Welcome Back!

Get to know new classmates or club members with these fun, foam puzzles. Mix up the pieces to find new friends.

• 1.

  Every time you meet new people, they might become your new friends, maybe even your best friend! Here’s a fun way to get to know classmates at the beginning of a new term or whenever any group starts. It all starts with a puzzle!

• 2.

  On a foam produce tray, etch five large puzzle pieces with the tip of a Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencil. Cut out the shapes with Crayola Scissors. Smooth the edges with sandpaper or an emery board.

• 3.

  Keep one of your pieces. Mix up the rest with pieces from four other students’ puzzles. Each person then takes four pieces. With Crayola Gel Markers, draw words or symbols of things that tell something about you on each piece. Draw pictures of your hobbies, sports, or pets, for example.

• 4.

  Get back together and fit your pieces into puzzles. Introduce yourselves, talk about the things you have in common, and find out what makes each of you unique!

Benefits

• Students visually represent their identities on handmade puzzle pieces.
• Students participate in a personal get-acquainted activity designed to build friendships in a new group.

Adaptations

• Design other get-acquainted games with puzzle pieces.
• On the back side of puzzle pieces, write wishes for the upcoming school year. Assemble puzzles into mobiles or a large mural.
• Make Model Magic tiles using symbols. Display them in a class mosaic.
• Reach out to another class or group. Plan activities together to get better acquainted. Come up with joint community projects.