winter Archives • Elementary Island

Winter Main Idea & Details Worksheets for the Elementary Classroom

Jordana — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 18:46:14 +0000

I love seeing that moment when the light bulb goes off, and my students start connecting dots in what they’re reading! But let me tell you, helping them get there can be a struggle! Students have a hard time learning to identify the main idea and supporting details in elementary school. When it clicks it is an amazing thing. Over the years I have tried a variety of different activities to help my students master this important skill. One of my favorite, and one of the most effective are main idea and details worksheets. Using short passages, I can provide my students with the targeted practice they need.

When helping my young readers understand how to spot the main idea and pull out those essential details, main idea worksheets have become my go-to tools. I use these fun activities to make it easy to dive into reading passages, break down complex ideas, and really hone in on comprehension. Not only do they boost reading skills, but they also build confidence and critical thinking abilities that support our students across subject areas. Today, I’m sharing with you how I use these winter-themed main idea and details worksheets to teach my students about identifying the main idea of a text and the details that support it.

What is the Main Idea and Details?

When we talk about the main idea and supporting details, we’re really diving into the heart of reading comprehension. The main idea of the passage is like the “big picture” of a text. It’s what the author wants us to understand most from what we’re reading. Think of it as the “why” behind the words, giving meaning and purpose to each passage.

Now, supporting details? They’re like the building blocks that hold up the main idea. These details provide text evidence, examples, and explanations that strengthen the main idea. They make the main idea clear and help readers grasp the full message. Whether through key points, facts, or descriptions, supporting details make reading more meaningful and give our students those “aha!” moments.

Main idea and details worksheets bring all this together in a hands-on way. They guide our students to pick out these elements as they go. These worksheets are my favorite tools for teaching my students how to zoom in on the main message. It also recognizes the clues that bring it all together.

Why Do Our Students Need to Know the Main Idea and Details?

Understanding the main idea and details isn’t just a reading skill. It’s also a life skill! When our students can identify the main idea and see how supporting details tie into it, they learn to analyze informational text and think critically. These skills go beyond the classroom. They help our kiddos become sharp thinkers who can filter out what’s essential in any information they come across. This could be information in a book, a news article, or even a conversation.

The main idea and details worksheets are fantastic because they turn this concept into a practical activity. They help to make students more engaged while strengthening their reading comprehension and retention. By practicing with these reading worksheets, our students learn to summarize, pick out key points, and recognize relevant key details of a text that support a central thought. They also learn how to put the main idea into their own words. These skills build their confidence in reading and understanding content. This sets them up for success in language arts and in subjects like science and social studies as well. Teaching the main idea and details is about giving our students the tools to make sense of what they read and apply those skills across their learning.

How To Use the Main Idea and Details Worksheets

When it comes to the main idea and details worksheets, these winter passages are my go to during the cold winter months. I love how each worksheet engages our students with vivid, winter themed topics. With these main idea and details worksheets, our students have a structured approach to breaking down a short passage. And. . . I love the versatility that comes with having both printable and digital options. In my classroom, students complete the printed passage. I love using the digital passage to project on the board and model my thinking or review the passage as a class. These are also great if you are in a 1:1 classroom or want to add a little technology to your lesson.

Each page has them reading a short, engaging nonfiction passage focused on a main topic like penguins or hot cocoa. After reading, they’re asked to identify the paragraph’s main idea, which is the passage’s central idea. I have found that teaching students to find the topic sentence (usually the first sentence or last sentence) will help to put them on the road toward finding the main idea. With the built-in graphic organizer students are guided through their thinking as they learn to identify the main idea and supporting details.

Once they select the main idea, they move on to the supporting details section. They’re given several statements and have to pick the ones that directly support the main idea. For example, if the passage discusses why winter boots are essential, they might identify details like “boots keep feet warm” and “boots are waterpdearoof” as supporting ideas, reinforcing their comprehension.

This structured breakdown is powerful because it helps our students see the connection between big ideas and the smaller, supporting details that make up the full picture. These worksheets guide them to read carefully, think critically, and organize information. All skills they’ll use across subjects! And. . . unlike other reading comprehension passages, the entire focus is on the skill of identifying the main idea and supporting details. This targeted practice is key to helping students understand the concept.

Who Benefits From Using the Main Idea and Details Worksheets?

Main idea and details worksheets are perfect for second grade, third grade, and fourth grade students to explore comprehension skills while learning fun facts and winter vocabulary! These worksheets fit seamlessly into any part of the day. They offer meaningful practice that you and your students will love. These worksheets build fluency, boost engagement, and support a range of classroom needs:

Individual Practice: When our 2nd grade and 3rd grade students need focused individual work, these worksheets provide a clear structure. This helps them identify the main ideas and essential details.
Centers: These are perfect for centers and small groups where our students can complete independent work while exploring new vocabulary and building confidence in their reading comprehension.
Homework: Send these pages home for extra practice! These worksheets make homework feel like a discovery activity, sparking curiosity about winter items.
Substitutes: With these structured yet fun worksheets, substitutes have a resource that’s both engaging and effective. This keeps our students on track with key reading skills even while we are out of the classroom.
Classroom Helpers: Classroom helpers, like paraprofessionals or parent volunteers, can use these to review the skill of finding the main idea and supporting details.
Fast Finishers: Our fast finishers will love diving into these engaging worksheets. They’ll learn about interesting winter topics while sharpening their comprehension!
Special Education: These winter passages are also great for special education or struggling students in middle school or high school. These high interest passages on a lower reading level can help them practice this key skill.

Additional Resources

Teaching students to identify the main idea and supporting details can feel like a big task, but with the right reading worksheets, we can break this task down into bite-sized pieces that students understand. You can find this Winter Main Idea resource in my TPT Store. It includes 26 different passages that you can use all winter long.

If you are looking for more information on teaching main idea to your students, then make sure to check out the 5 Engaging Ways to Teach Main Idea So That Students Understand blog post.

And. . . if you’d like to try out this style worksheet, try these four free animal main idea and details worksheets! These free educational materials are yours to use any time.

Make Learning Engaging By Using Main Idea and Details Worksheets

I hope you’re as excited as I am to add these winter main idea and details worksheets to your lesson plans! They are a great way to work on this important reading skill while tapping into topics that kids love. These resources are tools that boost reading fluency, critical thinking, and student engagement with every use. Whether you’re using them for centers, test prep, or assigning them as homework, these worksheets fit effortlessly into any part of the day. Plus, with topics covering winter themes and fun facts, our students won’t even realize they’re mastering essential reading comprehension skills. Here’s to making reading a confident and enjoyable experience for our students—one worksheet at a time!

Save for Later

Remember to save this post to your favorite teacher Pinterest board for quick access to these main idea and details worksheets.

The post Winter Main Idea & Details Worksheets for the Elementary Classroom appeared first on Elementary Island.

Favorite Winter Math Craft Activity Perfect for January

Jordana — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 16:41:00 +0000

The winter season brings not only frosty landscapes but also an opportunity to transform your classroom into a hub of excitement and learning through fun winter math activities! My January Math Craftivity is more than just an educational resource. It’s a chance for your learners to practice key math skills while tapping into the fun and whimsy of winter. We are exploring what makes this winter math activity a must-have for your classroom by looking at the benefits and practical ways to utilize this activity in your classroom. I promise you, this is one activity you want on your winter lesson plans!

What is this Winter Math Craft?

Let’s start with the basics… This January Math Craftivity with a winter theme to engage my learners in the cold months. It turns foundational math skills into a wintry math adventure! This resource goes beyond traditional worksheets and offers a hands-on approach that covers a range of math operations. These two winter crafts are the perfect way to ease back into learning after winter break. What sets this winter math craft apart from others is that it’s adaptable, covering basic addition and subtraction facts to double-digit division. No matter if you are teaching first grade or fourth grade, kids of all ages will benefit from the differentiation offered in this resource.

Benefits: Unlocking a World of Possibilities with a Math Craftivity

1. Adaptable Mastery

We all know that one size does not fit all in education. As educators, we love that all of our kiddos are unique in their personalities and learning styles. But, it’s okay to acknowledge that this can make planning our lessons a bit tricky. This math craft sets out to make your planning a breeze and is easy to incorporate into your small groups, math center rotations, or sub plans!

This resource was created to meet your students where they are in their math journey. From single-digit operations for the early grades to the complexity of three-digit multiplication and division in the upper grades, this craftivity ensures that each student finds the right level of challenge to grow and offers practice in a fun way.

2. Effortless Differentiation

The overwhelming feeling that blankets us while trying to differentiate our lessons is a thing of the past. This resource takes the headache out of differentiation and offers problems for each skill level. Whether you have students who are just starting to grasp the concept of addition or those ready to tackle multiplication, you’ll find the perfect problems to match their abilities.

The best part is you don’t only differentiate at the skill level, you can differentiate within the skill! Addition…. no problem! Would you like one, two or three-digit practice? With grouping or without? You will find all these different activities inside ONE resource!

The math can easily be differentiated while still allowing all students to work on the same final project – the craft. This is an easy way for all students to feel successful despite working on many different levels.

3. Seamless Integration Across Operations

No need to juggle between different resources for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. My math craftivity provides a seamless transition between the operations. Not only is this valuable for teaching time, but it also helps students see how math concepts connect or relate to one another.

The inclusion of all the operations means that whether you are a classroom teacher, math intervention teacher, or homeschool mom to multiple ages – this resource works for you! And. . . if you change grade levels you can still use this activity.

How to Use the Winter Math Craft in Your Classroom

Math craftivities are some of the best tools to have in your teacher toolbox! They can fit into your classroom wherever you need them to. Whether it’s adding a dash of excitement to your math centers for hands-on learning or helping to review concepts within a small group, you’re covered. Now, let’s dive into the practical ways to use this resource in your own classroom by breaking down how you can add it to your lesson plans effortlessly!

First Grade: Building Foundations

For the youngest learners, this is a fun way to focus on math fact fluency using single-digit addition and subtraction printable activities. The craftivity offers engaging snowglobe and snowman designs, which help basic math practice turn into an engaging and creative math experience!

Implementation Steps

1. Allow students to choose their preferred craft.

2. Distribute problems suited to their skill level.

3. Before coloring, check over their work for correct answers.

4. Afterwards, students color, cut, and paste their solutions onto their craft! (Added bonus of working on those fine motor skills!)

Cross-Curricular Extension

Half-sheets of paper are provided for students to write a story problem that goes with one of their number sentences. Two versions are included: One with primary lines and another with intermediate lines.

Second and Third Grade: Bridging the Gap

As students progress, introduce two-digit addition and subtraction. The math craftivity provides options for regrouping, which, as we know, adds an extra layer of challenge! And. . . if your students are beginning to work on multiplication facts, then pull out the one-digit multiplication problems for some fun winter math fact independent practice.

Implementation Steps

Choose a more complex snow globe or snowman design.
Tailor problems to include two or three-digit addition with regrouping and two-digit subtraction without regrouping, or both. You can also reach for single digit multiplication problems!
Check over students’ work.
Watch as students confidently tackle the challenges, turning their solutions into a winter wonderland!

Cross-Curricular Extension

Students can use full writing pages to craft a descriptive writing piece about their math craftivity. They could even create a story where their crafted character takes center stage. The writing lines printable version comes with primary lines that are perfect for those new cursive writing skills and one with intermediate lines that are great for any writing piece.

Fourth Grade: Mastering Multiplication and Division

The upper grades dive into multiplication and division with a single or multiple-digit divisor.

Implementation Steps

Have students select their craft.
Pass out the differentiated problems involving multiplication and division (or addition)
Give students time to complete their independent practice of the skill.
Students turn in work to be checked before being given the green light to go be creative!

Cross-Curricular Extension

Just like for 3rd grade, challenge students to write a descriptive story using their craft as an element to their writing! Utilize the two different line options once again for further differentiation and encourage students to get creative!

Making Teachers’ Lives Easier: A Time-Saving Approach

As educators, time is our most precious resource. I am all about finding ways to “get back that teacher time” and this Winter Math Craft is not just about student engagement, it’s about making YOUR life in the classroom more manageable with less time devoted at home.

1. Providing Double Duty

These winter activities are perfect for a classroom teacher because not only are you providing an engaging and fun EDUCATIONAL lesson, BUT……put these babies up in your room or on a bulletin board to create a beautiful winter wonderland for January! Your students will be proud to see their work hanging up and as a teacher, you have one less thing to worry about!

2. Effortless Planning

With clearly differentiated problems and a variety of craft options, planning becomes a breeze! No need to spend hours searching for different resources. This winter math craftivity covers a range of skills, making it an effective tool that adapts to your curriculum.

3. Simple Implementation

Gone are the days of complex setups. The implementation process is simple:

Print out problems and craftivity pieces.
Students pick their craft.
Distribute the math problems that are easily differentiated for individual learners.
Students complete the math work, and the teacher checks it over to provide feedback.
The final step involves coloring, cutting, and pasting the problems onto the chosen craft.

4. Cross-Curricular Extensions with a Math Craftivity

My math craftivity enhances math skills and brings language arts to the mix. Using the included writing pages, students can write word problems related to their craft or tackle a creative writing assignment. It’s cross-curricular magic without the added stress of planning separate activities!

Embrace Winter with the Winter Math Craftivity!

Winter isn’t always the most fun time in the classroom. I’ve been there….The inability to get outside due to the weather often makes attention spans run short. Add to that the days seem cold and drab. But we don’t have to fall into the winter slump. Instead, focus on bringing the fun and whimsy of winter into your classroom with activities like the Winter Math Craftivity!

You can also find this math craftivity and more in my Holiday Math Activities and Centers Bundle! Your students will love working on these math craftivities all year long!

Save for Later

Remember to save this post to your favorite math Pinterest board to return to when in need of some winter magic added to your math lesson plans!

The post Favorite Winter Math Craft Activity Perfect for January appeared first on Elementary Island.

20 Varied and Fun December Writing Prompts That Aren’t About Christmas

Jordana — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 15:40:00 +0000

Christmas activities can add some fun to your classroom, but there’s only so much Rudolph and Frosty a teacher can take over the course of a few weeks. Add that to the fact that many families don’t celebrate Christmas, and that can lead you on a lengthy search for high-quality (yet fun!) activities that still bring some December cheer. The perfect solution to this problem? Writing prompts that capture student interest by featuring special days in December! Keep reading to find 20 fun December writing prompts that will keep your students happily writing till break!

1. Eat a Red Apple Day

Encourage your students to eat healthily as they explore Expository Writing by sharing reasons why they should eat fruit every day.

Bring red apples to class and allow your kids to experience eating one for themselves!

2. Popcorn Day

Buttery, salty, sweet, and crunchy – students will sharpen their Descriptive Writing skills as they describe their favorite type of popcorn.

Pop some popcorn and share it with your students as a pre-writing snack! That’s one way to inspire creative thinking that I could really get behind!

3. Make a Gift Day

Practice Narrative Writing (as well as encourage kindness) by asking students to write about their favorite gift they have ever made for someone.

Students can’t remember ever making a gift? Tell them to think of a gift they could make instead! Then encourage them to really create what they wrote about and give that gift to a loved one.

This writing prompt could also be used to work on How To writing. Instead of having students write about a personal experience, encourage them to use that experience to teach someone else how to make the same gift.

4. National Sock Day

Get students in the mood by declaring National Sock Day as a no shoes day in the classroom. Let students and parents know a couple days in advance of this special day to make sure everyone has a pair of socks to wear.

Once students are in the mood for all things socks, celebrate this funky day (and their powers of persuasion) by writing about why toe socks are better than regular socks! Once they have finished, students could illustrate their writing by drawing and coloring their own pair of crazy toe socks!

5. International Ninja Day

How could a day get any cooler than this one? Sneak in some Narrative Writing practice by asking your students to imagine they are ninjas for the day then write a story of their adventures!

Another sneaky “Teacher Trick”? Watch their hallway behavior improve 100% by pretending to be ninjas as they stealthily creep to the library, cafeteria, or gym!

6. National Microwave Day

Don’t let this Expository paragraph fry your brain! Ask students to think about the benefits of using a microwave instead of a conventional oven and then explain them.

Want to make this day memorable? After writing, do a mini science experiment by microwaving different types of candy and see what happens! Then let them document their findings in their science journal.

7. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is a day to remember the thousands of lives lost on December 7, 1941, during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This day has an obvious connection to history and social studies.

But don’t stop there. Teacher your students about remembrance in general and open their eyes and understanding to many special days we celebrate during year. Connect this idea to having students remember someone important to them. This Descriptive writing prompt asks students to describe someone important to them. Once students have finished writing, encourage them to draw a picture for or of that special person!

8. Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

This prompt will propel students into the future! The year 2144 to be exact! Students will use their imaginations to pretend they are now in the future, then flex those Persuasive powers of theirs to convince someone from that time that they are from the past!

Do not pass up the opportunity to show your students that you are from the past too! Pull out old kitchen gadgets, tools, or tech devices and explain their uses!

9. National Llama Day

Llamas sure are interesting creatures, and in this prompt, students get to describe just how interesting they really are by telling important details like what they are, where they live, and other cool facts.

To get the ball rolling on this prompt, perhaps show a quick YouTube video clip of llamas on a farm before asking students to write. If you’d like to teach your students 10 interesting facts about llamas check out this video that was made for kids! And . . . a silly picture like this one will get your students excited to start writing!

10. Nobel Prize Day

When writing a Narrative story, students naturally write better when the topic is themselves! Have students imagine they won a Nobel Prize! Students can share what they won the prize for and how.

For a little inspiration, show pictures of past Nobel Prize winners and explain what important contributions they made to the world that earned them this prestigious award!

11. Noodle Ring Day

Linguine, rotini, spaghetti, or orzo – students will need to use their noodles to decide on their favorite pasta and write reasons as to why it’s better than any other type of pasta!

Give students practice making evidence-based arguments by holding a class discussion where students try to convince you that their favorite pasta is better than yours!

12. Gingerbread House Day

No matter what you think about the taste of gingerbread, there’s no denying that a well-made gingerbread house is simply adorable! Let your students pretend they are gingerbread men and describe the gingerbread house they live in (down to the tiniest detail!).

Have students who don’t have experience with gingerbread houses? Build some background knowledge before they write by showing a quick YouTube video of the Gingerbread House Competition at the Grove Park Inn! These incredible (and edible!) works of art are sure to inspire even the most reluctant writer!

13. National Violin Day

In this Narrative prompt, students will imagine they are a musician performing in front of a large crowd. They must write a short story that tells how they are feeling and what they are doing through this experience.

To really set the mood, play orchestral music before or during your students writing time.

14. Monkey Day

Yes, there really is a Monkey Day, and what better way to celebrate it than to allow students to choose their favorite primate and write a Descriptive paragraph about it? You could also have students write about whether they would like to have a monkey as a pet.

Once students have written about their animals, allow them to share famous primates they know from movies or tv (ex. Curious George, Ivan, King Kong, etc…) and compare/contrast them with real primates.

15. National Cupcake Day

There is not much that captures the interest of a kid quicker than the word “cupcake”! Capitalize on that by asking students to write a Descriptive paragraph about their favorite cupcake. Remind them that they should use all 5 senses in their description.

If you’re feeling super festive, grab a platter of tiny cupcakes from your local bakery! Have a class discussion where everyone describes the cupcakes as they are eating them!

16. National Chocolate-Covered ANYTHING Day

This Narrative prompt may just be a class favorite as students are asked to write a story where they forgot to turn off a chocolate fountain and chocolate has splattered everywhere!

Not only will this silly prompt inspire some giggles, but the pictures they create in their minds as they write will definitely need to be drawn! Give your students extra time to illustrate and share their stories with the class!

17. Wright Brothers Day

Introduce your students to Orville and Wilbur Wright and their invention to kick off this special day. Airplanes are arguably one of the most important inventions in history. In this Expository prompt, ask students to give examples of how airplanes have changed the world (a class brainstorming session before writing may be helpful if some kids seem unsure about what to write).

When you are finished, have a paper airplane-making competition! Design, color, and fly those paper airplanes to see which one can fly the farthest, make loops, or be the tiniest but can still fly, etc.

18. Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf

Buddy the Elf brings cheer to everyone around so why not have your students spread a little cheer just like him? Students will pretend to be Buddy the Elf and write a descriptive paragraph detailing what they would say when answering the phone like Buddy.

After writing, have students read their paragraphs aloud to the class using their very best “elf voices”! Encourage your students to spend the rest of the day doing kind deeds for other people as a way to spread cheer (they can drop the “elf voice” though!).

19. National Oatmeal Muffin Day

Muffins make breakfast just a bit sweeter, and this Persuasive prompt asks students to make a choice- which muffin tastes better: oatmeal or blueberry? Students must decide and write reasons for why others should agree with them.

And you know what goes well with a choice like this? A taste test! If you’re able to, cut 2-3 blueberry and oatmeal muffins into bite-sized pieces so students can make an informed decision! If not, a picture of each item may help students to get a better idea of what they are choosing between if they have never eaten them before.

20. Go Caroling Day

A little class discussion about what caroling is, sharing past experiences, and perhaps singing a song or two together will help students connect to this Narrative prompt. Ask students to write a story about a time they went caroling. Many students may not have been caroling before, so ask them to imagine where they would go, who they would sing to, and what they would sing to help create an imaginary story of what they would hope their caroling experience would be.

If your school allows it, practice singing a song together several times, then take your students to the principal, the cafeteria staff, or other classrooms and carol to them!

What do you think of these December Writing Prompts?

These writing prompts are so much fun, and I hope you can use them in your classroom! You can find all of these December Daily Writing Prompts on Teachers Pay Teachers!

You will find beautiful prompt pages (in both printable and digital formats) and student writing pages that are themed to go along with the day’s prompt. You can even add your own prompts on the editable Prompt card and student page! This resource will truly make the weeks leading up to break so much easier for you and fun for your students! And . . . by the end of the 20 days they just might love writing a little more!

Pin These Writing Prompts for Later!

Not ready for December planning just yet? Pin this post to your favorite December Activities Pinterest Board! These ideas will be right where you left them, ready for when you need them!

The post 20 Varied and Fun December Writing Prompts That Aren’t About Christmas appeared first on Elementary Island.

8 Simple and Effective Winter Break Self Care Ideas for Teachers

Jordana — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:16:00 +0000

Winter Break is approaching fast and to be honest, once it is here it will fly by. That is why it is important for you to take time for yourself. I have listed 8 teacher self care ideas for you to do over winter break. Use one, two or even all of these options to get your winter break off to a good start. Leave school and enjoy your break.

Self Care Idea #1: Leave School at School

I know as a teacher it is always easy to take school home with you to grade or plan over the break. I did this so many times and it actually ended up sitting in my car anyways. The bad thing is that it only added stress to my plate because I constantly thought about it being in the car. If you take this self care idea and use it, then it completely relieves the stress of school and clears your mind of school. Once you clear your mind of school it will leave you the ability to enjoy the break.

Self Care Idea #2: Plan a Day With Friends

As teachers, we do not take enough time for ourselves. Whether you want to plan a dinner, lunch, or maybe even a shopping trip. Either way just plan something that you will enjoy. It is healthy to have time with those that can relate to us and help separate all while doing things that you love.

Self Care Idea #3: Relax

Teachers are naturally very busy! We are always on the go, so it is important to take at least one day to truly relax. This self care idea will look different for each person. Some may choose to lay on the couch in jammies and binge watch tv, while others may want to go read a book or go to a spa. While some ideas may require doing more work and/or getting out of the house in order to do so, whatever you may choose… JUST RELAX!

Self Care Idea #4: Do Something for Yourself

If you are anything like me I feel amazing after going to the salon for a fresh haircut. I don’t know if it is the weight lifted off my head (literally), or if it is that my stylist just makes it look so good. I don’t know what it is but I always walk out feeling more confident than when I went in. This self care idea is great for your confidence. Maybe you’re not one that’s into something like so, and that’s okay! You may be more into getting a new pair of shoes because the ones you have now just don’t quite offer the support they once did. Whatever may suit you best is the best self care you can do for yourself.

Self Care Idea #5: Do Something Festive

No matter where you are in the world you can easily find something to do for winter. In the United States, you can do something like ice skating, baking cookies, or even driving around looking at lights. Whereas if you are in other parts of the world you may choose to go to the beach, or have a picnic, or attend a local festival. Wherever you may be try to do something during the season that will bring you joy.

Self Care Idea #6: Go on a Walk or Hike

Nature is very relaxing, so a great self care idea is to spend time in nature. For some people going on hikes or nature walks are ideal, but if that isn’t your thing just simply go to a park. You can sit and relax, simply just walk around, or even do some bird watching. It is great for your body and mind to be outside and one with nature.

Self Care Idea #7: Enjoy Time With Family

Teachers are very busy all the time and we forget to take time for our families. We forget to spend time with the kids because we are just rushing through day-to-day tasks. We forget to go see our parents or even our grandparents because we are always running around taking care of things for others. This self care idea will not only be great for you, but also your relative that is given the time for a nice visit.

Self Care Idea #8: Getting Organized

Get organized so that way when you come home from school each day there isn’t as much clutter in the room as there is in your brain. I don’t know about you but I feel such a sense of peace when I walk through the front door and things are tidy and in their proper place. Getting organized does not have to be a strenuous job. It could be something as simple as cleaning out the junk drawer or even rolling your towels a specific way. Whatever your version of it may look like, this self care idea could be something you didn’t even know you needed!

No matter what self care idea you choose from the list above just promise me one thing! You will take time to enjoy the break and do things you love!

The post 8 Simple and Effective Winter Break Self Care Ideas for Teachers appeared first on Elementary Island.

15 Insanely Easy Valentine’s Day Activities

Jordana — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 01:16:00 +0000

Holidays are always an exciting time in the classroom and Valentine’s Day is no exception! With their minds focused on all things hearts, candy and cards, it can be hard to keep them focused in the classroom. I love incorporating Valentine’s Day activities with my students, but sometimes I think it takes more work to prep than it does for the students to actually do the activities and crafts. I’m sure you can relate! This year, I am determined to use cute crafts and activities that are insanely easy! Here are 15 insanely easy Valentine’s day activities to try this year.

Build Classroom Community With Easy Valentine’s Day Activities

This special holiday is a favorite in my classroom, mainly because of candy and crafts. But, it’s also a time I like to focus heavily on kindness and building classroom community. And by this time in the year, we could definitely use a renewed sense of community.

Use the Valentine holiday to engage and teach students with fun, themed activities plus spread some love and kindness at the same time. Valentine’s can make students feel so special especially when they are giving and receiving from the heart.

These 15 insanely easy Valentine’s day activities will keep your kids engaged and full of love this Valentine’s season.

1. Handwritten Notes

Have your students write handwritten notes of kindness on heart-shaped paper. Not only is this a great way to get in some writing practice, but it is a great way to help students notice the kindness and generosity of others.

All you need to complete this activity is some heart-shaped paper. Have your students cut their own hearts or ask a parent volunteer to spend a few minutes in the workroom at the die-cut machine. It’s simple and easy to do!

I like to ask my students to create a rough draft of their handwritten notes for some peer or teacher review before creating their final draft. That way students know that their final note is the best they can do! It’s an easy way to add a Valentine’s theme to your daily writing practice or center activities.

These handwritten notes can be given to friends, family, or even a member of our school staff. Nothing is quite as special as receiving a handwritten Valentine from a child!

2. Read and Write Poems

I don’t need a Valentine’s treat

My students are already too sweet

Full of kindness and love

Each one I will hug

They make my world complete.

Valentine’s day wouldn’t be complete without some poetry. It’s a wonderful time to jump into a poetry unit with your class. With so many different styles of poetry the activities are endless!

Some easy Valentine’s Day activities could include writing poetry on your classroom or school windows with window paint or chalk markers. You could even hold a poetry jam for your class or grade level for younger students or parents to attend.

But one of my favorite is using the traditional “Roses are red, Violets are blue . . . ” poems. Students love to write these poems to their family as cards for the holiday. They are also great to share with friends too!

Check out this fun poetry freebie for students to write out their own “Roses are red, Violets are blue” poems. Use this as a writing center activity, morning work or even put out as an early finisher activity. However you use it, this is one of those easy Valentine’s Day activities that’s sure to bring out your student’s creativity.

3. Valentine STEM challenges

No matter what time of year, STEM challenges are always a fun and exciting way to teach in the classroom!

With simple items like cardstock, construction paper, tape, straws, and popsicle sticks, your students can create a candy box large enough to hold their Valentine’s Day cards and candy. It’s a great way to connect some critical and creative thinking with a usable project like a Valentine’s Day box.

To turn these easy Valentine’s boxes into a STEM challenge, present your students with a problem they have to solve by creating their box. Better yet, grab these already planned out Valentine STEM activities.

All you need to do is grab some commonly found items, copy the pages, and let your students get busy. STEM is always a great way to get students engaged and learning and using these challenges near Valentine’s Day is a no-brainer! These easy Valentine’s day activities are low-prep, teacher-friendly, and easy to put together.

4. 10 Random Acts of Kindness

Valentine’s Day is about love and friendship which is the perfect time to incorporate random acts of kindness into your classroom activities.

Take some time to talk with your class about what a random act of kindness is, and why it is important to spread kindness. Then, challenge your students to complete 10 random acts of kindness before Valentine’s Day.

Before we begin I love to do a class brainstorming session. We talk about random acts of kindness we can do at school, home or in the community. This really helps to get the class thinking of a variety of ideas.

Your students can plan out and start completing their random acts of kindness over a couple days, or done one a day for the 10 days leading up to Valentine’s Day. It is such a great group activity for the entire class to participate in!

My absolute favorite thing about this activity is that the students learn that they are not too young to make a difference or be kind. That’s a lesson that I love teaching them! You can teach this lesson too by grabbing this Random Acts of Kindness freebie!

YES, I want the Amazing Valentine’s Day Activities Freebies!

To avoid this email going to spam,
you may want to sign-up using a non-school email account.

By providing your email, you are accepting future emails from Elementary Island. I promise to never sell your email or spam you!

Thank you!

Keep an eye on your inbox for a confirmation email from me

Don’t forget to check your spam folder and drag me to your inbox or add me to your contact list so you don’t miss out on all the goodies I’ll be sending over the next few weeks!

5. Candy Heart Estimation Activity

It’s easier than you think to incorporate some math into your easy Valentine’s Day activities. With a jar and some candy hearts, your students will be using their estimating skills to try to figure out how many candy hearts are in the jar.

Each day I change the number of hearts in the jar. While students are truly taking a guess those first few days, it’s not too long before they start using what they learned on previous days to make educated guesses. I love incorporating this into our morning routine or as a math warm-up activity.

It’s a really fun, hands-on way to practice estimating. Every few days I ask my students to reflect on the activity and what they’ve learned. This reflection time really pays off as their guesses get closer and closer.

6. I Love… Valentine’s Day Self-Esteem Activity

Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love and that means loving yourself too, right? I love this Valentine’s Day I Love that I… activity so much. Because students are taking time to think about things they are good at, and what they like about themselves, they are going to get a nice confidence boost.

In the past, I have laminated these and made a super cute display for my students to see as we prepare for state testing. It’s a great reminder of their strengths, abilities and attributes. It’s also great way to visually remind them how amazing they are. Once we are done having them on display, they can be sent home for parents to treasure.

You can grab this self-reflection resource for free. But don’t let the hearts fool you, it’s a good thing to do any time of the year!

7. Color By Codes

This Valentine Day color by code activity is so much fun. It’s also a great way to engage your students in practicing their math skills the weeks and days leading up to Valentine’s Day!

Students will use 3-digit addition to solve the problems for each space on the picture. Then they will color in the picture using the code at the top of each page.

These bright, beautiful pictures are perfect for hanging up in your classroom or hallway to add a little Valentine’s decor to your space and show off some amazing math skills at the same time!

I really love this math activity because it’s engaging while also bringing in the fun of the holiday. I love to use these activities in a math center and as morning work. But they are so versatile and can be used in many ways.

This set includes 6 Valentine-themed coloring pictures to choose from! There is also a Place Value color by codes activity and subtraction activity as well!

8. Read Valentine Themed Books

Reading is such an important part of our day-to-day life in the classroom. I love to incorporate holiday reading all year long. It is a fun change of pace for the students and brings joy and excitement. There are lots of fun, Valentine-themed books options for the holiday! Use them as a mentor text or just as a read aloud. And . . . for a fun change of pace throw in an audio book or a book video.

We love the “Love Monster” books by Rachel Bright! It is an adorable and witty book that you are sure to enjoy just as much as your students.

After reading a Love Monster book to my class, it’s time for a Love Monster craft. This easy activity is also super cute.

This simple craft uses easy to find supplies including:

Construction paper
Stickers (optional)
Crayons/Markers
Scissors
Glue

The students love the connection to the book and it makes a great way to add in discussion about the story elements, sequencing or retelling too!

This cute love monster can be added to a bulletin board, glued to the front of a paper bag or box and used as a cardholder, or incorporated into the class Valentine’s Day party.

One of my favorite Valentine’s Day party activities is doing activity stations. With a few parent volunteers we can fill the afternoon with some fun Valentine’s Day fun. This craft is perfect for these types of stations.

9. Valentine’s Day Bookmarks

A simple, yet fun craft for students is making their very own bookmarks! This activity can be as simple or complex as you like. It can be as easy as some pre-cut cardstock and markers or you can add embellishments like stickers, stamps, ribbon, glitter and anything else you can think of!

You could ask your students to write a quote from their favorite book, write a positive message, or even design a bookmark to be used in a bookmark swap during your Valentine’s Day party.

I have had my students create their bookmarks a week or two in advance so I could laminate them all. Then I punched a hole in the top and add a piece of ribbon. It makes an easy activity that students love.

I’ve even had students come back years later and show me that they are still using their bookmark.

10. Valentine’s Day Math Mystery

What’s more mysterious than a secret admirer? This Valentines Day math mystery is a “crack the code” type game your students won’t be able to get enough of! Your students will be challenged to use their problem-solving skills to find clues to figure out “who done it”.

The case of the secret admirer is about a girl, Lucy, who is receiving Valentine’s gifts from a secret admirer. Lucy wants to thank the person, but first, she must figure out who it is! Your students will love finding clues and narrow down her admirer in this adorable, fun Valentine game!

I love using these NO PREP Valentine’s day math mystery activities during the week of or the week before Valentine’s day. The students are so engaged and they are easy to use in an already hectic week.

11. Heart Collage

During this holiday focused on love, creating a heart collage is a great way for students to think about those things that are important to them. Using heart cut-outs, students write the name of a variety of things that they “love.” Then we glue them on a sheet of paper to create a heart collage.

In addition to writing on the hearts, students can draw pictures or find pictures in magazines of different things they love. I also tell students that they can bring in a picture of important people in their life too! They love seeing all those special people, places and things in one picture!

12. Heart Hunt Game

When you have the opportunity to combine math with a game, you are sure to get your students’ attention and focus. I’m still surprised sometimes when I tell my class we are going to play a math game and I’m met with cheers instead of groans.

For Valentine’s day, I mix things up a little by making our game Valentine-themed. This simple game gets your students to practice their addition skills in a fun competition. I have done this activity with students individually, in small groups, and even as a center activity during our Valentine’s day party.

I grabbed some cheap foam heart stickers from the dollar store and wrote values on all of them. Then I hid them around the room. When it was time for the game, my students would walk around the room searching for the hearts adding up the values as they went. It’s a great way to review the commutative property of addition too!

The winner is the first student to find all the hearts and also have the correct answer. It is a simple, engaging game that students enjoy! And with a few number changes, you have a whole new game!

YES, I want the Amazing Valentine’s Day Activities Freebies!

To avoid this email going to spam,
you may want to sign-up using a non-school email account.

By providing your email, you are accepting future emails from Elementary Island. I promise to never sell your email or spam you!

Thank you!

Keep an eye on your inbox for a confirmation email from me

Don’t forget to check your spam folder and drag me to your inbox or add me to your contact list so you don’t miss out on all the goodies I’ll be sending over the next few weeks!

13. Valentine’s Day Bingo

This is one of my student’s favorite games and always an easy Valentine’s Day activity! Bingo is always a huge hit in my classroom for both me and my students, but with a Valentine’s day theme, it’s even sweeter.

This ready-to-use game just needs to be printed out. I suggest laminating the cards so they can be used year after year. Playing bingo is a great class reward or addition to the class Valentine’s Day party.

This awesome activity comes with everything you need including calling cards and 20 original Valentine’s day themed Bingo cards.

With adorable pictures like candies, hearts, and flowers, your students will have a great time finding the images as you or a student helper call them out. I love to use candy hearts for students to mark their Bingo cards.

14. Candy Hearts Writing

Okay, this is such a fun and silly Valentine’s day activity that will have everyone cracking up. Using candy hearts, students write out a story and use the phrases or words on the candy hearts to take the place of some of the words in the story.

It’s easy to differentiate this activity for lower or higher-level grade levels. For younger students, sort through the hearts ahead of time to find words or phrases you are sure they will know. For older students, I ask them to randomly select a specific number of candy hearts and then use whatever words or phrases they get to write their story.

Asking for student volunteers to read their stories is one of my favorite activities. I’m always amazed at their cleverness when it comes to writing a story using candy hearts.

This Valentine’s activity helps with important writing skills and lets your students utilize their creativity by finding words to fit their narrative. It is a really fun, engaging activity that your students will love!

15. I Love You to Pieces Activity

Looking for easy Valentine’s Day gifts students can make? This “I Love You to Pieces” freebie is your answer! It’s a great card for parents, grandparents and other special people in your students’ lives.

I create a station filled with all the supplies students need, including: big cut-out hearts in pink, red, and white. Each heart says “I love you to pieces”. Students can color, decorate and write a message inside. At the station, students can use a variety of materials like stickers, glitter, markers, crayons, and puzzle pieces to decorate their paper heart. Alternatively, they can use Reeses Pieces too!

Students will love creating this for their family and I love being part of teaching them importance of giving to others!

Valentine’s Day Made Easy

If you are like most teachers, holidays can be a little stressful and chaotic. Students can get easily distracted by all the fun and excitement surrounding each holiday. Having engaging, fun, and easy Valentine’s day activities on hand can help students stay on task while also hitting important learning targets. These are some of my favorite games, activities, and craft to excite and engage students during the month of February with a fun Valentine theme they will love.

Be sure to grab your Valentine’s day FREEBIE pack today for all of the free resources from this post! You can also find more easy-to-use, fun Valentine’s Day activities in my store at Teachers Pay Teachers.

I know you and your students love all of these easy Valentine’s day activities as much as we do!

Pin it!

Be sure to save these 15 insanely easy Valentine’s day activities to your favorite Pinterest teacher board so you can come back anytime for fun and engaging Valentine’s day activities your students will love!

The post 15 Insanely Easy Valentine’s Day Activities appeared first on Elementary Island.

4 Easy and Affordable STEM Activities for Winter

Jordana — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 21:44:00 +0000

Winter in an elementary classroom can either be full of fun and chaos or feel like it’s never going to end, so it’s important to plan activities that will hold your student’s attention from December to February. STEM activities are a great way to get your students excited about learning and incorporate some fun, hands-on challenges they will love. I am so excited to share with you 4 of my favorite easy and affordable winter STEM activities that are sure to be a hit in your classroom!

What are STEM Activities?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. These are all essential skills our students should be exposed to during their learning career, and they are never too young to start. STEM activities are designed to be hands-on and fun for students to complete.

STEM challenges are usually presented as problems students have to solve with specific supplies and parameters for students to follow. The best part about STEM activities is that the focus is more on the process than the product. Students are encouraged to reflect on the process and think about what they could do to improve their design.

The four basic steps to any STEM activity include:

The problem presented to students
Research and plan
Build
Analyze and reflect

These steps are similar to and go along with the design process in an easy to understand way students love!

I can tell you from experience, my students get super excited when they know they will be working on STEM activities in my classroom. Believe it or not, they are more focused while working on STEM challenges than almost any other activity we do.

My students always beg for a little more time to work on their STEM activities, and I have even had students ask to stay in from recess to continue working on their projects. It’s definitely a win-win in my book!

If you are interested in trying some easy and affordable STEM activities in your classroom, check out my post “Easy STEM Activity to get Students Excited.”

Winter STEM Activities

So, let’s talk about STEM activities you can do with your elementary students during the winter months that will not only be fun but educational as well. It can feel overwhelming to try to come up with winter-themed STEM activities that will also hit some of your essential teaching standards. Have no fear; I’m here to help with 4 amazing winter STEM activities you can easily complete with your students this winter.

1. Sledding Ramp

This STEM challenge is super easy and fun for students to complete. This challenge asks students to create their own sledding hill using simple materials. Then, they will “slide” pennies down their ramps to see whose ramp sends the penny the longest distance.

Through this project, students will be using simple machines (inclined plane), measurement skills, and physics. Once done they will collect and analyze data then interpret the data in order to answer questions about the challenge.

This challenge is great for small groups and encourages collaboration and creative thinking from all students.

Suggested easy to find materials for each group include:

1 ft. of foil
Tower blocks
Penny
Popsicle sticks
Straws
Tape

If you don’t have these materials, no problem! Add or delete as needed, that is the beauty of STEM! Students will all use different materials to construct their designs.

This challenge also includes pages for research, planning, data collection and analysis, and most importantly reflection.

2. Tallest Snowman

Whether you have snow on the ground or not, this snowman challenge will get all of your students excited to work collaboratively to build melt-proof snowmen indoors.

Using 10 large marshmallows, toothpicks, and one straw, students will work together to build the tallest snowman. This project engages students with engineering and construction concepts as well as identifying characteristics of different building materials.

Within the 30 minute timeframe, students will sketch out their design, build their snowman, collect and analyze data to compare all of the snowmen built in the class, and reflect on the process.

3. Igloo Home

This STEM challenge focuses on building an igloo big enough to keep as many arctic animals safe as possible during the cold winter months. Students love being presented with a problem that they can solve to help others, and this igloo challenge is no exception.

Easy and affordable materials to use for this challenge include:

50 Mini-marshmallows
Toothpicks
Large marshmallows
Printed arctic animals to tape to the large marshmallows

This adorable STEM challenge is easy to differentiate with two options for lower-level learners and advanced learners. With just a few simple adjustments you can create an easier or more challenging activity for your class.

After researching igloo designs, and planning out their own igloo structure, students will use the arctic animals taped to the large marshmallows to see how many fit inside their igloo structure.

This is a fun activity to do with the class. I like to move each igloo to the front of the room and have the students help me count how many arctic animals we can fit into each igloo. This is also the perfect time for students to fill out their data collection and analysis sheets to compare and contrast the igloo designs their classmates have made.

Last, but not least, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their igloo design. This is such an important step in the STEM process. When students have the opportunity to reflect on what went well and what could have been done better, they are able to develop their important critical thinking skills.

4. Marshmallow Shooter

This is by far my student’s most favorite winter STEM activity. I love to use a big space like the cafeteria or gymnasium for our snowball fight, but if you happen to have a nice weather day don’t be afraid to take your marshmallow shooters outside.

This STEM challenge gets kids excited to build a marshmallow shooter that will launch marshmallows towards an opponent. The catch is, they also have to think about how they will stay out of range of the other team’s marshmallow shooter.

With simple materials like large marshmallows, plastic cups, and balloons, your students will test, adjust, and test their designs again and again. This is a great way to encourage students to really think about their design and make improvements in real-time.

In addition to the reflection sheet, students will also be using their planning sheet to write sentences describing their design.

When it’s time to let the marshmallows fly, your room will be filled with giggles and engaged students. This is a great indoor recess activity too. I know you and your students will love this STEM challenge as much as my students and I do.

Try STEM in Your Classroom

I love STEM so much that I want you to try it out in your classroom. STEM is so much more than just fun projects. It’s a great way for students to develop critical thinking skills and apply what they have learned in class to a real-life challenge or problem. Grab this FREE STEM Activity packet and give STEM a try in your classroom. This activity is great to use alone or with the book Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon. You won’t be sorry!

Add STEM to your Winter Plans

These easy and affordable winter STEM activities are the key to keeping your students engaged and hitting their learning goals during the busy month of December, or the long month of January when outdoor play is limited.

Each of these STEM challenges includes materials and supplies that are easy to find and super affordable. You can even ask parents to send in donations of some of the materials you will be using.

Pin it!

Be sure to save these easy and affordable STEM activities for winter to your favorite Pinterest teacher board so you can come back anytime in the future for super fun and engaging STEM activities your students will love.

The post 4 Easy and Affordable STEM Activities for Winter appeared first on Elementary Island.

Do You Wanna Build a Snowman? Differentiated Parts of Speech FREEBIE

Jordana — Sat, 15 Dec 2018 21:34:00 +0000

These are one of the cutest decorations that I have made this year! They are perfect to display on lockers or as a bulletin board scene. The best part??? You are not sacrificing educational value and time!

These snowmen are perfect for a review of parts of speech! Students are given a page of facial expressions, hats, and clothing. Students are asked to find the picture that has all nouns, verbs, or adjectives. It is up to you which part of speech to focus on for each section. Differentiation made simple for you!

Simply color, cut, and paste for an adorable snowman to line your halls!

Paper saving tip – Don’t forget that you can choose to print 2 per page on your printer settings to create smaller snowmen if you want to use this as a center for your classroom!

Want to get this cute activity for free? Click HERE to get the complete packet and have fun building your snowman!

The post Do You Wanna Build a Snowman? Differentiated Parts of Speech FREEBIE appeared first on Elementary Island.

Activities to Engage Students after Winter Break {with a FREEBIE}

Jordana — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:09:00 +0000

Activities to Engage Students after Winter Break!

Students are back from winter break – the gifts, food and endless free time are of the past. Now it’s time to dive into the second half of the school year with renewed energy! As we step into the classroom after the holiday season, we know that rekindling students’ enthusiasm for learning can be a delightful challenge. But fear not; I’ve got you covered! Post-winter break can be a memorable time with a few engaging activities those first few weeks back in school.

Use Technology Activities to Engage Students

Students LOVE being on a computer! Use this to your advantage to help support your curriculum! One way that I use technology in my classroom is with QR codes. QR codes can be incorporated into any activity and any subject!

I like to use https://www.qrstuff.com/ for my QR codes. The site is easy to navigate and you can incorporate the code by copying and pasting!

How would you do this? Take your basic worksheet, answer your questions, and add a QR codes to the question. Students will simply read the question, answer it, and check with the QR code to see if they are correct! INSTANT engagement (and self-checking)!!!!

I use these a lot for those tedious math facts that students do not enjoy doing over and over again…..but we all know practice makes perfect! You can find them in my store for multiple math concepts.

Another great option for technology is using my new found friend, BOOM Cards. BOOM Cards are great for centers, group work, or individually. You can read more about BOOM Cards here and pick up a FREE DECK while you’re over there!

This short video will show you what BOOM Cards are all about! Digital, self-checking, no cutting, engaging……they’re literally PERFECT!!!

I have purchased the VERY CHEAP yearly membership to track my students work and I can assign different decks to each student to help differentiate. You can also add a membership to create your own BOOM decks so they specifically meet the needs of your students!

If you are interested in some pre-made BOOM decks, you can check out my listings HERE.

Use STEM Activities to Engage Students!

With feedback like this,

“LOVE!!!!! My first graders are BEGGING me to do more of these activities! Thank you!” and “Great hands-on activities for the children to explore and problem solve,” it’s no wonder why STEM has taken over the classroom IF it has meaning! STEM activities are so powerful at the elementary level because it really plays off of youngsters inquisitive and exploratory minds. We want to foster that love for asking questions, creating, developing, challenging, reinventing, and everything else STEM offers so that children can handle problem solving in the “real” world.

The great thing about STEM is that you can come up with an activity by looking around you. Reading Diary of a Spider? Have the students create a spider that flies (ballooning). Reading about animal habitats? Have the students create a habitat and explain their rationale! Anything can be made into a STEM project!

For Halloween, my students created spider webs from my STEM packs! They had to make a web that collected the most spiders. Here are some varieties they came up with!

If you are looking for seasonal STEM activities, I have you covered! My projects also come with planning, recording, and reflective sheets to help build the math skills and critical thinking. Check them out HERE.

Color by Code Activities to Engage Students

Now this one is a little more difficult to create on your own and time consuming! My color by codes are on another level in my classroom! It’s a great way to 1. incorporate the holiday and 2. practice those skills that need to be done over and over again.

Ask my kids to do a worksheet of 30 problems, NOT HAPPENING! But, give them a color by code to complete with 50 problems and it’s all good Sometimes, I don’t get them!!!

Here are some that I have available if you’re interested in checking them out. These are also differentiated for your needs. You can take a closer look by clicking HERE.

Skill Swirls Activities to Engage Students

What’s a Skill Swirl you ask? These are activities that I invented to help combat the basic worksheet. They are self-checking and have students ENGAGED from start to finish. One of my students said, “It’s like we are learning!” Yes little one, you are learning. *face palm*

Basically students will begin with a problem, find the answer on a slip, paste it down, and continue with the next problem. If the answer isn’t there, then it is incorrect. Here is a video to help understand the format. You can also snag an Addition to 10 Skill Swirl FREEBIE here!

Skill Swirls are a great way to keep kids on task and completing assignments. You can take a look at my list of growing concepts in my store, HERE.

That’s it! Five activities that I use in the classroom to break the monotonous routine. I guarantee that these activities will engage your students! I’m always looking for more ideas! Let me know in the comments if you have any!

The post Activities to Engage Students after Winter Break {with a FREEBIE} appeared first on Elementary Island.