Fun and Effective Communities Activities for First Grade

 When it comes to communities activities, first grade students must learn not only the meaning of a community but all about community helpers, the jobs involved and their contributions to the community, the different kinds of communities, and their role in their own community. You should be able to excite them into wanting to find out more about this topic. At the same time, you must also consider how they can relate to it in order for them to easily understand and retain the knowledge.

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One entertaining way that can guarantee children’s participation and eagerness is to play the guessing game “Which Community Helper Am I?” Write different community helpers on small pieces of paper, and let each child pick one. Ask them to walk around simultaneously, looking for a partner by waving their hands up in the air until they find one. Remind them not to show their paper to anyone. Ask them to take turns with their partners describing what they do in the community based on the community helper they picked. Once they have guessed, they must exchange papers and look for a new partner. The process goes on and on until you tell them to stop.

This activity is very engaging, and allows for everyone to learn and participate all at the same time.

Let the students bring old magazines to school. Divide them into groups, assigning one kind of community to each one. On a piece of construction paper or cardboard, ask them to stick cut-outs of people and things that can be found in their kind of community. For instance, buildings and businessmen in suits are likely to be found in a city instead of in a town or a farm. If they run out of pictures, they may opt to add drawings too so as to fill up all the spaces and create a nice collage. You may also let them write key words about their kind of community. Afterwards, you can let each group present their work to the class.

First graders are always keyed up about creative and artistic activities such as this one. They will surely love it.

Prepare pictures of different community helpers and the objects they are associated with (e.g. doctor and stethoscope, teacher and blackboard, baker and bread). Have one set for each group. Give them a time limit to match everything by pasting the pictures on a large piece of paper. The first one to finish with all correct answers wins.

Give each student half of a big construction paper, together with coloring materials. Let everyone think of the things they can contribute to the community and how they can be good members of the community. Then ask them to write or draw all their ideas on the paper. Afterwards, help them roll their papers to form a vertical cylinder, and then tape the edges together. Tell them that this is their “community hat.” Give them extra time to decorate the top and bottom parts of their hats with buttons, sequins, ribbons, and the like. Such designs will make their hats more original, defining the owners. Finally, you can plan a hat-sharing circle by asking your kids to form a circle where everyone gets a chance to speak up about his role in the community. If there are a lot of students, guide them in forming an inner circle and an outer circle that move in opposite directions. You can even play music and stop it to indicate that they should stop moving and face the one in the other circle for sharing.

Are you now wound up for these fun and effective communities activities? First grade students will surely have a blast! Enjoy!