1-2-3 Come Do a Back-to-School Icebreaker Craft With Me
I think it’s super-important to build a classroom community and team spirit right from the get go.
I find that when students really know each other, they bond and make wonderful friendships. Caring & kindness result & discipline problems are minimal, making teaching much easier & learning a lot more fun.
For these reasons, I do quick, easy & fun icebreaker activities for our 1st month of school. It is definitely time well spent!
With that in mind, I designed this “Let’s Flamingle!” craftivity.
There are 6, “getting to know you” writing prompt page options.
Do one each day, then break students into small groups and “flamingle”. Woo Hoo! A week’s worth of writing, with no additional prep.
I’ve found that students absolutely love sharing things about themselves, so this is an especially fun activity for them, and a simple way to get to know a lot about your students too.
Introduce the lesson by asking: “What do you think ‘flamingle’ means?”
After discussion, share my definition poster. (Flamingle: To socialize and become familiar with your new flock of friends.)
As a whole group discussion, fill in the “Why is it important to flamingle and get to know our classmates?” poster.
Because they are so colorful, completed “flamingo friends” make a terrific back to school bulletin board, or hallway border.
I’ve included 4 photo posters of real flamingos flocking together, as well as 3 other posters you can scatter throughout your display as well.
The “We are all the same; we are all different” poster provides a great diversity discussion as well.
It's the body portion of the bird that becomes the "flip the flap" writing prompt booklet.
Simply choose which pages are most appropriate for you students, or do all six.
The packet also includes a flamingle treat tag in both color as well as BW. There are 5 on a one-page pattern for quick printing.
Run them off, make two slits on the dashed lines, then insert a colorful marker. Place them on your students’ desks as an inexpensive surprise for them to use to fill in their “wing” pages.
The packet also allows you to grab those extra "teachable moments" to practice using descriptive adjectives as well as simile. Use the "simile definition poster" to introduce that page.
One of the prompt page options has students think "outside the box" and compare themselves: "I am most like this animal, color, insect & invention." i.e. I am like a bee because I am always busy flitting from this to that.
Since a lot of teachers like to start planning for back to school later in the summer, today's featured FREEBIE is another little "first day" or first week of school activity.
The packet is a set of 30 number puzzles, which come in color as well as black and white. Your students will enjoy coloring & putting their puzzle together, which will give you a few moments of peace.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.
The forecasted rain hasn't come, so I'm off to go water my very thirsty flower garden. Wishing you a relaxing & fun-filled day.
"One of the benefits of summer, was that we had more light to read by." -Jeannette Walls from "The Glass Castle"
