12
If you’re feeling excited for a fresh beginning, and a little bit of that nervous anticipation, it means that the first days of school are not far off. It also means that you’ve probably started thinking about how you can use the first few days of the new school year to get to know your new students and start building rapport.
One of the most effective ways to foster bonds with new students is through getting-to-know-you or “all about me” activities. These activities not only help students learn about their classmates, but also help teachers understand a little bit more about their new students.
To get started, check out some of these get-to-know-you activities for students of all ages, and across a range of subjects. They’ll go a long way in terms of forming those crucial connections at the beginning of the year and helping your students feel more comfortable in the classroom.
Get-to-Know-You Activities for Elementary Students
These engaging activities are designed to help you build strong connections with your elementary students from day one. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or a brand new to the classroom, these ideas can help you begin to build a collaborative learning environment — and help your students begin to forge bonds with each other.
For All Subject Areas
Back to School Getting to Know You Activity – Four Corners
by Creatively Teaching First
Grades: K-2
This activity is the perfect way for students to get to know each other and to incorporate a little movement into the school day. Play this during the first week of school to help build your new classroom family.
Back to School-All About Me
by Teaching with Aris
Grades: 1-5
With this paper bag booklet, your new class will reflect on various summer memories while learning more about their new grade level and classroom.
Back to School Activities Escape Room | Getting to Know You Game
by Teresa Kwant
Grades: 3-6
Try this escape room game with your students today! This is a fun game that is perfect for the back-to-school season, and focuses on students getting to know each other.
English Language Arts
All About Me: Back to School Flag: Activity Mat: Cultural Significance
by Teaching With Bonnie
Grades: Any
This activity mat includes spaces to write about cultural background, family celebrations, cultural foods, and more. Teachers hang them on a bulletin board at the beginning of the year to help students get to know each other.
Math
Math About Me (Differentiated Levels for Lower and Upper Grades)
by Ms Honeys Class Hive
Grades: K-5
This differentiated resource allows you to learn more about your student’s personal life as well as their math thinking. Have them share their work to the class and allow other students to be able to hear their strategies for solving the problems.
Science
Science All About Me Lab Coat Activity
by Fields of Learning
Grades: 3-8
This “all about me” paper folds to look like a science lab coat. Perfect for hanging up in the classroom and displaying your student’s back to school activity!
World Languages
All About Me Activities in Spanish – Todo sobre mi
by Mrs Cabello Spanish Class
Grades: 2-5
If you teach multiple levels, this resource is perfect for your Spanish class. You will find bingo games, surveys, and other speaking activities to keep students engaged.
The Arts
Stand Up Sit Down // Active Getting to Know You Music This or That Style Game
by Becca’s Music Room
Grades: 4-6
This resource is an active this-or-that-style game, perfect for back to school in the elementary music classroom.
Physical Education
Back to School-PE Icebreaker- Dice Getting to Know You
by Ready Set PE
Grades: K-6
Are you looking for a fast paced game to get students energized and ready to interact with their new classmates? This game can be played during physical education class or the classroom.
Get-to-Know-You Activities for Middle School
With these creative activities for middle schoolers, you can learn all about your new students’ interests and personalities — setting the stage for a successful and engaging school year.
For All Subject Areas
Hexagonal Thinking | Getting to Know You Activity | GRADES 5-8 | Back to School
by Jan’s File Cabinet
Grades: 5-8
Provide your students in middle school with an engaging and insightful way to connect with one another and learn about hexagonal thinking.
English Language Arts
All About Me Back to School Cell Phone, Art and Writing Activity
by The Imagination Box
Grades: 5-6
This cool art and writing activity is ideal for the first week back to school. Teachers can learn more about new students in a fun way, and students can share about themselves with their peers.
Math
Back to School First Day Math Activity Get to Know You Graph of Me
by Rise Over Run
Grades: 5-9
This is an engaging activity to practice graphing ordered pairs and to help you get to know your students. In this activity, students determine if statements are true or false about themselves. Each statement has a corresponding ordered pair. Students graph the points for each true statement to create a unique shape. The result is “the graph of me!”
Science
Science First Week Activity Gab Lab Stations First Days Getting to Know You
by Sunrise Science
Grades: 7-9
Use these stations to elicit conversation about science content and help your students to get to know each other during the first days or weeks of school.
Social Studies
All About Me History Back to School Activity
by Secondary Commentary
Grades: 6-9
Students can answer questions about themselves that relate back to history. This activity allows the students to research and be creative in their answers.
All About Me GEOGRAPHY First day of School Get to know you Activity!
by Crystal Clear Classroom
Grades: 4-8
Get to know students and bring geography into the discussion with this fun icebreaker activity. You can choose to set up stations (which are included), assign it as independent work, or have students complete it in small groups.
The Arts
Back to School Music Activities – Music Ice Breakers – All About Me Music
by MusicTeacherResources
Grades: 4-7
These back-to-school icebreakers are great for helping middle school music students get to know each other, while letting teachers gauge students’ prior knowledge and music literacy level.
Getting-to-Know-You Activities for High School
If you’re looking for activities that will help you break the ice with your new high school students during that crucial getting to know you phase, look no further! Try one of these activities are specifically designed to help older students connect with their classmates, share their interests and goals, and feel a sense of belonging
For All Subject Areas
Getting to Know You for Middle & High – All About Me Back to School Activities
by Pathway 2 Success
Grades: 6-10
This activity is focused on learning more about student interests and learning styles. These can be a helpful way for teachers to integrate social-emotional supports and to build meaningful relationships from the start.
Icebreaker for High School Students: Getting to Know You Bingo Game!
by Creative Access
Grades: 9-12
This well-designed icebreaker game is geared toward high school students and encourages them to ask thoughtful questions when meeting their classmates.
English Language Arts
6 Word Memoir Getting to Know You Activities High School & Middle School
by The Supported Teacher
Grades: 7-12
This is a perfect back-to-school icebreaker for high school students. Build classroom community while teaching important ELA writing concepts like diction, syntax, and the writing process.
Math
All About Me, Mathematically Speaking
by The Enlightened Elephant
Grades: 6-12
Get to know your students and gain insightful information about them as students (in particular, as math students). These activities are great for the beginning of the year.
Science
Getting to Know You Science Activity Find Someone Who
by The Marvelous Middle
Grades: 7-10
In this activity, students walk around the room getting to know their classmates while asking them content related questions. When they find a student who knows the content, the student signs the square and answers the question in the square. While doing this activity, students review content while getting to know their classmates.
Social Studies
Back to School History Activity: Get to Know You with Historical Thinking Skills
by Ye Olde History Shoppe
Grades: 7-12
Get to know your students and teach historical thinking skills in an accessible, engaging way! Students will reflect on and share change and continuity, comparison, causation and periodization about their own lives.
World Languages
Ice Breakers High School Get to Know You Speaking Activities Spanish & English
by Srta Spanish
Grades: 6-12
This is the perfect resource for a simple icebreaker or getting-to-know-you activity! These conversation cards help your students start talking about themselves and their interests, while getting to know their classmates.
FRENCH FIRST DAY ⭐ French Class Activities First Week Activities Back to School
by World Language Cafe
Grades: 6-10
Instead of being nervous for the French first day of school, get excited with this bundle of 5 days of French first week activities. It has everything you need to make your first day of French class and first week of French class stress-free, so you can focus on getting to know your students.
Discover more getting-to-know-you activities on TPT.
