Advisory Antics: Fifth Graders Get Silly!

The fifth-grade advisories’ “minute-to-win-it” is one such technique that brings out laughter and silliness in judgment-free zones. The advisors add their own twist: announcing only the name of the game without explaining the rules!

Each small-group advisory decides who from their group will participate, not knowing what the game entails. Once selections have been made, students go head-to-head against peers from other fifth-grade advisories—and they discover they’re in for silly antics like knocking over cups with pantyhose and tennis balls on their heads, playing Bop-It, or shooting “Cupid’s Arrows” (blowing Q-Tips through straws) at targets. Mr. Mortensen even challenged fifth graders to a game of Concentration using laser-cut hearts from his woodshop to put their memories to the test!

“These quirky activities are community and team building games. You don’t need to be the fastest runner or the smartest in the room to win these challenges. It's a nice way to bring advisories together,” says Fifth Grade Lead Teacher Jess Angelo.