Engineering Icebreakers Fun STEM Team-Building Activities for the Classroom

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These EASY and FUN back-to-school icebreakers for Engineering Classes are the perfect activity for the first week of school! To begin with, they require absolutely NO PREP—just print and you’re ready to go. Additionally, this resource includes two engaging activities designed to help students connect right away: Back-to-School Bingo, which gets everyone moving and talking, and a Getting to Know You Hexagonal Thinking Activity, which, in turn, encourages deeper conversations and collaborative thinking. Altogether, these engineering icebreakers make starting the year feel stress-free, structured, and exciting for both teachers and students!

Back to School Engineering Bingo:

You and your students will love this fantastic combo! The Back to School Bingo game is not your average bingo game. Students will search the room for classmates that can sign off on accomplishments, such as “Made a Rube Goldberg machine,” on their bingo cards. When they find a student that has that skill, the student they found will sign the bingo card. As soon as someone scores four-in-a-row, they shout “BINGO!” And don’t worry, I’ve also included a bingo calling card for you if you want to run this as a classic teacher-led game. There are 30 unique bingo cards, in color and black and white versions.

Back to School Engineering Hexagonal Thinking Activity:

Also included is a super engaging collaborative “Get to Know You Hexagonal Thinking Activity.” It’s a one-page worksheet with a hexagon split into six sections, each housing a unique and editable question. Your students get to answer questions like, “If you were stuck on a deserted island, which of these items would be the MOST important for survival…duct tape, knife, or bucket?” The questions are completely editable, so you can change them to suit your needs.

Once they’ve filled out their hexagons and cut them out, it’s time for a class-wide brainstorm. Students find connections in their answers and link their hexagons together. *For example, if a student responds that he wants to time travel to the Jurassic Period, and another student responds that his favorite branch of science is paleontology, then those hexagon sides will be matched together. The class continues to collaborate as they connect hexagons based on shared or complementary responses. The result is a colorful tapestry of interests.=

*Example is from the Earth Science Icebreaker Activity.

The goal of these resources is to get students to open up, connect, and realize how much they share with their classmates. It’s easy-to-use, customizable, and the perfect way to start the school year! Give it a shot, and watch your classroom transform into a community!

What’s Included?

• 1-Page Hexagonal Thinking Activity for Back to School – Editable!
• 30 Bingo Cards in Color
• 30 Bingo Cards in Black and White
• 1 Bingo Calling Card

How will this Resource Help You?

• Time and Effort Saving: Coming up with engaging and meaningful icebreaker activities can be time-consuming. This ready-to-use resource saves teachers valuable preparation time and effort, especially during the busy back-to-school period.
• Breaking the Ice: As the name implies, these activities are an excellent way for teachers to break the ice at the beginning of the school year. They create a relaxed and fun environment where students feel comfortable opening up, sharing about themselves, and engaging with their peers.
• Student Engagement: The combination of science and interactive games ensures high student engagement. The activities appeal to a range of learning styles and make science more approachable and exciting, which can lead to increased participation and motivation throughout the year.
• Understanding Student Interests: Through these activities, teachers gain valuable insights into their students’ interests, experiences, and attitudes towards science. This knowledge can be used to tailor lessons and activities to better engage students and appeal to their individual interests.
• Classroom Community Building: These activities encourage students to interact and learn about their classmates’ experiences and interests. This fosters a sense of community within the classroom, which can promote cooperation and mutual respect among students.