UNLOCK THE DOOR TO THE NEW YEAR!

Coming back from winter break can be a struggle for students and teachers. It's not always easy to jump back into a routine and students really struggle to get working. Finding an easy (but fun) way to engage students can seem like a huge undertaking – unless you try the New Year Unlock activities!

TRANSITION BACK TO SCHOOL MODE

The winter break blues can be tough. All the exciting hype is over and it's back to school which means back to learning, routines, and structure. Welcoming students back with something that is highly engaging is a great way to ease back into the school year!

These activities are a great way to engage students as you welcome them back from the holiday break. You can get students engaged right away by using the New Year Unlock activities during morning meeting. Or give students something to look forward to all day long and enjoy an activity at the end of the day.

You could complete all 10 fun classroom activities in one day if you wanted to! I like the idea of spreading them out over the week. The activities are also great for reinforcing expectations and positive behavior choices. Before an activity, have a discussion with students about being good listeners, following directions, or really whatever skill you want. Then students can practice those skills while they have a great time and enjoy a fun activity to welcome them back to school.

STUDENT COLLABORATION

Another great aspect of the New Year Unlock is the student collaboration and teamwork that can happen. Students have already spent a semester together so the focus doesn't have to be on making new friends or getting to know each other, but now it can be on social skills, growth mindset, and how to work together. Teamwork and collaboration are SUCH important skills in and out of the classroom.

New Year Unlock Activities –

Minute to Win It Games – Fun games perfect for students to work as teams or small groups to complete each task. A little competition is always fun!
Roll the Dice Questions – A great way for students to reflect on the previous year and a great opportunity to share with their peers.
Would You Rather Questions – A fun activity to get students (even the usually quiet ones) sharing and laughing together.
Directed Drawings – A relaxing and enjoyable creative activity.
Guess the Picture – Students really have to practice critical thinking to figure out each of the pictures.
Word Scramble – Allow students to work in partnerships or independently to figure out the scrambled words
New Year Past & Present – An all-time fave! Students reflect on the last year and set goals for the new year.
Find Someone Who – A fun idea to get students up and interacting with each other. It is always great for students to find something in common with their classmates.
New Year Word Search – Who doesn't love a word search?!
Top 9 Memories – Students have an opportunity to share their top 9 memories from the past year. Students love sharing!

These new year student activities are easy to add to your lesson plans and take little to no prep to set up. Adding in these fun activities is the perfect way to ease students back into classroom routines without having to stress about planning.