Do you and I run in the same circles? Doubt it. Although we do share at least one circle: teaching. Right? And if you and I ha...

Set a friendly tone in your classroom with these 30 "Get to Know You" games perfect for back to school or when welcoming a new student.

Pencil Name Craft For Kids | Fun back to school learning idea. Use a free printable PDF template to cut out & make. Great for preschool, pre k & kindergarten.

Last summer I added Mo Willems' The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! to my classroom library. Of course, this addition was a no-brainer. Willems' books are always super popular, especially Pigeon books. Just as predicted, my students loved this book. It is the perfect length for the beginning of the year, when attention spans are extra short and students need a little break from all the procedural training they are receiving. Since I knew this book would be a hit, I decided to make it the centerpiece of back to school. I created some basic "Pigeon themed" math and literacy activities, as well as a simple craft. I used these activities intermittently during the first week and was able to glean some great info about my new students' basic math and literacy skills, as well as their fine motor skills and listening skills. One of the Pigeon themed activities was a number/number word/counting mini book. Students traced and wrote the numbers 1-10, as well as the number words 1-10. Then students illustrated a picture to go with each number. We broke this activity up over a couple of days. Students took part in a listening activity. Students had to complete a picture according to a series of questions/statements that I read aloud. (If you've every made a glyph with your students, this activity feels really similar.) Students also put together their first puzzler for the year. This puzzler focused on number representations. Students cut and glued the puzzler pieces to tell what number is represented in the box. By the end, students have a completed picture that they can color. I use various puzzlers throughout the year. This the Pigeon puzzler is a great introduction to how to complete a puzzler. Students loved making their simple, one-page craft Pigeons. All that was required was the Pigeon pattern (I used white card stock), scissors, and glue. The class Pigeons made a really quick and cute back to school bulletin board. In addition to these activities, students worked on counting/cardinality, geometry, place value, number bonds, handwriting, the alphabet, rhyming words, sight words, and more. The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! is a perfect springboard for a variety of skills. For a math freebie (from the printables featured above), click on the picture below. This freebie provides practice with ten frames, counting, and number identification. If you have not added, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! to your classroom library, I highly recommend it. There are so many directions you can go with this book. More importantly, your students will love it and be totally engaged. What a great way to start the year, by reading a book that students truly enjoy. :) For more details about the all of the Pigeon inspired activities I used with my students, be sure to click on the picture below. Of course (like most), I'm not certain what this year's back to school days will look like. Whatever the setup, I know I'll be using The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! to help me kick off the year. Thanks for stopping by. School Is a Happy Place is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associated Program, an affiliate program that allows this site to earn advertising fees. Please know that all of the recommendations on this site are authentic and come from personal experience.

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

Set a friendly tone in your classroom with these 30 "Get to Know You" games perfect for back to school or when welcoming a new student.

Classroom team-building games are a must at the start of a new school year! Here are 16 of my favorite icebreakers and classroom team-building activities!

Pre-K and TK Back to School Worksheets. Name practice, fine motor skills, color identification, pre-k math skills and pre-k alphabet practice.

Working collaboratively can be engaging and easy. Create together and celebrate that friends and classmates are better together with this collaborative coloring activity. This oversized collaborative coloring poster with a positive message is ready for students to work together while while showing their appreciation for each other! These interlocked hands and happy doodles are sure to get the message across. This poster will be a fun and unique addition to your school hallways or classroom! This collaborative poster is ready for:  A counseling or SEL lesson Open House Early Finishers During a Unit of Study Indoor Recess  Practicing Communication and Cooperation Skills. Includes: 24 coloring pages to make one large poster Size: Approximately 3.5 x 4 ft Letter size coloring sheet with the main image for individual completion. Looking for other collaborative coloring posters? Collaborative Coloring Posters

Get ready for an engaging and productive start to the school year with our Self Portrait First Day of School Worksheets. These worksheets are designed to spark creativity and self-expression in students, allowing them to delve into their unique identities and share their experiences with their new classmates. Whether you're a teacher looking to facilitate interesting icebreaker activities or a parent wanting to encourage your child's self-confidence, our Self Portrait First Day of School Worksheets are the perfect tools to foster a positive and inclusive classroom atmosphere.

These first day of school activities and printables are so much fun! Great for homeschooling or traditional schooling and free to print and use, too!

Have you tried using Collaborative Posters in the Classroom? Collaborative posters are a fantastic way to build a culture of teamwork and unity in your

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

Friendship-building activities help children in K-3 develop strong social skills. When relationships are an important factor in education, kids succeed in school and life.

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Too many classroom icebreakers require students to take big social risks with people they barely know. Or they don't really help students get to know each other. Or they are just plain cheesy.

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

About this item: This fleece jacket is customized with your name, making it a personalized and unique addition to your wardrobe. Perfect for women, this jacket is both stylish and functional. This personalized women's fleece jacket in grey is perfect for keeping warm, just like the band Radio Futura said, "It takes hea

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

Excitement, learning, and new beginnings come together in these 20 back to School coloring pages, free to download and print! This collection captures the essence of returning to school, showcasing a variety of elements that make this time of year special.

What does a successful writing workshop look like? Here are strategies that will ensure successful writing workshops all year.

Fun and engaging ideas to get to know your students at the beginning of the school year. Build a strong classroom community with these free resources.

Are your students disinterested and tired of the traditional ways of learning characterization? Have you been searching for a really fun, student-centered, interactive way to eliminate their boredom? Well, look no further! I present to you a wonderful student-collaboration activity that will get your students involved and excited for a character analysis for any novel, […]

This back to school "snowball" fight activity will have your students getting up and out of their seats moving around the room to get to know each other.

The six word memoir is a quick and creative way to get students thinking and writing about their own lives. Whether you use it for an icebreaker (which makes a great display!) at the start of school or as part of an identity or personal narrative unit, this engaging activity pulls together reflection, writing and visuals to produce a memorable moment of connection with your student writers. This curriculum set now comes with a Google drive link to an editable version of the student instructions and handouts. I hope that's helpful! From the Reviews: "I'll be using this during the first week of school with my sophomores. I've done six-word memoirs with my students before, but I love that you have added an artistic element. I also appreciate the short reflection assignment, as reflection is a very important part of my classroom culture. Thanks!" "Great activity to use during the first week. Will be using as a lead in to a 5 paragraph essay. Thanks!" "Easy to use. Open-ended enough to allow creativity." Here's what's inside: Clear project instructions Two template options to help students combine their words and imagery An optional reflection to extend the writing process once the six word memoirs are complete Please check out the preview to see the handouts in detail. Looking for more creative ideas for your English classroom? Check out The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast! Did you enjoy this activity? Please share your thoughts by leaving a review! You'll get free credits towards your next purchase, and think of the karma. Love combining visuals with ideas in class? Check out these popular one-pager activities.

Giving students an easy, independent activity to start as soon as they arrive on the first day of school is a great way to calm their nerves. It also allows you to focus on greeting new students and getting supplies organized and put away. Here is a great first day of school printable that students ... Read More about Read & Find – First Day of School Printable

Free digital activities for getting to know your students! Use these engaging digital activities to help you get to know your students and their interests!

Movement in the classroom is beneficial for many reasons. First and foremost, getting up to move in the classroom might help anxious students relieve stress.

Find out why teachers should be using icebreaker activities for small groups all year long and not just at the beginning of the school year.

Piet Mondrian's work show us the importance of focusing on what's truly important. So here're 10 Piet Mondrian projects for kids to get inspired from!

These tips will help you to use Getting to Know You icebreaker activities to build a positive and inclusive classroom culture from day one.

Handing little learners a pair of scissors for the first time in a classroom can make teachers a little uneasy. Spend time focusing on how to cut with scissors, as well as, seeing what tool learners are ready to use is important. What Scissors to Use? There are many levels of development a child needs

Start the first week of school with a getting to know you activity that will be worth its weight in gold! This Back to School First Week One Pager Activity and Name Tag is a super useful way to get to know your students. It can be folded to create a cute name tent for kids' desks, making it easy to connect names and faces. Or you can display them on an "All About Me" bulletin board to make your classroom look stylish! The icebreaker prompt choices are sure to be a hit – students will get to show off their personalities and present their favorite topics in a fun, visual way. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS BTS ACTIVITY? Teaching instructions on using this as a print or digital one-pager Student assignment sheets and planning pages A 33 slide slideshow to use while explaining the tasks A choice board and brainstorming sheet to give students ideas and guidance An editable version of the choice board 6 blank templates An example of a student one-pager A rubric Digital versions of everything on Google Slides HOW WILL THIS BE SUPER USEFUL? I use it as a first day of school activity for my middle school ELA students; however, it's really perfect for any middle school or upper elementary class. You can even make one for yourself, so students can get to know the teacher! The prompts help me get to know my students' personalities, and the name tent part helps me learn their names much faster! After I know their names, the kids prop them up whenever there is a substitute. Any way you shake it, this one-pager will enable your students to get creative and have fun, while you get to know them better. :) Thank you for the time, patience, and energy you put into teaching each and every day. ❤️ Darlene Anne

I can’t say I’m a big fan of icebreakers myself, at least the get-to-know-you type. Students may be grouped in a different way from the previous year, and there are always new students to the schoo…

Find out why teachers should be using icebreaker activities for small groups all year long and not just at the beginning of the school year.

Extra math practice with FREE 6th Grade Math Worksheets for 6th grade math at home. You will love that these 6th grade worksheets include the answer key!

If you're looking for fun and easy getting to know you activities for the first day of school, these ice breaker games for kids will inspire you!

Visual schedules are a great way to help students manage their school day and see what is coming next. Free flip schedule template only at Mrs. D's Corner.