Back to School Activities for Upper Elementary

The first day of school can be exciting, nerve-wracking, overwhelming, and magical all at the same time. (Can you relate?) That’s why having a few engaging Getting to Know You activities and collaborative exercises can make all the difference. They help students connect, ease nerves, and create a calm, welcoming atmosphere from the moment they walk in the door.

Below are 5 EASY to implement, highly informative, and engaging back to school activities you can use with your students when you return to school.

1. Investigate the Teacher

Want to spark your students’ curiosity and help them learn more about you on the first day of school? Investigate the Teacher is a perfect first day of school activity. Students become detectives for the day as they search for clues around the classroom. Then, they make inferences and draw conclusions about you, their new teacher.

This back to school activity encourages:

• Critical thinking and inference-making
• Engagement from the very first minutes of the day
• A fun and interactive way for students to feel connected to their new classroom, teacher, and classmates

2. Math About Me

Math About Me is an engaging back to school activity – especially great for math teachers! One of the best parts? You can assess your students’ higher-order thinking skills on the very first day. 

Students answer questions about themselves using number sentences. You can give them free rein or provide structure. For example, you might ask for:  

• 3 addition problems,
• 3 subtraction problems,
• 2 problems using triple digit numbers, etc.

Students can then present them in groups, or work with a partner who solves the equations and hares what they learned about their classmate.

I’ve done the partner version before – then had students stand up and present their partner’s information to the class. It’s such a fun way to integrate math, build classroom community, and get students talking.

Bonus: This resource also includes “Scoot” activity cards for extra movement and engagement during the first week back!

 

3. Interest Surveys

Interest Surveys are another great back to school activity because they allow you to learn about your students’ preferences right away. You can find out:

• Their favorite subject
• How they prefer to learn
• What topics they struggle with
• What they’ve loved (or disliked) in past school years  

The sky’s the limit with these surveys, and there are many free ones available. Just search “Student Interest Survey” or “Reading Interest Survey” online. 

4. Find Someone Who

Find Someone Who is a classic first day of school activity that gets students up and moving in a low-stress, engaging way.

Students are given a sheet with several prompts or facts (e.g. has a pet, visited another state this summer). They walk around the room trying to find classmates who match each one – and have them sign the corresponding box.

I usually tell students that a classmate can only sign one box per sheet. This keeps the conversations going and encourages everyone to interact with a variety of peers.

5. Name Tents

I love using Name Tents as a creative and meaningful back to school activity. Before students arrive, I fold paper into triangular prisms and place them on each desk. I also display a finished example at the front of the room.

One both sides of the tent, students write their first name so it’s visible from any angle. Then, in each of the four corners, they draw small symbols or pictures that represent something about them. For example:

• A book to show they love reading
• A dog bone if they have a pet dog
• A pencil if the student enjoys writing or drawing
• Smiley faces for each member of their family

To create the triangular prism, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Fold  paper in half (landscape).