Blog - Rhody Girl Resources

10 Fun and Exciting Math and Literacy Glow Day Activities

Glow Day has quickly become one of my favorite classroom transformations! It can be used any time of the year, but I love to include Glow Day as part of an ABC Countdown or an end-of-year theme day. Glow Day activities are also a great way to review previously learned phonics and math skills in a fun way!

Classroom decorated and ready for glow day activities.

Glow Day can seem intimidating and like a lot of work, but if you start simple and have a plan, you won’t regret it. Check out some of my tips and tricks to make Glow Day activities run smoothly!

Preparing for Glow Day Activities

The great thing about Glow Day activities is that they can be successful with only a few materials. When I first began, I went simple. I borrowed black lights and just used highlighters and white paper. The kids were thrilled with only these minimal supplies! Once I decided this would be a yearly activity, I added on and made an Amazon wishlist asking families to help. I have been able to reuse many of the materials I received for several years.

Suggested Materials for Glow Day Classroom Transformation

Don’t get tricked into thinking only glow-in-the-dark or UV things will glow in a black light. Anything white or neon will glow. Start with what you might already have available. I can access paper, bulletin board paper, and highlighters at school. Then, I grab balloons, streamers, and glowsticks from the Dollar Store. All other items have been purchased from Amazon. You can check out my Glow Day Amazon storefront to see the products I use in my classroom.

Materials you can use for Glow Day including a black light, neon, tape, streamers, and balloons.

Here are a few of my favorite supplies for a Glow Day classroom transformation.

Black Lights
Highlighters
White or Astrobright Paper
Neon Streamers & Balloons
Glow in the Dark Tape
Glowsticks
Black Bulletin Board Paper

Setting Up for Glow Day Activities

Once you have your materials, it’s time to set up. I typically prepare everything after school the day before, so I am not scrambling that morning. To get the best effect, you want your room to be DARK! My old classroom accomplished that simply by turning off the lights. My classroom now has a wall of windows; even with the shades down, lots of light still comes in. I took black bulletin board paper and covered the windows to fix this. Covering the windows takes extra effort, but the results are worth it!

Next, I place the backlights around the classroom. We complete Glow Day activities in stations all around the room. To get the glow everywhere, I have 5 blacklights and try to space them out around my whole classroom.

Classroom set up and glowing for Glow Day activities.

Now it’s time to decorate! This is not necessary, but I like the effect it adds. Your glow day would be just as magical without it. First, I blow up some neon balloons and tape them around the room. Then, I use neon-colored tape to outline each table and floor workspace. One year, I grabbed neon shapes from the Dollar Store. I attached these to the black paper I hung across the windows. My last addition is string streamers from the ceiling.

10 Glow Day Activities

Now, it’s time to choose your Glow Day activities. First, determine how much time you want to dedicate to Glow Day and how you want to divide your students. I like to split my students into partners or small groups and rotate them through each activity. Each station usually lasts 10-12 minutes.

Examples of math and phonics Glow day activities.

Our schedule varies daily. Some years, I have only done Glow Day in the morning; others, I have stretched it through the whole day. When I do it only for part of the day, I will do 4-5 stations. If I fill the whole day, I will do 8-10 Dlow day activities. Below, I will share 10 of my favorite Glow Day activities that I have used in my classroom.

1. Glow Writing

An example of writing using a highlighter and glow in the dark stickers.

Materials: Paper, Highlighters, Drawing Materials, Glow in the Dark Stickers, crayons

Spice up writing with a few glow-in-the-dark stickers and highlighters. Let students write about anything they want, or have them share their favorite Glow Day activity.

2. Glow Away Subtraction Glow Day Activities

Empty water bottles set up for subtraction bowling activity.

Materials: Empty Bottles, Glow/Neon Tape, Ball, Highlighter, Recording Sheet

Practice subtraction from ten with the Glow Day activity “Glow Away.” Line up the empty bottles like bowling pins. Take turns rolling the ball and recording a subtraction equation to match the number of pins knocked down.

3. Glow Cards

Students playing math game by flipping over two cards each and comparing the value using <, >, or =.

Materials: Deck of Cards (only number cards), Highlighter, Recording Sheet

“Glow Cards” focuses on comparing numbers. It can be differentiated by having players flip 1, 2, or 3 cards to build numbers, or they can flip and add cards. Students can play alone or compare their flip against a partner.

4. Glow Cups

Materials: Neon Cups

“Glow Cups” can be a challenge to build the tallest tower of cups, or you can add an academic twist. To extend “Glow Cups,” use a Sharpie to write equations or words on each cup. As students build their tower, have them read or solve the equations on the cups.

5. Glow Roll Addition Glow Day Activities

A recording sheet showing how to rll and add two dice.

Materials: White Dice, Highlighter, Recording Sheet

To play “Glow Roll,” students roll two dice and record the addends. Then, they solve the problem and record the sum.

6. Glow Jenga

Jenga game with added words and subtraction equations on each block.

Materials: Jenga Game, Labels

Any Jenga game will work. If you add white labels to the blocks, they will glow! On the labels, you can write words, numbers, equations, etc. As students remove a block from the tower, they must read/solve it and place it back on the top. A recording sheet is provided but not necessary.

7. Glow Toss

Six bottles with sight words on the lids, set up to play "Glow Toss."

Materials: 6 Bottles, Glow Sticks, Recording Sheet, Highlighter

Fill six bottles with water and add a word to each lid. Students will take turns tossing a glow ring towards the bottles. When a ring goes around a bottle, read the word, then write it on the recording sheet.

8. Glow Find Sensory Glow Day Activities

A sensory bin filled with shredded paper and picture cards to play "Glow Find."

Materials: Bin, Sensory Filler, Picture Cards, Recording Sheet, Highlighter

Grab a bin and fill it with sand, paper, beans, etc. I used shredded Astrobright paper. Choose the cards you want to use, print them, and hide them in the bin. Students will search the bin, pull out a card, and spell the word.

9. Glow Words

Materials: Recording Sheet, Highlighters

Students play “Glow Words” like Tic Tac Toe. Students will take turns reading a word and making an X or an O. The first player to get three in a row wins that game.

10. Glow Hunt

Materials: Picture Cards, Clipboards, Recording Sheets, Highlighters

This is a write-the-room activity. Students will walk around looking for the hidden cards. When they find a card, they spell and write the word pictured on their recording sheet.

If you like the activities above, you can check them out in my Glow Day Activities pack. This resource includes the recording sheets and printable materials for the pictured Glow Day stations. In addition to activities focusing on math and literacy skills, other printables include a coloring sheet, maze, word search, notes to families, and station signs.

Quick, Easy, and Hand-on Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten

With the arrival of spring, Earth Day (April 22nd) is right around the corner. Earth Day is a holiday that may be overlooked. It often falls during spring break, state testing, or on weekends. What’s great is that these Earth Day activities for kindergarten don’t need much time to complete; they are quick, easy, and hands-on!

Three kids dressed as superheroes holding a "Save Earth" sign to promote Earth day activities for kindergarten.

Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten to Get Started

I like to kick off units and build excitement through videos and read-alouds. Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to do this. There are many great Earth Day read-alouds and free videos available on YouTube. Rocket Say’s Clean Up is one of my favorite books, while Harry Kindergarten’s “We’re Going Green” is a catchy tune that grabs their attention yearly!

Providing multiple exposures and ways to practice helps my students understand ways to care for the Earth. I usually start with the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle. First, we gather on the rug and work together to sort using picture cards in a pocket chart. Using what we have learned from books, videos, and this sort, we work in small groups or independently to complete individual sorts, a write-the-room activity, color by codes, and more. To see more of the activities I complete with my students, check out this Earth Day resource.

Earth Day activities for kindergarten to learn about reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten to Apply What You’ve Learned

Now that students understand the importance of caring for the Earth, it’s time to bring learning to life through real-life applications.

Six kids recycling and modeling to Earth day activities for kindergarten.

Get Outside!

This time of year provides the opportunity to spend time outside! Get some fresh air while students help clean up the school grounds, take a nature walk, or listen to an Earth Day story.

Take a Nature Walk: Head outside to observe the school environment’s different trees, plants, and animals. Take this a step further and make it a scavenger hunt!
Pick up Litter: Provide students with gloves and trash bags. Walk around the school grounds and have them help pick up the litter they see.
Garden/Compost: If you have a school garden, you can observe the plants and learn about composting. Our science curriculum has a unit on worms, plus lots of food scraps are thrown away each day in the cafeteria which would all work to support an authentic learning experience.
Plant a Tree: Let students plant trees or seeds to grow a pollinator garden. Around Earth Day, many places will offer to plant a tree for free. What a great experience for your students!

Book Swap

Bring the concept of reuse to life with a classroom book swap. Send a note inviting students to bring in a book or two they no longer read. To ensure I have enough for everyone, I always clean out my books or have extras that I’ve grabbed with points from Scholastic Book Club. Afterward, lay the collected books out for students to browse and choose a new one to take home.

If you are interested in trying a Earth Day book swap in your classroom, scroll down to grab the free letter at the end of this blog post.

Set up a Recycling Center

Ask for donations or collect various bottles, boxes, paper, and cans. Transform your dramatic play area into a recycling center, or take bins and let kids practice sorting recyclable materials by paper, plastic, glass, etc. Besides learning about recycling, this activity will support role play, conversations, and problem-solving.

Recyclable Creations Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten

Making recyclable creations offers many opportunities. For example, have the whole class use recyclable materials to create robots or make it open-ended and let them create anything they want! Complete these Earth Day activities for kindergarten in class or at home. Ultimately, the idea is to use recyclable materials to create something new.

Flowers, a guitar, and a robot made using recyclable materials as part of Earth Day activities for kindergarten.

This activity can also make a great open-ended center. Paper, boxes, toilet paper rolls, lids, etc., are already abundant in our classroom recycling bin. Add tape, glue, string, etc., and see what your students’ imaginations create!

How to Wrap Up Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten

Now that you’ve done all these amazing activities have students show what they know. Let students perform a play, create a song, or write about everything they have learned.

Earth Day Writing Crafts

Drawing and writing are great ways for students to share their learning. Display your students’ writing in a fun way with Earth Day writing crafts. Pick and choose the outside and inside parts to match your needs. Templates include a variety of prompts and options to write or draw, depending on your students’ levels.

I’d love to hear your favorite ways to teach your students how to take care of the Earth. Leave your ideas in the comments!

How to Make Magic Leprechaun Rocks for St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day science can be easy and fun! Just grab baking soda, water, and green food coloring, and you are ready to make magic leprechaun rocks.

Green vinegar being poured over magic leprechaun rock for St. Patrick's Day science

The Science Behind Magic Leprechaun Rocks

This is a fun twist on the experiment using baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When the two ingredients mix, they react and release bubbles, aka carbon dioxide. The fizzing and bubbles bring the magic to this St. Patrick’s Day science activity.

Let’s Make Magic Leprechaun Rocks

Making magic leprechaun rocks is quick and requires only a few ingredients. Warning: It can be messy, but it also brings out your inner child!

Baking soda, vinegar, green food coloring, and coins to make magic leprechaun rocks

Materials:

Baking Soda
Green Food Coloring/ Green Watercolor
Water
Gold Coins
Vinegar
Measuring Cups
Cookie sheet/tray
Mixing Bowl

How to Make:

Once you have gathered all the ingredients, you are ready to begin. First, mix green food coloring or green liquid watercolor with the water. You’ll need 1 cup of baking soda for every 1/4 cup of water. Mix the baking soda and water until it becomes a moldable thick paste. If it seems too runny, add more baking soda; if it’s too crumbly, slowly add more water.

Mixing baking soda with green water, rolling the mixture into a ball with a gold con in the middle, and placing the rocks onto a cookie sheet to dry to make magic leprechaun rocks

Now it’s time to shape the rocks! If you don’t want green hands, wear gloves…I learned the hard way! Carefully shape the rocks by adding a scoop of the paste, then a coin, topped with more paste. Squeeze and roll it into a ball shape. Finally, I place them onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet to dry. They need 1-2 days to dry, but you can also speed it up by placing them in the freezer.

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While my students are at lunch or specials on St. Patrick’s Day, I sneak outside and spread the leprechaun rocks in the grass. When my students return to the classroom, they find a note left behind by the leprechauns. This note sends students out to hunt for leprechaun rocks and explains that using the leprechaun water on the rocks will reveal a surprise!

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The bubbling reaction when the baking soda and vinegar mix are mixed will result in squeals of excitement, followed by absolute joy when they reveal the gold coin!

Tip and Tricks for Magic Leprechaun Rocks

There are several different ways you can do this activity. One way is to have a large bucket or bowl filled with leprechaun water and have students drop the leprechaun rocks into it. I like to let each student do their own.

I give each student a cup to place their magical leprechaun rock in. Then, I give each student a small cup of leprechaun water (green vinegar) to pour over their rock. You could also have them use droppers to slow down and stretch out the fun!

A coin being pulled out of a cup after St. Patrick's Day science.

The leprechaun water can be colored vinegar placed into a special container, or if you want to press the easy button like me, take the label off the bottle of vineger!

Looking for additional St. Patrick’s Day ideas? In the blog post, Bringing Excitement and Fun With St. Patrick’s Day for Kindergarten, I share ideas on integrating math, STEM, writing, and more!

17 St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It Games for Classroom Fun

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in your classroom with St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It games. These games can be used as part of a classroom party, for a classroom reward, or as an opportunity to build classroom community. For a bit of time and effort, your students will have a blast and ask to repeatedly play St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It.

Using St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It Games in the Classroom

Minute to Win It games are perfect for the classroom setting because they are simple, fun, and easy. Since each game is only one minute long, they can be used as time fillers or grouped to fill a longer chunk of time. Use them during indoor recess or a classroom party, or set a goal, such as quiet transitions for students to earn Minute to Win It Games. If you have the materials ready, you can play these games anytime!

Many of the materials to play these St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It games may already be in your classroom or can be purchased from a local grocery store, Target, or Walmart. Donations from families are also a great way to get everything you need.

How to Play St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It Games

Students can play St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It games independently, with partners, or on teams. to play, explain the game, and set a timer, or use these slides, which include an image, description, and built-in timer for each game. Depending on the purpose of playing and the age of the players, decide if the games are just for fun or if points will be scored. Finally, choose the games you will play.

17 Possible Minute to Win It Games

There are endless options for Minute to Win it Games. These 17 St. Patrick’s Day Minute to Win It games use rainbow, leprechaun, gold, and green-themed items often associated with St. Patrick’s Day by kids. Pick and choose the ones you want to use to bring some competition and lots of fun into your classroom.

1. Stack Attack

Materials: 10 cups per player/team

How to Play: Race to stack and unstack the 10 cups in one minute.

Green cups in a stack showing how to play Stacks Attack as a St. Patrick's Day Minute to Win It game

2. Balance the Rainbow

Materials: Froot Loops and Tongue Depressors

How to Play: See how many Froot Loops you can balance on the tongue depressor in one minute.

3. Cup of Green

Materials: Skittles, Tweezers, and Cups

How to Play: Race to see how many green Skittles you can transfer in one minute.

4. Pinch Me

Materials: Plates, Tweezers, and Froot Loops

How to Play: Players use tweezers to transfer Froot Loops from one plate to another in one minute.

5. Roll a Rainbow

Materials: Dice, Crayons, and Roll a Rainbow printables

How to Play: Players race to roll a die and see if they can color all of the numbers within one minute.

Dice, crayons, and printables showing how to play Roll a Rainbow as a St. Patrick's Day Minute to Win It game

6. Stay Away

Materials: Straws, Froot Loops, and Tape

How to Play: Players use straws to blow the Froot Loops and see who has the least on their side after one minute.

Fruit Loops on a table showing how to play Stay Away as a St. Patrick's Day Minute to Win It game

7. Rainbow Wrap

Materials: Streamers

How to Play: Players work in teams to wrap one player up in the streamers in one minute.

8. Threading Rainbows

Materials: Froot Loops and Pipe Cleaners

How to Play: Race to see who can thread the most cereal on the pipe cleaner in one minute.

9. Defy Gravity

Materials: Balloons

How to Play: Players attempt to keep a balloon in the air for one minute without touching the ground.

10. Cookie Face

Materials: Mint Oreos or another cookie

How to Play: Place the cookie on your forehead. Players can only move their faces as they try to move the cookie from their forehead to their mouth.

11. Stacks of Gold

Materials: Gold Coins

How to Play: Use one hand to stack as many gold coins as possible in one minute.

Gold coins in a stack showing how to play Stacks of Gold as a St. Patrick's Day Minute to Win It game

12. Cereal Scramble

Materials: Cereal Box

How to Play: Race to put the cereal box back together in one minute or less.

Cereal box pieces being put together showing how to play Cereal Scramble as a St. Patrick's Day Minute to Win It game

13. Scooping Skittles

Materials: Skittles, Spoons, and Cups

How to Play: Race to move the Skittles off the table to the cup using only a spoon in one minute.

14. Lucky Charms Stack

Materials: Lucky Charms

How to Play: Race to stack the marshmallows. The highest stack after one minute wins!

15. Gold Digger

Materials: Sand, Cups, Spoons, and Skittles

How to Play: Race to remove the gold Skittles from the sand. The person who removes the most in one-minute wins!

16. Skittle Switch

Materials: Skittles, Cups, and Straws

How to Play: Using a straw, try to move all of the Skittles from one cup to another in one minute.

17. Rainbow Sort

Materials: Froot Loops

How to Play: In one minute, race to sort your Froot Loops by color.

The ultimate goal is to have fun! Embrace the excitement and time with your students as they build relationships, laugh, and find a new favorite activity.

Are you still unsure about using Minute to Win It games in your classroom? Give them a try with the freebie below.

5 Getting to Know You Activities for Students

Getting to know you activities for students are an important part of back to school. They help you learn about your students and build classroom community. Through these activities, relationships can be fostered as students learn things about their classmates and things they have in common. Getting to know you activities can also help teachers guide instruction and make connections.

Students standing together in a classroom participating in getting to know you activities.

Getting to know you activities do not have to be complicated. Teachers do not need anything extra added to their plates, especially at the beginning of the school year. The pressure to start instruction and begin curriculum is always high, but you won’t ever regret taking the time to implement some of these activities.

Getting to Know You All About Me Activities

Sprinkle these activities throughout the first week. Each one requires minimal prep or materials but meets the need to learn about your students.

3 About Me Bags

These bags are low-prep and a great home to school connection. All you have to do is attach the printable to a paper bag and send them home. Students collect 3 things to share about themselves, place them in the bag, and return them to school. Sharing the bags is very flexible. Pick a schedule (all at once, one a day) that works best for your classroom.

I always start by sharing my own bag with my class. This gives students a chance to see examples of what they could put in their own bag and lets them get to know a little bit about their teacher.

Pom Pom Share Get to Know You Ice Breaker Questions

Another quick activity that is also low prep is Pom Pom Share. This All About Me activity only needs pom poms. Display the icebreaker questions under a document camera or project them on an interactive whiteboard. Students pull a pom pom and then answer the questions next to the matching color.

Pom pom share a getting to know you activity for students.

Pom Pom Share can be done whole class during morning meeting, in small groups, or with partners. Change the questions up and you can use it more than once! You can grab a sample of this activity to try for yourself below.

Would You Rather Getting to Know You Activities

Would you rather questions can also help you learn about your students’ interests, likes, and dislikes. The best part about these would you rather questions is they integrate movement! Students listen to the question and two choices. Each choice has a movement picture next to it. Students show their answers by completing the matching exercise. Now you’ve got a get to know you activity and brain break in one!

Getting to Know You All About Me Crafts

If you’re looking for something a little more in-depth with a final product, these all-about-me crafts can meet multiple needs. First, they are a great way for students to share about themselves plus they make a great beginning of the year bulletin board. Complete these all-about-me crafts in the classroom or send them home as a family project.

All About Me craft that can be used as for getting to know you activities.

These flowers and suns can be differentiated and used with a variety of grades. Students can draw, cut out pictures, or write to share information about themselves. Allow student to present their creation or display the whole class together and make an all-about-me bulletin board.

Examples of sunshine All About Me crafts.

What are your favorite ways to build classroom community and get to know your students?

Writing Crafts to Bring Writing Alive in Your K-2 Classroom

Writing crafts are a hands-on and engaging way to get students to write! Use them to showcase student writing, share student learning, create a bulletin board, or make cards. They are low prep and can be integrated throughout different subjects making writing crafts a welcome classroom addition.

Hands holding an example of summer writing crafts.

What Are Writing Crafts?

Writing crafts pair students’ work with a thematic image to present their writing in a new way. Each writing craft only uses two pieces of paper. Students color and cut out the image, then attach their writing pages to complete the project.

Each resource has a variety of images and inserts. Choose what meets your needs, print, copy, and you are ready. Students writing sentences can use the lined versions, while others are provided blank spaces to draw and label. Choose from the included writing prompts or create your own using the editable templates.

Hands holding back to school writing crafts.

Once students understand how to assemble writing crafts, they can do it independently. Add writing craftivities to your writing block, place them at your writing center, or use them as an activity during literacy stations.

How to Use Writing Crafts

In school, students learn and practice different types of writing, including informational, opinion, how-to, poetry, and narrative. Writing or drawing on plain paper can become repetitive. Using these writing foldables, students can practice different types of writing or publish and share everything they’ve learned in a nontypical way.

Teach or Practice Different Writing Styles

Using writing crafts, students can explore and practice different writing styles. For example, each set includes a theme word where students can write an acrostic poem. Additionally, use the St. Patrick’s Day writing activities to practice how-to writing and share the steps for “How to Catch a Leprechaun.” Meanwhile, the Spring and other seasonal resources allow students to share their opinions about their favorite things to do. Practice making a list using the bucket list craft in the Summer writing crafts. Furthermore, each holiday has options to make cards, such as Valentine’s Day Cards or Mother’s Day Cards. The possibilities are endless and will get students’ creativity flowing!

Integrate Other Subjects

Writing crafts are for all subjects! They come in various themes for each holiday and season, making them perfect for integrating into science and social studies! Students can share what they learned about the Pilgrims, write a thank you card for Veterans, or sequence the life cycle of a butterfly using these writing activities.

Earth day writing crafts to show ing integration of science and writing.

Maintain student interest and use them all year long with the abundance of options included! Pick and choose the best activities for your class, or grab the bundle to save money and be ready for the whole school year.

Try writing crafts and see if they are right for your classroom using this freebie!

How to Use Quick, Easy, and Fun Printable Fine Motor Activities

As teachers, we know the importance of fine motor skills and their impact on classroom activities. Strong fine motor skills provide a foundation for many classroom tasks, such as writing, turning a page, cutting with scissors, and more. Each year, students enter the classroom with varying fine motor skills. Integrating printable fine motor activities is one way to support and improve fine motor skills in the classroom.

Examples of lacing and punch cards for fine motor skills practice

What are Fine Motor Skills?

Fine motor skills are tasks and movements you complete using small muscles in parts of the body. Cutting, grasping, squeezing, pinching, and tracing are all ways to strengthen fine motor skills involving the hands. These fine motor skills are important because they will later assist children with getting dressed, feeding themselves, writing their names, and playing an instrument.

Why are Fine Motor Skills Activities Important?

Success in school depends on good fine motor skills. Just like it takes time to build muscle and increase endurance through exercise, it also takes time to build and support fine motor skills. Practice is key for these skills to develop.

Printable Fine Motor Activities

Printable fine motor activities are a fun and simple way to provide this practice in the classroom. You can create printable fine motor activities with yarn and a hole punch. Students will have so much fun lacing and punching holes they won’t realize they are building their hand muscles. These fine motor skills activities can be used during centers, for early finishers, or at a station. They are quick, easy to change, and engaging!

Seasonal lacing and punch cards to build fine motor skills.

Lacing Activities

Lacing activities help develop fine motor skills, which will later support other skills, such as tying shoes. To prep lacing cards, you will first print the large picture cards. Next, laminate them for durability and then punch out the holes. Provide your students with yarn or string, and they are ready to lace. Students will feed the yarn up and down through the holes around the shape.

Hands showing how to lace a card for printable fine motor activities

Hole Punch Activities

A hole puncher takes printable fine motor activities to a whole new level. The new tool makes the activity special, and your students will be begging to use it! I use these hole punchers in my classroom. They are easy for little hands to squeeze and don’t jam.

For hole punch activities, you can print the small or large cards in color or black and white. You can cut around the shape or let your students cut them out to support their fine motor skills again. I typically copy many black and white cards, toss them in a basket with a hole puncher, and set them free.

Hand a showing how to hole punch using printable fine motor activities

Lacing and hole punch activities can be used year-round by changing the images. With sets for spring, summer, fall, or winter, you have enough printable fine motor activities for the whole school year!

Try hole punch and lacing activities with this free set, and if you are looking for more fine motor activities, you can learn more here.

How to Make Learning Fun Using Phonics Games in the Classroom

Phonics games in the classroom are one of my favorite ways to practice spelling rules! I’ve always loved to play games, so sharing my love for games with my students comes easily. Plus, the word game adds instant engagement and interest.

Four students having fun playing phonics games in the classroom

Explicit phonics instruction is necessary to help students learn to read. After introducing new phonics patterns, review and practice are key to supporting mastery. Phonics games are a great way to do this.

When to Use Phonics Games in the Classroom

Phonics games can be played in a variety of ways. Play with your whole class, in small groups, or during a center. They work well for intervention, enrichment, and general instruction. I typically introduce phonics games to my whole class or a small group. Once they understand how to play, I add them to our literacy centers or use them for early finisher activities.

Getting Started With Phonics Games

The great thing about using games in the classroom is their adaptability. Once your students understand how to play the game, you only need to change the words/skill to keep it fresh and exciting.

A child playing the popper version of phonics games

How to Play Phonics Games

Phonics games can be played in 4 different ways. Each set focuses on different skills, including letter identification, beginning sounds, CVC words, blends, and more, making differentiation easy!

Fidget Popper Game

To play, students need a fidget popper and the included playing cards. Each playing card shows a number at the top and then a word/sentence or picture. Students will take turns flipping cards and completing the task. If there is a word or sentence, the students will decode and read it. Cards with pictures require students to encode and work on spelling or writing words. If they complete the task correctly, they pop the number of bubbles shown on the card. The student who pops all the bubbles first or the most in the designated time wins!

Silent e version of popper phonics games in the classroom

Poppers come in all shapes and sizes. Changing the popper is an easy way to differentiate and build interest and engagement. You can find poppers almost everywhere! Try searching online for “fidget popper” on Amazon or check out the toy section in Target, Walmart, or other stores.

Race to Fill

Playing this game, you will use the same numbered cards, a grid, and manipulatives. When students correctly read/spell the word, they will place that many manipulatives onto their grid. The winner is the player who fills their grid first or covers the most spaces.

Any small manipulative will work for this game. Mini erasers would be great because they are affordable, and you can change them throughout the year! You can integrate math by having them use coins or filling ten frames instead.

Board Game

Use the game board template as another way to play. Students will put their game pieces on the start. Next, they will flip a card and read the word/sentence. If they can read it correctly, they can move the number of spaces on the card around the game board.

Do you have any old board games lying around? They will work great, too, for this version. Goodwill, Savers, or garage sales are great ways to find affordable used games. Use the game boards or game pieces with these cards for a different twist!

Chomp or Roar!

This version of the game only requires cards. The cards used do not have any number value. In addition to the word/sentence cards, special cards showing a shark that says “chomp” or a lion that says “roar” are mixed in. All the cards are placed in a pile or inside a container. Students take turns pulling a card and reading what they see. If they can read it correctly, they get to keep the card.

CVC version of phonics games in the classroom

When a special card is pulled, the player must return all of their cards. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner.

Encoding and Decoding Through One Game

Students practice decoding as they read the sentence or word cards. Picture cards can also be used to support encoding. When students get a picture card, they write or say the letter that spells the beginning sound or word pictured before they pop, move, etc.

Practicing encoding using a dry erase board while playing a game

Phonics games in the classroom will create excitement toward learning and reading. They are low prep, and once your students learn the directions, they can play completely independently, leaving you free for intervention, enrichment, or assessment!

Dramatic Play in Kindergarten and Preschool

Dramatic play in kindergarten is one of my favorite centers! It ignites the imagination and permits the practice of many different skills.

Kids dressed up and using props for for dramatic play in kindergarten.

What is Dramatic Play, and What are the Benefits?

Dramatic play is essentially acting. Students get to assume a role and act it out. For example, students can pretend to be customers, cashiers, or stockers at a dramatic play grocery store. This allows them to portray different roles, which may help prepare them for possible real-life scenarios as they grow up.

In addition to role play, this center allows students to practice conflict resolution and use problem-solving skills. It is also a great way for students to have choices. Through dramatic play in kindergarten, students can expand their vocabulary, practice problem-solving skills, and work cooperatively.

How to Set Up A Dramatic Play Area

The first things you need to consider when creating a dramatic play area are the size of your space and your budget. The larger the space, the more options you will have, but don’t be discouraged with a small space because you can still make it happen! I only had a corner within my classroom, and our little space is much loved and just what we need.

Many early childhood classrooms have a home living area. This is a chance to take that space and change it up! Dramatic play in kindergarten can be set up using shelves, a dramatic play stand, or props in a designated area. To save space and money, I built my dramatic play stand. It only took me a trip to the craft store to purchase crates and a trip to Home Depot to get a few boards, screws, and spray paint to create!

Props

Props will bring your dramatic play area to life. They provide something for your students to interact with and help the area seem more realistic. You do not have to spend a lot of money on props. Check out thrift stores and yard sales, ask families for donations, write a Donors Choose project, or allow your students to make them!

If you choose to invest in props, consider things you can use across different dramatic play themes. A cash register, cleaning set, pretend food, and small baskets/bins will get a lot of use throughout the school year.

What Can Students Learn Through Dramatic Play?

Dramatic play in kindergarten and preschool allows students to practice academic standards and important skills. This is a great opportunity to integrate science and social studies themes and expose students to key vocabulary terms. Students can also work on writing, spelling, and handwriting as they make lists, write receipts, take orders, or write the steps in a process. In addition, math can be integrated through counting, adding totals, and money.

Ideas for Dramatic Play in Kindergarten

There are so many different dramatic play ideas! I love to create based on my student’s interests and the things I have available. Dramatic play printables can help you transform an area and add different props. Here are a few of the dramatic play centers my students have enjoyed.

Pet Store

Use a variety of cages or containers to create animal habitats. Stuffed animals or old toys work great for creating a dramatic play pet store. In this activity, students can pretend to be groomers, customers, cashiers, or even a vet!

Post Office

Grab different papers, cards, and envelopes, and you are ready to have a post office. Add different writing materials, sticker stamps, or a mailbox to step it up a notch with a dramatic play post office. Students will love to pretend to mail letters, be mail carriers, and receive mail!

Pizza Parlor

Most kids love pizza! A pizza parlor dramatic play area can be very affordable to create. First, reach out to local restaurants; some may be willing to donate pizza boxes. Felt is also a great way to create crust or different pizza toppings to allow your students to build pizzas.

Ski Shop

During the winter months, grab those gloves, hot chocolate packets, and some snack wrappers, and create a Ski Shop. Students will enjoy pretending to ice skate, ski, or go ice fishing. You could set up a pretend campfire for them to warm themselves and let students create snowflakes to help set the scene.

Grocery Store

A grocery store dramatic play center is one of the easiest and most affordable themes to set up. You can reuse many things from your purchases at the store. Empty boxes, grocery bags, or empty bottles can all be part of a grocery store dramatic play center. Add a cash register and a basket, and students are ready to shop!

Potions Lab

Some dramatic play setups work any time of the year, while others can relate to seasons or holidays. This Potions Lab is perfect for Halloween dramatic play. In October, craft stores, drug stores, and the Dollar store all have affordable options to allow students to create potions!

The dramatic play center has many benefits and can be lots of fun! Get your students involved letting them help create and guide your themes through their interests.

Grab this Hot Cocoa Stand set to add to your collection or to try dramatic play in your classroom for free!

* some of the links included in this blog post contain Amazon affiliate links

Helpful Tips to Make Write the Room Easy

Write the room is a great way to get your students up and moving while they learn! It is engaging, works with any subject, and is easy to run once your students know the procedure. Start using write the room now, and it will quickly become a classroom favorite!

Students participating in a write the room activity.

Why Should I Use Write the Room in My Classroom?

There are many benefits to implementing write the room activities in your classroom. First, it a movement activity making it a built-in brain break. Students walk around while they learn, which helps keeps the wiggles at bay. It is also a great way to distance and space out your students. There is no specific order to finding the cards that students must follow, allowing them to spread out and go wherever in the classroom. Best of all, it is a fun way to review concepts taught in class.

When Can I Use Write the Room?

Write the room is very adaptable. It allows for the practice of a variety of skills and standards. You can use this activity with any subject, and it works well for different groups sizes. Whole group, small group, or just one student, this activity will work in all situations. Add this writing activity to a classroom writing center, as a follow-up to a lesson, or it also works well as a center.

How Do I Get Started?

Setting up requires a little prep and a few materials. Some of the items you need may already be in your classroom. Here are the 4 things I think will set you up for a successful write the room activity.

Clipboards
Skill Cards
Recording Sheet
Writing Tool

Again, all of these are not required I have just found they support young students well. I find that clipboards help as students move around the room and provide a solid surface to write on anywhere in the classroom. A recording sheet is also not mandatory. Students could write answers, words, etc. on a blank piece of paper or a dry-erase board too.

Steps to Prep Write the Room:

Make or print the cards featuring the skill you want your students to practice. I usually laminate the cards for durability so that I can use them again the following year.
Choose how your students will record their answers/work. If they use a recording sheet, make sure you copy enough for each student participating.
Hide the cards around the classroom.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

There are a couple of things to consider before you begin write the room with your students. First, think about your classroom layout. Students will be moving around, so make sure they know where they are allowed to go or if any areas need to be off-limits. You should also let students know if they are working independently or if they can collaborate. One last suggestion is to plan for early finishers. Everyone will work at a different speed. Having something for those who finish quickly to do will help decrease behaviors and disruptions. Overall, with clear expectations and modeling you are sure to set your students up for success.

Write the Room Activities for the Whole Year

This is a very open-ended activity. You can use the same process but change the task to keep students interested and engaged. Here are some possible write the room activities you could use in an early childhood classroom.

Phonemic Awareness

To support phonemic awareness and listening, have students hunt around the classroom for picture cards. They can decide if two pictures rhyme, count the syllables for a picture, or segment and write how many sounds for a word.

Phonics

Hang word or picture cards around the room to support the practice of phonics skills. Students can copy the words, draw a picture to show the word they read, or look at a picture and write the corresponding word.

Math

For math concepts, students can count, read a ten frame, or even solve equations. Any task they would practice on a worksheet will work.

Science or Social Studies

Write the room is a great activity to integrate content and focus on vocabulary words. Students can find and copy the words, use the words found in a sentence, or even draw a picture to show the meaning of the word found.

Use some already made write the room activities or grab index cards and make your own. Either way, your students will love this activity and ask to do it again and again!