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10 Must-Have Math Centers for K–2 Classrooms (That Students Will Actually Love)

June 20, 2025 teachersbrain Math

Math centers are one of the best ways to give your students hands-on practice while also freeing you up for small group instruction or assessments. Whether you’re reviewing number sense, introducing place value, or spiraling back to sorting skills, math centers offer flexibility, differentiation, and fun!

🎯 The Benefits of Math Centers

Hands-on, differentiated learning: Centers let you meet students where they are. Whether they need extra support with counting or are ready for place value, there’s room for all.
Built-in review and spiral practice: Rotating through centers reinforces key skills over time, helping students retain what they’ve learned.
Student independence: With the right setup, students learn to take ownership of their learning, build stamina, and practice problem-solving skills.
Easy prep with the right resources: A few solid, reusable centers can take you a long way!

Here are 10 must-have math centers to keep your K–2 learners engaged all year long:

1. Numbers 1–5 Counting and Cardinality Math Center

Start with the basics! These Numbers 1–5 Math Centers give your youngest learners essential practice with number recognition, counting, and matching quantities.

2. Sorting and Classifying Skills

Teach foundational math and science skills with these Sorting and Classifying Activities. Students sort objects by attributes, giving them critical thinking practice while working independently.

3. Telling Time and Money Practice

Keep your centers practical and real-world ready with Telling Time and Money Centers. Great for spiraling throughout the year!

4. Number Order Picture Puzzles

Turn number order into a fun puzzle challenge with these Picture Puzzle Activities. Students practice sequencing while revealing a surprise picture.

5. Teen Numbers and Place Value

Introduce place value the easy way with these Teen Numbers Worksheets. A great addition to your center rotation during place value units!

6. Gallon Monster: Units of Capacity

This Gallon Monster Activity makes learning units of measurement memorable and fun. Perfect for when you cover capacity!

7. Wacky Wednesday Word Problems

Add some silly fun to your math block with Wacky Wednesday Addition and Subtraction Word Problems. A great way to keep kids laughing and thinking.

8. 100th Day of School Math + STEM

Celebrate the 100th day with purpose! These 100th Day Math and STEM Activities offer engaging, themed practice that’s perfect for center rotations.

9. Free Math Centers

Just getting started with math centers? Try these FREE Kindergarten Math Centers to introduce your students to the routine without any extra prep.

10. Free Addition & Subtraction Worksheets

These FREE Addition and Subtraction Worksheets are perfect for early finishers, review centers, or independent practice during math rotations.

With the right mix of skills, seasonal themes, and fun visuals, centers can become one of your favorite parts of the school day, and your students’ too! 🧮

✨ Click here to explore all of these math centers »

For more math activities in elementary, check out my post here!

Why You Should Try Directed Drawing in Your Classroom

June 13, 2025 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

If you’re looking for a low-prep activity that combines creativity, listening skills, and fine motor practice, directed drawing might be your new favorite classroom tool!

Directed drawing is exactly what it sounds like: students follow step-by-step instructions to draw a specific image. It’s a simple yet powerful way to bring art into your routine, while also reinforcing important academic and developmental skills that are so important in the early years of elementary.

Whether you’re teaching kindergarten, first grade, or second, there are plenty of benefits to adding directed drawing to your week!

What Is Directed Drawing?

Directed drawing is an activity where the teacher walks students through how to draw a picture, one simple step at a time. Students follow along and end up with their own unique version of the same drawing.

This type of structured creativity helps even reluctant artists feel successful because anyone can do it!

Benefits of Directed Drawing in K–2 Classrooms

Here’s why so many teachers love using directed drawing:

Builds listening and following directions skills
Students practice staying focused, listening closely, and following steps in order—key skills in early elementary!
Develops fine motor control
Drawing helps strengthen the small muscles in the hands, which supports handwriting and other classroom tasks.
Encourages creativity and confidence
Even though everyone is drawing the same thing, every picture turns out a little different. This helps students see the value of their individual work.
Integrates easily into other subjects
Use a drawing to go with a writing prompt, holiday activity, or science lesson. It’s a great way to cross subjects.
Creates beautiful hallway displays or bulletin boards
Students love seeing their artwork showcased, and it’s an easy way to decorate your classroom with student-created work!

Want to Try It Out?

If you’re ready to get started, I’ve created an easy-to-use Directed Drawing Seasonal Bundle that includes 40+ drawings for holidays and themes throughout the year. Each drawing comes with step-by-step instructions and a writing component to help students connect drawing to literacy.

directed drawing resource for elementary

These are perfect for:

Fast finishers
Morning work
Art time
Sub plans
Centers

Adding directed drawing to your routine doesn’t take a lot of time but it does make a big impact. Your students will love the creativity, and you’ll love the skills they’re building along the way.Click here to check out the Directed Drawing Seasonal Bundle!

Looking for more fun activities your students will love? Check out these phonics games!

How to Prevent the Summer Slide in Elementary Students

June 6, 2025 teachersbrain Teaching Tips

The countdown to summer is on! While students (and let’s be honest—teachers!) are excited for a break, we also know how important it is to keep young minds active during the summer months.

Without regular practice, students can lose some of the valuable skills they gained during the school year. This learning loss, often called the “summer slide”, can make the transition into the next grade level more difficult for both students and teachers.

The good news? With just a little review each week, students can retain what they’ve learned and stay on track for success.

Here are a few simple ways to help prevent the summer slide:

1. Encourage Real-Life Learning

Summer is the perfect time for hands-on learning! Encourage families to involve their children in everyday activities like cooking, gardening, or grocery shopping. Measuring ingredients, counting items, and reading labels all build real-world math and literacy skills.

2. Promote Daily Reading

A little reading goes a long way. Help families set up a simple routine because just 10–15 minutes of reading each day makes a big difference. Suggest fun options like library trips, reading challenges, or themed book lists to keep things fresh.

3. Send Home Engaging Practice Packs

One of the easiest ways to help students stay sharp is to send home an end-of-year review packet. These Summer Review Packets for elementary students are filled with quick, engaging activities that reinforce key math and literacy skills.

Each packet is:
✅ Grade-level specific
✅ Easy to print and send home
✅ Designed for independent work- perfect for families!

summer packets to prevent the summer slide

They also include a variety of fun formats like cut-and-paste pages, reading passages, number sense review, and writing prompts to keep students interested while they review.

4. Make It a Challenge

Turn summer review into a game! Encourage students to complete a certain number of pages per week or create a summer learning bingo board. You could even offer a small prize if they bring their completed packet back in the fall.

Summer doesn’t have to mean sliding backward. With the right tools and a little encouragement, your students can hold onto everything they’ve learned and come back ready to learn more.

🎉 Want to make it easy? Grab the Summer Review Packet Bundle here

For more summer activities, check out my post here!

Phonics Games Your Students Will Beg to Play Again

May 30, 2025 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

We all know that phonics is a cornerstone of early reading instruction, but that doesn’t mean it has to be repetitive or dull! I have found that the key to building phonics skills in kindergarten and first grade is keeping learning playful, interactive, and engaging. Games are one of the best ways to help students practice letter sounds, blends, and word families in a way that actually sticks.

Here are five simple (and free!) phonics games your students will love—and keep asking to play again:

1. Sound Hopscotch

Draw a hopscotch grid on the floor using painter’s tape. Instead of numbers, write letters or word family chunks in each square. As students hop through, they say the letter sound or read the word they land on. This is a great way to blend movement with phonics practice!

2. Mystery Bag Sounds

Fill a small bag with objects or picture cards that start with different sounds. Students reach in, pull out one item, and say the beginning sound (or ending/middle sound for a challenge). You can play it as a group or in small centers. It’s easy, hands-on fun!

3. Swat the Sound

Write letter sounds or CVC words on sticky notes and place them on the wall or a table. Call out a sound or word, and have students use a flyswatter to “swat” the correct one. This quick-paced game gets everyone involved and is great for auditory learners.

4. Roll & Read

Use a die and create a simple chart with phonics words or letter sounds next to each number. Students roll the die and read the word or sound that matches the number. You can easily differentiate by using blends, digraphs, or vowel teams as students progress.

5. Reinforce with No-Prep Printables

While games are fun, structure and repetition also matter! These Phonics Worksheets and Activities are packed with ready-to-use activities that build fluency and confidence. It covers letter identification, letter sounds, building words, word family work, building sentences, and writing stories using a systematic approach to make it easy for you to differentiate your plans.They’re designed for busy teachers who need no-fuss phonics practice that still makes an impact.

By combining movement, games, and meaningful practice, you can create a phonics routine your students look forward to every day. These activities are not only fun, they also build the foundational reading skills your students need to thrive.

Looking for more reading activities? Check out my post here!