Category: Teacher’s Pay Teachers

On April 22nd, we will celebrate Earth Day! 

As teachers to such young students, it’s our responsibility to instill a sense of responsibility and respect for the environment in our students, and Earth Day is the perfect occasion to reflect on our relationship with the planet we call home. 

If you’re looking for Earth Day activities for kids, you’re in the right place! 

Here are some simple things you can teach your students to do to care for our planet. 

1. Turn off lights and electronics when leaving a room to save energy.
2. Use reusable water bottles and lunch containers instead of disposable ones.
3. Plant a tree, garden, or help maintain a community garden.
4. Participate in neighborhood cleanups to remove litter from streets and parks.
5. Use both sides of the paper when drawing or coloring to save paper.
6. Use public transportation, bike, or walk instead of driving a car when possible.
7. Compost food waste instead of throwing it away.
8. Use natural light instead of turning on the lights during the day.
9. Make crafts from recycled materials such as old newspapers, cardboard boxes, and plastic bottles.
10. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or washing your hands to save water.

These activities are not only good for the planet, but they can also help your elementary students develop a sense of responsibility and care for their environment.

For even more Earth Day activities for kids, I created this virtual field trip to a Recycling Center! 

You’ll be every student’s favorite teacher with this activity! Virtual Field trips are a great way to engage students in learning.  Use these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts, learn about Earth Day, recycling, what to bring on a trip and so much more!

What is in this download?

28 Google Slides with Titles, Edit Text Boxes, Directions, and Movable Parts 

• KWL Chart
• Packing A Suitcase for the Trip
• 1 Minute Take OFF Flight Video
• 7-minute Field Trip Video (Earth Day, Car Ride to different Recycling Centers, Train Ride)
• Sequencing Events, 2 Writing Prompts, Counting Objects (under 10), Labeling Parts, Recycling Song, and Comprehension Questions
• One extra slide for you to add anything you would like to the lesson. (videos or an assignment)
• Home Connection Optional Assignment for students to build something with recycled materials. 
• Black and white ink-saving Writing Pages and Home Connection Page for in-person teaching.

This resource is great for virtual or in-person teaching!

What are your favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day in your elementary classroom? Let me know in the comments!

As elementary teachers, we all know that teaching our students the basics of reading and writing is a crucial component of their education. However, there’s one particular skill that often gets overlooked: distinguishing between fact and opinion.

In today’s world, where information is readily available at our fingertips, it’s more important than ever for our students to understand the difference between what is true and what is someone’s personal belief. 

By teaching our elementary students how to identify facts and opinions, we’re not only preparing them to become critical thinkers, but we’re also giving them the tools they need to navigate the vast amounts of information they’ll encounter throughout their lives!

If you’re looking for fact and opinion activities or fact and opinion worksheets for your elementary students, you’re in the right place. 

I brainstormed and came up with something that I knew students would love and be totally engaged with- Fact and Opinion Doctor Day! 

This Fact and Opinion Doctors resource was created to make pulling off this theme day a breeze. 

Students will be Fact Doctors for the day to weed out the facts from the opinion diagnosis for patients! They’ll get 7 cases with notes from witnesses and a medical case journal to write their facts and opinions. They’ll get the opportunity to sort facts from opinions while they read through their cases. You can share the vocabulary cards and the Opinion Sentence Starters poster prior to the activity to get them ready. 

This activity is so fun, students won’t even know they’re learning! You can even invite your students to dress up as doctors for school to make it extra fun. 

Here’s what’s included: 

• Directions and Suggestions
• Vocabulary Cards
• Opinion Sentence Starter Poster
• Station Labels (up to 7 plus a doctor hat station)
• 7 Patient Cases with 3 Notes that have witnesses’ facts and opinions. 
• 1 Example filled out to share with the class.
• A Medical Case Journal for them to write the facts, opinions, and diagnoses. (2 sizes included)
• A Rubric
• Certificates
• Craft Fact Doctor Hat
• 3 Signs for Decor
• Photos of my setup
• Credits

What do you think? Are you going to have a Fact and Opinion Doctor Day? Let me know in the comments!

For more theme day ideas, check out my post here!

Easter is just around the corner, and for elementary school teachers, it’s an opportunity to engage students in fun and educational activities that celebrate the season. 

From crafts and decorations to games and learning opportunities, there are countless ways to incorporate Easter into the classroom in a way that’s inclusive, respectful, and age-appropriate. 

Whether you’re looking for ideas for a classroom party or simply want to infuse a little Easter spirit into your everyday lessons, these Easter activities for school will be just what you need to celebrate this exciting time of the year! 

What are fun Easter activities? 

There are many Easter activities for kids that you can pull out this time of here. Here are some ideas to get you started! 

1. Bunny ears craft: Have students make their own bunny ears out of construction paper or felt, and then wear them during an Easter-themed party or activity. Check out my resource with everything you need here! 
2. Paper flowers: Teach students how to make paper flowers, such as daffodils or tulips, to celebrate the arrival of spring.
3. Easter baskets: Have students decorate their own Easter baskets using construction paper, stickers, or other materials, and then use them to collect eggs during an Easter egg hunt.
4. Easter egg decorating contest: While you may not want to bring in actual hard-boiled eggs to the classroom, paper eggs work just as well for decorating eggs with your students! Give each student a paper egg to decorate and then at the end, you can all vote as a class on your favorite eggs. 

How do I decorate my classroom for Easter?

When it comes to decorating your classroom for Easter, you can usually find some great, affordable options at Dollar Tree. You can also use your students’ Easter and Spring Crafts and display them around the classroom. 

Online Easter Activities for Kids 

If you’re looking for activities that don’t require quite so much prep or cleanup, then online activities are the way to go! I love that students get to get creative and have some fun without the need for several supplies. If you’re looking for the perfect digital Easter resource, I have you covered. 

This How To Catch The Easter Bunny Writing Activity is a great way for students to get creative and get plenty of writing practice in a fun and engaging way. 

These interactive, editable Google Slides make it easy for students to copy and paste movable parts to design their own Easter Bunny trap. Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about how they plan to catch the bunny.

What is in this download?

40 Google Slides with Titles, Edit Text Boxes, Directions, Movable Parts, and a Video Tutorial to help you and your students. 

• 12 background slides for students to choose from to begin designing.
• 4 slides with movable parts for students to use to design their own bunny trap. (You can edit some images, and remove or add images.)
• 6 slides for students to brainstorm, organize thoughts, and write a story about their trap.
• Black and white slides for students to digitally or handwrite stories. (narrative, persuasive, or opinion writing include)
• A Google Form to have a Favorite Trap Design Contest

Make it even more fun by adding all the student’s work to a new slide show with the music provided while in present mode to have a bunny trap design contest if you want to! 

You can print and display them in your room or make a slideshow with the student’s finished products to view virtually. I even provided music, audio, and a tutorial to help you get started! 

Want to do it with paper or send it home for students to do with their families? No problem! This resource is printable too! 

What do you think of these fun Easter activities for elementary? Are you using any of them this year? Let me know in the comments!