Fun Get to Know You Games for 2nd Grade

By the time children reach second grade, they are age 7 or 8. Second graders are more aware of their social surrounding. They are curious about the people around them and become selective in who they call their best friend. Introducing fun getting to know you games in the classroom can help children learn about the likes and difference they have with their classmates. Second graders are capable of working in small independent group projects, so there are a number of activities and games to select from.

For the game of Three Facts, have second graders write two physical attributes about themselves and one fact that their classmates do not know about them. Collect all papers and read out loud the two physical attributes on one of the papers. Students are to guess who the facts belong to. When someone gets it right, hand the paper back to the student who owns the facts to read the third fact. Students will enjoy this game of guessing and learning something new about each other.

For the game of I've Never, have the second graders gather around in a circle holding up three fingers. Select which student goes first to complete the sentence of I've never. Ask the rest of the class who has done or experienced what the other student has never done or experienced. Whoever it applies to, those students get to put one finger down. The process continues around the circle and whichever student puts down all three fingers the fastest wins. Second graders have a chance to learn more about their classmates experiences with this game.

In the game of Telling through the First Letter of Your Name, second graders write three sentences. Each sentence tells about the students' likes or favorites, but what they list must begin with the first letter of their name. Gather everyone's paper and read the sentences out loud. Students are to guess which classmate wrote the three sentences based on the keyword hints using the first letter of that person's name.

The game of Star Student involves the selection of a student each week to do a show and tell about himself. The second grader can bring in pictures, tell classmates about his pets, vacation and family. After showing and telling, ask questions related to the Star Student to see how many of his classmates have the same things in common. The goal is to find the classmate with the most things in common with the Star Student. This game allows second graders to learn more about their classmates and share things they may have in common.