In her first post of the year, 3/4’s teacher Quynh Nguyen shares a fun classroom resource that allows her students to learn more about one another all while having a great time.

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What’s the hardest part about being president?

Student #1: “Everyone wanting to take your picture all the time, so you don’t have much privacy.”

Student #2: “You have to work with people who don’t like you.”

Student #3: “You have to make big decisions that benefit everyone.”

If you could cover any food in chocolate, what would it be?

“More chocolate!” “Bananas!” “Broccoli!” “Donuts!”

I am always searching for new classroom tools, whether academic or social. Finding games that fit this bill is a bonus. Last month, I came across one called Chat Pack for Kids: Creative Questions to Ignite the Imagination. Chat Pack comes in a small box with 100+ questions. The above question, asking kids what the hardest thing about being president is, generated serious answers. Sometimes we pick questions from the chat pack that draw laughs and giggles, such as, “If you could cover any food in chocolate, what would it be?” Initially, I wanted to learn more about the kids in my class and for them to learn more about their teachers. I’m finding other benefits to playing a game like this.

Every day (at least when we remember or have time), our class meets at the rug for about 10-15 minutes to play Chat Pack. If we are low on time, a teacher will select a card and call on hands. If we have more time, the students will call on hands. I find that students are eager to answer these questions. They raise their hands and listen to each other. I am also seeing that 100% of my class participates, so everyone is voicing their opinion. And most importantly, we are having a lot of fun learning about each other.