Getting to know students virtually doesn’t have to be hard. First impressions often go a long way to connect teachers with their students, and icebreaker games are great ways to bridge any initial hesitation there might be between you and your K-3 students.

Here are some icebreaker activities that are especially designed for 1:1 virtual learning for grades K-3.

Simple Icebreaker Questions

Young kids love to explore their own meaning and value, so sometimes simpler, exploratory 1:1 activities can be a great way to facilitate deeper conversations and relationships between teachers and their students. To get a conversation started, simply ask some age-appropriate icebreaker questions.

Let your student share their answers freely, or have them write their answers down to share with you based on their personalities. This shows your student that your learning environment is a safe space for them to be themselves, get to know you, and think critically.

• Some appropriate questions for this age group might include:

• What was your favorite thing that happened in the past year?

• What cartoon character do you wish you could be friends with in real life?

• What is your favorite game to play?

• If you could eat only one food forever what would it be and why?

• What do you want to do when you grow up?

• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

• If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?

Always try to base your icebreaker questions on your students off questions that you think would be helpful for their growth if possible.

Two Truths & A Lie

Beloved among teachers, camp counselors, and kids alike is the icebreaker classic “two truths and a lie”. It’s a fun way to let people know about you, with the added fun of making up a mini story about you.

To play two truths and a lie, have your student take 5 minutes to brainstorm two things about themselves that are truths, and one that is a lie. This is something you can (and should!) do with your student. Once finished, ask your student to read their list to you without revealing which of the three facts are a lie. Take time to guess, then repeat the process with your own two truths and a lie.

Would You Rather?

Would you rather is another good game for helping students learn more about themselves and their teachers. It also teaches them valuable social skills, like letting others speak and learning about their opinions.

To play “would you rather?” compile a list of “would you rather” questions before class and have them answer the questions with you. For extra fun, keep a score of how many answers you and your student have that are the same!

Some examples of appropriate questions may include:

• Would you rather eat cake or pie?

• Would you rather be able to fly or be able to swim underwater without holding your breath?

• Would you rather be an artist or an astronaut?

• Would you rather visit the moon or visit a star?

• Would you rather have as many toys as you wanted or as many pets as you wanted?

• Would you rather play inside or outside?

• Would you rather live in a house shaped like a circle or a house shaped like a triangle?

• Would you rather be a famous singer or a famous scientist?

Globetrotters Game

This is a great game for breaking the ice as well as getting a little geography know-how in. It’s also good for 1:1 virtual instruction, as often teachers and students will be located in different parts of the country.

Pull up a map of the United States and show where you are from. Let them know a little bit about where you are from, your favorite things to do there, and where you might like to visit in the United States and why. Then, ask the student if they can point to where they are from on the map. If they can’t, show them! Afterward, ask them some questions about where they are from – including their favorite places, what the weather is like, and where they would travel if they could travel anywhere.

If you know a bit about your class before meeting them on Zoom, you can personalize questions and activities based on their interests. However, these icebreakers are good no matter who your crowd is, even without personalization. The most important part of icebreakers is to get to know one another, which these activities should help you do.