5 No-Prep Getting to Know You Activities for Elementary Students (with Differentiation!)

5 No-Prep Getting to Know You Activities for Elementary Students (with Differentiation!)

Back-to-school time is exciting—but let’s be honest, it can also feel a little overwhelming.

Between organizing your room, setting expectations, and remembering how to run a class after summer break… planning elaborate icebreakers doesn’t always make the cut. That’s why I’m sharing five of my favorite zero-prep, zero-materials “getting to know you” activities that you can use right away. No printing. No scissors. No stress.

Plus, each activity includes low, medium, and high-level modifications to support students of all abilities—including ESL learners and students with IEPs.

Whether you’re teaching 1st grade, 4th grade, or somewhere in between, these simple ideas will help you build connection without chaos.

1. Stand Up If…

Call out fun statements and ask students to stand if it applies to them.
It’s quick, energizing, and gets kids moving while learning about one another.

Sample Prompts:

• Stand up if you have a pet.
• Stand up if you like chocolate ice cream.
• Stand up if you rode the bus to school today.

Differentiation Tips:

• Low: Use concrete topics like colors or animals. Allow students to raise a hand instead.
• Medium: Invite a few students to come up with their own prompts.
• High: Use multi-part statements (e.g., “Stand if you have a pet and like reading.”)

2. This or That?

Give students two choices and have them move to one side of the room or raise a hand to vote.

Sample Questions:

• Pizza or tacos?
• Summer or winter?
• Reading or math?

Differentiation Tips:

• Low: Keep the choices simple. Use gestures or visuals if needed.
• Medium: Ask students to explain why they picked their answer.
• High: Let students lead their own “This or That” rounds.

3. One Thing About Me

Invite each student to share one thing about themselves using sentence starters like:

• “One thing I like is…”
• “One thing I’m good at is…”
• “One thing I want to learn is…”

Differentiation Tips:

• Low: Provide a modeled sentence and let students echo it.
• Medium: Ask students to share a reason or detail.
• High: Encourage students to connect their answer to a goal or value.

4. Find Someone Who… (Verbal Version)

Instead of worksheets, guide the activity by saying things like:

• “Find someone who has the same number of siblings as you.”
• “Find someone who likes the same sport.”

Differentiation Tips:

• Low: Use small groups or seated participation with hand-raising.
• Medium: Encourage full-sentence responses (“I found someone who…”).
• High: Challenge students to find and remember 3+ matches to share aloud.

5. Circle Share

Form a classroom circle and ask an open-ended question for students to answer one by one.

Question Ideas:

• “What’s your favorite thing to do after school?”
• “What’s something you’re proud of?”
• “What makes a good friend?”

Differentiation Tips:

• Low: Allow passes or one-word responses.
• Medium: Provide sentence stems to support language development.
• High: Ask students to reflect on a classmate’s answer before responding.

Want something hands-on after your no-prep warmups?

Once your students feel a little more comfortable, try these low-prep favorites:

All About Me Heart-Shaped Craftivity

This foldable heart is a student favorite! It’s especially great for 1st–3rd grade, ESL, speech therapy, or special education. Students color, cut, and fold their heart to reveal facts about themselves—perfect for hallway or bulletin board displays.

Click HERE to check it out!

All About Me Worksheet Packet with Glyphs

Ideal for 2nd–4th grade and support settings. Students complete three engaging glyphs:

1. All About Me
2. Learning Styles (visual, auditory, or tactile!)
3. My Favorites

You'll learn a ton about your students—without needing a formal assessment.

Click HERE to check it out!

Let me know in the comments:

Which “get to know you” activity is your go-to? Or are you trying one of these for the first time?

Wishing you a joyful, connection-filled start to the school year! ❤️

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Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find great resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!