Need a simple, effective, no prep name game? Want a name game where participants can feel safe while learning their peers names? Here you go!

1. ?Smart ?School Start
2014
?
Academic Mini-Mixers
Best Name Game EVER
Estimated time: 30 minutes
by Marlena Hebern

2. Culture Goals
Academic Goals
Establish a positive climate
Student feel like they are a part of the class
Students begin to build rapport with one another
Light and meaningful writing activity
Use as a quick writing assessment and
the kids don’t even know!
Students have fun

3. In self contained classes:
Do this as a school wide activity
In departmentalized classes:
Do this for each period

4. Fun feedback!
Play the name game and then
students draw a name and write a message
introducing themselves to a classmate.
OR
Students can use the iPad camera to take a selfie,
insert into Pages, and write a short introduction!

5. ???
Best Name Game EVER
One spring I realized that my students
didn't know the names of their classmates?
!
I never let that happen again!

6. ??Best Name Game EVER
And, this isn’t that name game…
!
You know, the one where one child bett?at a time struggles to
remember everyone’s name…
!
This one is er!

7. ?Best Th?Name Game The Play..
!
Stand in a circle.
say?EVER
The first person says, “Hi, my name is Mary.”
e WHOLE class s, “Mary.”

8. ?Best WHO?Name Game Ma?EVER
!
The second person says, “Hi, my name is Kevin.”
The WHOLE class says, “Mary, Kevin.”
!
The third person says, “Hi, my name is Sandy.”
The LE class says, “ry, Kevin, Sandy”

9. ??Best Name Game EVER
!
And that’s it!
!
The game continues until th?everyone
is named around e circle.

10. ??Best Name Game EVER
!
Tips:
Allow enough time mo?so you can
complete the game in one sitting.
!
Keep the pace ving!

11. ?Older? Best Name Game EVER
!
Academic Extension:
!
Students draw a name and write a
message introducing themselves
to a classmate.
sho?!
For very young students, complete a sentence frame.
My name is ______ and I like ______.
!
students write a rt paragraph.