Getting to Know You Activities for Kindergarten

Starting the school year in kindergarten is always an adventure, one where you have the final destination mapped out, but the path to get there changes with every new class.

As much as you might plan and prepare, there’s one thing you can’t fully account for: how your students will respond to your plans.

This is because you don’t yet know their skills, learning styles, or the unique makeup of your class. This is why getting to know you activities are so important, especially in Kindergarten.

This blog post provides back-to-school activities to help you get to know your students. They can also be used as time fillers to have in your toolbox at the ready.

These quick, engaging, fun activities will help you get to know your students, build classroom community, and keep your students engaged and learning while you navigate the unpredictable early days of the school year.

Kindergarten Getting to Know You Activities

Pair, Share

Put students in pairs and have them tell each other something fun about themselves (e.g., their favorite sport, what they had for breakfast, something they’re good at). After sharing, they can switch partners and repeat. You can call on a few students to share their partner’s answer.

Ask Around the Room

Asking questions is a great getting to know you activity. Pick a question, like, “What’s your favorite dessert?” Students share their answers with their partners and then rotate for another question, like “Would you rather have a pet monkey or a dolphin?”

Alphabet Sound Game

A quick game could be having each student take turns saying words that begin with the same letter as their name.

You can also use this game when you're teaching beginning Sounds. The first student starts by saying a word that starts with A. The next student says a word that begins with B. Then, the next student says a word that starts with C. The game continues until you get to Z.

All About Me Book

Students could complete and share an All About Me Book, like the one in this First Week of Kindergarten resource.

Find a Friend

This getting to know you activity is perfect for helping your kindergartners make new friends. Use prompts like “Find a Friend who…” has brown hair, is wearing red, has a pet dog, loves pasta, etc. Have students walk around the carpet to help them find common interests and make new friends, fostering a sense of community in the classroom.

Musical Names

You’ll need something for students to pass, such as a ball or stuffed animal. Have students sit in a circle. Play some fun, upbeat music while students pass the item around. After several seconds, stop the music and whoever is holding the item introduces themselves. 

This is a great opportunity to teach students how to introduce themselves. Have students say “Hello/Hi, my name is….”. Students respond by saying Hi {student’s name}!

If the same person ends up holding the item twice, instead of the student introducing themselves again, ask the class who remembers their name. 

Partner Draw

Pair students up with a partner in the class and have them work together to create a unique work of art. Have them trade off after 30 seconds at a time until 5 minutes are up.

Each pair can then talk about their drawing with the rest of the class, allowing students to practice taking turns and sharing while working with a new friend!

Classroom Jungle

You’ll need multiple animal stickers and index cards for this activity. Prior to the game, place one animal sticker on each index card. Pass out an index card to each student. The object of the game is for students to find another student(s) that has the same animal on their card.

The catch? They can’t show the sticker to others or talk, they can only make the noise that animal makes.

Get Familiar with Classroom Materials

Markers, glue, scissors… oh my!

Whether students are entering your classroom for the very first time or have been in a classroom many times, it’s helpful to practice using school supplies during the first week of school.

For example, you could teach students how to use liquid glue with the “One Dot Club.” Students can practice adding just one glue dot at a time on a piece of paper, then put glitter (pom poms, sequins, ripped paper, etc.) on their glue dots to show they made it into the club! 

You could still do this activity with glue if you prefer using glue sticks in your classroom (yes, please!).

Stand Up, Sit Down

Have students sit in their seats (this could be at their desks, tables, or on the rug). You will say statements like, “Stand up if you have a pet dog, stand up if you have ever been on an airplane, stand up if you have a brother…”

Envelope Surprise Matching 

Each student receives an envelope containing a hidden surprise (exciting, right?). When you say “go,” students open their envelopes and try to find their partner or group with a matching surprise. Whether it’s matching cut-out shapes, colored construction paper, or letters, the goal is to find your match quickly!

After each round, students put their surprise back in the envelope, you’ll mix them up, and then get ready to play again. It’s a fun way to foster teamwork and excitement in the classroom!

Envelope ideas:

• Cut-out shapes— students find others with the same shape 
• Colored construction paper— students find others with the same color
• Letters—students find others with their matching uppercase and lowercase letter
• Numbers—students find others with their matching number

Nice to Meet You

Create a page with the first letter of each student in the class. Print and make a copy for each student. Students will go around the room and ask classmates their name and the first letter of their name. The student will find the letter on their paper and put an X over it.

With these back-to-school getting to know you activities at your fingertips, you’ll be able to get to know your students and build classroom community during the first few days of kindergarten!