Time Filler Idea: “Guess Who?” Cards

What do you do when there are five minutes left in class? One of my favorite quick activities is “Guess Who?” cards. Guess who cards help manage classroom behavior during awkward transition times, or other times throughout the week when you have a few minutes to fill before recess, lunchtime, or the end of the day.

First of all, print the student template found here (this is a free download). Have students fill it out with facts about themselves and then collect them.

When you have a few minutes in class that you need to fill, randomly choose a card and read one of the facts. Then give two or three students a chance to guess who the secret person is. If no one guesses correctly, then read one more fact and allow a couple more guesses. Continue in this way until the secret person is guessed.

If you’d rather not use the template, and have students choose the information they include instead, here is a simple way to do that:

• Brainstorm (with the students) a list of different facts that could be included on each person’s fact sheet. This might include favorite food, tv show, sport, or any other interesting facts.
• Then give students a blank recipe card and have them choose ten facts to write about themselves.
• Collect the completed recipe cards and complete the activity as described in the previous paragraph.

Not only is this a great time filler, but it also helps students feel special and important!

Looking for other classroom time filler ideas? Find even more ideas to add to your toolkit here!