First Day of Middle School Adapted PE: 3 Simple Getting-to-Know-You Activities

Tomorrow is my first day with one of my small-group middle school PE classes, and I wanted a first lesson that did more than just go over rules and expectations.

I want students to move, talk, learn each other's names, share a little about themselves, and give me a chance to informally observe some basic PE skills without making the first day feel like an assessment.

So I put together three simple activities that can be used as a complete first-day lesson:

• Getting to Know You Bingo
• Four Corners: Getting to Know You
• Pass & Connect

All three downloads are free for Just Adapt It Pro members or available individually for $1.99 per file. You can also grab the complete First Day Activity Pack — all three files for $4.99.

1. Getting to Know You Bingo

This is a movement-based twist on the traditional “find someone who…” activity.

Students move around the space, meet different classmates, complete simple prompts, and write down names as they try to get five squares in a row.

The card includes a mix of:

• Favorite sports and activities
• Music and interests
• School preferences
• Fun personal questions
• Simple movement challenges
• Partner tasks
• Inclusive movement options

It works especially well as a first-day activity because students have a reason to approach classmates rather than being told to simply “go introduce yourself.”

Printing

For this activity, each student needs their own bingo card. I also like giving copies to instructional assistants, paraprofessionals, teachers, and other staff in the class. Adults participating makes the activity feel much more natural and gives students more people to connect with.

Get the Bingo cards

2. Four Corners: Getting to Know You

For Four Corners, the gym is divided into four color-coded answer areas: A, B, C, and D.

I read a question and give four possible answers. Students move to the corner representing their choice.

For example:

What would you rather do on the weekend?

A — Play sports
B — Play video games
C — Hang out with friends
D — Relax or watch TV

Once students reach their corner, I can add a quick social challenge such as:

• Introduce yourself to someone in your corner.
• Tell someone why you chose that answer.
• Find one thing you have in common.
• Learn the name of someone you haven't spoken to yet.

The packet includes a large bank of four-choice questions plus full-page, color-coded A, B, C, and D signs.

You can also change the way students travel between rounds:

• Walk or wheel
• March
• Side-step
• Skip
• Jog
• High knees
• Partner travel
• Student choice

Printing

You only need one copy of the Four Corners packet. Print the four corner signs and keep the question bank with you while teaching.

Get the Four Corners packet

3. Pass & Connect

This one might be my favorite because it doubles as a very informal first look at throwing and catching skills.

Students form a large circle, standing or seated, with one soft ball. The student holding the ball answers the prompt, says the name of the person they are passing to, and sends the ball across the circle.

For the first round, we keep it simple:

“Hi, I'm ____. This one's for you, ____.”

Once everyone knows the routine, the prompts become more interesting.

Summer Prompts

• Something fun you did this summer
• Somewhere you went
• Something you watched
• Something you ate a lot of
• A favorite summer memory

Fun Facts

• Something you're really good at
• A favorite food
• A pet you have or would like
• A hidden talent
• Something that always makes you laugh

PE & Movement

• Your favorite PE activity
• A sport you want to try
• Something physical you feel confident doing
• Something you want to improve this year
• Team activities or individual activities?

As the rounds progress, I can also change the type of pass:

• Underhand toss
• Chest pass
• Overhand throw
• Bounce pass
• Non-dominant hand
• Student choice

While students are focused on the conversation, I can quietly observe things such as ball tracking, catching readiness, accuracy, force control, and general throwing technique.

It gives me useful baseline information without saying, “Okay everyone, now we're doing an assessment.”

Printing

You only need one copy of the Pass & Connect packet. It includes the activity directions, prompt bank, and an optional quick observation sheet.

Get the Pass & Connect packet

Sample First-Day Lesson Plan

This is roughly how I plan to use the three activities with my small group tomorrow.

1. Warm-Up Laps — 5 Minutes
   Students enter, learn where to put their belongings, and begin moving around the gym. Depending on the group, students can walk, wheel, jog, follow a designated route, or move with a partner. The goal isn't fitness testing — it's simply establishing the routine that when we enter PE, we get moving.
2. Group Stretches — 5 Minutes
   Bring everyone together for a short dynamic stretch and mobility routine. This is also a good opportunity to introduce personal space, where students should stand, how we respond to start/stop signals, movement adaptations, and choice within activities. Keep it short. It's the first day.
3. Pass & Connect — 10 Minutes
   Start with names. Then move into one or two prompt rounds. If the group is successful, change the type of pass or increase the distance slightly. This gives me my first informal look at throwing and catching while students learn more about each other.
4. Four Corners — 10 Minutes
   Set up the four colored corners and move through several quick questions. I like mixing silly questions with useful information. Now I'm learning about my students while they're learning about each other.
5. Getting to Know You Bingo — 10–15 Minutes
   Finish the main part of class with Bingo. At this point students have already heard everyone's names and learned a few things about each other, which makes approaching classmates much easier. Students move around the gym completing their cards. Staff can participate too. Depending on time, the goal can be five in a row, four corners, a complete row and column, or as many squares as possible. I care much more about the conversations than whether someone actually gets Bingo.
6. Cool Down & Wrap-Up — 5 Minutes
   Bring everyone back together. A few possible closing questions: What is one new person's name you learned? What is something you discovered you have in common with someone? Which activity did you enjoy most? What is one PE activity you hope we do this year? Then preview what is coming next class.

Why I Like This First-Day Format

There is obviously a place for expectations, procedures, and safety rules. But I don't want my students' first experience of PE for the year to be sitting down while I read rules from a slideshow.

These three activities let me establish routines through participation.

By the end of the lesson, students have:

• Learned classmates' names
• Shared their interests
• Moved around the space
• Practiced listening and communication
• Worked with different classmates
• Thrown and caught
• Made choices
• Started learning PE routines
• Given me useful information about their interests and abilities

And hopefully, they leave thinking: “PE is going to be fun this year.”

Download the Activities

The three resources are available separately:

• Getting to Know You Bingo — one bingo card per student and participating staff member.
• Four Corners Getting to Know You Packet — one teacher copy plus the included A/B/C/D corner signs.
• Pass & Connect Packet — one teacher copy with directions, prompts, and observation sheet.

All three downloads are FREE for Just Adapt It Pro members. Individual files are $3.99 each for non-members.

Get the complete First Day Activity Pack

Move. Connect. Learn about your students — and start the year playing.