Getting to a new school can come with lots of stress and anxiety for students, especially elementary students.  

Being in a new environment, with no friends and everyone a stranger, can make it hard for students to start their curricular and co-curricular activities with their routine vigor. Employing icebreakers can make a huge difference and make students jump out of their shells and begin doing their best from day one. 

 
So, what are icebreakers? 

Icebreakers are fun and engaging activities designed to help people to get acquainted with one another. In most cases, Icebreakers disclose information such as names and personal facts like birthdays, hobbies, favorite colors, nicknames, etc.  

Teachers can employ icebreakers to achieve various goals, especially getting new students to gel and start working together with their native enthusiasm and real personalities. 

 
Here are the five amazing ways icebreakers are used in school: 

1. To Help Students Build Rapport 

 
Getting students to relax and begin participating in class, especially when new, is very important.  

New students tend to shy away even if they are not that way in their routine behavior codes. It can get worse if students are at significantly earlier levels of their studies and where most are prone to display less refined interpersonal skills.  

It gets hard when these young students are less outgoing and extensively introverted. This is where icebreakers for elementary small groups can come in handy to help create a relaxed environment for these students to participate freely and feel part of the class.  

Simple activities like asking students to introduce themselves are great for rapport-building icebreakers. Instead of each student saying their name, you pair them up and ask them to introduce their partner.  

This can help students make friends faster and settle in quickly. They can also share other important information like their birthdays, favorite colors, pets, and anything that means a lot to them. A relaxed environment where students can participate freely is crucial for getting themselves up and ready for learning. 

2. As Brain Breaks 

How many hours can you concentrate on a project or lesson interrupted and give your full undivided attention?  

Multiple pieces of research show a progressive decline in the human attention span over the years. In 2000, for instance, the global average was 12 seconds, and fifteen years later, it declined to a global average of 8.5 seconds. These statistics are for an adult population, and children and students could have lower attention spans.  

It, therefore, means that after a mental engagement for some time, students need breaks to relax their brains and get themselves ready for the next lesson or chapter. Icebreakers can be crucial to help students relax their brains to enhance their concentration span and build enthusiasm for the next lessons. Games like ‘Sides of the Room’ and ‘Sit Down if…’ are good for brain breaks.  

3. To Help Rally Students For Virtual Learning 

Online and virtual learning environments have become more common, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. As ubiquitous as it looks, many people are still adapting to an online learning environment.  

Students may have problems participating effectively and concentrating in a virtual class. A virtual learning environment could be challenging for students to navigate and use effectively. This is where icebreakers work out to help students to get acquainted and comfortable with online spaces.  

 
Students can be asked to introduce themselves by unmuting and sharing their videos if they are okay with it to help them settle up in the meeting. Asking one student at a time to share their video and do their favorite game is quite engaging. You can also put students in groups and ask them to present their holiday experiences.  

4. To Help Students Appreciate Team-Work 

Collaborative efforts are significant in a learning environment. Students must form study groups for group assignments and help each other with different concepts. Collaborative efforts can only be made effective by building rapport among students.  

Merely heaping students together does not necessarily translate to effective group engagement. Again, leaving it for students to only work with their friends may not create comprehensive and fruitful academic-oriented groups. It creates a gap where new students can be lonely and uncomfortable.  

 
Icebreakers help students form effective collaborative efforts to form academically viable groups. Group-oriented icebreakers include Group Raps (where students do a rap song together), Chain Story( students working together to write a one-page paper story), Human Knot, etc. Icebreakers are perfect for helping students come up with collaborative efforts and helpful group work. 

5. To Teach Practical Concepts and Skills 

 
Icebreakers are also employed as opportunities to model, teach, and practice concepts and skills. Some concepts are not easy or so enjoyable to learn in theory. They require more practical engagement to make the lesson more engaging and personal.  

Learning through play is a powerful learning tool, especially for young age groups, as it engages them and evokes their interest in these concepts. The student may think of fun and leisure when playing a game like ‘Simon Says…’ or ‘Concentration is the Game.’ 

Bottomline 

Using an icebreaker as a tool for learning and relaxed interaction in school is a well-calculated move to make students interact freely and create a supportive environment. It helps schools achieve what team-building activities do for a work environment.  

When choosing icebreaker games and activities, consider the age(elementary or senior groups) and the skill you want to fine-tune. Something that everyone is comfortable and enthusiastic about proves to be a great icebreaker game.