Community Builders
How are these different from brain breaks? Well... they're not really. I guess they lean a little bit more on the SEL side than just the refocusing side, but I don't really know. Some of these community builders (games) require a tiny bit more prep than the brain breaks but are totally worth it.
I am happy to provide these resources completely free of charge.
If you would like to support my work, you can Venmo me (@sabocat_teacher) or purchase something from my Amazon wishlist (personal or classroom).
Emoji Mash-Up
I got accidentally very addicted to playing around with Emoji Kitchen and this game sprang forth from that addiction. Print out cards and then have students work together to guess which two emojis were mashed up to make the image on the screen.
Would be SO FUN to play remotely!
The Board
I made a classroom version of the game The Floor hosted by Rob Lowe and GUESS WHAT?
YOU GET TO BE ROB LOWE!
This is a huge file - give it a minute.
Category Quest
It's just Team Scattegories lol
I adapted this version from this free resource from Teaching in Flannel.
Blobs and Lines
Inspired by Cult of Pedagogy, get your students moving and learning about each other with this any-time-of-year-ice-breaker-getting-to-know-you-thingie.
Spanish version: Nubes y Líneas
Quirky Questions
This resource has over 30 slides with open-ended questions that you can use with your students to learn more about them. I tend to use these as a bell ringer on Fridays.
Four Corners
This is a SEL warm-up/ice-breaker/brain-break that gets kids on their feet and talking! Read the prompt and tell kids to move to the corner of the room that best represents how they feel about the prompt.
Mood Boards/Meters
Fun SEL check-in inspired by @amandaapacee's mood meters. This works really well with the Draggable feature on PearDeck.
Show Me Seven!
I learned this game from @thedailyplannerau on TikTok, and I can't wait to try it. I banged together these slides in case you also need a visual to teach new things.
Toilet Paper Challenge
If you love chaos, then you have to try this with your students (or staff!). All you need is a roll of toilet paper per group of students. I liked groups of 10-12, but you could do larger or smaller groups.
Dice to Meet You!
All you need for this easy icebreaker is dice! Give one die to each group and let the good times roll. You can also use this virtual die from Google.
This resource includes four unique sets of questions, so you could repeat this activity over several days. 🎲
Back-from-Break Bingo
An oldie but a goodie updated for our diverse student body. This resource is available in the cute digital version shown above or a 2-to-a-page printable version for people who prefer to kick it old school (or who haven't already blown through their annual paper budget).
SEL Quiz Quiz Trade
Inspired by Liz Belasic over at Middle School Science Blog, this is another fun, low-prep icebreaker to help get kids moving and talking to each other.