Playing Jenga in the classroom is my new favorite way to review and practice math and language skills. But, it doesn't have to end there! You can also use Jenga as a fun back to school activity. On this post, I will share a getting to know you activity using Jenga with options to play this in small groups or as a whole class activity. Amazon affiliate links provided ... Read More
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Free Math Puzzles for the Entire Year | Seasonal and Holiday Themes
Do you ever want something a bit different from the normal math fact or number sense practice? These fun math puzzles are just what you need! On this post, I will be giving you all the details about how you can get ten (yes, TEN!) sets of math puzzles to use with your students all year! About the Math Puzzles To solve the problems, the students use their knowledge ... Read More
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas and Activities for Upper Elementary
It’s almost Mother’s Day, and if your students are anything like mine, they will definitely want to celebrate their moms or the mother figures in their lives. I also really love mixing writing and other ELA activities to help celebrate Mother’s Day in meaningful ways that also help support my students' learning. Here are my favorite activities for Mother’s Day that also ... Read More
Earth Day Activities for Upper Elementary
Earth Day is one of my favorite days to celebrate in the classroom, and I wish I could spend a little time each week talking about how to take care of our planet. However, since time is limited and standards are plenty, I like to spend the day of Earth Day (or before, if it falls on a weekend) doing some engaging Earth Day activities to help my students reflect and learn ... Read More
Spring Engineering Activities with Jelly Beans
Engineering and STEM activities are perfect during the months of spring. They work well for engaging lessons or even for behavior rewards. You can use the engaging activities as a reward for on-task and good behavior during the days/weeks leading up to the activity. This post shares TWO spring engineering activities with jelly beans that your students will ... Read More
Review Games and Ideas with Plastic Eggs
Plastic eggs fill the shelves during the months of March and April. March and April are also the months of the year when students get a bit antsy and ready for spring break. Mixing things up is a must! This post will share some fun and pretty simple to prep review games and ideas to use with plastic eggs. 1. Egg Hunt Egg hunts are so much! Simply fill eggs with ... Read More
St. Patrick’s Day Science Activity | Walking Rainbow
St. Patrick's Day is a fun little holiday that comes during a time in the classroom when behavior can be a bit dicey. State testing is on the horizon but so is Spring Break. Those don't often make the best combinations in the classroom. However, St. Patrick's Day can add a bit of fun and whimsy into what can otherwise be a stressful month. This post will share a favorite ... Read More
Valentine’s Day Science Activity: Chocolate States of Matter
One of my favorite parts of teaching is bringing in something totally unrelated to normal teaching, like candy, styrofoam balls, or even whipped cream, and telling the students that it is part of their lesson for the day. Their eyes light up. Some of them don't believe it. Some of them cheer. No matter what the response, they are instantly hooked, and a great lesson ... Read More
Valentine’s Day Science Activity: Dissolving Candy Hearts in Varying Temperatures
Valentine's Day is one of the best holidays for candy science activities. I typically do the candy hearts in various types of liquids, but a lot of times, by 5th grade, students have done that before, and we do similar science activities for dissolving candy pumpkins and dissolving candy canes in various types of liquid. One of my new go-to Valentine's Day science ... Read More
Valentine STEM and Reading Activity | Free Printables
Holidays are a great time to implement STEM activities. This post will share a fun Valentine STEM and reading activity involving Cupid's bow and arrow. I am obsessed with adding in the reading component to STEM activities to integrate literacy so this will share a reading passage to activate students prior knowledge and get them excited before the activity. For ... Read More
Random Acts of Kindness Ideas for Students: FREE Christmas RAK Bingo
The holidays are the perfect time of the year to teach students the importance of being kind. To do this, I like to have my students complete random acts of kindness throughout the month of December using a Holiday Themed RAK bingo to guide us. On this post, I will share the bingo board that I use with tips for how to use it in your classroom. Ways to Use the Random ... Read More
Christmas Games for the Classroom
Fourth and fifth graders are definitely not too old to enjoy Christmas games (or holiday games). This post shares some of my favorite Christmas games for the classroom. Many of these ideas also double as Christmas gifts. The games are pure fun and not educational. If you are looking for educational Christmas activities for your 4th and 5th graders, then click ... Read More
