27 FigJam activities to spark creativity in the classroom

Creating spaces where every student feels the freedom and confidence to participate is one of teaching’s most rewarding challenges. We’ve been inspired by educators who use Figma and FigJam to make their classrooms more collaborative and engaging, whether students are brainstorming ideas, solving math problems, or analyzing literature together.

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“FigJam has completely redefined collaboration in the classroom,” says Alyssa Faubion, Instructional Design Coach at Forward Edge. “It’s given every student the confidence to contribute, knowing their voice matters just as much as anyone else’s. The way it fosters creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking is incredible—it’s no longer just a few students leading the conversation; everyone feels empowered and engaged.”

Inspired by teachers like Alyssa, we’ve gathered some of our favorite templates that bring learning to life. Whether you’re planning for next semester or looking to energize your current classroom routine, these activities offer fresh takes on familiar teaching moments. The best part? They’re designed to work for any subject, making it easy to adapt them to your specific needs.

Building classroom community

The start of a new semester or group project is the perfect time to help students connect with each other. FigJam’s interactive elements like sticky notes, drawing tools, and even widgets like voice recordings and photobooths go beyond basic introductions, letting students share what makes them unique. It’s amazing how quickly inside jokes and shared interests emerge when students have creative ways to express themselves. This fosters a sense of community and lays the foundation for a positive classroom culture right from the start.

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Prompt students to describe their interests using stickies, stickers, and sketches.

Encourage students to share more about their personalities, hobbies, dreams, favorite subjects, and more.

Facilitate new connections as students look for “someone who likes to read,” or “someone from a different state.”

Highlight your students’ unique personalities using a virtual shoe rack.

Making language and history come alive

Reading becomes more dynamic when students can visualize relationships between characters, track plot developments in real time, and discuss themes together. FigJam’s canvas gives students a place to work together on group projects or debate historical perspectives—lending themselves to English Language Arts (ELA) and history courses. These templates transform traditionally solo activities into opportunities for group discovery and discussion.

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Amp up excitement around reading with “book commercials.”

Introduce the art of literary critique with book reviews.

Drive reading comprehension by asking students to summarize the key points of book chapters.

Help students form arguments and gather supporting evidence with a classroom debate.

Develop new vocabulary by asking students to write their own definitions for new words and rating their understanding.

Teach exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution in storytelling with a pre-writing exercise.

Visualizing STEM concepts

Abstract ideas become clearer when students can manipulate, annotate, and problem-solve together. These FigJam templates turn theoretical concepts into hands-on experiences that encourage exploration and discussion. Students can annotate word problems, draw diagrams, and collaborate on equations. They can also explore concept maps that explain topics like photosynthesis or the periodic table, or flowcharts that outline the steps of a scientific experiment.

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Make math interactive using base ten blocks.

Develop time-telling skills by asking students to draw the hands of a clock.

Lead math drills using a deck of cards that students manipulate to create the number 24.

Walk through key steps in the scientific process, from forming a question, to developing a hypothesis, to conducting an experiment and communicating the results.

Bring the laboratory to life using a virtual notebook with stickers, images, and voice memos.

Taking creative brain breaks

Everyone needs a “brain break” every now and then—a chance to reset the body and mind before jumping into the next lesson. Whether it’s building a friendship bracelet with customizable beads or playing a round of exquisite corpse—FigJam style—these quick activities help students reset between lessons while building connections with classmates. They’re perfect for transitions or those moments when everyone needs to shift energy. They can also serve as rainy day activities or icebreakers.

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Underscore new vocabulary with a basketball-themed game.

Ask your students to showcase their interests by decorating Crocs with stickers.

Let students choose whether they’ll watch, read, write, practice, or create something for their lesson.

Stoke creativity with customizable friendship bracelets.

Inject fun and intrigue with this collaborative drawing exercise.

Remix the classic Battleship game with quiz questions.

Checking understanding together

Move beyond traditional “exit tickets” with templates that let students demonstrate learning in multiple ways. With FigJam, teachers can gauge student comprehension after a lesson and get immediate feedback about areas that still need clarification. These activities also allow students to express themselves beyond a written format.

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Tap into your students’ social-media savvy by asking them to recap the lesson in 170 characters.

Bring in visual elements by asking students to design a bumper sticker summing up what they’ve learned.

Gauge understanding with an activity that places predictions, related ideas, questions, and learnings on a hierarchy.

Let students express themselves by translating lessons into text lingo.

Choose from a variety of exit tickets, like a “tip jar” of advice from fellow classmates.

Ask your students for their “glows” and “grows” using star ratings and emojis.

Ready to try these activities in your classroom? Explore more education templates in our community or learn about bringing Figma to your school.