Looking for a fun back to school activity for 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade? This printable Back to School Scavenger Hunt is a fun way for students to get up, talk to their classmates, and discover things they may not have known about each other.
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Instead of the usual “What’s your favorite color?” or “What’s your favorite food?” questions, this scavenger hunt gives kids more interesting things to ask and discover.
It’s a great first week of school activity for teachers who want students to start making connections and getting comfortable with their classmates.
🎒 Back to School Scavenger Hunt for Kids
The goal is simple: students walk around the classroom and find classmates who match the different prompts on their scavenger hunt sheet.
Some of the questions are designed to uncover fun hobbies, activities, and experiences.
Students might need to find someone who:
- 🎵 Plays a musical instrument and find out what they play
- 🏈 Plays football
- 🎂 Has a summer birthday
- 🎨 Has a creative hobby
- 🏊 Participates in a sport
- 🎮 Has a favorite game
- 📚 Has a favorite book or type of book
- ✈️ Traveled somewhere interesting over the summer
- 🌟 Has something unique or unexpected in common with them
The prompts encourage students to actually talk to each other and ask follow-up questions, rather than simply walking around checking off names.
💬 A Better Way to Get to Know Classmates
Back-to-school icebreakers can sometimes feel repetitive, especially for older elementary students.
Questions like “What’s your favorite food?” are easy, but they don’t always lead to much conversation.
This scavenger hunt is designed to help students discover real interests, hobbies, experiences, and things they have in common.
A student might discover that someone in their class plays the same instrument, plays football, has a summer birthday, or spent their summer somewhere they’ve always wanted to visit.
Those little discoveries can be the beginning of new friendships and classroom connections.
🏫 Perfect for 3rd–6th Grade
This back to school scavenger hunt for upper elementary students is designed for approximately 3rd through 6th grade.
It’s a great fit for:
- 3rd grade classrooms
- 4th grade classrooms
- 5th grade classrooms
- 6th grade classrooms
- Homeschool groups
- New student activities
- Classroom icebreakers
- First day of school activities
- First week of school activities
- Back to school parties
- Youth groups and kids’ groups
Because the questions focus on interests and experiences, you can also use this activity with students who have already known each other for a while. They may still discover something new about a classmate!
🏆 Make It a Friendly Competition
Want to make the scavenger hunt even more exciting?
Turn it into a back to school classroom challenge!
Give everyone a copy of the scavenger hunt and let students begin searching for classmates who match each prompt.
The first student to finish the scavenger hunt wins a small prize!
You could use something simple like a sticker, pencil, piece of candy, classroom reward, or another small prize.
You can also make the activity more relaxed and skip the competition if you’d rather have students focus on conversation and getting to know one another.
✏️ A Fun First Week of School Activity
This is one of those activities that works especially well during the first few days of school because students are still getting comfortable with their new classroom and classmates.
Instead of sitting at their desks and filling out a traditional “All About Me” worksheet, students get to move around the room, introduce themselves, ask questions, and find things they have in common.
It can also be a great activity to pull out when you have an extra 20–30 minutes during the first week of school.
🖨️ Get the Free Back to School Scavenger Hunt
Ready to get your students talking?
Download the free Back to School Scavenger Hunt printable below!
Print one for each student and let the class start searching for classmates who match the different prompts.
Whether you’re a teacher planning the first week of school, a homeschool family looking for a group activity, or a parent looking for a fun way for kids to meet new friends, this free printable back to school scavenger hunt is an easy way to get kids talking and connecting.
Let the scavenger hunt begin! 🎒✏️🏆
📚 More Back to School Activities
Looking for more back to school printables and activities for kids? Check out the other free worksheets, games, coloring pages, scavenger hunts, and activities here at Play Planners.
Save this activity to Pinterest so you can easily find it when you’re planning your first day of school or first week of school activities!
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