21 Our Class is a Family Activities to Create Classroom Community
If you’re looking for some Our Class is a Family Activities you’ve come to the right place. In this post I’ll show you how creative teachers are incorporating the book lessons into activities including, writing prompts, class discussions, crafts, anchor chart ideas and even classroom decorations.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase using my link, I make a small commission –at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.
About the Book
Our Class is a Family, by Shannon Olsen and Sandie Sonke is the perfect book to read out loud to the class at the beginning of the year to help build the classroom community. Many teachers love to read it on the first day of school. Read on to check out more about the book plus ideas to get your class excited about the it and class discussions ideas.
1 | Display Your Book
A great idea is to display the book at the front of the class so students can start to get curious about it. Whiteboard bookshelves are the perfect way to do this.
2 | Read Our Class is a Family Book
Then of course you read the book out loud to your classroom. If you’re not familiar with this book, it’s all about building community in the classroom and creating a home away from home where students feel safe, included and loved. It’s a great book for an elementary classroom.
Here’s a quote from the book, “Family isn’t always your relatives. It’s the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”
3 | Class Discussion Topics
After you read the book is the perfect time for a class discussion.
Class discussion topics related to the book include:
- What makes a good class?
- What makes a good teacher?
- What makes a good student?
- What can we do to have the best year as a class family?
- What promises do we want to make in the class?
- What does respect look like?
- How can we celebrate each other?
- How can we support each other?
Our Class is a Family Activities for the Classroom
Ok, now that you’ve read the book and discussed it with the class let’s check out some fun ideas for Our Class is a Family activity.
4 | Student’s Name Word Search
Create a custom coloring sheet and a word search with the first names of all of your students. This would make the perfect first day of school activity to help students learn names of their classmates.
5 | Pinky Promise Activity
I love this idea of having students in pairs write a pinky promise to each other and attach hands with linking pinkies.
6 | Promise Coloring Sheet
Have students color a school and write down a promise to the class family that will help keep the classroom happy and safe.
7 | Writing Prompt
For a writing activity have students write one our two sentences to finish this prompt, In our class family… They can also draw a picture of themselves in a class home.
Our Class is a Family Craft Activities
Now let’s check out some Our Class is Family crafts that you and your students will have a lot of fun with.
8 | Family Bracelets
A fun craft activity is to make family bracelets with the class. Students can spell out family or their grade or class number.
9 | Friendship Bracelet Kit
If you want to copy the idea of creating family bracelets here’s a huge bracelet making kit that will get your class started.
Free Printable Friendship Bracelets
An easy and free way to make family bracelets is with paper. I created this free printable for you, and you can print as many as you want. Students can color and cut out the paper beads to make unique bracelets. Click the link under the picture to download them.
10 | Student Drawings Display
Have students draw a picture of themselves and decorate a class wall or bulletin board as a visual representation that your class is a family.
11 | Family Handprints
Create family art to hang in your room made up of each of the student’s handprints and their names. An easy way to create a frame for your family art is with a bulletin board border.
Our Class is a Family Anchor Chart Ideas
Here are some ideas to create an anchor chart to go with the book.
- You can project the book cover onto a large sheet of paper.
- Then trace it and color it in.
- Laminate it when you’re down so you can use it every year.
Read on for some more ideas for an Our Class is a Family anchor chart.
12 | Anchor Chart with Sticky Notes
Grab a pack of colorful sticky notes and have students write promises for the classroom.
13 | Idea to Hang Anchor Chart
The perfect way to hang your Our Class is a Family anchor chart is with a whiteboard rod and ring clips.
If you want to copy this idea:
- You can find magnetic curtain rods here in different sizes &
- Here is where you can find a large pack of hanger clips
14 | Whiteboard Anchor Chart
Here’s an easy idea for an anchor chart to go with the book. You can simply draw your anchor chart on your whiteboard and have students take turns writing promises for the class family.
15 | Anchor Chart with Student’s Self Portraits
Have student create a family tree by adding self-portraits to your anchor chart. This would make a beautiful classroom display.
Class Family Decoration Ideas
If you want to incorporate the class family theme in your decorations you can create bulletin boards, a class family tree, a class photo wall, or decorate your class door. Check out some more ideas below for Our Class is a Family decorations.
16 | Class Family Photo Wall
Create a beautiful class family wall like this to display student’s portraits. Have students chose a character trait that they are proud of to represent themselves and print it on the portraits.
If you want to create a wall like this in your class, here’s where you can get a custom neon sign.
18 | In This Class We are a Family Wall Decor
Add messages on walls throughout the classroom to reinforce the idea that the class is a family.
19 | Class Family Bulletin Board Idea
This teacher created a bulletin board for the first day of school that says, “class family is everything” with student names. She created this with different sizes and backgrounds for each name to make it look like a photo gallery. Then she used twine and mini clothespins to hang each name.
20 | Our Class is a Family Classroom Door Decor Idea
Another fun idea to welcome your students and to create that sense of community is to create an Our Class is a Family classroom door. This kit is available on Etsy for download. You can click on the link under the picture to check it out.
21 | Hanging Picture Display
Install rods with ring clips and clip photos of students to create an amazing class family photo wall. In this classroom the rods are drilled into the wall.
If you want to copy this idea with no drilling:
- You can get no drill curtain rod brackets here.
- Then you can get small rods here (available in different sizes)
- Here is where you can find ring clips for the pictures
Our Class is a Family Activities Pinterest
I created this post to make it easy to save your favorite ideas to your Pinterest boards. To do that just click on the picture, then the P and then choose your board.
I hope found some new Our Class is a Family activities to try at the beginning of the new school year. Hopefully you liked the ideas for crafts, classroom activities, anchor charts or the décor ideas. If you enjoyed this post, please share it!
Here are some more posts you may like...
67 Best Classroom Setup Ideas for Back to School