10+ Back-to-School Activities and Games for Middle School

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for schoolers and teachers alike. It’s a time to reconnect with friends, learn new things and set goals for the year ahead. To help middle school students get the most out of their year, here are a few back-to-school middle school activities and games that are sure to get them excited about learning!

Contents:

• Classroom Scavenger Hunt 
• Back-to-School Word Search
• Welcome Back Acrostic Poem
• All About Me Trivia Game
• Classroom Rules Charades 
• Paper Ball Fight 
• Bingo
• M&M Game
• Self Portraits 
• Make Them Write a Letter to the Teacher 
• Make Them Create Classroom Rules 

Classroom Scavenger Hunt

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A scavenger hunt is a great way to get students up and moving around the classroom. It also helps them to familiarize themselves with their surroundings and to build teamwork skills. To create a classroom scavenger hunt, simply make a list of items for students to find. These can be anything from a book on a certain topic to an object that begins with a certain letter.

Once the list is complete, give it to each student and let them loose to find the items. The first person to find all of the items wins a prize. Scavenger hunts are a fun and easy way to inject some excitement into the classroom while also teaching valuable lessons.

Back-to-School Word Search

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One way to get kids excited about returning to the classroom is to create a back-to-school word search. This can be done using vocabulary words related to back-to-school themes, such as pencil, backpack, teacher, and desk.

Students can work in pairs or small groups to see who can find all the words first. Not only is this activity a fun way to review important vocabulary, but it also helps students get into the back-to-school spirit.

Welcome Back Acrostic Poem

Have children write a poem about going back to school using the letters in the word “welcome” as prompts (e.g., what I am looking forward to this year, my favorite subject, etc.). Display the poems around the class for everyone to enjoy.

This can help students to reflect on what they are looking forward to this year, their favorite subject, or anything else that comes to mind. Not only will this be a fun activity to do on the first day of school, but it will also help students to get their creative juices flowing and start thinking about all the great things that the new school year has in store.

All About Me Trivia Game

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The All About Me Trivia Game is a great way for teachers to get to know their students and for students to get to know each other. The game can be played in small groups or as a whole class. To play, each student will need a piece of paper and a pencil. The teacher will start by asking a question about themselves, such as their favorite color or food.

Each student will then write down their answer on a piece of paper. Once everyone has finished writing, the papers are collected and shuffled. The papers are then distributed, and each student reads the answer they receive and tries to guess who wrote it.

The game is a fun way for students to learn more about each other and can be used as an icebreaker at the beginning of the school year.

Classroom Rules Charades

For teachers, going back to school is a chance to get to know their students and help them reach their potential. But before that can happen, there need to be some ground rules set. That’s where Classroom Rules Charades comes in!

This fun game is a great way for middle schoolers to learn the rules of the classroom in an engaging and interactive way. Here’s how it works: each student is given a card with a different rule on it. They then have to act out the rule without speaking, and the other students have to guess what it is.

Not only is this a great way to review the rules, but it’s also a great icebreaker for new classmates. So next time you’re looking for a fun and educational way to start off the school year, look no further than Classroom Rules Charades.

Paper Ball Fight

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Paper fighting is a popular back-to-school activity and game for middle school students. To play, each student writes facts about themselves on a piece of paper. Once everyone has finished, the papers are collected and redistributed randomly. Each student then reads the paper in front of them and tries to guess who it belongs to.

This is a great way for students to get to know each other and learn new things about their classmates. It’s also a lot of fun!

Bingo

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Bingo is a popular game that can be played by people of all ages. It is especially popular among middle school students, who often use it as a back-to-school activity. Bingo is a simple game that can be played with a small group or a large group of people. All that is needed is a set of bingo cards and markers.

The object of the game is to mark off all of the numbers on your bingo card. The first player to do so wins the game. Bingo is a great way to get students to interact with each other and also helps them to review important information such as multiplication tables or vocabulary words.

M&M Game

The M&M game is a great way to review basic math facts with middle school students. The object of the game is to collect as many M&Ms as possible in 1 minute. To play, you will need one bag of M&Ms per student and a timer. To start, each student will take 1 M&M from the bag.

They will then roll the die and multiply the number on the die by the number of letters in their name. For example, if a student rolled a four and their name had five letters, they would collect 20 M&Ms.

The next student would then roll the die and multiply that number by the number of letters in their name, and so on. At the end of 1 minute, the student with the most M&Ms is the winner. This game is a great way to review basic multiplication facts while also having fun!

Self Portraits

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Although it may seem like a simple task, creating a self-portrait can be a challenging and revealing activity for middle school students. Not only does it require them to think carefully about their own features and proportions, but it also forces them to take an honest look at themselves.

This can be a valuable exercise in self-awareness and Acceptance, two important character traits for middle schoolers. To get started, all you need is a mirror and some art supplies. Students can begin by sketching out the basic outline of their face, then filling in the details.

Once they’re finished, they can step back and take a look at their work. What do they see? Do they like what they see? This activity can be used as a starting point for discussions about self-image and confidence. It’s also a great way to get to know your students on a deeper level.

Make Them Write a Letter to the Teacher

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For many middle schoolers, back-to-school can be a time of excitement and anticipation. However, it can also be a time of stress and anxiety. One way to help ease the transition back to school is to have students write a letter to their teacher.

In the letter, students can introduce themselves and share any concerns or questions they have about the upcoming year. This activity not only helps students to feel more comfortable about starting school but also gives teachers a chance to get to know their students better.

So, whether you’re a teacher looking for a fun back-to-school activity or a student who’s feeling a little anxious about the first day, writing a letter to your teacher is a great way to start off the school year on the right foot.

Make Them Create Classroom Rules

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As the new school year begins, it’s important to set some ground rules for the classroom. But instead of simply issuing a list of dos and don’ts, why not involve your students in the process? This back-to-school activity is not only fun, but it also helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page from the start.

To begin, divide the class into small groups and give each group a sheet of paper. Then, explain that the goal is to come up with a list of rules that would make for a positive and productive learning environment.

Once the groups have had a chance to brainstorm, invite them to share their ideas with the class. As a final step, ask the students to vote on the rules they feel are most important. By involving your students in the creation of classroom rules, you’ll help them feel invested in following those rules throughout the year.

Get kids excited for school by playing the above-mentioned fun back-to-school activities and games. The beginning of the school year can be a lot of fun and help set the tone for a productive academic year. These activities will have kids counting down the days until they head back to class.

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