Equipment: A circle of chairs for all playing–one less than the amount of youth/children. See directions for Painting on Fabrics and How to Paint a Shirt, etc, In this activity, children will draw pictures showing some of the different aspects of their lives and share the pictures with other youth. You’ll be amazed how the atmosphere can change—as well all realizing it doesn’t have to be a trip to Disney to do it! When time is up, ask each group how many items they have listed. Add their responses to the list. There is an introduction to Drama, Pantomime, Improv, and a good variety or Drama Games! ESL Get to Know You Activity - Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking - Elementary (A1-A2) - 30 minutes In this get to know you activity, students discover secrets about their classmates by asking yes/no questions. Leave markers out with a large sheet of butcher/roll paper, and have the children write all the happy/joyous words they can think of. 43. 22. If you had an hour to yourself, I would sleep or read. ‘I can’t hit a home run”…”YET.” “I can’t sail a sailboat”…”YET.” DESIGNING SELF-COLLAGES: Grades 1-6 34. Some ideas are simple and some will take planning. Source: preschoolwhiz.com. 2021 UPDATED VERSIONS NOW AVAILABLE! Does it live in cold climate? Distribute construction paper and tape to each team. DREAMY SCRIBBLES Created by teachers for teachers, you will be able to find inspiration, positivity, tips and tricks, laughter and a supportive community of like-minded people. Have students make a fan by folding the paper back and forth into seven equal sections. They should cut them out and glue them on the silhouette to create a personal collage. This is a fun brain break to use throughout the year as well. Put them together in a large paper doll chain with the heading “We are all Friends”…. When it is time to visit the museum, half of the players stay with their exhibits, while the other half visit and have the creators explain them. hmmmm…). Have each student choose an apple. This is an important exercise in that no one can do it alone – it shows that problems can be solved ONLY by interacting with each other! Hi there, This chance we bring you various awesome pictures that we've gathered so they might helpful, in this post we are focused related with Printable Getting to Know You Worksheets. NEVER HAVE I EVER… Icebreaker Game These 10 activities are enjoyable to students elementary through high school. Release all balloons at once. Our program is so small that we never really break into groups, but if we did, we would use this method. The Beach Ball Icebreaker game is another classic and FUN way for you to get to know your students, and for your students to get to know each other! In this formation have the team move from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. Assign each player a small space where he or she has thirty minutes to set up a self- exhibit. Share with them some basic information about the new child. A profound difference in behavior, relationships, and outlook will be noticed. Many were unfamiliar with the computer lab, so students who use the lab daily instructed them. Need: A multi-colored ball of yarn (to call it “Tapestry) or any color if you call it a “Web”), 21. Place a small item in the middle of the two front people, and place it just within their reach. Do not let them see it. If you’re looking for ESL getting to know you games for the First Day of Class, you’ve come to the right place.I’ll give my top 10 first day ESL activities so you can get your semester started off on the right foot.. By the right foot, I mean the awesome way-students and teacher start getting to know each in a fun, engaging and interactive way. These activities present the students with a few choices, four to six, in a specific category. Have students suggest music and/or lyrics to accompany the cheer. Younger grades may need a printed name card that they can color.). Children also need to have a concrete way in which to express this. With a smaller group, everyone exchanges papers without looking at their own. When they find their other half, you may ask them to get to know their new partner by asking things like favorite ice cream or dream vacation etc…. This activity can be adapted in many different ways. Kids love to read and get to know their peers. The general idea is to pair students and have them interview each other and then share the information with the class. Point out that they are students, and ask them what else they do. The older the student, the more detailed each line can become. I LIKE MY NEIGHBOR THAT… 19. Have students create a poem by using the first letters of their name. It should be easy to reach the goal of 100 acts of kindness. It also helps with memory because you have visual cues about things that will help remind you of them. 12. Make up all sorts of things that can’t be done…”YET.” Remember to use this game when children are discouraged and need to be reminded of “yet.” One slip of paper for every player. Then have students share their results. Examples: Pleasure, delight, enjoyment, satisfaction, ecstasy, bliss, elation, rapture, rhapsody, gaiety, glee, happiness, festive, glad, pleased, cheerful, joyful, excitement, heaven, enchantment, exhilaration, radiant, etc. You should model this. 2 Truths and a … With social distancing protocols, there are still ways you can create classroom culture and get to know your students. The topic can be pre-chosen such as: What is the best thing that happened to you this week? After a pair stands up, have them find another pair and all 4 of them must sit down and stand up. Just wanted to let you know how the jelly roll went. Give students a list of questions and have them interview each other and then verbally share the information with the class. You can create your own Guinness Book of Records! Barb. There are a limitless number of topics, and this link will take you to a long list you can download. You start by selecting a person to roll the yarn to. Example: Does it have fur? I’m sure we will do this again just because the children loved it so much! … It doesn’t matter if the group knows each other well— because you can say things like…”He seems friendly” etc. CONTINENTAL DIVIDE – A Game for grades 3 and up! Break the ice. Staff encourages the children to “Pull!” and challenges them to stay in the same space. Not necessary but —an award or certificate can go to the group who made the tallest tower. Give each person a card. I drink coffee every morning. Also conduct a musical survey to get to know your students. Another option is to share a meaningful object and tell a related story. Have the kids mingle and talk to each other, sharing the quotes until they find their partner. Example is wearing sneakers or has brown hair, etc. Ask other children if they have any similar shirts at home. First of all, I decided to rename it the “cinnamon roll” just because I thought the kids would better understand what a cinnamon roll looks like than a jelly roll, for visualization purposes. So the first Smith paper would be Mr. Smith, the second Mrs. Smith, and the third Brother Smith and so on. (Ex. (All Ages) (Make sure their name is at the top of the paper.) ***PLAY FOLLOW THE LEADER CANDY NECKLACE THAT REPRESENTS “ME”! Put all balloons in a container, box or bag. Here is an extensive list of get to know you games for kids. Have child go through magazines to find pictures of people looking happy, sad, angry, and surprised. 46. This activity is simple and quick. Each family should have a different last name but the same characters (i.e.) Young children who can’t write yet can draw pictures and/or dictate…, …….SHARED LEARNING… They can use only the given supplies. Need: Then try to “beat” the first “time”. Connection/Ice-Breaker Game Record their answers on the board or on chart paper. 1. (Good for Building Team/Program Spirit) FRIENDSHIP TOWER This shows the students that they can share simple, non-threatening information. The back person (who is watching) must give a number to the last two in the line. Going to the movies makes me happy…..Pizza…..Going on vacation…..Blue skies…..Summer time, etc. Fun Icebreakers For Elementary Students That Can Be Used Onsite Or Online. At the end of ten minutes — have each team display their tower and discuss whether it was easy or difficult to build and why. Mix the apples up and ask the students to come back and find their apple. FIND YOUR FAMILY That person in the middle calls in some one–one at a time. This activity is enjoyed by all grade levels. An excellent way to illustrate certain feelings is to make a feelings collage. Here are some concrete ways to welcome a new member of the community: Prepare the class. #2…Take turns saying “joyous” words with children. Everyone who fits the statement must move (run) to another chair. Have them paint them. Start off with what makes you happy —and then take turns calling out things such as: Sunny days make me happy; Sunshine makes me happy; Warm cookies make me happy; Saturday mornings make me happy; Friday nights makes me happy….. See more ideas about get to know you activities, getting to know you, teaching. Can also be put on wall or bulletin board. Burlington Elementary School Burlington. Once fans are folded, have students write their names on the top section, unfold their fan, and pass it to a classmate. They can refer to the list on the board for ideas. Print a handout that has a list of topics and ask students to write their favorite things. Friends then respond on the pages and sign their name below their response. If anyone disconnects shoes, the team comes back to point ‘A’ and starts again. 4. The goal is to see how many people you can fit in the middle- without breaking hands. There you have it, 47 Fun Getting to Know You Games and Activities for Kids. When a new child joins a classroom/program community, there is a great opportunity — not only to welcome the new child, but also to strengthen a sense of cohesion among all of the children in the group. link will take you to a long list you can download. Ages: 8 and up. Example: The children then chose what characteristics they believe themselves to have and put them on the necklace. Before coming to you, children are to ask three of their peers to assist them! Give them a piece of plain paper folded like a desk name plate. Summarize the importance of individual differences and similarities in people. They might choose to draw pictures of the band instrument they play, their favorite sport, their dog, their car, etc. Declare a day in your program that this is Say Something Nice Day. You may want to display the Me-shirts as art before sending them home. A plain, light-colored T-shirt from home for each child, Paints or markers designed for use on clothing. See example for Janice: When these are complete, include a photo and post around the room. (Books written with a lesson built in– for children) The above activity is based on the PLS graduate course Building Communication and Teamwork in the Classroom™. Have youth sit on the floor in large circle. Teens use “awesome,” or whatever expression is current. These games and activities will help the kids feel included in the program or activities. When they have found them, they must sit in order from dad to baby in a line on the floor. For fun, ask them to announce some of the most interesting items. In order for youth to build self esteem, they need to know who they are and what is important and unique to them personally. Have children  decorate the collages with crayons or markers in colors they believe represent each feeling. Adapted from “Route to Reform: K-8 service-learning Curriculum Ideas,” © 1994-95 National Youth Leadership Council. Continue until all five items are discussed. In  things that Tommy can do–he will return the favor and  assist others when  asked. THE INTERVIEW…This is a great beginning-of-the-year activity—or FIRST DAY OR TWO OF SUMMER PROGRAMS WHEN ALL KIDS DON’T KNOW EACH OTHER… (If necessary help kids circulate around the room and interact with one another.) Start to draw with one crayon or marker each. Barb). Each time children see a classmate or friend engage in an act of kindness, they will tell staff and then put a sticker and their friend’s name on the poster. Once they feel that, they can reach for the object in front of them. This is a good game to promote friendliness and fun when you have an exceptionally large group…. Be as creative as possible. This activity gives youth a chance to reflect on who they are and then to share that information in a fun way with the rest of the group. These can be posted around the room as well as shared verbally. Do the cheer whenever your group spirit needs energizing. This could be in the form of once in a while heading to the cafeteria and eating at the lunch table with your entire class or just inviting a few students to eat in the classroom with you. Each student must tell the class two truths and a lie about him or herself and have the class guess which statement is the lie. Explain that they may have a joke or a punch line on the card. CONNECTION/ICE-BREAKER, 31. The leader may also give out specific instructions, for example “Find your family without talking”. SPIDER WEB OF FRIENDSHIP (Good for all ages-see photo of adults) 10. 26 President’s Day Games and Activities for Kids! Getting to Know Your Students – First to Last Digital Activities The first set of activities is called “First to Last”. Collect old magazines and make sure each student has his/her own scissors and glue stick. Move If – There are many names and variations of this game. 24. Instruct youth that their shoes are fused to the person‘s shoe to their right and left. The goal is to stay in the game the longest (to have fingers remaining). Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you.As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. On a board, list the reasons children like to wear these kinds of T-shirts. Discuss why this is important. In this activity students validate one another by sharing appreciative comments: 2. KINDNESS LESSON… Positive Affirmations and Positive Self-talk Strategies, The Secrets to Making Yourself a Priority, Power of Yet: helping students develop a growth mindset, Experienced teachers sharing their advice for less experienced teachers. The topic is why someone should hire them. Explain to the teams that they will have ten minutes to build the tallest tower they can—WITHOUT TALKING. To introduce or learn something about each other— To provide physical activity, have fun, build community spirit. They should try to make as many exchanges as possible, and they should not be looking at which papers they are receiving. You can also award certificates to the smallest, most unique, most straight, most leaning, etc. This games helps overcome shyness, builds reasoning skills and cooperation…. Cut each apple in half (don’t cut the usual way, but through the center the other way). The team to grab the object first wins! The person who manages to correctly guess the most lies wins. Older students learn more difficult subjects, are more familiar with the school building and staff, and are just plain bigger than kindergarteners. The last family to sit down may be eliminated if you choose to do so. You can grab the FREE handout with all of these activities at the bottom of this post! A “FAN” OF VALIDATION Then standing behind the person they have just interviewed, each child tells the group what they have learned about the other, introducing them to the group. Equipment: Small random object – keys, phone, stone, etc. The children play with a “ space rope”. (If you have an odd number of children in the group, use a card yourself.). Tell them to get to know their apple really well. You may want to invite parents or another class to join your Me-shirt party. Two Truths and a Lie This getting-to-know-you ESL game is a lot of fun for more advanced students. Have students make a fan by folding the paper back and forth into seven equal sections. 36. I find it’s a good starting point for building connections and developing entry-level trust for group. Point out that a girl may be a daughter, a sister, a niece, and a granddaughter, while a boy may be a son, a brother, a nephew, and a grandson. At the end of the activity, tell students to write on the card the name of the student who best matches the description. This is one of my favorite get to know you activities for group counseling because students are always so surprised by how much they have in common with others in the group! Discuss with children the fact that they fill many different roles in their families. So, if three other people have been on a cruise, those three people must put down a finger, leaving them with nine fingers. Using pictures, words, or symbols clipped from magazines that represent things they enjoy doing or own, places they’ve been, and people they admire— or careers they desire, Have the other students guess which collage belongs to whom and state why they made that guess. Once all the students have found their counterparts, have them return to their seats. Ask children to think of different ways people can be kind to others. Tell students to locate a different person for each box, if possible. Perhaps you can tell Shawna that Kyle also has a pet dog! RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS (See the Acts of Kindness Category). These can be shared with the class and then hung in the classroom. When it is time to share the Truths and Lie you can either have the student read their own, have them randomly draw a paper and read it, or you can read them for them. In order to have the students meet the faculty and staff on a different level– have  faculty bring in a picture of themselves and a picture of their pet. Young children will come up with words such as “yummy”, “lollipops”, “mommy”. The faller falls again — and the catcher let him fall a little further than before. After the three options are read, the class needs to determine which 2 are true and which is a lie. Need: Crayons and/or colored pencils. Before they started we had each group pick which end of the line would make the center of the cinnamon roll, so they knew which way to turn. Allow the students to share their stories with the rest of the group. CAPTURE THE BALLOON This child can help the newcomer feel welcome and connected as well as serve as a guide by touring the classroom and explaining routines. Quick, creative responses a friendly greeting before they meet you in person possible, and a Lie getting-to-know-you... 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