Getting to Know Each Other – Tips and Activities

Getting to know each tips and activities

During the first two weeks of school, it’s okay if you’re not drilling the students with content all day, every day. Creating a positive, happy, and safe community is of huge importance that some may skip out on in order to start getting into the content. However, getting to know each other is essential.

Yes, teachers have to follow curriculum maps and scope/sequences, but by giving your kids 5-10 minutes a day to truly gain relationships with other classmates, and with you will pay off 100% at the end of the year.

Let them get to know each other

Fun games and activities in the first few weeks of school for “getting to know each other” may take 5-10 minutes of instructional time, but that’s okay if you’re successfully building a community in your classroom. Here are a few very quick games that your kiddos can play without taking too much instructional time away from your day.

Games for Getting to Know Each Other

Back to school snowball fight activity.

Minds in Bloom

She’s Crafty

Mommies Hobbies

Teaching project

Love Teaching Kids

Getting to Know Each Other Through Communication, Team Building, and Social Skills

Have you ever heard of Kagan? He made several structures for cooperative learning. They’re a staple in a classroom. It gives the students practice with communication, team building, and social skills. We work through several of the structures in the first month of school. My kiddos love mix-pair-share and round-robin!

Mix-Pair-Share activity
Round Robin class activity

Cooperative Learning Activities

For a full pack on cooperative learning activities, click here!

2. Let them get to know you. 

Getting to Know Each Other at the beginning of the year- back to school activities to get to know classmates- team building

Find your favorite teacher bag. Fill it up with important things that describe you as a person. On the first day, unload the bag and describe each item. For example, last year, I unpacked a picture of my family, a few books, some pictures of the beach, running shoes, M&Ms, Kcups, a half-marathon medal, my diploma, and more!

Getting to Know Each Other at the beginning of the year- back to school activities to get to know classmates- team building

(Source: Yeehaw Teaching in Texas)
I love Sarah’s idea of making a giant “getting to know you” book.

Getting to Know Each Other at the beginning of the year- back to school activities to get to know classmates- team building

(Source: Confessions of a Teaching Junkie)

3. Let them showcase themselves

Having a wall of “all about me” crafts inside of the classroom is something that I have always done. In the first few days, the kiddos complete their all about me book craft, and as they finish up, we put them on the wall. As they get added, the kiddos get to present their book to their classmates.

Getting to Know Each Other at the beginning of the year- back to school activities to get to know classmates- team building

Or create a wall of portraits with NO names! It’s a fun game to play in the class and for when parents come in for Open House or Curriculum Night.

Open house idea for the primary classroom.
Getting to Know Each Other at the beginning of the year- back to school activities to get to know classmates- team building
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