16 engaging classroom activities to try

Interactive classroom activities help students move beyond theory and start creating together. Whether brainstorming new ideas, thinking visually, or reflecting on design process, these activities make learning more hands-on, collaborative, and fun.

They also help students build creative skills they’ll use well beyond the classroom. With ready-to-use templates, it’s easy to set up activities that boost engagement in minutes.

Read on to learn about:

• 16 classroom activities you can try
• How to customize activity templates for different needs
• Tips for using these class activities in remote or in-person classes

Activity 1: Icebreakers

Kick off a new semester, group project, or class session with an icebreaker activity. These fun, low-pressure prompts help students feel more at ease, build connections, and get comfortable using collaborative tools like FigJam.

The virtual icebreaker template includes prompts like “Two Truths and a Lie” and “Show and Tell,” plus interactive elements like sticky notes, emoji reactions, and live doodles. Students can respond directly on the board and engage with each other in real time

Make it yours: Add your own prompts to match your subject or your students’ interests or your subject area. You can also assign pairs or small groups and rotate them to encourage even more interaction.

Activity 2: Free writing

Free writing helps students tap into their creativity and organize their thoughts without the pressure of perfection. It’s a great warm-up or reflection tool that supports creativity, storytelling, and personal expression.

With open-ended writing zones, students can drag in sticky notes or type directly into text fields. Each student gets their own section, and visual prompts help spark new ideas. used in pairs or small groups, this activity also becomes a great active listening and team-building activity.

Make it yours: Add your own writing prompts or structure the activity to suit your goals, like daily reflections, journal entries, or creative storytelling. Encourage students to use emojis, colors, or sketches to personalize their space.

Activity 3: Rose, thorn, bud

This simple reflection tool helps students share what’s going well (roses), what’s challenging (thorns), and what they’re excited about (buds). It encourages honest, balanced feedback and supports emotional learning.

The template uses color-coded sticky notes and clearly labeled sections, making it easy for students to drop their answers into the right category. It’s great for personal reflection or small group debriefs.

Make it yours: Customize the icons, colors, or prompts to match a subject or theme. For younger learners, add visual cues like icons or pair them with a buddy to organize their ideas before writing.

Activity 4: What, so what, now what

This three-part reflection activity encourages deeper thinking by helping students break down what they’ve learned, why it matters, and how they’ll apply it moving forward. It’s great for wrapping up a project or regrouping after a challenge.

The FigJam template organizes responses into three clearly labeled columns with guiding prompts. Students can work individually or in teams to fill out their sections, making it ideal for group projects or as a framework for developing strong presentation ideas.

Make it yours: Add a fourth column for action steps, or tailor the questions to a specific topic. Use it after guest speakers, presentations, or team projects to reinforce reflection as an essential learning tool.

Activity 5: Fishbowl discussions

Fishbowl discussions encourage active listening, thoughtful dialogue, and equal participation. A small group chats in the “discussion zone” while others observe quietly from the “listening zone.” Then, roles rotate so everyone has a chance to contribute.

The FigJam template mirrors this format with concentric circles, sticky note prompts, and optional widgets like Simple Vote and Anonymous Thoughts. It helps organize large conversations and ensures students don’t talk over one another.

Make it yours: Use sticky notes for observers to jot down key takeaways before they join the conversation. Try using this format with current events, debates, or book discussions.

Activity 6: 5 whys

The 5 whys technique helps students dig deeper into problems by asking “why?” repeatedly to uncover root causes. It encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and deeper analysis.

The template starts with a central issue and guides students through a “staircase” of connected questions. Each “why” is paired with a “because” on its own sticky note, making it easy to visualize their thinking process.

Make it yours: Choose a topic relevant to your lesson, like analyzing a story conflict or a real-world issue. Have students collaborate on a shared board or compare their unique “why” staircases for deeper discussion.

Activity 7: Tangram puzzle

Tangrams are classic puzzles that boost spatial reasoning and creative thinking. Students use simple geometric shapes to form designs—no scissors or glue required.

The template features draggable tangram pieces and challenge cards. Students can recreate existing shapes or design their own, all within a shared board.

Make it yours: Design your own puzzles based on seasonal themes or subject areas (like forming animals in biology or letters in language arts). It’s great for brain breaks, warm-ups, or integrating into math and art lessons

Activity 8: Pyramid discussions

Pyramid discussions guide students from individual thinking to classwide consensus. Start with solo responses, then pair up, and finally, come together as a class to build on ideas together.

The FigJam template uses a layered triangle format, with each level building on the last. Students drag and drop sticky notes as they move from one round of collaboration to the next.

Make it yours: Use it to prioritize ideas, rank solutions, or reflect on multiple perspectives. Adjust the number of layers to fit your class size or activity length.

Activity 9: Problem statement

This activity helps students break down a challenge and brainstorm solutions together. It builds teamwork, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving.

The template includes sections to define the problem, identify constraints, brainstorm ideas, and choose the best option. It’s structured but flexible, perfect for STEM or project-based learning in K–12 education.

Make it yours: Adapt the template for different types of challenges, like planning a school event or solving a math problem. Assign roles for extra structure.

Activity 10: Case studies

Case studies let students analyze real-world scenarios to practice problem-solving and critical thinking. This helps them apply concepts by breaking down situations and exploring possible solutions.

The FigJam templates guide students through sections like background, challenges, and outcomes. They work well for group or individual work and can be simplified for younger students or expanded for advanced learners.

Make it yours: Add case studies related to your curriculum or current events. Use multimedia or encourage peer feedback through sticky notes and comments.

Activity 11: Classroom Jeopardy

Make review sessions more fun with a game of Classroom Jeopardy. This interactive activity is a great way to reinforce key concepts through friendly competition.

The FigJam template includes editable categories, flip cards for entering your questions and answers, and draggable score blocks for revealing or hiding content during play. Optional hidden sections let you provide hints or resources for students who need extra support.

Make it yours: Align the categories with an upcoming test or unit. Use simpler prompts or visuals for younger learners, and run the game in teams, tournament style, or as a whole class review.

Activity 12: SMART goals

Help students set meaningful, structured goals with the SMART goal framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This activity supports personal growth and intentional learning.

The template walks students through each letter of the SMART acronym using labeled sections and prompts. Students can fill in sticky notes or text boxes to clarify their goals.

Make it yours: Add your own prompts or success criteria. Use it to guide semester goals, project milestones, or even classroom norms.

Activity 13: Flowcharts

Flowcharts help students break big ideas into steps. Whether it’s a science experiment, storyline, or system diagram, this activity builds clarity and logical thinking.

This flowchart creator includes ready-to-drag shapes, connectors, and labels so students can build flowcharts collaboratively.

Make it yours: Add a legend or key to support younger learners. Use color coding to highlight different decision paths or outcomes.

Activity 14: Class gratitude

Promote positivity and mindfulness with a gratitude wall. This activity helps build classroom community and encourages students to notice the good things around them.

The FigJam template includes a colorful board where students fill out their assigned section with something they’re grateful for—either once or throughout the week.

Make it yours: Change the background theme based on holidays or seasons. Create sections for gratitude categories, like people, places, and moments.

Activity 15: Crazy 8s

Crazy 8s is a fast-paced ideation game where students sketch eight ideas in eight minutes. It encourages quantity over perfection and unlocks creative thinking.

The template provides a grid layout where students can draw, drag shapes, or jot quick notes in each square. It’s especially useful in design thinking or creative writing units.

Make it yours: Adjust the time limit or number of ideas. Use themes or guiding prompts to help students focus their brainstorming.

Activity 16: Word search puzzle

Make vocabulary review more fun with a customizable word search. It’s a playful way to reinforce key terms and boost pattern recognition.

This puzzle generator lets you generate your own word search puzzles directly on the board. Simply enter your word list, and the tool does the rest, complete with an answer key.

Make it yours: Theme the puzzle around your current unit or student interests. Invite students to create their own and trade with a partner.

How to incorporate activities into your lesson plans

Here are a few quick tips to weave interactive classroom activities into your lesson plans:

• Start with your goals. Choose activities that support your learning objectives.
• Use FigJam to organize. Build your activity with templates, sticky notes, or timelines so students can follow along and stay organized.
• Adapt to your classroom format. Whether you teach in person or online, individually or in groups, tailor the activity layout to fit your time and space.
• Build in flexibility. Leave room for discussion or extension activities. Student curiosity can lead to great learning moments.

Make your own classroom activity in FigJam

Creating your own classroom activities lets you tailor lessons to students’ needs and your teaching style. With FigJam’s simple tools and ready-made templates, you can quickly build interactive experiences that bring ideas to life and keep everyone involved.

FigJam makes it easy to design engaging lessons that foster collaboration and creativity, whether you’re teaching in person or online. Use these resources to explore even more fun activities for students in the classroom that encourage participation, reflection, and teamwork:

• Use templates from the Figma Community to jumpstart planning.
• Collaborate with students in real time using FigJam’s shared online whiteboard.
• Discover creative ways to use FigJam in your classroom through this helpful video playlist.