The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by Reisa Schwartzman
For years, the song was used in a humorous fashion in the Staples office supply’s annual back to school advertising campaign. In the commercials, the parents joyously shop for school supplies to this song in anticipation of the upcoming school year while their children sullenly follow.
After a summer of sleeping in or doing things on a slower time schedule, the alarm bell announcing that first day of school can be a rude awakening. The truth is that there are a lot of mix emotions at this time of year. There is much anticipation, regret that summer is over and the fear of the unknown for students, parents and teachers alike.
Dread it or love it, you gotta go to school. Here are some ways to make the transition from summer to school a little easier. There's no escaping the fact that the first day of school can be crazy. New kids wander around in circles. Lockers won't open. The school nurse needs medical records. Forgotten gym shorts. Students looking for classrooms. Parents nervously waiting in the hallways.
Here are a few things that you can do in your classroom to help make the first day a bit more manageable and set the tone for the rest of the year.
The Interview
Pair each student with someone he or she does not already know well, and have them interview each other. After the interviews, each student tells the group about the person they interviewed. To add an element of fun, have the person who is being spoken about stand in front of (and with his or her back to) the person speaking.
Memory Game and Puzzles
Here's how to turn a simple memory game into a great ice breaker:
- On one of the first days of school, take each child's picture.
- Make double prints and laminate each photograph.
- Make a Memory Game out of the pictures of the kids. (The children would play the game of Memory just like the regular game)
After a few weeks, save one copy of photos for your program 'Memory Book' or if this is for a classroom--give to parents! Cut the other set of photographs and make a personal puzzle for each child.
The magic of T.P.
Have kids sit in a circle with a roll of toilet paper (or in a multiple circles, if the group is too large). Tell them you're going to pass around the roll, and they should "take as much as they need to complete the job." Don't tell them what the job is though! Some will take one or a few squares while others will roll it over their hands over and over again.
After everyone has had a good laugh over the amount of paper they took, explain that for every square of toilet paper ripped off, they must tell everyone one thing about themselves.
The last square must be their name! The kids really love it!
Play Human Bingo!
Human Bingo is both fun and funny, and there are plenty of sites online that describe it more in-depth (just Google it). Here's a summary of the steps you do to play it:
- Provide each child with a pre-made bingo handout (divided into squares).
- In the squares write things such as "I have blue eyes" or "I play an instrument."
- Youth go about the room and have others (including you) signing their name in one of the squares.
- Do this until the hand-out squares are filled in.
Truth or Lie?
Pass out index cards to the children. The students then write down three facts---two truths and one lie (Or two lies and one truth) on the card. Youth then read their cards to the group and the group decides which fact is a lie or which fact is the truth. This activity can be a lot of fun--and is also good anytime of the year!
Time Capsule to Open at the end of the School Year
Make time capsules using paper towel tubes. In it have kids put in a self-portrait and a paper such as "My favorite thing to do is.....". The tube can then be decorated.
Attach a note: "Do not open until June 12, 2011, (or whatever the last day of school is)." During the last week—give each child their time-capsule.
About Griddly Games
Griddly Games creates award-winning party and board games that deliver innovative, engaging fun that brings people together while encouraging social interaction, learning, strategy and challenges that anyone (the entire grid of people) can enjoy. To discover more about Griddly Games, visit www.griddlygames.com.
