Group activities for students are essential for developing social, communication and cooperation skills. By engaging in these activities, elementary students not only have fun but also build critical teamwork abilities. Whether they are working on problem-solving in a math group or crafting a collaborative collage, these experiences prepare students for the collaborative environments they will encounter in life.
However, maintaining student engagement can often be a challenge, especially in whole-group settings where some students may check out or disregard instructions. This is where group activities for elementary students can be particularly valuable. Breaking lessons into shorter segments followed by group work keeps students engaged and gives them opportunities for more focused, hands-on learning.
Incorporating a mix of whole-group instruction, followed by collaborative group activities, can transform your classroom into an interactive and supportive learning environment. Below, we’ll explore a variety of small and large group activities that promote teamwork, creativity and communication.
Small Group Activities for Students
Small group activities are particularly effective for creating an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and working together.
Here are some small group activities for elementary students that promote teamwork and collaboration:
Math Problem-Solving Teams
Divide students into small groups and present them with a challenging math problem. Encourage them to work together to find a solution.
Each student can take on a different role, such as the “explainer,” “checker” or “strategist”. This division of roles ensures that everyone participates. They’ll need to rely on one another’s strengths to solve the problem which shows them the power of working as a team.
Science Experiment Stations
Set up different science experiment stations around the classroom, each focusing on a different concept. Break students into small groups and assign them to a station. Each group collaborates to conduct the experiment, record their findings and discuss the results. Rotate the groups through each station, allowing them to work on various tasks while practicing teamwork.
Some engaging science experiment station ideas include floating and sinking, where students are provided with various objects and work together to predict and test whether each object will float or sink, exploring concepts of density and buoyancy.
Another station could be magnet exploration, where groups test a variety of items to determine which are magnetic, fostering discussions about magnetism and material properties.
You can also set up a balloon static electricity station, where students use balloons to explore how static electricity works with objects like scraps of paper and pieces of cloth, sparking conversations about electric charges and attraction.
Collaborative Collages
Most elementary students love arts and crafts projects. In fact, collage projects are a fantastic way to foster creativity and teamwork.
Students must plan and execute their pieces together, deciding on colors, themes and materials. Have students in each group bring in magazines that speak to their theme to create their collage.
Working as a team to plan, cut and paste collage elements to create a finished product helps students learn compromise, patience and the value of different perspectives.
STEM Building Challenge
Plan an activity like building a tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks or creating a bridge with popsicle sticks. Students work together to plan, design and build their structure, promoting problem-solving and collaboration.
After all structures are complete, students can walk around and view other groups’ work. You can even make this a larger group activity where students write about what they liked that the other groups created!
Reader’s Theater
Assign students a short script to act out in small groups. For younger students who are still building reading skills, you can read a story out loud to the class or share a simple, well-known nursery rhyme for them to act out. Each group practices reenacting the story with expression, focusing on fluency and comprehension. After rehearsal, they perform for the class. This fun, collaborative reading activity helps students engage with the text and stories in a meaningful and memorable way.
Story Brainstorming
This activity encourages teamwork while also demonstrating a framework for students to organize thoughts. That framework will make it easier for them to start a story in the future when they need inspiration.
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Collaborative Partner Learning Activities
Group activities don’t always have to involve more than two students! Partner activities are perfect for small class sizes and can be beneficial for quieter students who feel more comfortable working one-on-one.
Here are some partner-focused group activity ideas:
Reading Buddies
Many mistakenly believe that reading is a solo activity. However, pairing students up as reading buddies promotes peer learning while also sharing different perspectives.
Pair up students and have them read a story or article together. They can take turns reading each sentence or paragraph aloud, discuss the plot or information and even answer questions from the class as a team.
Think-Pair-Share
Introduce a topic or question and have students think about their responses individually. Then pair your students up to share their thoughts with their partners.
Afterward, they can present their ideas to the larger group. This technique promotes critical thinking and allows students to build confidence by sharing in a smaller setting.
Partner Editing - Editor/Writer
After a writing assignment, have students swap their work with a partner for peer editing. Each student reviews their partner’s work, offering constructive feedback on spelling, grammar and story structure. This is a great partner activity where each student enjoys being a writer and an editor.
The activity not only improves writing skills but also encourages students to give and receive feedback respectfully.
Large Group Activities for Elementary Students
Sometimes, it’s beneficial to bring the entire class together for a large group activity. These activities can create a sense of unity and help students learn how to function as a part of a bigger team. It will also build your classroom’s morale and make memories that will last a lifetime. The larger group activities below are best for two groups and will work for both large and small class sizes.
Here are a few large group activities for elementary students that encourage teamwork:
Classroom Debate
Organize a friendly debate on a topic that interests your students - make sure you assign each group a specific standpoint to defend. Keep topics light like, “summer vs. winter” or “which is better: being a famous author or scientist?”
Students will work together to develop their arguments, gather evidence and present their points. This activity not only promotes teamwork but also enhances critical thinking, public speaking and respectful listening.
A good debate is a great way to show that not everyone has to agree on everything. A healthy debate is beneficial for bringing a classroom closer.
Class Puzzle Challenge
Puzzle activities emphasize the importance of communication and cooperation. Your students must work together to solve the puzzle successfully.
This activity could be a large physical puzzle, but it could also be written problems that require critical thinking and reasoning.
Classroom Mural
Transform a blank wall or bulletin board into a collaborative mural. Have the class brainstorm ideas for the mural’s theme and assign different sections to smaller groups.
As each group works on their part, they must collaborate with the others to ensure that the mural comes together as a cohesive piece. This activity helps your students practice large-scale collaboration while showcasing their collective creativity. It’s a great way to build friendships and relationships while working together positively.
Group Bonding Activities for Students
Do you want to foster a true sense of team spirit in your classroom? Group bonding activities for students are designed to build trust, strengthen relationships and create a sense of community in the classroom.
Here are a few bonding activities that can be done in groups:
Team-Building Games
Team building activities promote trust, communication and teamwork in a fun, low-pressure setting. The class will enjoy a few laughs while learning valuable lessons that will pave the way for future life success.
For fun and engaging team-building activities, try “pass the hula hoop.” Students stand in a circle holding hands and work together to pass a hula hoop around without letting go, encouraging problem-solving and coordination.
Another great option is the “silent line-up,” where students must line up by height, birthdate or name without speaking, fostering non-verbal communication and teamwork.
The “human knot” is another classic activity that challenges students to untangle themselves from a circle of crossed hands, building patience, cooperation and effective communication. These activities are perfect for promoting teamwork in a fun and interactive way!
Gratitude Circle
Are you ready to make your students smile? For this gratitude group activity, have students sit in a circle and take turns expressing gratitude for a classmate. Each student can share something positive about another student, such as a kind action or a helpful moment.
This simple exercise fosters a supportive classroom environment and helps students feel valued. You’ll be amazed how a few kind words can make all the difference in the world and lift your students up. Looking for more ways to foster gratitude? Click here for gratitude writing prompts!
Discover the Power of Group Activities
Incorporating group activities for elementary students into your classroom helps foster a sense of teamwork, community and collaboration. Whether through small groups, large group projects or partner activities, students learn to communicate, cooperate and support each other in a way that traditional whole-group instruction alone or individual learning may not achieve.
Many of these collaborative activities we shared above can be turned into a published classbook.
Create a Classbook
Creating a classbook is an exciting group activity that encourages teamwork and highlights each student’s writing abilities. Each student contributes a page of writing and an illustration page and once it’s complete, you can have it published.
A classbook project not only improves writing abilities but also gives students a sense of pride and accomplishment. It will become a treasured keepsake that students can share with their families.
With a FREE classbook kit from Studentreasures, you can easily incorporate these group activities and watch your students transform into proud, published authors while strengthening their teamwork skills! Also, be sure to check out our blog and the Teacher’s Lounge for creative tips, writing prompts and resources to fuel group activities for students!
