday English
14. Jenga Tumbling Towers
Here’s a classic game—with a “getting to know you” twist. Begin by dividing your class into small teams, and give each team a set of color-coded Jenga blocks. Each team must then play the game as usual—except that whenever someone pulls a block out they’ll need to respond to an ice-breaker question based on its color. This is a fun and engaging way for your students to build connections without any of the pressures of presenting in front of the whole class.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
15. Birthday Lineup Game
This is another clever choice for older elementary students. Explain that your kids need to silently organize themselves in order of their birthdays—using only hand gestures and non-verbal clues to communicate. This is a great team-building challenge and a fun way to get your class moving before settling into work for the day.
Learn More: Guide Inc,
16. The Snowball Game
This is another writing-based activity that will help you learn about your kids’ reading and writing skills whilst getting to know them. Start by having everyone write down three facts about themselves on pieces of paper. Then, let your students crumple up their sheets of paper to resemble snowballs and have a “snowball fight” by throwing them around. Next, everyone must pick up a piece of paper from the floor and try to find the person who wrote on it before presenting the information written down to the rest of the class.
Learn More: ThoughtCo
17. The Observation Game
This is a fun memory game that requires no setup or special items. Have your students line up facing each other and give them 30 seconds to look each other over. Then, your students in one line will change something about themselves without their partner seeing—before the second line of students will need to guess what their partner has changed!
Learn More: Innovative Teaching Ideas
18. The Game of Scattergories
This classic game will require your students to come up with unique objects within a set of categories starting with a given letter. It works well as an ice-breaker since everyone gets to contribute and share their ideas. Alternatively, use it as a brain break throughout the day. You can use categories from the original game or find classroom-specific versions online.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
19. Marooned
This is a good thought-provoking exercise for older elementary students. Better yet- it requires no setup or supplies. Ask your kids the following: If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you want with you? Then, give each student an opportunity to share with the class (or with a small group) which three people they’d want with them on the island. They can choose fictional characters or real people who are dead or alive. Encourage them to think critically about their choices and explain their reasoning thereafter!
Learn More: Thought Co
20. All About Me Board Game
This cute board game is a nice way to let your kids share information with others in smaller, less intimidating groups. Divide everyone into small groups and give each group a game board that features questions for them to answer. They’ll roll a die to move along the board and whenever they land on a square, they’ll share their answer to the question with their team.
Learn More: Twinkl
21. Marshmallow Challenge
Here’s an engaging—and tasty— way to get your kids talking and working together. Using simple items such as pasta sticks, tape, and string, challenge your students to build the tallest structure they can that will support a marshmallow on top. This cross-curricular activity will break the ice while incorporating engineering and design skills and developing your little ones’ creative thinking and ingenuity.
Learn More: Mad About Science
22. Tell a Tall Group Story
Get your kiddos working together to share a story—and lots of laughs. You’ll start a story with an intriguing premise, such as “Yesterday, I went to the mall and was passing a window display.” Then, allow your students to add to the story one by one until they’ve created a hilarious tall tale.
Learn More: Activity Village
23. Draw Fabulous Flags
This is an artistic way to get to know each other. Invite your students to draw their own personal flags that contain objects and symbols that represent their passions, talents, and values. Then, have them present their creations to the class and explain their designs. Their artwork will also result in colorful pieces that can be used to decorate and personalize your classroom thereafter.
Learn More: Club Experience Blogs
24. Play Photo Scavenger Hunt
This is a fun team-based activity which makes a —it would be a great choice if your kids are old enough to go outside on their own. Divide your class into small teams. Every team should then be given a list of items and a certain amount of time to attempt to photogragh everything on their list. It’s a wonderful way to get to know each other whilst working together to accomplish a shared mission!
Learn More: This Time of Mine
25. Game of Four Corners
This is a fun twist on a “Would You Rather” game if you have older kids who are ready for more detail. After labeling the corners of your room with numbers, read out multiple-choice “get-to-know-you” questions and have your students move to the corner of the room that’s labeled with the number that corresponds to their response.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
26. Big Wind Blows Game
This entertaining game is similar to musical chairs—but with questions incorporated for your students to get to know each other. Arrange the room with one student positioned in the center and everyone else standing in front of a chair along the walls. The student in the center—who has no chair—will share one trait about themself. Then, all the players who share the same trait—including the student in the center—have to find a seat. The player without a seat goes to the center and shares a different trait about themself, and so on.
27. Best and Worst Moments Share
This is a classic discussion prompt that will give even your most reserved students something to talk about. Welcome your kids to share their highs and lows from the past day, week, month, or year. As they unleash their memories, trust will grow and a culture of openness will bloom.
Learn More: Cru
28. Draw Your Perfect Day
This simple exercise is great if your kids are too young to read or write. Invite them to draw their perfect day, whether a memory or a fantasy, as a comic strip. Then, have them present their artwork to the class or a small group and talk about their vision. Their creations are sure to spark connections with peers who may enjoy something similar.
Learn More: Elsa Support
29. Musical Instruments Challenge
Strike a chord with this engaging challenge! Break the ice by leading your students on a musical adventure where they mimic different instruments; challenging their peers to guess the sounds. What better way to orchestrate joy?
Learn More: YouTube
30. Three Things in Common Game
A trio of shared traits can result in a multitude of connections! Divide your kiddos into pairs or small groups and see if they can unearth three shared experiences or interests. Depending on your kids’ ages, give them some suggestions or set some parameters around what the commonalities can be.
Learn More: Starfish Taylor
31. Hot Seat Game
Here’s a heated adventure of clues and guesses! This is an entertaining activity that will get your kids engaged and ready to work together. Simply pick a student for “the hot seat” and then select a word—which should be made known to everyone in your class except the student in the hot seat! Your other learners can take turns providing clues as to what the mystery word could be. This is a low-prep but fiery challenge that’s sure to spark critical thinking and teamwork.
Learn More: YouTube
32. Classroom Talent Show
Host a grand showcase of flair and uniqueness! Create a space for your little ones to shine—revealing talents that add sparkle to the greater classroom atmosphere. We bet that your kids will have a blast learning about each other’s skills and interests.
Learn More: YouTube
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