Community Building Activities to Bond with Classmates and Grow as Individuals

Building community within a classroom setting is essential to academic success. If students know each other’s names, feel that they can relate to one another, can laugh together, and can trust each other, they are more likely to work together towards a common goal.
This is a collection of 8 fun and sometimes serious activities that you can use throughout the year to bond as a class. For each activity I have included instructions, approximate timing, when/where the activity should take place, and a “takeaway” debrief opportunity for after the activity.

File Includes the Following Activities:
• Speed Dating- Getting to know classmates
• Stand Up Sit Down- Finding similarities and differences
• Human Bingo- Finding similarities and differences
• Human Tic-Tac-Toe- Understanding the importance of communication
• Disability Simulations- Multiple activities
• Build a House- Understanding unequal access
• Stereotypes- The Power of Language
• The Struggle of Assimilation- Whole class silent activity about immigration
*All items are editable

Materials Needed:
Photocopies (for Human Bingo)
Art supplies (for Build a House)
Scarves (for Disability Simulations)

*You can also purchase this file as part of a Back to School Bundle that includes:
1. Blank Planning Calendar
2. Course Information Sheet (Syllabus) Quiz Questions
3. Beginning of the School Year Survey
4. Letter to the Teacher Questions
5. Laptop Rules and Etiquette PowerPoint for classes that use digital devices
6. 8 Community Building Activities

Back to School Bundle Calendar, Student Info, Community Building & Laptop Rules

US HISTORY TEACHERS:
You can also find this file as part of a larger bundle here:
US History Beginning of the School Year Bundle