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Children already know that not everyone is alike. There is many different reasons for this. It could be because of their skin color, personality, how they talk, where they are from,ect. This book is a great topic starter for the students.

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Metropolitan Cow by Tim Egan, is a story of inclusion and exclusion told in a way more perceivable by our class. For this book we want your children to learn about separation of classes, diversity, stereotypes, and acceptance.

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Below are four books we chose that fit into the subjects of History and Art. The theme of inclusion and diversity is throughout all of these books. We chose different varieties of books that include diversity and inclusion to show that those things do not just look one way and that we can be inclusive every day in our personal lives. The illustrations within these books are a great way to further the book's ability to convey those themes and messages.

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We can read Metropolitan Cow first. After the reading, we can do the activity shown above. This will let the children go deeper into thinking about the book we just read together.

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Once the students are done with the activity shown above, we will discuss the answers as a class. The students will be able to see the many different options they could have chosen as well.

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Open Ended Play is a great step to enhance inclusive learning.

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Through this book we're encouraging children from different backgrounds race and class wise to welcome each other. One way this can be encouraged at home is by providing children with opportunities for open-ended play. These figures, while plain, allow children the opportunity to create families and groups that reflect different backgrounds.

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Why is creativity and play an important part of a child’s development? 

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Why is creativity and play an important part of a child’s development? 

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Subjects that innately foster students’ creativity are often regarded as inferior in school settings. Even more frequently, play time is minimal or entirely absent during school hours. Despite this disregard for the importance of creativity and play, there is ample evidence to show their importance in both a school and home environment. Play sparks creative thinking and cognitive growth through the inherent use of imagination and problem-solving. Play also helps children to remain physically active which is necessary to develop muscle tone and both fine and gross motor skills. As a child develops mentally and physical through play, they are able to evolve socially and linguistically by learning to communicate with others and to express themselves fully. They develop emotional regulation through problem solving and are able to access determination when faced with challenges. Parents can help their children reap all of these benefits by providing ample time, toys, and attentiveness. At school, educators can strive to incorporate playfulness into traditional curriculum. The importance of creativity and play cannot be minimized in the modern age.

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When we read books like "Metropolitan Cow" we expect our students to make connections between the situations in the book and situations in real life. If your child has questions, even if you have never read our book, try your best to answer relating what they have told you to reality. Here is a great link with a few tips should difficult conversation arise at home.
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/talk-about-race.html

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1. Students should learn about what it means to be inclusive. They can learn about this through history and art.
2. Parents should learn why inclusion is an important topic to teach their children.
3. Educators should learn how to create engaging history and art lessons that teach about the importance of being inclusive. Play should be used to achieve this goal.

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Standard 5.2.3.B - Identify the sources of conflict and disagreement and different way conflict can be resolved.

Standard 8.2.3.D - Identify and describe how conflict and cooperation among groups and organizations has impacted the history and development of Pennsylvania including ethnicity and race, working conditions, immigration, military conflict, and economic stability.

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There are many resources to create a play-based lesson in relation to the history standards and our chosen them of inclusion. Games that focus on teamwork and collaboration can serve as an introduction to why diversity and inclusion are essential. Have children attempt some of these games alone. When they are struggling allow them to include others in their game. Discuss how inclusion helped them to accomplish their tasks. This could then be related to real historical instances.

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If you're looking for unique and engaging ways to help the students in your classroom develop their social, communication, and problem-solving skills while simultaneously fostering peer relationships and promoting inclusion, this collection of team building activities for kids is a great place to start!

These cooperative games and activities can be used as ice breakers on the first day of school to help students get to know one another, and many of them can be used throughout the school year to encourage ongoing collaboration and team work.

There are so many great ideas here to inspire and help you build a supportive and safe environment for your students!

Why Is Team Building in the Classroom Important?

1. Enables students to get to know each other better. Working collaboratively with other students within the classroom helps children get to know one another better, allowing them more insight into each other's individual strengths, weakness, and interests. This can help students understand one another better, and often helps create friendships that may not have been formed otherwise.

2. Boosts self-confidence. While some children find peer interaction easy, others are much more reserved and prefer to stick close to those they are most comfortable with. This can be especially true in middle and high school, and engaging students in fun activities that require them to come together and work collaboratively towards a common goal can help remove barriers, improve self-confidence, and boost overall morale within the classroom.

3. Improves communication. In order to work cohesively as a unit, team building activities for kids teach students how to listen to their peers and also helps them learn how to express their ideas and opinions effectively.

4. Encourages collaboration. One of my favorite things about team building activities for kids is that they teach children to work collaboratively, which strengthens the class as a whole.

5. Decreases bullying. Team building activities for kids are also a fabulous way to reduce bullying within the classroom. When children feel like they are part of a team, they are much more likely to work together and support one another both inside and outside of the classroom. The trick is to ensure you are engaging students in team building activities regularly so these feelings continue to be fostered over time.

6. Creates a comfortable environment for students and teachers. When children feel like they are part of a team and have a chance to get to know their peers on a deeper level, the outcome is almost always a positive one! The classroom becomes a safe environment where children feel their opinions matter, and once these feelings have been established, students will feel more comfortable being themselves.

7 Team Building Activities for Kids in Elementary School

Birthday Line Up. Most classrooms have a birthday calendar displayed on one of the walls or bulletin boards, and if you're looking for team building activities for kids that you can do a little later in the school year, this is a great one to consider. The idea behind this activity is to get your students to line up in order of their birthdate from January to December. To make this extra difficult, and to promote additional teamwork, tell them they cannot, under any circumstances, talk during the activity! Consider setting a timer, and then working together as a class to make corrections before challenging your students to do this a second (and third) time!

Group Jump Rope. Did you ever do this as a kid? I did and it's super fun and challenging! Divide your class into teams of about 5 or 6 and challenge them to jump in tandem while 2 adults turn the rope. You'll need a long jump rope like this one, and while this activity sounds easy, it really does require teamwork for everyone to jump at the same time. Give each team a trial run, and then setup a challenge to see which team can jump the longest.

Team Scavenger Hunt. This will require a bit of upfront work on your part, but it's a great way to get your students to work collaboratively and it can be extremely fun and engaging! Divide your class into teams of 4 or 5 and provide them with a set of clues to see who can work together to find all of the items the fastest. What I love most about scavenger hunts is that you can create subject-specific scavenger hunts to compliment your lesson plans. Teachers Pay Teachers has TONS of great ideas you can purchase for a small fee.

Hula Hoop Pass. This is probably one of the most popular team building activities for kids, but for those who've never heard of it, it's quite easy to replicate. Have your students stand side-by-side in a line and ask them to hold hands. Place a hula hoop on the arm of the first person on one end of the line, and then challenge the students to move the hula hoop to the other end of the line while continuing to hold hands. It's fun and silly and a great way to get children to work as a team!

Wheelbarrow Races. If you're looking for team building activities for kids you can do in gym class, this is a great one to try! Pair kids up in teams of 2, with one person lying tummy-side down on the ground. The person who is standing must hold their team member's ankles and help them walk on their hands (hence the term 'wheelbarrow race') to the finish line. It's surprisingly difficult to do, and a great way to encourage kids to work together as partners.

Human Knot. This is another one of my favorite team building activities for kids as it requires no setup and can be done absolutely anywhere. It's also super fun! Have a group of students stand in a circle and ask everyone to raise their right arm before reaching forward to grab hands with someone opposite from them. Next, ask everyone to raise their left arms and do the same thing. Be sure no one is holding hands with someone standing directly next to him or her. The object of this activity is for the group to find a way to detangle themselves without letting go of anyone's hands.

Water Balloon Pass. If you're looking for team building activities for kids you can do outside, this is another great one! You can obviously use regular balls, but water balloons make it extra fun and motivating in my opinion. Split your classroom up into pairs of 2, and have everyone line up so they are facing their partner with a few feet between one another. Next, have one player toss a water balloon to his or her partner. Each time a player catches a water balloon without it breaking, the partners each take one step backwards, which obviously makes the game more challenging. The object of the game is to see which team reaches the end of the playing area first, although you will obviously continue the game until all teams have finished.

7 Team Building Activities for Kids in Middle School

Blind Folded Obstacle Course. Setup an obstacle course in the school gym or playground and divide your class into teams of 4 or 5. Every member of each team will get a chance to complete the obstacle course while blindfolded while their teammates verbally lead them through the course. You can do this just for fun, or you can set a timer to see which team is more efficient with providing verbal instructions.

Pass the Exercise Ball. I can't remember where I first saw this idea, but it definitely tops the list of my favorite team building activities for kids in middle school. Have your students stand shoulder to shoulder in a line, and then ask them to lie on the ground with their feet propped up against a wall while holding hands. The object of the game is for the class to move an exercise ball from one end of the line to the other using only their feet.

LEGO Building Challenge. I actually played this during a corporate retreat when I was in my 20s, and I'm excited to include it in this list of team building activities for kids. The idea is pretty simple, but the activity itself is surprisingly challenging. To play, the teacher must create a simple(ish) structure using LEGO pieces, divide the class into groups of 2, and provide each group with a bag filled with each of the LEGO pieces uses to create the structure. The structure is placed somewhere out of sight (i.e. on a table in the hallway), and one person in the team is tasked with walking out to view the structure and reporting back to his or her partner with verbal instructions on how to replicate it. He or she cannot use his or her hands at any time. This is all about communication and can be both fun and frustrating!

Fingertip Hula Hoop. Split your class into teams of about 6-8 students, have them stand together in a circle with their arms raised above their heads, and then place a hula hoop on their finger tips. Using nothing but their fingertips, each team must work together to lower the hula hoop to the ground without dropping it.

Relay Races. Relay races are a fabulous way to get kids to work collaboratively and there are so many different ideas you can try with your students. Check out this list of 45 ideas over on Kid Activities for a little inspiration!

Helping Out in the Community. While not necessarily a team building activity per se, finding ways for your students to work together for a greater cause can go a long way in helping them form connections with one another. This could be as simple as cleaning up your local neigborhood or park, or you could take it a step further and organize for your class to serve a meal at a homeless shelter or visit a nursing home. The idea is to do something for others, and I would suggest pairing kids together from different social circles so they can share the experience and (hopefully) bond over it. Encourage them to discuss what they did and how it made them feel as a group afterwards for greater connection.

Balloon Walking. The last idea I have to share on this list of team building activities for kids is a great ice breaker for kids in middle school and beyond. Ask the class to line up side-by-side and hold hands before placing a balloon in between the shoulders of each student. The object of the activity is for the entire class to walk in a line without any of the balloons popping or falling to the ground. It's heaps of fun!

Whether you're an elementary or middle school teacher, I hope this collection of team building activities for kids inspires you to find fun and engaging ways to promote team work and inclusion within your classroom this school year!
This post contains affiliate links. If you found this collection of team building activities for kids helpful, please share this post on Pinterest! And if you're looking for more activities to do with your student or children, please follow our Kids board where we share all kinds of great ideas we find each day!

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14 Fun and Engaging Team Building Activities for Kids

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If you're looking for unique and engaging ways to help the students in your classroom develop their social, communication, and problem-solving skills while simultaneously fostering peer relationships and promoting inclusion, this collection of team building activities for kids is a great place to start!

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Standard 9.2.3.A - Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work of art.

Standard 9.3.3.A - Recognize critical processes used in the examination of works in the arts such as compare and contrast, analyze, interpret, form and test hypotheses, and evaluate/form judgements.

Standard 9.4.3.D - Recognize that choices made by artists regarding subject matter and themes communicate ideas through works in the arts and humanities.

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Here is a great video to share with your children that elaborates more on what exactly being inclusive is. While the topic was heavily touched on in our book this may answer some more questions with great terminology for the kiddos to better understand. It can also be a great assessment to see if they get the idea of inclusiveness.

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Inclusiveness For Kids | How to Be Inclusive to Others | Kid Tips for Inclusion

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My group did an excellent job during this project. We made sure to divide the work evenly between us. We each finished our parts too. We asked questions when we did not understand something. The end product looks amazing as well.

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My group did a great job dividing work evenly, each member contributed. We divided work sections wise to be worked on outside of class, however while in class we each worked on the project as a whole.

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I think that our group did an amazing job with splitting up the work evenly so not one person had to big of a workload. I think that we all took into consideration that it was the end of the semester and that we needed to work together to make sure the project was great. I also think it just looks so cute.

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My group worked well together. We were able to divide the work up and complete this project despite the time restrictions that come about at the end of the semester. We communicated openly outside of class and each contributed quality work and input.

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Sesame Street: We're Different, We're the Same | Read Along Series

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In order to help children recognize that illustrations can add additional depth and meaning to a story, activities can be done to help children tell their own stories with pictures. This link shows resources that can be used to help children identify meaning from illustrations alone. Once this concept is mastered, they will be able to move on to analyzing storybooks.

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Pictures For Story Telling Teaching Resources | Teachers Pay Teachers

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Browse pictures for story telling resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.