The document provides instructions for several greeting activities that can be used during morning meetings in a classroom to build community and get students engaged with each other. Some of the greeting activities described include having students greet each other using different languages, actions, or funny voices. Other activities involve students moving around the circle to greet different partners, playing games while greeting like passing around bean bags, or using props like numbered cards or "snowballs" with names on them. The overall goal of the activities is to encourage interaction and connection between students.

3. “Good morning, _________”

4. “Good morning, _________. How are you today?” “Hi,___________, I’m ___________. How are you?”

6. 1,2,3,4 Cheer The group repeats the following chant as each person, one at a time, goes to the center of the circle and acts something out or dancing: "1,2,3,4 Come on ______ hit the floor. (Student starts action.) We’re so glad you’re here today, Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!" Each student doing an action should be back in his or her spot before the chant is finished so that the next person can enter the circle.

7. A Little Known Fact Have students think of a fact about themselves which many people may not know. Students introduce themselves. “Good morning. My name is _____ and a little known fact about me is _____________.” The group responds “Good morning, (name) .” Continue around the circle until everyone has been greeted.

8. Action Name Game One at a time, students greet the group by saying “Hi, I’m (action + name) .” The action must start with the same letter as the student’s name. An example would be, “Hi, I’m Jumping Judy.” The student says her name and does the action at the same time. The class responds with “Good Morning Jumping Judy,” including the action.

9. Bean Bag Toss One person starts by tossing the bean bag to someone after saying their name. The bean bag continues to get tossed around the circle, each time naming the student to whom it is tossed. The students must remember who they tossed the bag to and who they received it from. After everyone has been called, the first round is complete. Now the challenge is to continue the passing, duplicating the pattern of the first round. You can add bean bags and have several going at one time. During the initial toss, if a student has received the bean bag, they must put their hands behind their back to help signal who is remaining and so everyone can receive the bean bag.

10. Cheers 2-4-6-8! Here is a loud and rowdy greeting. Students stand in a circle and all together the group claps and chants, “2-4-6-8! Who do we appreciate? Scott! Scott! YEAAAAAAAAH – Scott!” As the group is chanting “YEAAAAAAAAH,” Scott walks fast around the inside of the circle giving everyone a high five. When Scott gets back to his spot, the other players finish the chant by calling out his name and raising their arms high above their heads as in a cheer. Go around the circle the same way until everyone has been “appreciated.”

11. Closed Eye Greeting Players shut their eyes and the teacher chooses someone to begin. The player who is chosen opens his eyes and says “Good Morning ____________,” to the player of his choice in the circle. When the player being greeted hears her name, she opens her eyes, returns the greeting, and then greets someone else whose eyes are still closed. The greetings continue until everyone has been greeted.

12. Crazy Walk Greeting How To Play: Each student thinks of a way to move across the circle. They could crab walk, disco walk, skip, hop on one foot, walk on their knees, etc. Choose one person to begin the greeting. The person who starts will pick someone from across the circle that is the opposite gender to greet. The first person then does her crazy walk across the circle and greets the other person with a handshake, and then returns to her seat. The greeting continues until everyone has been greeted.

13. Electric Hug Everyone holds hands in a circle. The first player passes a squeeze to his neighbor. The neighbor then passes the squeeze to her neighbor. The squeeze continues around the circle until everyone has been greeted. The goal is to make the squeeze go quickly around the circle.

14. Friday Greeting Group: "Hello, _____________ ! The weekend is near! What are you going to do when it’s here?" Individual: "Hello, everyone! I’m going to ______________ !" Group: "Got it! or Have fun!" Group greets the next person, and continues this pattern around the circle until everyone has been greeted.

15. Funny Voices The first person to start the greeting says, “My name is ___________ and I want you to greet me in a ___________ voice.” The class then responds by saying in that voice “Good Morning _______________.” Some possibilities for different voices are: spooky, whisper, loud, soft, baby, tough guy, squeaky, sing song, etc.

16. Hands Up! This is a chanting and rhythm game. Once the rhythm is established, name a category and choose a player to begin the activity. The whole group begins the chant below, filling in the name of the category in the fourth line. The last line names a player who then quickly names an item in the category. If a player misses by repeating or taking more than a few seconds, the activity starts over again with the chant naming the player who is next in the circle. The object is to get all the way around the circle without a miss. Hands up (clap,clap) For ’07 (clap, clap) Gonna name (clap, clap) Some name category (clap, clap) One apiece (clap, clap) No repeats (clap, clap) No hesitation (clap, clap) No duplication (clap, clap) Starting with (clap, clap) Player's name

17. Hello Neighbor Students form an inner and an outer circle. The inside circle faces the outside circle. Students who are facing each other are now partners who greet each other with the following chant. At the end of the chant, the inside circle then moves one person to the right. Now everyone has a new partner and repeats the chant. This continues until everyone is back in their original place. Hello ____, what d’ya say (wave to your partner) It’s gonna be a beautiful day (arms circle over head and then move down to sides) Clap your hands and boogie on down. (clap hands and boogie down.) Give me a jump and turn around. (jump and raise hands as you turn)

18. Math Facts Greeting Prepare flashcards with math facts (+, -, /, x). Half of the cards should have number sentences (i.e., 1+1, 12*2, 20/5, 10-3) Half of the cards should have answers to the number sentences. Hand out all cards to students. Begin greeting by having one student expose their card. They will greet the person who has either the matching number sentences or the answer. (i.e. 1st person’s card says 20/5; she greets the person with the card that has “4” on it).

19. Hello Neighbor Students form an inner and an outer circle. The inside circle faces the outside circle. Students who are facing each other are now partners who greet each other with the following chant. At the end of the chant, the inside circle then moves one person to the right. Now everyone has a new partner and repeats the chant. This continues until everyone is back in their original place. Hello ____, what d’ya say (wave to your partner) It’s gonna be a beautiful day (arms circle over head and then move down to sides) Clap your hands and boogie on down. (clap hands and boogie down.) Give me a jump and turn around. (jump and raise hands as you turn)

20. Number Greeting Put numbers on scraps of paper so that there are doubles for each number and then place them in a container. Each student pulls a number out from the container. Return the container to the center of the circle. The teacher calls out a number and the two students with that number get up and greet each other in the middle of the circle. The students place their numbers in the container in the middle of the circle. Decide before you start the greeting what type of greeting will be used, for example a handshake, a wave, high five, etc.

21. One Minute Greeting How To Play: Students move to the center of the circle and greet as many people as they can in one minute. Remind students to follow the criteria for greetings (eye contact, saying the person’s name, friendly voice, etc.). This greeting is great for when you are planning a longer activity.

22. Round the Circle Hello As students are standing in a circle, chose one student to be the first greeter. The greeter walks (or another previously determined movement, such as hopping, skipping, tip-toeing, etc.) clockwise around the outside of the circle, chooses a student by tapping her on the shoulder, and then continues around the circle. The tapped student leaves her spot and travels, using the agreed upon movement, counterclockwise around the outside of the circle. When the two students meet, they stop and greet each other (using a previously selected greeting—handshake, high 5, bow, Howdy, greet in a different language, etc.). The student who was tapped now becomes the greeter and the other student returns to his seat. This continues until everyone has been greeted.

23. Silent Greeting Teach appropriate ways to greet one another when we can’t use words. (For example, we can nod heads, smile, eye contact, etc.) Give examples of times when we would use a silent greeting. (For example, the teacher is in the middle of a lesson and our friend returns from a small group. We see a friend and he is in a conversation with someone else and we don’t want to interrupt, etc.) Greeting: Have students go around the circle, one partnership at a time, greeting each other silently.

24. Snowball Fight Materials: Piece of paper and pencil for each student, container for the snowballs How To Play: Before the start of morning meeting, all students write down their names on a sheet of paper and crumples it to look like a snowball. Set a timer for one minute and everybody throws the snowballs for the duration of the minute. When the timer rings, each person finds a snowball and returns to the circle. Moving around the circle, students stand up, cross the circle and greet the person named in their snowball. On the way back, they return the snowball to a container in the middle of the circle.

25. Ta da! Greeting Students pick someone across the circle to greet. One at a time, students pass a greeting and say the selected student’s name (for example, “Good day to you, Joshua.”). The people on either side of the greeted student say his name and do a “ta da” action. The greeting continues to get passed until all have been greeted.