Trailblazers Teacher Guide Back-to-School Icebreaker (Grades 3-5)
Trailblazers Quest
Teacher Guide
Game Overview
Trailblazers Quest is an interactive board game designed for the first week of school. Students reflect on their summer memories and design purposeful, positive academic goals for the upcoming year while developing communication, active listening, and peer connections.
Print & Prep Checklist
✓ Game Boards: Print 1 copy of the Game Board per group of 3-4 players. Heavy cardstock is recommended.
✓ Prompt Cards: Print and cut the 12 Prompt Cards (6 Summer, 6 School). Place them face-down in two separate decks.
✓ Tokens & Die: Print, cut, and fold the custom tokens and 1-3 die. (A 1-3 die slows pacing, allowing more conversation spaces!)
Suggested Pacing (45 Mins)
00-10 Mins: Intro & rules explanation
10-30 Mins: Gameplay in small groups
30-40 Mins: The "Goal Summit" group debrief
40-45 Mins: Reflection Ticket exit slip
How to Play
Roll the die and move that number of spaces.
Land on a space and follow its instructions:
Summer Sparks: Draw a summer card & complete the starter.
School Starts: Draw a school card & answer the goal.
Scenic Route: Follow directions on that space!
Peer listeners must ask at least one follow-up question to earn their own token move next turn!
First player to reach the School Summit wins, but the game continues until all finish!
Active Listening Prompts
Encourage classmates to practice positive support. Introduce these sentence frames to improve group collaboration:
"That sounds amazing! What was the best part of..."
"How can our team help you reach that school goal?"
"That sounds tricky, but I think you can do it because..."
Post-Game Reflection prompts
What is one common summer memory we all shared?
Name one goal a peer shared that inspired you.
How can we support each other as a team this year?
Lenny's Pro-Tip for Educators
Instead of competitive speed, emphasize the "Trail Partner" system. If a student is stuck on a prompt card, their teammates are allowed to "lend a hand" by suggesting ideas or asking simple scaffolding questions!
Unit: First Week Adventure Kit Summit Trailblazers Series Grade Band: 3rd - 5th
Trailblazers Game Board Active Team Icebreaker
TRAILBLAZERS QUEST
Cabin / Team Name ______________________
Date ___________
Start
Summer Oasis
Ready your gear! Place tokens here.
1
Summer Spark
Draw a Summer Card & share!
2
School Start
Draw a School Card & plan!
3
Campfire rest
Share your absolute best summer day !
7
High Five!
Give high fives to your neighbors! Move +1 space .
6
Summer Spark
Draw a Summer Card & share!
5
Hiking Detour
March in place like a hiker for 5 seconds to stay here!
4
School Start
Draw a School Card & plan!
8
School Start
Draw a School Card & plan!
9
Summer Spark
Draw a Summer Card & share!
10
Lost Map
Oh no! Lost compass! Walk backward 1 step or move -1 space .
11
School Start
Draw a School Card & plan!
Finish
Summit Peak
Celebrate! Share 1 big hope for this school year!
14
School Start
Draw a School Card & plan!
13
Idea Spark
Share one thing you want to learn to do this year!
12
Summer Spark
Draw a Summer Card & share!
Quick Trail Guide
Roll the custom die to explore the trail. Complete the prompt cards with honesty and high energy!
Summer Cards
School Goals
Trailblazers Prompt Cards Trailblazers Card Cutouts
Cut along the dotted lines. Mix cards or separate into Summer and School piles.
Cards Pack (12 Cards)
Summer Spark
"My favorite memory from this summer is..."
Tell 1 detail about where you were!
Summer Spark
"One delicious food or sweet treat I ate this summer was..."
Who was eating it with you?
Summer Spark
"A funny, silly, or surprising moment from my summer break was when..."
Why did it make you laugh?
Summer Spark
"During the summer, I spent a lot of my free time..."
How did you feel doing that activity?
Summer Spark
"One book I read, movie I watched, or game I played this summer was..."
Give it a score out of 5 stars!
Summer Spark
"The most exciting outdoor place I visited or walked to this summer was..."
Describe what it looked like there.
School Start
"One subject or topic I am really excited to learn about this year is..."
Why does that topic interest you?
School Start
"This school year, one academic goal or skill I want to get better at is..."
What is one small step to get there?
School Start
"A way I can be a helpful and kind classmate to others this year is..."
What helper action can you do?
School Start
"One classroom rule or standard that I think is very important is..."
Why does this help everyone learn?
School Start
"When I feel stuck or challenged by a hard school problem, I can try to..."
Who or what tools can help you?
School Start
"A book I hope to read or a creative project I want to make this year is..."
What is the subject of the book/project?
Activity Tip: Have players keep their favorite card as an exit ticket! Summit Trailblazers Series Grade Band: 3rd - 5th
Trailblazers Game Pieces Trailblazers Game Pieces
Cut, fold, and tape the custom 1-2-3 die and four character tokens below.
Tokens & Die Net
3D Foldable 1-2-3 Die
TOP 1
TAB
LEFT 1
TAB
FRONT 2
RIGHT 2
TAB
BOTTOM 3
TAB
TAB
BACK 3
TAB
★ The 1-2-3 Die keeps pacing focused on sharing!
How to Build
The Die: Cut along outer borders (solid lines). Do not cut the tabs! Fold along internal borders (dashed lines). Apply glue or tape to the shaded tabs and press faces together to form a solid cube.
The Standees: Cut out each character card strip. Fold along the two horizontal dashed lines. Tape the overlap tab to the back of the bottom base to create an upright standing prism!
Fold Guide
FOLD INWARD
▲ STANDS
Folding characters into triangles allows them to stand tall on the board! No plastic card holders are needed.
4 Printable character Standees
The Hiker
Fold
Bottom Base
Fold
Explorer
The Hiker
Tape Overlap Tab
The Scout
Fold
Bottom Base
Fold
Explorer
The Scout
Tape Overlap Tab
The Camper
Fold
Bottom Base
Fold
Explorer
The Camper
Tape Overlap Tab
The Ranger
Fold
Bottom Base
Fold
Explorer
The Ranger
Tape Overlap Tab
Tip: Print on heavy cardstock or scale to print layout for perfect size. Summit Trailblazers Series Grade Band: 3rd - 5th