3 Fun Community Building Back to School Activities in a Socially Distanced Classroom

Paper Plane Building Contest:

One activity that I plan on doing during the first week of school is a paper airplane building contest. Each student can build their own paper airplane and decorate it to represent their identity. Then we will take the airplanes outside and fly them. This activity will work super well in a socially distanced classroom because each student will have their own materials and they can can stay separated from the rest of the group both during the inside and outside components of the activity. 

The Longest Chain Contest:

Usually during the first week of school I have teams of students work collaboratively to build the longest paper chain possible in 10 minutes. This year I am going to have individual students build their own chains. Then we will take the chains outside and groups of students will lay their chains next to each other to make a few super long chains. The group with the longest super chain will be the winner! The only difference between the classic activity and this socially distanced version is that the pieces of each student’s chain won’t be connected. We will just lay them next to each other to reduce touch points and maintain social distance. 

Digital Handprint Activity:

I am still planning on reading one of my all time favourite back to school books, “The Day You Begin”. This book talks about the importance of opening up to the people around you and making connections. I love to have students pair up to make these connections. This year I am going to do this same activity but digitally! Instead of tracing their handprints, students will complete this activity on Google Slides. They will write things that they have in common with their partner around the digital handprints and then things that are special or unique about them inside of their handprints.

Do you have any socially distanced activities planned for back to school? Let me know on instagram!