5 Creative Ideas for Morning Meetings in Elementary School
Morning meetings provide an opportunity for students to connect with their classmates and teachers, set the tone for the day, and engage in positive and meaningful activities. Morning meetings can help students feel more connected to their school community and improve their overall well-being. Starting the day with a positive and engaging activity can help students feel more motivated and ready to learn. Read on for more creative ideas for morning meetings in elementary school.
Idea #1: Start the Day with a Song or Dance
Music and movement is a great way to start the day. Songs and movement can help kids wake up and get energized. Also, movement can improve their mood and focus. Choose fun and age-appropriate songs or dances that students can learn and perform together. This can be a great way to build community and add some fun in each morning. GoNoodle.com is an amazing resource for short movement videos that kids LOVE!
For example, teachers can choose a popular children’s song and create a dance routine that students can learn and perform together. They can also choose songs that have a positive message or teach important skills, such as social-emotional skills or academic concepts. Dancing and singing together can be a fun and engaging way to start the day and get students excited about learning. Grab these free brain breaks cards to get you started.
Check out this post all about adding movement to your classroom every day!
Idea #2: Share a Daily Joke or Riddle
Humor is a powerful tool in the classroom. Every kid loves a good joke or riddle and they can also help improve critical thinking skills among students too. For example, you can choose jokes or riddles that are appropriate for elementary school students and relate to the curriculum or current events. Also, you can encourage students to share their own jokes or riddles with the class. This can be a great way to build community and encourage creativity in the classroom. Chekc out a free sample set of jokes here.
Idea #3: Play a Game to Get Energized
Games can be a great way to get students moving and improve their focus. You can choose simple and fun games that can be played in the classroom as part of their morning meeting routine. For example, teachers can choose games that involve physical activity, such as Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light to pick up morning tubs or morning work. I also love to incorporate silly challenges like balancing your workbook on your head while walking to your seat or playing the floor is lava!
Idea #4: Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude
Mindfulness and gratitude are powerful tools for improving students’ mental health and well-being. You can incorporate mindfulness exercises and gratitude activities into your morning meeting routine to help students feel more calm and centered. This is a great time to practice how to handle different social interactions such as what to do when someone steals your toys, how to handle bullies on the playground and how to be a good friend. How about performing Emotion Charades to help your students get in touch with their feelings in a fun, no-pressure environment.
Idea #5: Morning Meeting Conversation Starters
In addition to growth mindset and handling different situations we also love to start our mornings with conversational activities. We love this because it helps develop a classroom family and gives students different opportunities to learn from others too. Check out these 180 conversation starters which includes everything from silly starters to learning about everyone’s family, and so much more. Download the conversation starters here.
Creative Ideas for Morning Meetings in Elementary School
Incorporating fun and creative activities into morning meetings can have many benefits for students and teachers. It can improve engagement and connection among students, help students feel more motivated and ready to learn, and improve their overall well-being. It can also help teachers build a positive and supportive classroom culture.
Tips for Implementing Morning Meetings in the Classroom
Implementing morning meetings in the classroom is a great way to improve engagement and connection among students. However, it is important for teachers to set clear expectations and be consistent in their approach. We recommend starting with all of your morning activities on the first day of school and teaching students how that time will look like and the expectations too.
Sometimes I change to an afternoon meeting (maybe with snacktime?) depending on the day’s schedule craziness. Whenever you can fit it in your day, just do it! Utilizing these fun and creative ideas for morning meetings in elementary school is not just good for the students, it’s good for you the teacher as well!
Morning meetings are an essential part of the elementary school day. They provide an opportunity for students to connect with their classmates and teachers, set the tone for the day, and engage in positive and meaningful activities. By incorporating fun and creative activities into morning meetings, teachers can improve engagement and connection among students and help them feel more motivated and ready to learn.
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