Building a classroom community is essential for both the social/emotional wellbeing of our middle level learners and it is also necessary to academic success. This session will provide a very short rationale on why play is important and then present multiple strategies for building a safe and fun classroom. This will be a very engaging session where participants will learn each of the many strategies through active participation. The varied strategies will focus on all areas of building a community, utilizing pairs, small groups, and whole class activities. This session is designed to build relationships, reduce stress, and create laughter. Let’s have some fun.