The first day of school always brings a mix of excitement and nerves. For some students, it may even be their very first day in a new school, which can feel overwhelming. In PE at my school, students are grouped across the entire grade level, not just their homeroom, so they’re learning lots of new names right away.
To help ease those nerves and build connections, I always start with icebreakers. Over the years, I’ve found myself coming back to the same three activities. They not only get students moving, but also encourage teamwork, cooperation, and confidence while fostering a sense of camaraderie.
1. Meet Me in the Middle (SPARK resource)
This icebreaker gets students active while helping them connect with a partner. They learn a sequence of fun movements—like “high five right hand” or “jump, turn 360.” At the end, each pair creates their own handshake, which brings out creativity and laughter.
Once the sequence is complete, students try it together without my direction to see how much they can recall. By the end, they’ve raised their heart rates, shared a handshake with a new classmate, and already begun building friendships.
Here is a 4th grade class demonstrating this entire sequence on the 2nd day of school.
2. Rock, Paper, Scissors Fan Club
This activity is a year-round favorite because it requires zero athletic skill. Everyone can play confidently!
Students start by playing rock, paper, scissors against a partner. The winner keeps playing, while the “loser” becomes part of their fan club, cheering them on. Winners continue challenging other winners, collecting bigger and bigger fan clubs along the way.
Eventually, it comes down to two finalists, with the entire class split into cheering sections. The energy can get so high that the gym nearly shakes with excitement! I usually run at least three rounds, and almost every time, the class begs for one more.
Here is a video of 4th graders playing.
3. Mingle Mingle (SPARK resource)
Mingle Mingle is one of my favorite all-around icebreakers because it gets students interacting with the whole class and can double as a group-forming activity for the day’s lesson.
Here’s how it works: students move around the gym using different locomotor skills while music plays. When the music stops, I call out, “Mingle Mingle, groups of ___, toe to toe!” Students quickly form groups of the given size and complete the task (in this case, touching toes).
If someone ends up without a group, they head to the center circle. The rest of the class then cheers loudly to invite them in—and that student gets to choose which group to join. I love this feature because it turns what could feel like exclusion into an empowering moment where every student feels wanted.
Here is a video of my 4th grade class doing one round.
These three activities never fail to break the ice, get kids moving, and set a positive tone for the rest of the school year.
