10 Fun And Engaging Back To School Icebreaker Activities For Primary Classes

7/28/2024

Summer is quickly passing by and back to school is approaching. Some schools are already in session and others will be within the next few weeks. Here are 10 ice breaker activities that may help with the transition into a new year and also help students to get to know each other better. Each one includes material needed and a brief description of how it is played.

10 Ice Breakers

1. Name toss
2. Find Someone Who
3.Mingle Mingle
4. All About Me Bags
5. Would You Rather
6.Memory Name Game
7.Friendship Web
8. Who Am I?
9.Pass the Clap
10.Emoji Introduction

1. Name Toss

Materials needed: Soft ball or bean bag

How To Play:
Children stand in a circle. The first child says their name and tosses the ball to someone else, who then says their name and passes the ball. Continue until everyone has had a turn. For an added challenge, have them remember the names and repeat them when they catch the ball.

2. Find Someone Who...

Materials Needed: Bingo style paper with prompts on it

How To Play:
Children move around the room asking questions to find classmates who match the descriptions. When they find someone that matches the prompt, they get that person to sign the square. The goal is to fill out as many squares as possible.

An interview option can also be included. See below for a freebie that uses the interview option.

This version includes interview questions and can be used to interview one person for all the categories or different people for each of the 9 categories.

click here for your free copy

3. Mingle Mingle

Material Needed: Music source

How To Play:
Play music and have children walk around the room saying mingle mingle. When the music stops, the teacher calls out a number. The children quickly form groups of that number and introduce themselves. Get them to share at least 2 things about themselves.

4. All About Me Bags

Material Needed: Paper bags, crayons or markers, and small personal items from home

How To Play:
Children decorate a paper bag with their name and fill it with a few items from home that represent them. Each child presents their bag to the class, explaining why they chose each item.

5. Would You Rather....?

Materials Needed: List of questions

How To Play:
Ask fun "Would You Rather" questions (e.g., "Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet dinosaur?"). Kids move to different sides of the room based on their choice and discuss why they made their decision.

6. Memory Name Game

Materials Needed: None

How To Play:
Have the children sit in a circle. The first child says their name and something they like (e.g., "I’m Sam, and I like pizza"). The next child repeats the previous child’s name and fact, then adds their own. Continue around the circle, challenging everyone to remember all the names and likes.

7. Friendship Web

Material Needed: Ball of yarn

How To Play:
Have the children sit in a circle. One child starts by holding the end of the yarn and says something about themselves. They then toss the ball of yarn to someone else while holding onto their piece. Continue until a web is formed, symbolizing the connections in the class.

8. Who Am I?

Material Needed: Sticky notes, pen

How To Play:
Write the name of a famous person or character on sticky notes (e.g., Spider-Man, Elsa). Stick one on each child’s back. Children walk around asking yes/no questions to figure out who they are.

Pass The Clap

Material Needed: None

How To Play:
Children stand in a circle. One child starts by clapping once and then passes the clap to the next person. The next person claps twice, the next claps three times, and so on. If someone makes a mistake, the round starts over.

10. Emoji Introduction

Material Needed: Emoji cards or stickers

How To Play:
Give each child an emoji card or sticker that represents a feeling (e.g., happy, excited, nervous). Have them introduce themselves and explain why they chose that emoji to describe how they feel about the new school year.

This is just a sampling of different ice breaker activities that are fun to do at the beginning of the year. They will help students break the ice, learn about each other, and feel comfortable in their new classroom environment. Enjoy the start of a new school year.