This comprehensive list is amazing for elementary teachers. Each list focuses on a different concept or type of activity that teachers can include in their classroom. Even better, each list is high interest and engaging for students. These educational activities are tried and tested by teachers and students alike. Teachers can use the lessons to bolster lessons they already have, or they can use the lessons on their own. Here are 30 amazing activities for elementary students.
1. Team Building Activities
From Escape Rooms to human knots, these indoor and outdoor activities for kids are great for bringing your classroom together. Kids will work together and use quick thinking to problem solve and build trust among each other. The classroom bonding activities are perfect for any time of year.
Learn More:The Teacher's Cafe
2. Language Arts Activities
Teachers know that there is a heavy focus on language arts, especially at the elementary level. This list of 50+ activities will give you lesson ideas that will meet rigorous academic standards. From grammar to reading and writing, this list of activity ideas is the perfect classroom resource.
Learn More:Really Good Stuff
3. Mindfulness Activities
In today's digital age with access to so much information online, teaching children to be mindful is more important than ever before. Each of these activities focuses on a different method and reason for being mindful. These lessons challenge elementary students to slow down, control impulses, and think before acting.
Learn More:Resilient Educator
4. Hands-On Activities
Elementary teachers know how busy K-5 kids are. These hands-on activities are great for helping kids develop an outlet for their creativity and energy. From making sock puppets to making maps, your students will love these creative activities.
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5. First Week of School Activities
The first week of school is arguably the most important time for teachers and students. This list of community-building activities is great for establishing rapport and developing a fun learning environment for your kiddos.
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6. Active Learning Activities
This list of active learning activities focuses on engaging students in tactile activities. This list is broken into large groups, small groups, and individual activities for kids so you can pick the lessons that fit best for your classroom and your goals.
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7. End-of-Year Activities
The end of the year brings a lot of joy and energy to the classroom. As kids celebrate moving into the summer and moving up in grade level, kids need high-energy activities to stay engaged. These activities from teachers are the perfect way to keep kids learning at the end of the year.
Learn More:Minds In Bloom
8. SEL Activities
Social-emotional learning and development are at the forefront of education today. These SEL activities for kids teach the value of social-emotional skills, as well as how to develop social-emotional awareness. These are cross-curricular activities that you can use any time of year.
Learn More:Commonsense
9. First-Day Ice Breakers
The first day of school can be daunting, especially for our youngest learners. This list of creative craft ideas and fun games will set the tone for the year. Kids will love bringing home the first day of school craft or getting to know their classmates.
Learn More:Good Housekeeping
10. Aviation Activities
This unique list of aviation educational activities is perfect for a mini-unit in your classroom. Teach kids about flying while challenging students to problem-solve and ask questions. This list of activities comes with printable activity sheets to minimize your prep!
Learn More:FAA
11. Transition Activities
Transition activities are great for filling unstructured time in the classroom. These high-energy activities only take 1-2 minutes, but they will do wonders for the structure of your classroom and the learning environment. Plus, kids will love how fun each activity is.
Learn More:Twinkl
12. STEM Activities
This list of STEM activities is another great list of science experiments that challenge students to think critically. Each activity engages students in learning and using the scientific method and analytical skills to solve problems.
Learn More:Science Buddies
13. Responsibility Activities
Elementary school is an important time for kids to learn responsibility. Each of these activities focuses on an element of responsibility in order to foster a growth mindset, cooperation skills, and self-reflection. Each skill also focuses on setting goals and following through on them.
Learn More:Social Emotional Workshop
14. New Years Activities
Speaking of goal setting, New Year is a great time to encourage students to self-reflect and set SMART goals for the new year. Each of these activities has a fun, engaging element that also relates to celebrating the new year.
Learn More:What I Have Learned Teaching
15. Music Activities
You can never go wrong with music activities in elementary school. Whether you use music to introduce a concept, practice a concept, or help students memorize a new concept, elementary kids will love the musical element in the classroom.
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16. Spring Activities
When the weather breaks, and kids finally get to go outside after a long winter, these spring activities will add an element of fun outdoor engagement to your lesson plans. Students will love the fresh air and they enjoy these spring-themed activities.
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17. Growth Mindset Activities
A growth mindset is an important concept in education right now, and the earlier students learn how to focus on improvement, the sooner they will experience success. These activities are perfect for any time of year, but they also pair well with first-day activities and New Years' lessons.
Learn More:Proud To Be Primary
18. Movement Activities
Do you have a high-energy class? Let's face it--what elementary kids aren't high-energy? These movement activities can be incorporated into any lesson to help break up the day and encourage students to burn off some energy.
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19. Cultural Diversity Activities
Cultural diversity is another important concept that kids should begin to learn about early on in their academic experience. These diversity activities will help you create culturally effective lessons that teach diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance.
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20. Map Skills Activities
This set of lessons is perfect for both indoor and outdoor learning. Kids will learn valuable mapping, direction, and spatial awareness skills that will help them navigate their world. These lessons are also great because they teach kids to be independent thinkers.
Learn More:National Geographic
21. Reading and Writing Activities
These reading and writing activities focus on literacy skills for elementary learners. Students will use their literacy skills to decode information and practice critical thinking skills to write about what they read.
Learn More:Reading Rockets
22. Social Skills Activities
Learning social skills is important, especially early on in elementary school. This list of activities focuses on introducing and practicing social skills in the classroom. Incorporate these activities into your daily lessons, or use them on their own.
Learn More:Education And Behavior
23. Compassion Activities
In today's world, it seems like kindness and compassion have gone by the wayside, but these activities will teach kids how to be compassionate. These are easy lessons and activities to include in your weekly plans and they will directly impact the learning environment of your classroom.
Learn More:Everfi
24. Project Activities
Project activities are important even at the elementary level. Students need to learn how to complete multi-step learning tasks in order to prepare for middle school and high school. These project activities are multi-faceted and encourage long-term learning.
Learn More:Student Treasures
25. Dinosaur Activities
What elementary kid doesn't love dinosaurs? Almost every school and curriculum includes a unit on dinosaurs. These dino activities are engaging, high-interest, and hands-on. Kids will love them!
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26. ESL Activities
The ESL population is growing each year, which means you likely have a population of ELs in your classroom. These activities are great for all learners, but they focus specifically on culturally inclusive lessons that help ELs learn.
Learn More:Go Overseas
27. Comprehension Activities
These activities focus specifically on reading comprehension. These lessons encourage students to practice decoding, active reading, and summary skills to better comprehend rigorous texts. These activities are great for any reading level and text.
Learn More:Education To The Core
28. Flipped Classroom Activities
Do you want to include more flipped classroom activities in your student's learning? The flipped classroom offers benefits for students, but the lessons and activities take a lot of prep time and effort to create. Here are several activities to get you started!
Learn More:View Sonic
29. 5-Minute Activities
Sometimes we just need 5 minutes for a brain break, or we have 5 minutes to spare in between lessons or at the end of the day. These 5-minute activities are the perfect way to fill time without losing instruction or rigor.
Learn More:The Teacher Next Door
30. Kindness Activities
Like compassion, kindness is an important element in the elementary classroom. Although these concepts are similar, this list is unique and focuses on teaching individuals to be kind to one another as well as to themselves.
Learn More:Sweet Tooth Teaching
FAQs
What interactive activities keep learners engaged during a lesson? ›
- Entry/Exit Tickets. ...
- Free Writing/Minute Paper/Question of the Day Exercise. ...
- Ice Breakers. ...
- Think–Pair–Share. ...
- Case Studies and Problem-Based Learning. ...
- Debate. ...
- Interview or Role Play. ...
- Interactive Demonstrations.
Asking students to introduce themselves, ask you a question, talk about their expectations for the course, or introduce a partner are all good activities for the first day of class. Try to keep all the activities you do in the first lesson fun and light.
How can I make my classroom lessons more engaging? ›- Really Get to Know Your Students. ...
- Establish Expectations for Participation. ...
- Answer the “So What?” in Everything You Do—and Say. ...
- Create Meaningful Prework. ...
- Pace Your Lessons Well. ...
- Make Learning Experiences Active and Varied. ...
- Show Students That You Care.
- Become a role model for student interest. ...
- Get to know your students. ...
- Use examples freely. ...
- Use a variety of student-active teaching activities. ...
- Set realistic performance goals and help students achieve them by encouraging them to set their own reasonable goals.
Today, the Montessori method is most popular in preschools, kindergartens, and lower elementary grades. In this method, the teacher prepares an ideal classroom environment full of activities that children may pick from to work on.
What is a fun learning experience? ›Fun Learning is a holistic approach to early education created by Fun Academy. It helps teachers to promote key life skills to children, and nurtures the passion for learning through play and exploration.
How do you engage students at the beginning of a lesson? ›- Start with a warm-up.
- See smartphones and tech as tools.
- Regularly test students.
- Use self-paced work.
- Brainstorming.
- Arrange group discussions.
- Run reflections.
- Make students part of the process.
For example, in one school observable behaviors such as attending class, listening attentively, participating in discussions, turning in work on time, and following rules and directions may be perceived as forms of “engagement,” while in another school the concept of “engagement” may be largely understood in terms of ...
What are the five learning activities? ›- ENGAGE. In the first phase of the learning cycle, the teacher works to gain an understanding of the students' prior knowledge and identify any knowledge gaps. ...
- EXPLORE. ...
- EXPLAIN. ...
- ELABORATE. ...
- EVALUATE.
- Come up with a plan. ...
- Give choices. ...
- Create a story. ...
- Find math problems in everyday life. ...
- Turn the world into your science lab. ...
- Make each day "Spirit Day" ...
- Get artsy. ...
- Get a puzzle going.
What are the 4 learning activities? ›
The four core learning styles in the VARK model include visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic. Here's an overview of all four learning style types.
What are actively engaged in class activities? ›- Make learning a game. We mentioned that active learning isn't just about games, but that doesn't mean that games don't have any place in the classroom — quite the opposite! ...
- Make learning hands-on. People learn best by doing. ...
- Collaboration and debate. ...
- Give students a choice.
- Analyze Why and Where Are They Lacking In Studies? ...
- Concise Lessons With Demonstrated Examples. ...
- Focus On Encouragement And Motivation. ...
- Small Group Discussions And Learning. ...
- Effective Learning – Flowcharts. ...
- Healthy Feedback.
- Give students a sense of control. ...
- Be clear about learning objectives. ...
- Create a threat-free environment. ...
- Change your scenery. ...
- Offer varied experiences. ...
- Use positive competition. ...
- Offer rewards. ...
- Give students responsibility.
- “Prrr” and “pukutu” This classroom game is more suited for the little kids. ...
- Buzz. Ask the group to stand up and to form a circle. ...
- Body letters. ...
- Pink toe. ...
- Sports gallery. ...
- Lie to me. ...
- Keyword music roulette. ...
- Get on that chair.
- Become a role model for student interest. ...
- Get to know your students. ...
- Use examples freely. ...
- Use a variety of student-active teaching activities. ...
- Set realistic performance goals. ...
- Place appropriate emphasis on testing and grading.
Elementary students generally learn best from hands-on activities. For instance, students will most likely have difficulty understanding the concept of multiplication if it is just explained to them.
What is the most used learning style in the elementary school classroom? ›Now, I can share my learning styles findings with future teachers and let them know that yes, visual is the most commonly used learning style in the elementary school classroom.
Which activities are both fun and educational? ›- Play learning games like scavenger hunt. ...
- Learn the basics of phonics. ...
- Practice writing. ...
- Identify Colours. ...
- Develop counting skills. ...
- Try a fun science experiment at home. ...
- Plant a garden. ...
- Explore cultures around the world.
- Build positive relationships with students and parents. ...
- Foster student connections. ...
- Outline classroom rules for positive behavior. ...
- Use positive reinforcement. ...
- Ensure content is culturally relevant. ...
- Keep a positive mindset.
What should teachers do to improve students learning? ›
- Having compassion and empathy. ...
- Creating a secure and dependable structure. ...
- Ramping up the positive. ...
- Supporting academic risk. ...
- Teaching active listening. ...
- Embedding strategy instruction. ...
- Building collaborative relationships.
Promoting student engagement through active learning
Strategies include, but are not limited to, question-and-answer sessions, discussion, interactive lecture (in which students respond to or ask questions), quick writing assignments, hands-on activities, and experiential learning.
- Be clear. ...
- Be patient. ...
- Pump up the volume. ...
- Play a game. ...
- Strike a chord. ...
- Fly like a butterfly, sit quietly like a bee. ...
- Narrate your count down. ...
- Use clever attention-grabbers.
Hooks can be used to connect background knowledge to the lesson, bring excitement into the students' learning, and/or provide objectives to the content. Hooks can be short around 2-5 minutes with a short video, photograph, sound clip or they can take some time by doing a virtual field trip or a movement.
What are 3 things you can do to make sure activities engage a variety of learning styles? ›- Engage the student in conversation about the subject matter.
- Question students about the material.
- Ask for oral summaries of material.
- Have them tape lectures and review them with you.
- Have them tape themselves reviewing material and listen to it together.
- Read material aloud to them.
The three basic types of learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. To learn, we depend on our senses to process the information around us. Most people tend to use one of their senses more than the others. The following will be a discussion of the three most common learning styles.
What are the 5 C's of student engagement? ›A core element of SCSD's Strategic Plan is a focus on the skills and conceptual tools that are critical for 21st Century learners, including the 5Cs: Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, Citizenship (global and local) and Creativity & Innovation.
What are the 4 C's of student engagement? ›As a starting point, they need to look no further than the 4Cs of education — communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.
What are the ten basic activity areas found in most classrooms? ›- Dramatic Play. ...
- Writing Table. ...
- Reading Area. ...
- Science and Nature Table. ...
- Art & Collage Area. ...
- Maths Area. ...
- Tinkering. ...
- Sensory Play Area.
- Digital literacy. This skill involves using computers and technology. ...
- Problem-solving. Employers often value individuals who can solve problems efficiently. ...
- Speed reading. ...
- Leadership. ...
- Public speaking. ...
- Writing. ...
- Communication. ...
- Programming.
What activities do children enjoy most? ›
- Making playthings from household items.
- Bubble socks.
- Build a den.
- Ice finds.
- Water painting.
- Drawing with chalk.
- Drawing outdoors.
- Scavenger hunt.
Use methods that involve play, creativity and imagination to engage children and promote participation. Examples include visual arts, storytelling, role play and pretend play. Observe and listen while children create and play – the process is as important as the final product.
How do you motivate and engage children? ›- Follow babies' lead. ...
- Elicit curiosity. ...
- Encourage children's playful exploration. ...
- Prioritize social interaction during learning. ...
- Challenge children just enough. ...
- Give children agency. ...
- Provide incentives only when necessary.
- Communication and language development. ...
- Physical development. ...
- Personal, social, and emotional development. ...
- Literacy development. ...
- Mathematics. ...
- Understanding the world. ...
- Expressive arts and design.
- Assumption Busting. Assumption busting is particularly effective when one is stuck in current thinking paradigms or has run out of ideas. ...
- Brain-sketching. ...
- Brainstorming. ...
- Concept Mapping. ...
- Exaggeration. ...
- Fishbone. ...
- Laddering. ...
- Negative (or Reverse) Brainstorming.
- Take a cooking, art, dance, language, or computer class. Get in touch with your local community college or library. ...
- Form or join a book or film club.
- Try yoga, tai chi, or another new physical activity.
- Learn (or relearn) how to play a musical instrument.
- Visit local museums.
Some students are going to struggle more than others, but there's nothing quite like witnessing a student have that light-bulb moment when everything finally clicks. Watching student growth, successes, and improvements is a rewarding process. It makes the day fun and keeps me smiling.
How can teachers create an engaging classroom environment? ›- Help students get to know each other by using icebreakers.
- Connect with your students: Share something about yourself; also learn their names and something about them.
- Encourage participation.
- Let students know how to get help (e.g., office hours, help centers, etc.)
- Try new things out in the classroom. New educational tools and platforms can give a whole new feeling to your class. ...
- Listen to them: Your students have things to say. ...
- Personalize the process. ...
- Focusing on real life problems. ...
- Be creative, enjoy the teaching process.
When teachers use activities that make learning engaging and fun, students are more willing to participate and take risks. Having fun while learning also helps students retain information better because the process is enjoyable and memorable.
What are 3 things teachers do? ›
We see teachers as people with a set of responsibilities, including asking questions, evaluating students, lecturing, praising or critiquing, assigning homework, supervising and grading examinations, and, at the end of the semester or year, grading each student.
What makes teacher happy in the classroom? ›Caring, positive student-teacher relationships boost student engagement, motivation, and achievement and have a positive effect on teacher motivation, effort, and teaching quality. Meaningful relationships also provide a sense of well-being, and student and teacher well-being are inextricably linked.
How do you provide an engaging environment? ›- Create a Family Atmosphere. ...
- Keep Them Guessing. ...
- Give Them Choice. ...
- Be Consistent. ...
- Celebrate Success. ...
- Positive Feedback. ...
- Not All Are Created Equal. ...
- Design Your Space for Learning.
- You Make a Positive Contribution to Society.
- You Have the Satisfaction of Seeing People Learn.
- You Don't Have to Work Long Hours.
- You Never Stop Learning.
- You Are Well Respected.
- Start with a Video. Everyone loves a good video, especially kids. ...
- Start with an Object. Another way to get your students wondering about a topic is to show them objects related to the content. ...
- Start with a Question. ...
- Start with Movement. ...
- Start with a Mistake.