Part 3: Are You Ready for the BEGINNING OF THE YEAR?

Tips, tricks, and Team Building

For the beginning of the year

Raise your hand if you are ready to start your first week of school?  If you are not then by the time you leave this blog you will be! I plan to give you lots of great ideas to begin your first week of school that will include stories, get to know you activities, and lots of team building. 

The last two posts we covered creating an open and safe classroom to talk and building strong relationships. The final piece needed to have a great first week is for your students to learn how to work together, struggle together, and encourage each other when lessons get tough. Team building is a great way to accomplish this. It also helps to see how students interact, what makes them tick, and they begin to learn more about each other. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Hula Hoop Challenge: Have your class stand in a straight line holding hands. The challenge is for the class to pass the hula hoop once down the line without anyone letting go. Once you do it as a class you could split them into teams and see which team can work together the fastest to pass the hula hoop down the line. If you are looking for more hula hoop games Lead by Adventure had some great games to play.  

2. Marshmallow Tower: The marshmallow tower challenge consists of 20 spaghetti noodles and 1 large marshmallow. The challenge is to be the first team to build the tallest freestanding structure holding a marshmallow at the top using only the items provided.




3. Can You Save Fred?: Poor Fred the gummy worm his boat has capsized! He doesn't know how to swim and never wears his life preserver. He is stuck and his life preserver is caught under the boat. If he reaches for it he will fall into the water and drown. Can you save Fred?  This is also a great first-week activity to teach the scientific method and the expectations of a science journal. All directions and printables are provided on the link above. 

4. Spaghetti Races: Split your class into teams. The challenge is to be the first team to transfer all their spaghetti to a bucket across the room in 4 minutes. If they drop the spaghetti they must start over. All that is needed is paper plates and spaghetti.  

5. Pool Noodle Races: Pool noodle races is just like the spaghetti races but with 2 pool noodles and a beach ball or balloon. Split your class into teams. The challenge is to be the first team to transport your beach ball or balloon to the other side of the room or playground without it falling off. 

6. Longest Paper Chain: The longest paper chain challenge consists of 1 sheet of construction paper, scissors, and glue. The challenge is to be the first group to build the longest paper chain out of only 1 sheet of construction paper in 30 minutes.   

7. All Aboard!:  All you need for this activity is Dollar Tree plastic table cloths for each team of 4-5 students. Cut the table cloths in half and ask each group to try to fit inside the boat.  When the group succeeds, decrease the area (by cutting or folding the table cloth) and challenge the group again.  How far can the group go?

8. Flip the Boat:  Use the same table cloths from All Aboard. Have the teams to stand on the table cloth, challenge them to turn the table cloth over without anyone touching the ground in the process.  Can add a time limit to make it more interesting!

9. 100 Cup Towers: All that is needed is 100 dixie cups for each team. Challenge the teams to be the first to build a 100 cup structure without it falling. Can add a time limit to make it more fun.

10. Trust Line: Place a foot of tape on the ground and have the kids stand on either side of the tape, leaving no gaps. To start, one person stands at one end of the tape and spins around 10 times, while everyone counts his turns. The person must then attempt to run down the length of the line as straight as they can. The kids on the side stand with their arms out ready to catch and protect the person from falling. The point is for the kids to know their friends won't let them fall.

Teamwork Videos:

                                                  

What team building activities do you do in your classroom?

Don't forget to share with your teacher friends and especially all the new teachers out there. 

Thank you for stopping by!