If you’re a teacher, you know how important it is to establish clear rules and procedures for your classroom. But how do you make them fun and engaging for your students? Here are five activities and seven games that will help you introduce your rules and procedures in a funny and memorable way. these back to school activities are great for teambuilding to foster a positive classroom climate on the first days of school.
Also, check out the ultimate back to school classroom management checklist.
Rules and Procedures, Ways to Review
It’s one thing to set rules and procedures with your classroom when you go back to school. It’s another thing to have all the rule and procedures practiced so that you have effective transitions and a positive classroom climate.
1. The Rule Rap: Write a rap song that summarizes your main rules and procedures. Use rhymes, rhythm, and humor to make it catchy and easy to remember. You can even record it and play it for your students or have them rap along with you.
2. The Procedure Puzzle: Cut out pieces of paper with different steps of a procedure (such as lining up, going to the bathroom, or cleaning up) and mix them up. Have your students work in groups to put the pieces in the correct order. Then, have them act out the procedure for the class.
3. The Rule Relay: Divide your class into two teams and have them line up on opposite sides of the room. Give each team a set of cards with different rules on them. One by one, have the students run to the other side of the room, pick a card, and read it aloud. If they read a rule that applies to your classroom, they keep the card. If they read a rule that does not apply, they put it back. The team with the most cards at the end wins.
4. The Procedure Charades: Write down different procedures on slips of paper and put them in a hat. Have one student draw a slip and act out the procedure without speaking or making any sounds. The rest of the class has to guess what the procedure is.
5. The Rule Bingo: Create a bingo card with different rules on it. Give each student a copy of the card and some markers. As you go over your rules and procedures, have the students mark off the ones that match their card. The first student to get five in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) shouts “Bingo!” and wins.
Teambuilding Activities for the Classroom
Use these activities to encourage your students to build teamwork and practice the rules and procedures in a fun way.
Back to School Classroom Games
Toilet Paper Share
Bring a roll of toilet paper to class and have each student tear off as many squares as they want. Then, have them share one interesting fact about themselves for each square they took. This activity will help them open up and also teach them a valuable lesson about not wasting toilet paper.
Balloon Pop
Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a balloon. Have them blow up the balloon and write their names on it with a marker. Then, have them put the balloon between their backs and try to pop it by moving closer together. The first pair to pop their balloon wins. This activity will help them bond and also make a lot of noise.
M&M Game
Bring a bag of M&M’s to class and have each student take a handful. Then, assign a different question to each color of M&M, such as “What is your favorite hobby?” or “What is something you are afraid of?”. Have the students take turns answering the questions based on the colors they have. This activity will help them share their likes and dislikes and also satisfy their sweet tooth.1. Human Knot: This activity requires students to form a circle and grab the hands of two different people across from them. Then, they have to untangle themselves without letting go of their hands. This challenges students to work together, communicate effectively, and problem-solve creatively.
Marshmallow Tower
This activity requires students to work in small groups and use marshmallows and spaghetti (or other materials) to build the tallest tower possible in a given time limit. This encourages students to cooperate, plan, and experiment with different strategies.
Two Truths and a Lie
This activity requires students to write down two true facts and one false fact about themselves on a piece of paper. Then, they take turns reading their facts to the class and having the class guess which one is the lie. This helps students get to know each other better, practice their listening skills, and have some fun.
Blind Drawing
This activity requires students to pair up and sit back to back. One student gets a picture of an object or a scene and has to describe it to the other student, who has to draw it without seeing it. Then, they switch roles and repeat the process. This enhances students’ verbal communication, listening comprehension, and visual imagination.
Scavenger Hunt
This activity requires students to form teams and complete a list of tasks or find a list of items around the school or the classroom. The tasks or items can be related to the curriculum, the school rules, or the teacher’s interests. This motivates students to explore their surroundings, work as a team, and learn new things.
These are just a few ideas for games that you can play in your classroom on the first days of school. With a little creativity, you can come up with many other games that will help your students learn and have fun.
