Back To School Ideas: Icebreaker Activities

1-2-3 Come Do A Back-To-School Icebreaker With Me.

My Y5's LOVED playing games as icebreakers for the first week of school. They are a quick, easy and fun way for students to learn about each other.

With a wave of my "magic magnifying glass" I'd often turn my kiddo's into ABC-De-tectives. They especially enjoyed running around with a clipboard interviewing their classmates. With that in mind, I designed this "Find A Friend" icebreaker.

Here's What To Do:

Teacher runs off “rap sheets.” (A list of 5 simple questions.) Older students can fill them out in class; you may want to send the questionnaire home with younger students, to have parents help them out.

Remind students NOT to put their name on their paper. Pass out a rap sheet to each student. Make sure that no one has their own.

Inform your students that they are all detectives and that their mission is to find their new friend.

Explain to your students, that by interviewing their classmates, they will eliminate suspects, until they find their new friend.
When everyone has found their friend, detectives will introduce them to the class, using their rap sheet to tell about them.

Helpful tips:

Choose one question from your list.
Ask this SAME question for each suspect.
If you get a no response, move on to another suspect.
If you get a matching response, then ask them another question.
If their next response does not match, then move on.
If it does, ask another question. This may be the friend you’re looking for.

For added fun, I've included detective badges, a congratulations certificate of praise, that students earn when they find their new friend, a rap sheet, as well as an interview form.