As a teacher, you might be on the look out for new, fresh ideas to bring to your classroom, especially at the beginning of the year. Adding fun, new motivational activities before starting a lesson can encourage kids to want to come to school, boost grades, and promote positive behavior.
Short warmup activities are a great way to begin the class. They are a fun way to get students engaged and receptive to learning while still establishing daily routine. Here are some ideas to help warm up your class for the day.
Fun motivational activities for students
1. Have sharing time
Sharing time is a dedicated time where students can share what is going on in their lives. You and your students might talk about plans for the weekend, a good thing that happened throughout the week, or things you’re looking forward to. These class openers gives students an opportunity to express themselves before you dive into the lesson plan.
2. Solve a brain teaser
Brain teasers are an easy way to kick off class time right. There is no shortage of resources to pull from the internet, and brain teasers are fun for kids and teachers alike, which makes this option great for all ages. While these don’t have to relate to the subject matter, there are plenty of ways to connect it to your lesson, especially if you are looking for math icebreakers. HMH's Into Math's Spark Your Learning activities are great ways to begin your lessons. Write one on the board before class and give your students a little time to solve it on their own.
3. Watch a video
With technology being center stage, most kids enjoy watching videos in their free time. What better way to start class than to do something everyone enjoys? The video can be educational or goofy. Some all-time favorites are cat videos, music videos (as long as they’re appropriate), and baby videos. There are also lots of family-friendly online video channels you can pick from. This can be especially fun if you find videos that relate to your students interest.
4. Start a debate
If your kids are having a hard time staying interested, a fun way to start class is to have a debate. These can center around hot-button topics or they can be silly. You could choose topics that are related to upcoming lessons such as "does history repeats itself" or "is spelling important?" Or you could go for a more playful approach, with something, “Do pineapples belong on pizza?” To make it more exciting, you can let the class pick the topic for maximum engagement and fun! Just make sure everyone gets involved and voices their opinions.
5. Present a writing prompt
Do you need motivational activities for students that require minimal preparation but takes up more than five minutes of the beginning of class? Writing prompts are the perfect solution! There is an unlimited variety of subjects to choose from that will interest you and your students and you can even differentiate this activity by giving students different options to choose from. You can use prompts like, “What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?” or “What is an event in the world that deserves to be trending on social media?”
This presents an opportunity for students to express themselves while talking about subjects they are passionate about. Here’s a twist: you can use a picture as a writing prompt instead of actual words. This will really get the creativity flowing. Check out more creative writing prompts below:
No matter what your middle school or high school class is reading, these writing prompts about love will get them ready for Valentine's Day.
Have some spooky fun with your students while exercising their critical thinking skills using these Halloween writing prompts and journal ideas.
School's back in session, which means it's time for a fresh batch of writing prompts for the new year. Have your high school or middle school students try these Back-to-School prompts this fall.
6. Create a crossword
Before class is in session, write a word on the board. Then invite each student to the board one at a time to create a new word that crosses through letters that are already available and, collectively, creates a large crossword grid. You can make the game even more fun by giving letters value and offering small prizes like a free homework pass.
7. Take a breather
Sometimes, the best way to get ready for class is to settle down a bit before it begins. Try starting each day off with independent time where students can choose to meditate or read. Your students will appreciate the freedom to spend this time as they choose. A bit of quiet time might help students feeling anxious, too, so try this one on test day. This activity might even lead to slightly higher achievement for some students.
8. Joke of the day
You can start each day with a new joke. You might get a few moans and groans (especially if you have teenagers), but it’s a surefire way to boost morale and show your more playful side. When you give your students a chance to see a different side of you, they’ll appreciate your genuineness and be more motivated to apply themselves in your class.
9. Let loose
Take five minutes at the beginning of class to let your students let loose. Use this time to do things that aren’t normally permitted, like having several conversations at once or freely moving around the room. You could also have everyone run in place or stretch to help get their blood flowing before you start your lesson for the day. Although you should be mindful that class doesn't get too loud and distract other classrooms.
This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.
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