Category: Student Engagement

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Storms Have You Stuck Inside?

Within the last week, severe winter storms have hit several cities across the United States, causing many schools to close due to cold temperatures, ice, and/or snow. If schools are closed, that means kids are home– and that can sometimes leave parents or caretakers scrambling to come up with activities for their kids to do. 

If you have found yourself in this situation before, you know that it can be a bit stressful. Below are a few fun, engaging activities you can do for free (or almost free), and with very minimal prep time. These activities can be adapted for any age and ability.

  • Save the Animals! (or Legos, marbles, tiny action figures, etc.)
    Place small animals (or any object of your choice) in a muffin tin. Fill each compartment with water. Let it freeze. Once it is frozen, you can put the giant ice cube in a bowl or shallow tray, then give your child a medicine dropper or syringe and a cup of warm-ish water. Using the dropper, they can squirt water at the ice until it is melted enough to save the object inside.
  • Don’t Touch the Carpet!
    This game is similar to Floor is Lava, but won’t require your kids to jump all over your furniture. Assign a starting point and an end destination. Give each participant two small pillows, towels, pieces of paper, paper plates, etc. Using only those two objects as their safe places to step, they must make their way from the beginning point to the end point. Usually this would be done by stepping on one while placing the other in front of you, reaching back to grab the first one, then placing that one in front of you, and so on. However, kids can get creative and can problem solve to see if they can think of any other ways to accomplish their mission. This gets their brains thinking and their bodies moving!
  • Lego Task Cards
    On small pieces of paper, write the name of several objects (one per paper). Have your child choose one paper out of a bowl, then create that object. This promotes problem solving, critical thinking, and fine motor skill development. You can also turn it into a friendly competition if you have more than one child playing. 
  • Creative Crafting
    Set out construction paper, popsicle sticks, googly eyes, kid-safe scissors, pipe cleaners, glue, markers, and any other kid-friendly craft supplies you might have. Watch the magic unfold as they cut, glue, and create to their heart’s content. You’ll be amazed at what they come up with as their imaginations run wild.
  • Machine Factory
    Using extra boxes, empty paper towel or toilet paper tubes, string, scissors, and paper, glue or tape together a working machine. As the adult, you can choose what function their machine must carry out, or you can let them get creative and come up with their own idea. This is an excellent STEM activity, as it allows kids to think about logistics, function, machine parts, and how to carry out their plan. 
  • Puzzle Time
    Jigsaw puzzles are such a fun thing to do when you’re cozied up in your house (or anytime, really!). Not only are they fun for all ages, they also keep the mind active. Puzzles promote family togetherness and problem solving together. 

Those winter storms sure can be brutal, and can push your sanity to the edge, but there are so many fun things you can do with your kids when you have nowhere to go and no place to be. Being stuck inside doesn’t have to be boring– it can be fun for everyone AND can even be educational. If you’re one who has been impacted by the recent storms, I’m sending all my best wishes your way! You’ve got this!

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Chasing Lincoln’s Killer: A Great Read for Teens

Eighth graders often get the short end of the stick– they aren’t the “newbies” at the school, but they aren’t the “olders” either. I suppose they are the middle children of junior high. But here’s the thing, they are so much fun. Of all the grades I taught, eighth grade was my favorite. Because they weren’t the newbies, they were a little more confident, a little more mature, and because they weren’t the olders, they typically didn’t have a “better than thou” attitude that sometimes comes with being the oldest in the school. 

They were in the sweet spot of still kind of holding onto childhood, but ready to tackle deeper thinking and issues. This made it fun to choose the books we read for our class novel studies. We’d typically read a couple of non-fiction books together, one of which was Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. 

The book details the 12-day manhunt for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. It’s full of action, and is told in a story-like format, which makes it more enticing to junior high students. It’s also fairly short– only 208 pages. Its 14 chapters contain photos and documents from the time period and chase, letting the kids really get a feel for what the people and places looked like at the time. They can immerse themselves into the story and learn new things while they do so. 

If you’re interested in teaching this book to your classes, but just don’t know where to start, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Below you will find a couple of resources you are welcome to print off and use to help students stay organized as they read the book. There are lots of events and people in the book, and these resources will help your students keep track of the who, what, when, where, and why of the book.

**These resources are for classroom or personal use only. They may not be resold, reposted, or claimed as your own.**

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer Key PlayersDownload
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer TimelineDownload
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Making Math Fun

Since students learn in so many ways, it’s always a good idea to switch things up every now and then. This way, you’re able to help all your students learn in the way that they learn best. Some students learn really well through visual representations, especially in math. Rather than using numerals to add, subtract, etc., some kids may prefer to use some kind of picture or symbol. While this is not feasible for every kind of math, it is a good way to introduce basic adding and subtracting skills, as it can be easier to add or subtract when you can actually see the numbers all laid out. 

To help you with this in your classroom, I’ve created a couple of Valentine’s Day themed math worksheets. The first is heart addition and subtraction, and the second is comparing sets of hearts to determine which set has more, less, or if they are equal in number. 

This free resource is for classroom or personal use only and may not be resold, reposted, or redistributed.

Heart MathDownload
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Valentine’s Day Word Unscramble

It’s no surprise that I’m a fan of holiday themed classroom fun! Valentine’s Day is just a few short weeks away, and it’s time to start thinking about some fun activities for your class to do. When we can combine fun with something educational, it’s a teacher win! 

I’ve created a fun Valentine’s Day Word Unscramble that you can print off and use in your classroom or at home. Use the letters in the word “valentines” to make as many new words as you can. Use it as an individual activity or turn it into a group activity and game. 

** This free resource is intended for classroom or personal use only. Do not resell, repost, or redistribute. **

Valentine’s Day UnscrambleDownload
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Cold Climate Memory

Gamification has started making itself more known in today’s classrooms, and it has proven to be a fun, engaging way to teach new concepts or review old ones. As I’ve talked about before– any time you can merge learning and fun is a bonus! 

These colder winter months are the perfect time to teach your students about cold weather climates and the animals that call these places home. There is so much to learn about these habitats and climates! I’ve created a simple, yet fun Cold Climate Memory game for you to use in your classroom as you teach about colder climates. 

Click on the file below to download your copy of this fun, engaging game to use with your students. 

** This file is intended for classroom or personal use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own. **

Cold Climate MemoryDownload
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January Might Be the Longest Month of the Year

January is one of those months that seems to drag on and on and on. There aren’t any big holidays to look forward to, and the weather is usually cold and dreary. As a teacher, inclement weather typically means indoor recess, and depending on your class, that could mean extra chaos. If you need something to keep your kiddos entertained in such an event, look no further! Attached below are two Winter Find & Count worksheets– one in color, and one in black and white– that you are welcome to print off and use in your classroom. (Parents, also please feel free to use in the event that the dreary January days get a little extra long and you need a quiet minute!)

** This resource is strictly for classroom or personal use. Do not resell it, repost it, or claim as your own. **

Winter Find & CountDownload
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Christmas Break Is Coming– Are You Ready?

Winter Break is fast approaching, and while that means a break for teachers, it also means lots of time at home for the kiddos. If you live in a place that has colder temperatures, Winter Break can be tricky. Cold, wintry weather makes it less likely kids are going to want to go outside and play. Screen time is great for a minute, but too much of that usually means grumpy kids afterward. Indoor activities can be a life saver for times like this, but sometimes coming up with ideas is difficult. 

But no need to worry! I’ve got a handful of ideas for you to use that will keep your kids entertained AND keep their minds active.

Snowflake Math

Draw and cut out several small snowflakes (or any other winter shapes you want). Use the cut out shapes as math manipulative by having kids create various math equations and to experiment with addition and subtraction. 

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Using the free file below, print out the Winter shapes and hide them around the house. Give kids a copy of the list of pictures to find. As they find the hidden pictures, they can removed them from the hiding place and check them off their paper. This game can be adapted to your kids’ ages, needs, and abilities.

Winter Scavenger Hunt-2Download

Christmas Tree Speech Practice

Use the file below, or draw a blank Christmas tree on a piece of paper. On a separate paper, draw several ornaments. On each ornament, write a word that contains the sound your child is working on in speech. Cut the ornaments out. You can hide them around the house, in a sensory bin, mix them up in a bowl, or just lay them out on the table or floor. As your child finds or chooses each ornament, have them say the word on the ornament before they can place it on the tree. 

Christmas Speech TreeDownload

Paper Gingerbread Houses

Don’t want the mess of real gingerbread houses? I don’t blame you there! Rather than graham crackers and frosting, use construction paper shapes and glue to create a gingerbread house. You can put the pieces/shapes into a bag and have kids reach in to pull one out a time and build the house piece by piece. 

Another fun option is to “Roll A House”, where you assign a house element to each number on a die, and when that number is rolled, your child can add or draw that element on to their house.

Christmas Puzzles

Using the free file below, print and cut out the Christmas strip puzzles. Mix up the strips and have kids put the pieces in the correct order to make the picture. These are great quiet activities and are a good way to help kids with spatial reasoning. 

Christmas Strip PuzzlesDownload

And there you have it– Winter Break survival ideas! Happy holidays!