teachersbrain, Author at Teacher's Brain

4 Engaging Elementary Summer Activities and Resources

May 17, 2024 teachersbrain Classroom Behavior Management, Classroom Decor, Teaching Tips

Summer is almost here! Are you ready?

If you’re an elementary teacher looking for engaging and educational resources to keep your students learning over the summer, you’re in the right place.

Whether you’re looking for summer packets to prevent the summer slide, needing creative writing prompts, planning out classroom jobs, or brainstorming a fun and summer-tastic bulletin board, these resources have you covered!

Each tool is designed to be user-friendly, interactive, and aligned with educational standards, ensuring a smooth and productive summer for your students- and you!

Check out these fantastic summer activities for kids to keep the summer slide at bay and make learning FUN all summer long!

Summer Packets

These comprehensive print and go summer packets are perfect for keeping students engaged and learning over the break. The bundle includes seven packets for Pre-K through 5th Grade, each designed to prepare students for the next grade level while reviewing key skills aligned with Common Core Standards. Activities include both written and physical tasks that parents can easily do with their children, making these packets ideal for summer school reviews to prevent the summer slide. Each packet includes standard numbers for additional online resources and supports a blend of oral and physical activities.

Get a free sample here!

Summer Would You Rather Writing Activity

Make writing fun and interactive with the Summer Would You Rather Writing Activity! This download includes 53 colorful, summer-themed Google Slides with prompts that serve as great conversation starters, ice breakers, or writing exercises. The interactive slides allow students to use a moveable highlighter to indicate their choices, making it suitable for both virtual and in-person teaching. The set also includes digital and printable writing prompt papers, and black-and-white slides for handwriting practice, ensuring that students remain engaged and enjoy writing throughout the summer.

Classroom Jobs

Streamline classroom job assignments and transitions with this editable PowerPoint tool. With 52 editable slides, this resource provides black-and-white cards, both with and without images, suitable for intermediate or primary classrooms. The cards cover a wide range of classroom jobs such as Line Leader, Greeter, Pet Care, and many more. It includes cursive and print options, blank cards for custom jobs, and suggested fonts for easy editing. This tool helps in organizing and rotating students’ jobs efficiently, making classroom management smoother.

Summer Bulletin Board

Create a vibrant and customizable summer bulletin board with this editable PowerPoint resource! The download includes 22 slides featuring various designs like a girl or boy with a beach ball, a person with a surfboard, and more. You can easily add students’ photos or let them design their own faces with crayons and yarn. The resource also includes premade letter sets with phrases like “Having a Ball This Summer” or “Surfing Into Summer,” and provides both color and black-and-white options. Additionally, there’s a bonus summer hat design and a van/surfboard image for display, complete with an example of how to assemble the board.

Looking for more summer fun? Check out my post here for the perfect summer PBL activity!

5 Fun and Engaging End of The Year Activities

May 10, 2024 teachersbrain End of the Year Themed Day

Looking for some fun end-of-the-year activities for elementary? You’re in the right place!

As the school year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to celebrate all the hard work, growth, and friendships that have blossomed throughout the year!

What can we do on the last day of school?

Look no further! I’m sharing five exciting and meaningful ways to mark the end of the school year in your elementary classroom.

Here are five fun and engaging end-of-year activities that you can do with your elementary school students to celebrate the end of the school year:

Classroom Awards Ceremony

Host a special awards ceremony to celebrate the unique qualities of each student. Create personalized certificates for various categories like “Most Improved Reader,” “Kindest Classmate,” “Future Scientist,” or “Best Team Player.” You can also let students nominate classmates for awards to encourage peer recognition and positivity.

Try this! End of the Year Awards | Editable Awards

Field Day Extravaganza

Organize a field day with a variety of outdoor games and activities. You could set up stations for relay races, tug-of-war, sack races, and more. This is a great way for students to burn off energy, work in teams, and have fun together. Don’t forget to provide plenty of water and sun protection!

Classroom Talent Show

Host a talent show where students can showcase their unique skills and interests. This could include singing, dancing, magic tricks, storytelling, or even sharing artwork. Encourage students to cheer each other on, and end the show with a group performance or class sing-along for a grand finale.

Theme Day Celebration

Choose a fun theme for a day-long classroom celebration. Some popular themes could be “Superhero Day,” where everyone dresses as their favorite superhero; “Decades Day,” where students come dressed from a specific decade like the ’80s or ’90s; or “Around the World,” where students explore different cultures through food, music, and crafts. Make sure to include activities and games that align with the chosen theme.

Try this! End of the Year Theme Days BUNDLED | Activities

Memory Book Creation

Dedicate a day to creating memory books. Provide each student with a scrapbook or a set of pages to decorate and fill with memories from the school year. Include prompts like “My Favorite School Activity,” “Best Friends,” or “What I Learned This Year.” Encourage students to write notes to each other or add photos, drawings, and mementos. This activity helps them reflect on the year and creates a keepsake they can cherish.

Try this! End of the Year Memory Book | Google Slides™ Option EDITABLE

These activities should help you create a memorable and enjoyable end to the school year, allowing students to celebrate their achievements and enjoy time with their classmates and teachers.

5 Engaging Science Activities

May 3, 2024 teachersbrain Science, Teaching Tips

Science is all about exploration and discovery, especially for elementary school students. As teachers, we all know how important it is to engage young learners in a way that sparks their curiosity and encourages them to ask questions.

To help you create those “aha!” moments in your classroom, I’ve put together a list of five engaging science activities that will not only educate but also excite your students.

These science activities cover a variety of topics and are designed to be interactive, hands-on, and adaptable for different learning styles.

Whether you’re exploring the properties of matter, discovering the wonders of plant growth, or diving into the basics of forces, these ideas are sure to bring a sense of wonder to your science lessons. Let’s dive in!

Properties of Matter Activities Unit – Science K-3

Be that amazing teacher who uses hands-on inquiry lessons to help students retain information about matter. I have you covered with a daily data journal, rubrics, 3 inquiry lessons, posters, links, and printables to teach liquids, solids, and gases.

Greenhouse for Seeds “Sprout” House | Germination Journal

Want an engaging way to get your students curious about how plants grow? This “spout” house is a great way to germinate seeds in your class window!

Push and Pull Worksheets | Activities KINDERGARTEN FIRST GRADE

Are you looking for some engaging activities and plans for your Push and Pull unit?

This is a week unit focusing on Push and Pull Forces. It has a journal, rubric, lesson plans, inquiry lessons, printables to reinforce concepts, a home connection project, songs, video links, and 4 posters to display in the classroom.

What is a Scientist Kindergarten 1st Grade

Need a fun, engaging Introductory Unit for The Practice of Science in K-1? I have you covered with 3 weeks of lesson plans with printables. It covers What is a Scientist, Science Tools, and The Scientific Method with Inquiry lessons!

Science Curriculum for Kindergarten & 1st Grade Yearlong Bundle

Looking for a comprehensive and engaging science curriculum designed for whole-group or easily followed in a homeschool setting for the entire year? I have you covered! This includes 12 units with inquiry lessons, STEM activities, data notebooks, rubrics, print-and-go worksheets, home projects, and so much more!
I hope your students love these science activities! If you want more science fun, check out my post here.

5 Engaging Kindergarten Science Activities

How Technology Is Making Learning Fun in Elementary Schools

April 26, 2024 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

Let’s face it, technology is everywhere these days. From the smartphones we carry around to the smart TVs we watch, it’s become part of our daily routine. And guess what? It’s also changing the way kids learn in elementary schools.

Here’s how technology is making education more engaging and exciting for both students and teachers.

1. Learning Gets More Interactive

Remember when learning meant sitting at a desk with a textbook? Those days are fading fast. Now, kids have tablets, smartboards, and interactive games to help them learn. These tools let students get hands-on with their learning. Need to practice math? There’s a game for that. Want to explore science? There’s a cool simulation for that too. It makes learning a lot more fun and, let’s be honest, a lot less boring!

2. Personalized Learning for Each Kid

One size doesn’t fit all, especially in education. That’s where technology comes in. Teachers can use educational apps and software to create custom learning plans for each student. This way, kids can go at their own pace and get extra help in the areas where they need it most. It’s like having a personal tutor for everyone in the class!

3. Working Together, Even When Apart

Collaboration is key, and technology makes it super easy for students to work together. Platforms like Google Classroom let kids share ideas, work on projects, and ask questions—even when they’re not in school. It’s a great way to build teamwork and communication skills, which are useful no matter what you do in life.

4. A World of Resources at Their Fingertips

Thanks to the internet, students have access to tons of resources. Whether it’s an online library, educational videos, or interactive websites, there’s a lot to explore. Teachers can use these resources to make lessons more interesting and give kids a deeper understanding of the topics they’re studying. It’s like having a library card to the entire world.

5. Encouraging Creativity and Innovation

Technology gives kids the tools to be creative and innovative. From coding apps to video editing software, they can work on projects that go beyond paper and pencil. This not only makes learning more engaging, but it also helps them develop skills that could be useful later on. Who knows, the next great app developer might be sitting in your classroom!

6. Getting Ready for the Future

We all know that technology isn’t going away, so it makes sense to get kids comfortable with it early on. By using technology in the classroom, teachers are helping students build digital skills and get ready for a tech-filled future. It’s not just about using the latest gadgets—it’s about learning to think critically and solve problems in new ways.

Looking for ways to add more technology into your classroom? Check out these 3 digital resources for elementary students!

Digital Reading Comprehension Passages and Questions SIGHT WORDS | Google Slides

Are you looking for a Google Ready Digital resource to improve comprehension, fluency and that includes sight words? I have you covered with this 90+ page resource! 90 sight words, movable parts, and reading comprehension all in Google Slides making it great for distance learning or in person!

Escape Room Sight Words | Digital Escape™ | Google Apps

Looking for digital activities to learn sight words? I have you covered! During the escape, students will be tasked with solving sight word clues to unlock locks in order to break a spell that is placed on their room by an evil professor. There is a PDF included in this download with directions, the link to the site, an answer key, and an optional note-taking worksheet for students. This activity takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

Build a Bear Design & Writing | Google Slides & Print

Are you looking for a great way to do an engaging virtual or in-person writing lesson with students? I have you covered with these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts to design their own bear digital (or in-person). Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about their bear.

I hope you love these digital activities! Looking for more online learning tips and resources? Check out my post here!