Ice breaker activities are especially valuable at the beginning of the school year when children don't know other children in the class particularly well. For a fun, interactive activity to do on the first day, pass a roll of toilet paper around the class and ask students to break off what they think they would need if they went camping. Then, for each square of paper, each person must say something about themselves, taking turns going around the room.
An ideal way to encourage interaction without the intimidation of large groups is to get the class to work in pairs. By doing various activities, students will begin to get to interact with different people, getting to know different personalities and developing diverse relationships with one another. Working on an art project, such as paper mache crafts, works particularly well because it can be a messy endeavor and an extra pair of hands is appreciated.
Students can learn much by working with their peers. For English classes, get the kids to edit each others' stories or essays, giving them guidelines to follow for feedback. For an interactive math activity to practice simple multiplication, write down 0 to 9 on the board and the multiple/number for the day. One student stands next to another, while the teacher points to the multipliers. The student who says the correct answer fastest wins and moves on to the next student in the class. The object of the game is to make it as far across the room as possible.
Most elementary schools have a number of extracurricular clubs and teams in which students can participate. It is also a fantastic way to interact in a safe setting with like-minded children outside of the classroom. Singing in the choir, group art classes and a baseball team may appeal to your child. Many schools even have a craft club, sticker club or recycling club, all of which are activities that involve a great deal of social interaction.