After a long year of online learning, your students are looking forward to being in the classroom again. Having been separated for a while, it might be difficult for your students to get comfortable around one another. Team building is a great way to bring students together and teach them social skills. These activities allow students to learn how to collaborate and work with each other while having fun and getting to know one another. Continue reading to find some great team building games and activities your students will love!
1. Storytime
Gather your students around in a circle and give each one a picture of a person, place, or thing. Start a story by creating an introduction of your own. The student on your right or left will add to your introduction and the storyline while incorporating the picture they’re holding. Then the student next to them will do the same thing, and everyone will add to the story until the last student says their part to complete it. Together, the class can work together to create a fun story! This activity encourages your students to work together, promotes communication, and lets them have fun!
2. Kahoot!
Have students that love a little competition? Get them ready to win with Kahoot! Kahoot is a virtual quiz game that is sure to keep students engaged. You can divide students into groups and give them a school-issued device or let one person use their phone. Once they log in with the class code, they can create a team name and work together to answer the timed questions throughout the quiz. This game allows students to bond as a team and be competitive. This game can be played whether your class is back in the classroom or still at home. It’s a great tool to use for collaborative work!
3. Escape the Classroom
Have your students work together for a prize! An escape room challenges students as they work together to solve each clue. As each team completes a challenge, they will answer a follow-up question verbally with you before receiving the next challenge. The first team to finish all the challenges and find the hidden Escape Letter wins the game! This activity helps students brainstorm and use context clues to solve problems.
4. Get to Know You Balloons
Want to help your students build friendships in the classroom? Try to Get to Know You balloons! Pass out a balloon and small strip of paper with fun questions written on them to each student. Next, have them write their answers on the blank side and put their responses in the balloons. Once they’ve been blown up and tied off, pass the balloons around and have each student answer the question inside. This helps students get to know each other and see their common interests.
5. Autograph Sheet
Students have a lot more in common than they think. Put this to the test with an autograph sheet! Students are given a sheet with various traits on it. The objective is to find someone else in the classroom who fits one of the descriptions and get that person’s autograph next to the trait. When making the sheet, include traits pertinent to the group. Each person may sign each sheet only once. Here are some examples: likes Disney movies, their favorite color is green, has been to a beach, speaks another language, etc.
Want More Classroom Tips? We’ve Got You Covered!
If you liked these team building activities and want more classroom tips, check out our Teacher Toolkit! You can add things like worksheets, posters, and downloadable guides to your toolkit to help you be the best teacher you can be!
