Five Cooperative Learning Activities to do on the First Day of School

Cooperative learning activities on the first day of school do something routines alone can’t: they give students an immediate reason to talk to each other. When students collaborate, listen, and share from the very start, it signals the kind of classroom this is going to be.

These five activities work across K–5 and require very little prep. Each one includes a reflection component, which is where the real community-building happens.

Why Use Cooperative Learning on Day One?

One of the most important things you can do on the first day of school is model how you want students to treat each other and how you’ll treat them. When students experience collaboration, kindness, and inclusion on the first day, it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Cooperative learning activities:

• Create a sense of belonging
• Help students practice listening and speaking respectfully
• Encourage peer interaction in a safe, structured way

Don’t Skip the Reflection Piece!

Before we dive into the activities, here’s a powerful tip: always include reflection.

After each cooperative learning activity, pause for students to reflect on their experience. This could be through journal writing, a class discussion, or a community circle. Some great reflection prompts include:

• How did you respond to others?
• What did you do that helped or hurt your group?
• What might you do differently next time?

Reflection helps students internalize the social-emotional skills behind the fun.

Five Cooperative Group Activities for the First Day of School

Here are several cooperative learning activities I use in the first week of school. I use different ones for different grade levels, depending on their skill level.

Interview A Classmate

The interview is pretty simple. For younger students, use pictures; for older students, brainstorm a list of questions and let them choose which ones to write down. The basic idea is that two students will be paired and interview each other.

The student who conducted the interview will report on the interviewee. This reporting can take place over the course of a week or so. My students can’t sit still to hear about all 20+ students. I tend to do the interviewing on one day and the reporting over several days.

Perfect for: Grades 1–5
Supplies: Question list or picture prompts

Pair students up to interview each other, then share what they learned. For younger students, provide visual prompts. For older ones, brainstorm questions as a class.

Don’t try to share all interviews at once. Spread them out over the week as a brief “Get to Know You” moment each morning.

Find Someone Who

This is similar to an interview: students ask questions, but in this version, each student asks only one question to another student. Again, determine the questions based on the student’s age level. Instead of questions, you can also put attributes, which is how the game is originally supposed to be played. Either way, the idea is that students are talking to multiple classmates.

For my second graders, I create a grid, usually 4 x 3, and write down 12 questions or attributes, one in each box. Students find another student, ask one question, and then have the student sign their name in that box.

Perfect for: Grades 2–5
Supplies: 3×4 grid with prompts or traits

This classic icebreaker gets students moving and talking to multiple classmates. Give each student a grid filled with prompts (e.g., “Has a pet,” “Loves pizza”). They must find classmates who match each item and have them sign the box.

You can download the one below or create your own editable version tailored to your students’ age and interests.

Spider Web

This one is so much fun, and it’s perfect for all ages! You will need a ball of string or yarn; any color will do. Have students sit in a circle on the carpet or in chairs. This game can also be played outside.

Start with yourself. Say your name and one thing about yourself. Then choose another student around the circle and roll or hand the ball to them. That student says his name and one thing about himself. Play continues until all students have had a turn, and a web of string crisscrosses the circle.

Reflect on how each person is part of the web, which represents the classroom; you are all holding a piece of the classroom, and without that piece, the classroom wouldn’t be complete. When you are finished with the reflection, have one student let go of their string to demonstrate what happens if one person isn’t included in the web.  It collapses.  We don’t want our web (or classroom) to collapse!

You can make the game simpler, where students choose the next student, or more complicated, where students have to tell one thing about themselves, like their favorite food or something. Either way, it’s a fun game that shows the inclusion of all students.

Graffiti Boards

This is one of my favorite cooperative learning activities, especially for older students. In this activity, I create six pieces of chart paper, each with one statement. I group students and give each student a marker.

Students rotate through the pieces of chart paper, responding to the prompt on the paper. Each student has to write something since each student is holding a marker. At the beginning of the year, I make the statements more low-key, but as the year progresses, I increase their complexity, even using academic questions to review content.

Perfect for: Grades 3–5
Supplies: Chart paper, markers

Hang 5–6 pieces of chart paper around the room, each with a different open-ended prompt. In groups, students rotate to each paper and add their responses with markers.

Here are some suggestions for topics at the beginning of the year:

• Favorite moment
• What I wonder about
• What I want to be when I grow up and why
• Things that scare me
• Things that get me excited
• What I like about school
• What I dislike about school
• Things people do that annoy me
• Things that people do that I like
• I feel sad when

Each student writes their own answer, promoting both individual voice and collaborative conversation.

Squiggly Line Drawing

The squiggly line drawing is an individual activity that can be turned into a cooperative learning activity during the reflection piece. Basically, you’d take a piece of writing paper with a space to draw at the top. Draw a line in the top space that has a curve to it, and photocopy that page for each student in your class.

Students spend some time drawing a picture incorporating that curved line, and then write about their picture below.

During the reflection time, students can partner up and share their picture and writing with a partner, or they can sit in a circle and share with the whole group.  The beauty of this activity is that it gives students some downtime on a busy first day.

BONUS: Community Building Puzzle

Want something easy to set up while you’re greeting families on the first morning?

Set a blank puzzle piece on each desk, along with a box of crayons. As students arrive, they color their piece however they like. Later, combine all the pieces into a class puzzle to display.

It’s a beautiful visual reminder that every student is an important part of your classroom.

Favorite Resources for Cooperative Learning

One of my favorite books for cooperative learning activities is Reaching All by Creating Tribes Learning Communities. The book is much more than cooperative learning activities, but those have been the best takeaways for me.

Another good book is Keys to the Classroom.  It, again, is much more than cooperative learning activities but has a few good ones in there, too.

One Final Tip…

Start small. Don’t feel like you have to cram everything into the first day. Choose 1–2 activities that feel right for your students, and build from there.

The first day of school isn’t just about routines. It’s about relationships. Cooperative learning activities give students a structured, low-pressure way to start building those connections from day one.

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