Happy August!
We can’t believe it’s already August! We hope you’re enjoying every last bit of your summer break. As the back to school buzz begins, abcteach is here to help make the upcoming school year as seamless as possible. Whether you’re heading back into the classroom, or you’re homeschooling your kids, our resources will save you time, stress and will take the hassle out of those first few days.
We know it can be tough getting back into the swing of things, especially for your students. Your goal is to make them feel welcome and you hope they mesh well as a group, but this isn’t always an easy task. So, how can we help our students click?
Let’s break the ice with these introductory “getting to know you” activities.
Who Am I?
Your students will channel their creative sides and begin finding things in common with these fun icebreaker activities. Try our crayon activity for younger age groups, or challenge your middle schoolers with an “All About Me” survey.
Create a bulletin board of the completed worksheets, displaying each student’s unique take on the project. Want to take it a step further? Encourage your students to draw pictures of their favorite things, bring photos of their family members and even schedule a show and tell day! These worksheets are a great way to learn about your students and for your students to learn about themselves.
Conversation Cards
Get the conversation started with these free and easy to use conversation cards. Simply print, cut and make into a booklet. You’ll see genuine friendships form. As we know, kids are always looking at their phones. It’s easy to get distracted! This activity will encourage connection and community, and will limit screen time. Questions include:
- How would you change the world if you could?
- What one thing about yourself are you most proud of?
- Do you speak any other languages?
- What would you like to learn about this year?
- How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
And more! There’s so much to learn and explore about our classmates. These are, of course, a fantastic way to break the ice at the beginning of the school year, but they can also be used at any other time.
Coloring Pages
Every child LOVES to color. There’s no doubt about that. It’s a great form of expression and creativity. abcteach has a variety of coloring pages to choose from. Need a few other ideas to pass the time? Here’s 5 ways to use coloring pages:
- Frame them! Have your students sign their masterpieces and hold an art show. Invite other classrooms to attend your art show. You’ll receive tons of compliments on your newly decorated space.
- Place the pictures in a single row and have your students take turns making the pictures into a story, switching the order every few minutes. Watch their imagination go wild!
- Create a story using only one picture. Can your students form a beginning, middle and end?
- Crayons are so last year… what else can you use to add some pizzazz? Decorate the pages using stickers, glitter, stamps, paint, watercolors, etc.
- Collaborate! Once your students are done with the given pictures, hand them a blank piece of paper to draw a picture of something they love (dog, bird, tree, anything!). Tell your students to give their drawing to another classmate to color and decorate on their behalf.
What a fun way to start the school year! Interested in the pages shown here? Click the links to download:
Donut
Find THOUSANDS of other resources on our website! Create a free account or become a subscriber and let us help you make the most out of your upcoming school year. Whether you teach in a classroom setting, or you’re looking for interactive activities to do at home, abcteach has activities for everyone.
Happy Teaching!
written by, Taylor Newcomb
~abcteach family