15+ Fun Morning Meeting Games for Students

If you’re looking for games to play in morning meeting, you’ve come to the right place. 

Here you will find a variety of morning meeting games that engage students and transition them into learning mode.

These activities are not only fun, but they are also quick, easy-to-implement, great for a variety of grades, and promote collaboration.

Based on the Responsive Classroom morning meeting framework, morning meeting games fit into the Group Activity component. 

During this time, students participate in brief, structured activities that address social-emotional and/or academic skills. 

These warm-ups help students to relax and settle into the day so that they’re fully focused on the learning ahead.

So if you need ideas for morning meetings, try a few of these fun morning meeting games and activities this week. 

Morning Meeting Games 

1. Play the Freeze Game. 

Students talk and move about the classroom freely. Upon hearing a signal such as an attention-getter, they freeze. 

The teacher notes how much time it takes the class to freeze. Now they repeat the process, trying to beat the previous time. 

2. Play Toss and Catch.

Divide the class into two teams. 

Team 1 tosses a beach ball to the other team. If the other team catches the ball without it touching the floor, it receives a point. 

Now Team 2 tosses to Team 1. If it catches the beach ball without it falling to the floor, it receives a point. 

The game continues as such for a few rounds. 

3. Fill the Suitcase.

For this activity, the teacher starts by saying the phrase, “I am going on a trip, and I need to pack my suitcase. I am going to take a/an_____.” (The teacher fills in the blank with any item.)

The first student repeats the phrase, adding an item and repeating the item the teacher stated.

First student: “I am going on a trip, and I need to pack my suitcase. I am going to take a jacket. Ms. Johnson is going to take an umbrella.” 

The second student adds something new, repeating the other items also.

Second student: “I am going on a trip, and I need to pack my suitcase. I am going to take a flashlight, Ms. Johnson is bringing an umbrella, and Juan is taking a jacket.”

This process goes on until every student has had an opportunity to add an item to the suitcase.

4. Play the Memory Name Game.

This is a great game for helping students get to know one another at the beginning of the school year. 

What’s more, it helps to develop listening skills.

Sitting in a circle, the teacher asks students a question such as…

  • What is your favorite food?
  • What is your favorite sport?
  • What is your favorite color?
  • What is your favorite book?

The first student answers, “My name is Jodie, and my favorite food is pizza.” 

Now the second student responds to the question but must also repeat what the first student said. 

“My name is Javier, and my favorite food is ice cream. Jodie’s favorite food is pizza.”

The third student answers now, repeating also what the previous students stated. 

Continue as such until every student has answered and repeated.

5. Play Sparkle.

Sparkle is a fun spelling game.

Students stand in a circle. The teacher gives a spelling word. The first student says the first letter, the second student gives the second letter, and so on. 

If a student gives an incorrect response, he or she sits down. The next student in the circle continues spelling the word. 

Once the word is completed, the group shouts, “Sparkle!”. 

Related Content:
15 Fun Morning Meeting Activities for Students

6. Search Hidden Objects.

Also called the Hot and Cold game, one student is chosen to leave the group briefly so that the class may hide an object.

When the student returns, the class offers clues while the student searches for the object. 

Clues include, “You’re hot.”, “You’re warm.”, “You are a bit cool.”, “You’re getting warmer.”, “You’re freezing cold!”, etc. 

The process continues like this until the student locates the object. 

7. Participate In Telephone Game.

Students sit in a circle. 

The teacher starts by whispering a simple message to the student on her right. That child then whispers the message to the student on her right. 

Each student whispers around the circle like this until everyone has heard the message. 

The last student shares out loud the message. The group discusses if and how it changed. 

8. Make Famous Pairs.

Create a list of popular pairs, and then make a set of sticky notes for each.

Pair examples include…

  • burger and fries
  • capital, state
  • bacon and eggs
  • Tom and Jerry
  • pencil and eraser
  • Scooby-Doo and Shaggy
  • pail and shovel
  • Barbie and Ken
  • pancake and syrup

Place a sticky note on each student’s back. Students must go around, asking questions to peers in order to determine what name they have. 

Once they realize the name, they must find their partner pair. 

9. Form Groups.

For this activity, students will form and reform groups quickly. The teacher chooses a student to be the leader. 

After getting students’ attention, the student leader gives an instruction such as…

  • Group according to who brought a lunch from home and who is eating in the cafeteria.
  • Form groups of three.
  • Get into two groups: who has shoelaces and who does not.
  • Group according to birthday month.
  • Make groups based on your last year’s teacher. 

10. Play I Spy.

The teacher starts this game by saying to students, “I spy something in the classroom that is blue.” (or any other color).

Students have three chances to guess the object. The teacher may use clues such as hot, cold, warm, and cool to help students gauge how far or close they are to the object. 

After students guess correctly, the teacher will choose a student to “spy” something else in the classroom.

11. Play Simon Says.

This classic game is always a hit with students, young and older. 

To start, the teacher chooses a student leader. This child performs a series of actions that the other students must follow.

However, the other students only do the movement if they hear the leader say, “Simon Says” before stating the action. 

If the leader doesn’t say “Simon Says” before sharing the action, students must remain still. 

This is arguably one of the best morning meeting games for developing listening skills. 

12. Follow the Leader.

The teacher designates a student leader who will perform a series of motions in front of the class. 

Motions to consider sharing include… 

  • making a face
  • jumping on one foot
  • blinking
  • clapping hands
  • snapping fingers 

The other students must imitate each motion the student leader does.

13. Go On a Scavenger Hunt.

A great game for the beginning of the school year is to participate in a scavenger hunt around the classroom.

It’s simple, fun, and purposeful!

14. Stand Up Together.

Pair students, and have them sit on the floor with their hands clasped and feet touching. Now they must work as a duo to stand. 

Once students have success standing as duos, challenge them to do the same in groups of three and four.

15. Play Charades.

One student is chosen to act out a scene without talking. While acting it out, the other students take turns guessing what he/she is doing. 

The student who guesses correctly performs next unless he or she has already had a turn. 

16. Make Cool Art.

More of a mental challenge than a game, these art video tutorials inspire students to draw funny cartoons, cute animals, and cool objects. 

These activities and lessons serve as fun morning meeting mental games that fully engage students.

Final Thoughts On Morning Meeting Games

Make these fun morning meeting games part of your morning meetings. Students will be more excited and ready to learn.

Access more fun morning meeting games in downloadable form.