5 Fun Back to School Activities

It's almost that time of year again... Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Denying it's not happening won't change a thing. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience :0)

Let's embrace the truth...  in about 4 short weeks school will be back in session. The smell of brand new crayons will fill the air. School supplies will take over our once beautifully organized classrooms and students will be unusually quiet and nervous. 

This time is crucial! The right Back To School activities can help set the tone for the entire school year and your classroom community.

To help save you some precious time searching through Pinterest, I've compiled a list of 5 fun and engaging activities that I think your students are going to love you for! Just pick and choose the ones you like best... or if you get inspired there's one for every day of the week!

1. FigureMe Out- What I like about this activity is that it involves math, can easily be differentiated for any grade level, and is a good way to catch a glimpse at your students incoming math skills.

2. The Great Cup Challenge- I've heard so much about this one, but have yet to try it out in my class... (This year it's on my to do list!) It seems like lots of fun and great for developing those team building skills right from the get go. After completing this activity, I’d probably make an anchor chart with my kids recording what they felt worked and didn't work when collaborating with others.

3. Saving Sam - (Some people call it "Saving Fred") This is one of my go to's every year with my 3rd graders. It’s another great team building activity that really showcases your students  problem solving skills. When I do this with my kids, I also like to get a glimpse of their writing skills by having them write down their solution in 3 simple steps. You can download that freebie by clicking here.

4. Chandelier- Although in this picture students are completing the task on their own, I think it would be great to do in small groups . What I like about this activity is that students really have to concentrate and work well together in order to balance so many plates on those cups. It looks a lot easier than it is!

5. TheTallest Tower- Which kid doesn’t love stacking cups? With this challenge, I think as long as you don’t mind the sound of cups falling and kids laughing it’s sure to be a hit.

There you have it... 5 fun filled activities to keep your students wanting to come back to your classroom every day on the first week of school! Don't forget to pin the picture on the right so you can come back later and pick out what you're going to do on that first week back.

Your turn now... do you have any other go to Back To School activities that are a hit year after year? If so, I'm always looking for new ideas and would LOVE to hear from you.

Have an amazing BTS week and school year!