More Activities FDS

2.
Find a friend
The “Find a friend” game is a fun activity designed to help students become
comfortable with their new classmates. To play, students must first receive
worksheets containing a list of topics — such as sports, foods, games, and so on
— from which they must pick their favorites.
Image source: First Grade Schoolhouse, Teachers Pay Teachers
Distribute the worksheet to students, and allow five minutes or so for everyone
to indicate their favorite categories with a pen or pencil. You can create your
own worksheet or access free printables such as the one above.
Then, have students find fellow classmates fitting the description in each box.
This will give them a natural talking point as they meet one another — helping
them find what they have in common and sparking friendly interaction.
Note that:
 Students can list each classmate only once on the worksheet

 Students should spell names correctly; when they find a friend to add
to their sheet, they should ask the friend how to spell their first name
 You can use this chance to have students show you their best
handwriting, setting a good precedent for the school year
3. “Who’s new?” word search

Use a free word search generator such as Discovery Education’s puzzle
maker to create a word search using the names of your students as the hidden
words. Print copies to place on each desk.
Students will enjoy searching for their names along with those of their
classmates. After 10 minutes or so, students naturally begin helping each other
— kindling conversation and facilitating introductions.
4. Thanks for the compliment!

This lighthearted, confidence-boosting icebreaker encourages students to share
compliments about one another.
To start, every student gets a blank piece of paper taped to their back. Then,
each classmate thinks of a compliment to write down on the back of every other
student.
After the entire class is finished, have students remove their papers and read all
the compliments they received in front of the class.
Review with your students what a compliment is (and isn’t) to be sure all
compliments are appropriate.
5. Let's decorate
Invite students to help decorate the classroom — sending the message that their
opinions are valued, their voices are heard, and you welcome their
presence.
Split the class into four groups and designate each group to a wall. Distribute
materials such as markers, posters, tape, and pieces of chart paper. For a
personalized touch, have each group come up with one common goal they wish
to accomplish in your class, and to summarize it in one word.
Next, have students write their words in big letters on the chart paper, ensuring
each group has a unique goal.
Once the class is finished, hang them on each designated wall, encouraging your
class to embrace the responsibility of making sure they all achieve the goals they
set for the end of the school year.
6. “Would You Rather” Questions

Lead, guide, and stimulate healthy debate among students with a set of
questions that are sure to get the classroom talking.
Consider a few examples of “would you rather” questions, such as:
 Would you rather play outdoors or indoors?

 Would you rather see a firework display or a circus performance?
 Would you rather go skiing or go to a water park?
 Would you rather everything in your house be one color or every
single wall and door be a different color?
 Would you rather visit the international space station for a week or
stay in an underwater hotel for a week?
To keep the class on the same page, consider preparing a few questions on a
printable such as the one below.
7. Group contracts
Write group contracts containing guidelines, and have everyone sign them to
foster effective student group work and good behavior in the classroom.
Group contracts — an important feature of cooperative learning— should be

based on expectations students and teachers have for one another.
You can collect the class’s thoughts by talking about what the ideal group
member does, and how he or she behaves. Once you’ve come up with the
contract, brainstorm with students to come up with consequences for
breaking expectations.
Image Source: The Creative Colorful Classroom
For example, in the flexible seating contract above, students agree to use the
learning space appropriately. If they break the contract, students agree “that my
teacher will move me to a spot that will better meet my needs.”
8. Student surveys
Use surveys to collect and assess information about a broad range of topics that
will help you get a feel for your new students and guide them to success this
school year.
Consider asking questions about preferences for seating arrangements,

group work versus individual work, and noise levels in the classroom.
Use this information to get a better sense of trends in the classroom. See if you
can use the information to differentiate instruction, assessment, and evaluation
to improve the learning environment.
One of the qualities of a good teacher is the capacity to use

different teaching strategies — especially ones that are responsive to different
students’ unique learning preferences.
For example, consider taking a survey of how students like to learn, asking the
following yes or no questions:
Endless engagement. Adaptive content. Standards-
aligned.
Join millions of teachers using Prodigy to make math and English fun,
differentiate instruction and help students love learning!
See how Prodigy works
9. Classroom scavenger hunts

Send your students on a classroom scavenger hunt, helping them to get to
know each other and their new learning space.
Provide a print-out of classroom items to look for, leaving a space for students to
write a brief description of where they found each item.
The completed scavenger hunt sheets can serve as an easy reference for students
in the first weeks of school to ensure they know where to find everything in your
classroom.
You can make the list of items yourself, or use a free printable such as the
example below.
Image Source: The Creative Colorful Classroom
10. Two truths and a lie

Encourage students to write down three statements about themselves, with one
of the statements being false.
After giving students five minutes or so to write their sentences down, have
them read them out loud one by one — and enjoy the entertainment as fellow
students try to guess which of the statements is a lie.
This activity also serves as a simple, early way to get a gauge of the skill
levels of your new students: As your new students write out their sentences,
you can walk around and see which students need help might need help with
written communication.
As they read out their sentences, you can also gauge verbal communication
skills.
Be sure to give students an example by sharing your two truths and a lie first.
Students always love learning about their new teacher too!
11. Class time capsule

Create individualized time capsules on the first day of school. Fill them with
items such as personal letters about what students plan to accomplish throughout
the school year.
Letters can include expectations, clubs they would like to join, and desired grade
point averages.
You can also take pictures of your students on the first day, print them out, and
put them inside the time capsules.
On the last day of school, return each student's time capsule and allow them
to see how much they have learned, grown, and achieved throughout the
school year.
12. Tall Thomas

Encourage students to think of an adjective to describe themselves. The
adjective must suit the student and must also start with the first letter of their
name — for example, “Tall Thomas,” “Funny Frankie,” or “Smart Sam.”
Encourage students to try and memorize every name to add a skill-testing
element to the activity.
Have the class stand in a circle, and then have one student state his or her new
nickname. Then, have the next student try to name the previous name before
saying their own name.
Make sure to keep the activity lighthearted and fun. Feel free to stand in the
circle and join the fun to further engage with your students!
13. Don’t answer

Ask your class to stand in a circle. Have one student engage with another
classmate, and pose the other student a question about his or her personality. To
clarify, give students a few examples: “What is your silliest habit?” or “What is
your pet peeve?”
However, explain that the student who is asked the question may not respond
— with the student to their left answering for them. Note that the answer doesn’t
have to be right and that each student can make their answers as imaginative
or creative as possible.
14. Draw a Self-Portrait

Provide a self-portrait worksheet such as the one below as an easy beginning-of-
year activity. When everyone is finished, have each student present their self-
portrait to the class as a formal introduction to their colleagues and to yourself!
15. Be unique
Have everyone stand in a circle. Encourage each student, one by one, to say
something they believe to be unique about themselves. For example: “My name
is Jason, and I have two brothers” or “... and I speak three languages.” If another
student also has two brothers or speaks three languages, they must sit down.
The goal is to stand as long as possible and therefore to share very special
things about yourself that no one else typifies.
16. Six word story
Get students to explain what they did over the summer using only six words,
writing the statement down as a complete sentence on a piece of paper.
Then, have students exchange papers with a classmate, with that colleague also
adding a comment comprised of only six words. You may choose to rotate the
papers to adjust the length of the story to your preference!
17. The question web

This activity helps students learn interesting facts about one another. Have your
students stand in a circle. Next, take a ball of yarn or string and hold on to the
end of it while passing the ball to another student.
Ask this student an interesting question such as “If you could travel anywhere in
the world, where would you go and why?”
Once they have answered the question, have them pass the ball of yarn to
another student in the circle and ask them a question. When all your students
have had their turn, explain that the web they created represents the uniqueness
of your classroom — and that their participation makes the classroom a special
place for learning and creativity.

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2.

Image source: First Grade Schoolhouse, Teachers Pay Teachers

 Students can list each classmate only once on the worksheet

3. “Who’s new?” word search

4. Thanks for the compliment!

6. “Would You Rather” Questions

Consider a few examples of “would you rather” questions, such as:

 Would you rather play outdoors or indoors?

Group contracts — an important feature of cooperative learning— should be

Consider asking questions about preferences for seating arrangements,

One of the qualities of a good teacher is the capacity to use

See how Prodigy works

9. Classroom scavenger hunts

10. Two truths and a lie

11. Class time capsule

12. Tall Thomas

13. Don’t answer

14. Draw a Self-Portrait

17. The question web

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