Coming back to school after winter break can be hard for everyone. It's the same back-to-school routine but coupled with very cold mornings. We've developed a list of 20 activities to do with your elementary school students to get them back in the swing of things after the holiday break.
Read on to see how that first day in school after break can help rebuild your classroom community with fun classroom activities. Your students will love recounting the holiday experience together.
1. M&M Ice Breaker
This fun ice breaker game is the perfect oral communication activity that can be tailored to questions specifically about their winter break. I use the M&M snack packs for this activity. Whatever color they pull out first represents which question they must answer.
Learn more: Like a Bubbling Brook
2. Play Bingo
Here's a hands-on activity you can do with virtually all grade levels. Have students make their own Bingo place holders by ripping up pieces of scratch paper. Use this as an interactive party game or on its own to foster positive memories.
Learn more: The Artisan Life
3. Consider Spiral Teaching
Have your post-holiday intro lesson be reteaching concepts from before break. This will be a great review for some students. It may create that "ah-ha" moment for other students who didn't catch it the first time. Either way, spiral teaching always offers a fun opportunity to work on critical thinking skills.
Learn more: Youtube
4. Make the Previous Year
Mix drawing time with this creative math activity. Have 5th grade students brainstorm as many ways as possible to create the number from the previous year. This excellent activity is an easy way to work on addition, subtraction, and multiplication skills.
Learn more: Craft of Teaching
5. Review Classroom Procedures
While this might not necessarily be a super fun activity, it is certainly a necessary one. The post break memory is lacking and students need to be reminded of how your classroom operates. Make this into a review game students get excited for.
Learn more: Miss Decarbo
6. New Year Traditions Scavenger Hunt
Learn about new year traditions around the world with this interactive scavenger hunt activity. Hide the print outs around the room and have students journal about what they learned. It's the perfect time to engage with cultures around the world.
Learn more: Classroom Freebies
7. Snowman Texts
Students create a text message dialogue using the presentation slides provided with these pre-made digital activities. This engaging activity allows students to use their imagination as if they were talking to a snowman, and works on writing skills.
Learn more: The Techie Teacher
8. Find Someone Who...
Here's a perfect activity to reconnect with all students in the classroom. Set a timer for five minutes and see who can get the most names. I would put a limit on duplicating names so students are forced to talk to multiple students.
Learn more: iSL Collective
9. Complete a Tell All
Here is an activity for students that will provide you with real-time student data on what students missed about being in your classroom. I like that students can color winter themed pictures like the gingerbread man, but the focus is on reflecting for future lessons.
Learn more: Teaching Heart
10. Play a Dice Game
I am a sucker for hands-on math activities! This is a great one that only requires you purchase enough die for half your students. Pairs can share their die as they fill in or cover up the number they rolled after they have doubled their roll.
Learn more: Teaching Heart
11. Create a Family Tree
What better time for students to work on a family tree then after they just saw their family over winter break. I remember doing this in 4th grade and it was the perfect opportunity for me to visually see how my family was put together.
Learn more: Etsy
12. Conduct a Think, Pair, Share
First develop a question to ask students. After students think independently about the question, match them up for this activity in pairs. Think, Pair, Share is a great community-building activity that also works as a comprehensive growth mindset activity when students digest what others said.
Learn more: Youtube
13. Writing Activity
Have the morning work activity be about break writing! Students can reflect on a favorite holiday memory as they settle back into the crazy school day routine. This worksheet is nice because it has the question prompts completed for you.
Learn more: The Autism Helper
14. Play Frost Bite
This fun game is great for the digital classroom. Once you have collected five snowflakes and eaten them, you win! Planning activities takes lots of time, but this favorite game requires no prep. It's the perfect game for 3rd grade students to play when they finish work early.
Learn more: Fun Brain
15. Snowflake Challenge
Here is the ultimate STEM Challenge activity. Set the timer for three minutes and have students work their geometry skills as they make snowflake shapes on graph paper. This is such a fun way to learn the number line!
Learn more: STEM Teacher's Club
16. Create a Snow Globe Craft
Construction paper and a clear plastic plate are the main materials you'll need for this craft. Take photos of each student. Once developed, students will glue their picture onto the construction paper which will work as the backdrop to eventually be glued to the plastic plate for a snow globe effect.
Learn more: Supply Me
17. Life in a Snow Globe Writing Prompt
Once students have completed the snow globe from number 16 above, have them write about what it would be like to live in a snow globe. Post their responses on your bulletin board. The awesome bulletin board pictured here looks so nice!
Learn more: Supply Me
18. Have a 100 Days of School Celebration
If school starts around Labor Day, the 100th day of school will be sometime in January. Depending on when your winter break ends, this could be a fun day to celebrate with your elementary grade students. Just another one of those fun school activities!
Learn more: Tina O'Block
19. Practice Speaking and Listening
Some students might have a harder time coming back than others. That's why it's good to spend plenty of time reviewing expectations for how conversations should go. This is especially important for those in 2nd grade to remember.
Learn more: Elementary Nest
20. Set Goals
Here is a calm activity that will allow students to work on their problem-solving skills as they create a list of personalized goals. Challenge students to develop a plan for how they will accomplish their goal after winter break.
Learn more: A Grace Filled Classroom
30 Nature-Inspired Christmas Projects for Kids