Getting to know you....how do you do it?

As the end of the holiday season nears and I lament all the things I didn't get done.......I'm starting to think about the first couple of days and how the kids can 'get to know' each other. In the holidays I posted out letters to my kids, telling them a little bit about me. I've had nearly half the class reply and it has been great getting to know the kids before the come to school....but just how do we get them to know each other?

In the past I've used Bingo type activities...you know the ones where you search for people who went to the movies, went on a holiday, have the same middle name as you...yep you know the one. We've all used it. It's not a bad one for breaking the ice but when the kids you are teaching can't read well you have to start thinking wider. I've played a game where you take the kids outside and you have one child run around and tap someone on the head and say their name and time how long it takes to say the whole class - it gets the competitive children champing at the bit. But - this game suits older kids who already pretty much know everyone's name anyway. My ideas are getting stale! And given that we only do it for a week or two every year....my brain is failing me....perhaps I shouldn't have thrown out those planners from 4 years ago last week in my attempt to 'declutter'!!

Over the first couple of weeks the kids will be involved in a lot of developmental play, with us prep teachers setting up play environments for them to interact and talk.  Aside from trawling through thousands of google results, I wondered what others do in the first couple of days with their Prep children? Or even what do kindergarten teachers do with their groups? I look forward to hearing all the wonderful ideas that you have!