Warm-Up Activities for the First Week of School
Flocabulary is all about good times in the classroom – as long as valuable goals are being advanced, of course! Here are some great activities for the beginning of the school year.
1. Take as Much as You Want!
During the first “circle time” activity, have a roll of toilet paper on hand. Explain to the youth that they will need this for the next activity. Tell students that you’re going to pass around the roll. Invite each student to take as much as they want. After everyone has had a good laugh over the amount of paper they took, explain how the game works. For every piece of toilet paper the students ripped off, they must tell the group one thing about themselves.
2. Stringing Together Conversation
Cut string or yarn into pieces of different lengths. (Each piece should have a matching piece of the same length. There should be enough pieces so that each student will have one.) Then give each student one piece of string, and challenge each student to find the other student who has a string of the exact same length. After students have found their matches, they can take turns introducing themselves to each other. You can provide a list of questions to help students “break the ice,” or students can come up with their own.
3. Alphabetical Roll!
After introducing yourself and the program, tell students they have 3 minutes to sort themselves in alphabetical order by last name. After the initial shock and after they succeed, remind them how capable they are to handle their first day, and every day, by asking questions, getting help from others, and working together.
4. Summer News Recap with The Week in Rap!
Ask your students to recall some of the big headlines and news stories from the summer – “What was the craziest thing that happened in the world this summer? I am looking for news stories, not personal ones!” Then tell your students you have a Hip-Hop Recap to show them, and go to the Week in Rap.