Welcome your new students to class with these fun back to school games!
What better way to welcome in the new school year than with a back to school icebreaker game? Make your students feel at ease and help them get to know each other and you with these fun back to school games.
These back to school games can be played in any class, no matter the subject or grade.
Our Favorite Back to School Games for the New School Year
Icebreaker Bingo
Icebreaker Bingo is one of our favorite back to school games. It's designed to help students get to know each other better and talk to everyone in the class.
The premise is simple: create a bingo card for each student, filling the squares with various facts or hobbies. These could range from "loves pizza" to "has a pet dog."
Students then mingle, asking each other questions to find someone who matches the description in the square. The game ends when the first student completes a line, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally - this student is the winner!
Icebreaker Bingo is not just fun, but it also encourages students to initiate conversations and find shared interests.
Never Have I Ever
What better way to get to know each other than with a little friendly competition? This game is particularly good for middle schoolers who are particularly competitive!
Directions
- You’ll call out different “Never Have I Ever” statements like… “Never have I ever eaten a whole pizza” or “Never have I ever been to two movies back to back in a theatre.”
- If students have done the thing you just said, they’ll stay standing.
- If students have never done the thing you said, they’ll sit down.
- The game continues until there is only one student left standing.
Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a game that allows students to share intriguing facts about themselves while promoting critical thinking.
Each student is asked to think of two truths and one lie about themselves. These statements are then shared with the rest of the class, who have the task of guessing which statement is the lie.
This game encourages students to think creatively and critically, as they analyze the statements and decide which seems the least likely. It's a great way for students to reveal interesting aspects about their lives and for everyone to learn more about each other on the first day of school.
Human Knot
Human Knot is a classic icebreaker game for promoting teamwork and building confidence. This back to school game is more active and well-suited to a Physical Education class.
Students stand in a circle and reach out to grab hands with two different people across the circle - not the people standing directly next to them.
This creates a "human knot" which the group must then try to untangle, without anyone releasing their hands. The game requires communication, cooperation, and a bit of strategic thinking, making it perfect for promoting these essential skills.
Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is one of the best back to school games to get students moving and exploring their new class.
Teachers create a list of items or landmarks around the school for students to find. This can include anything from a specific book in the library to a particular classroom. The first team to find all the items on the list wins the game.
This activity helps students become familiar with their surroundings and encourages teamwork and collaboration. It's better suited to middle or high school students.
Pass the Beanbag
Getting middle schoolers to open up is hard, but this activity is a great way to help them open up.
Directions
- Have students stand in a circle.
- Students will pass the beanbag around the circle to music.
- When the music stops, whoever is holding the beanbag has to tell the class something fun they did during the summer.
- Encourage the students to really listen to each other and raise their hand if they share a common experience as the student who’s sharing.
Name Chain
The Name Chain game is a simple yet effective way to help students remember each other's names.
The first student starts by saying their name. The next student repeats the previous student's name and then adds their own. This continues around the room, with each student repeating all the previous names in order before adding their own.
This game not only helps with name recall but also serves as a fun memory challenge.
Classroom Jeopardy
Classroom Jeopardy is a fun and engaging way to review key concepts from previous years while also helping students get to know each other.
Create a Jeopardy-style game board with categories that include both academic subjects and fun personal questions. Students can work in teams to answer the questions.
This back to school game encourages friendly competition and helps reinforce classroom material in an entertaining format.
Can You Guess Who I Am
In this activity, students write three clues about themselves then draw a self-portrait on a separate page. The class can have fun guessing who each portrait is based on the clues!
Get a printable version of this game in our Back to School Activities for Elementary School Students!
Tell it With Emojis
Students love to use emojis, so what better way to tell about what they did this summer than by using them.
Directions
- Students will take turns coming to the smart board.
- They’ll use between 1-7 emojis to describe what they did this summer.
- The rest of the class will take turns guessing what the emojis mean.
Your Face Tells a Story
Give students a handout with a blank face on it. Instead of coloring it in, they’ll fill in their lips, eyes, nose, and even hair with words to describe themselves. This can even include their favorite phrases, things they like to do, or interests of theirs.
Directions
- Give each student a piece of paper with an oval on it.
- Instead of them drawing on the ears, eyes, nose, and hair, they’ll create these features using describing words or phrases.
- After they’re finished creating their faces, you can hang up their creations for the rest of the class to be able to read.
Get a printable version of this game in our Back to School Activities for Middle School Students!
