Building Connections: Innovative Relationship Rev-Up Activities for the New School Year

As the new school year begins, teachers and students alike are preparing to navigate the excitement and nerves that come with the first day of school. Establishing a positive classroom environment is as crucial as academic readiness. Icebreakers, or as we prefer to call them, "Relationship Rev-Ups," are fundamental in creating a welcoming and engaging classroom culture. These activities help lay the foundation for a supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable, valued, and eager to participate.

The Importance of Icebreakers/Relationship Rev-Ups

1. Building Relationships: Relationship Rev-Ups are instrumental in fostering relationships between students and teachers. Engaging in these activities helps students see their classmates and teacher as approachable and friendly. This connection is vital for creating a supportive learning environment where students feel safe to ask questions and take academic risks.
2. Creating a Safe Environment: Relationship Rev-Ups help establish a safe classroom atmosphere by allowing students to share about themselves and learn about others in a low-pressure setting. When students feel respected and valued, they are more likely to participate actively and take risks in their learning.
3. Encouraging Participation: Starting the year with inclusive activities encourages even the most reserved students to engage. These activities signal that every student’s contribution is important, setting a positive tone for the rest of the year.
4. Easing Transition: The beginning of a school year can be overwhelming. Relationship Rev-Ups help ease this transition by providing structured yet enjoyable activities that reduce first-day jitters and make students feel more at ease.
5. Enhancing Communication Skills: Relationship Rev-Ups are essential for academic and personal growth skills and encouraging students to articulate their thoughts and listen to others. These activities provide a fun and supportive environment for practicing such skills.

Twelve Effective Relationship Rev-Ups That Promote Inclusive Learning.

1. Code an Icebreaker Emoji: Students use the imagi app to create an emoji representing themselves. This introduces basic coding concepts and allows creative self-expression. Students share their emojis and explain their significance. This activity utilizes the Imagi Charm, making it a personal and engaging experience. This activity could also be completed using an alternate coding device or platform that allows students to create emoji-type images.
2. Self-Reflection Statue: Students create a small 3D-printed statue symbolizing something important about themselves or their aspirations. This tactile activity helps students reflect on and share their identity with peers. The Robo 3D Printer is perfect for this task, allowing students to bring their ideas to life precisely and easily.  Alternatively, consider the 3Doodler EDU Start Learning Pack as a less expensive tool option​.
3. Collaborative Poster: Using materials such as the BrownDogGadgets’ Origami Circuits or Cricut machines, students are able to create a large poster representing the class through drawings, words, or symbols reflecting their interests or goals. The poster serves as a visual reminder of the class's unity and diversity. Students can construct and design using various materials and mediums while fostering creativity and teamwork.
4. Classroom Scavenger Hunt: Students find items or meet people in the classroom based on a list. This could include finding a specific book or introducing themselves to someone with the same favorite color. Cricut machines can be used to create intricate and personalized items for the scavenger hunt. Another alternative is to have students code robots to collect items from the various locations in the classroom.
5. Human Bingo: Create bingo cards with various traits or experiences (e.g., "Has traveled to another country," "Has a pet cat"). Students circulate the room, finding classmates who match each square and getting their signatures. Using a robot can enhance this activity by incorporating coding challenges that students must complete to earn signatures and explore more about each other.  For example, students can code a robot to travel to the countries they have visited on a world map.
6. Story Cubes: Students roll dice with different images and use them to tell a story, sparking creativity and helping them think on their feet. 3DuxDesign Kits are great for this activity, by allowing students to create their own cubes and improving their storytelling and creativity skills.
7. Do We Fit?: Each student will be given one piece of a three-piece puzzle that they must scale down, using TinkerCad or another modeling software, to ensure the new pieces fit together. At the end of the project, they will submit their puzzle pieces to be 3D printed. Students will work in groups of three, and the puzzle pieces they create will be printed and assembled. This activity fosters collaboration and problem-solving skills and introduces students to the basics of 3D design and printing, providing a practical application of technology in a creative and engaging way.
8. Speed Friending: Students have short, timed conversations with each classmate using provided prompts. This activity helps students quickly learn about each other and find common interests. Using Hue Animation kits, students can create a short stop-motion video to share what they learned from their conversations.
9. All About Me With AI: Have students try to honestly self-assess their appearance. Using platforms such as Canva or ChatGPT, they should create a prompt that describes their appearance. Students will then continue to refine the prompt until they have achieved something that resembles a self-portrait.
10. Robot Icebreaker: This Robot icebreaker activity from Weebly is a great way to introduce students to you, each other, and some “famous” robots.  

Incorporating STEM Skills into Relationship Rev-Up Activities

Incorporating STEM skills into Relationship Rev Up activities makes icebreakers more engaging and enhances students' learning experiences by blending social interaction with hands-on STEM education. These activities offer opportunities to introduce concepts such as coding, robotics, 3D printing, and engineering in a fun and accessible manner. For instance, coding an icebreaker emoji using the Imagi app familiarizes students with basic programming logic while allowing creative expression. Similarly, creating a self-reflection 3D printed statue using a Robo 3D printer encourages students to explore design and manufacturing processes. Activities like building collaborative posters with 3DuxDesign kits or using Hummingbird Robotics kits for group projects foster teamwork and problem-solving skills, essential components of STEM education. By integrating these tools and technologies, teachers can make STEM subjects approachable and exciting, laying a strong foundation for future learning.

Suggested Items from Maker Maven's STEM Brand Partners

To enhance these Gab Grabbers and Relationship Rev-Ups, here are some recommended products from Maker Maven's STEM brand partners:

1. Robo 3D Printer:  Allows students to bring their ideas to life with precision and ease.  The Robo 3D printers are great tools for creating self-reflection statues or conceptualizing any creative idea. Quick print times also make these machines perfect for classrooms.
2. 3DuxDesign Kits: Perfect for collaborative posters and building projects, these kits allow students to construct and design using various materials and connectors, fostering creativity and teamwork.
3. Imagi Charm: Great tool for inclusive coding activities. It integrates coding with wearable tech, making learning to code a personal and engaging experience. 
4. Hummingbird Robotics Kits: These kits can be used for interactive and dynamic activities. They are so versatile that the possibilities are endless. They help introduce students to robotics and programming in a hands-on manner. 
5. Buddha Boards: Buddha Boards are a great low-cost tool for reflective activities. Students draw or write their thoughts and feelings on the board and watch them gradually fade away. This is a great way to foster mindfulness and open discussions about emotions and experiences.
6. 3Doodler Pens: These pens allow students to draw in 3D, bringing their creative ideas to life in a tactile and engaging way. 
7. Cricut Machines: These machines are perfect for creating intricate designs and personalized items for activities like the Classroom Scavenger Hunt and Collaborative Poster.
8. BrownDogGadget Kits: Ideal for hands-on learning, these kits can be used in various activities to introduce students to basic electronics and engineering concepts. 
9. Hue Animation Kits: Great for storytelling activities and demonstrating learning, these kits allow students to create their own stop-motion animations, enhancing their storytelling and technical skills. 
10. Edm8ker Carts: These carts are stocked with various supplies for multiple maker activities, supporting diverse and unique projects. They are perfect for any classroom looking to implement creative and technical design. 

Incorporating these tools makes the activities more engaging and introduces students to various STEM concepts, enhancing their learning experience.

By starting the year with these engaging Relationship Rev-Ups, teachers can create a positive, inclusive, and dynamic classroom environment, setting the stage for a successful and enjoyable academic year.