5 Fun St. Patrick's Day Ideas for your Classroom

If you are a teacher like me, you are always looking for engaging ideas for every holiday. With St. Patrick's day coming up soon, I have started gathering ideas for what I can do across the content areas to bring in a spark of holiday fun while also keeping the learning going. St. Patrick's day was always a fun day for me in elementary school, even though we did nothing in our classes about the holiday. We all tried to wear green to avoid the dreaded pinches and looked for people who had forgotten so we could deliver those....in a gentle way, of course. 

My love of holidays got me thinking about all the ways I could celebrate in my classroom on St. Patty's day. I wanted it to be something valuable though that could help the students continue to learn important skills, but I also knew that connecting it to St. Patrick's day could help it get more buy-in from the students and make it that much more fun.

Here are five ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your class this year.

1. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Art

Virtually no kid...well, OK, there is that one in a million child...hates art. Kids are naturally creative and have vivid imaginations. They love to get their hands dirty and keep them busy. They enjoy making and doing things. Children are also social and enjoy interacting with others. So why not create a challenge for them that includes art. For this game, I love to create three bags of art supplies for each small group (about 4 students per group). With the students working together, they are also working on collaboration skills while being creative. They are building teamwork skills too. It is perfection. Each group will receive the same bag of supplies. Sometimes I keep the challenge completely open-ended or other times I will give the students a task or theme, such as, use your art supplies to create a rainbow with a pot of gold. The students will have a set time, usually 20-30 minutes works well. During that time, students work together to create a masterpiece that goes with the theme (or is their own idea). They are told at the beginning that their artwork will be judged and also teamwork will be factored into the score. 

Each group is competing for three rounds, or three different assignments (one new bag of supplies for each assignment). At the end of each round, students present their project to the class, practicing good speaking skills. I keep score through all three rounds. At the end of all rounds, a winning team is named. I like to play this game several times throughout the year. I usually launch it during back-to-school week and have several ideas for different holiday versions as well. 

It is a lot of fun and students always enjoy playing.  The competition keeps kids accountable to do their best work and they love the interaction they get with peers.

2. The History Behind the Holiday

If I am going to spend time focused on a holiday in my classroom, I want my students to know the ins-and-outs of that holiday. Where did it come from? Why do we celebrate? When did we start celebrating? Do other places around the world celebrate? If so, how? What are some traditions behind this holiday? It is the perfect link between social studies and reading. I like to use articles that answer these questions while I am in small groups. It is fun to hear the chatter from students about things they have learned that they did not know before. Sometimes I spend just one day on exanimating the holiday, while other years I spend the days before and after delving deep into it. Both work great, and it is really just personal preference that dictates how you approach this. 

I didn't really find much out there, as far as reading passages, so I have created some of my own for St. Patrick's Day and also other holidays. I like to link my passages to other content areas as well, if possible. It is easy to tie in writing, and sometimes even science or math. 

3. Center Games

It is easy to find center games for every holiday. Math is a great place to start. I enjoy making little games that practice important skills and are themed for the holiday. One of the most important skills that I teach is multiplication. If I can gamify it, the students are all over it. They love playing games that help them learn their facts vs. just sitting with a stack of multiplication cards. It just makes it more fun. 

So any time you can throw in some games to solidify those math skills, do it. You will not regret it. And your kids will thank you for it. 

4. Amazing Race Games

One idea that I LOVED a few years back was when I created an Amazing Race style game. It was so fun to watch the students race through different challenges, all themed around St. Patrick's day. My race included math and writing ideas. The race began with a fact sort. Students had to solve equations and sort them into St. Patrick's Day pots based on the answer to each equation. After that, each student received an envelope with directions for the next challenge. The next challenge was a game called Show Me the Money where each student had some coins with different amounts printed on them. They had to use coins to show the amounts in two different ways. Between each game, they received an envelope with instructions or special activities or treats. For activity number three, students were give a set of cards with different coins shown. They had to count each group of coins and organize them into a line showing the least to greatest amount, in order. Up next, we had a Punctuation Place activity where I gave students dry macaroni, dyed green and some strips with sentences that included dialogue written on them. Students had to use the macaroni and other pasta to correctly punctuate the sentences with commas, quotation marks, and periods. My final activity was for students to create a color poem. The poem used the five senses to talk about one certain color. I love how those turned out. 

5. Writing

Finally, it is always fun to include some writing in my holiday celebrations. I like to have students write in some way if I can find a way to tie it in. For St. Patrick's Day, it is fun to have students write a letter to someone telling them how lucky they feel to have them in their life. Then they actually deliver the letter to their friend or loved one. It makes their day.

Those are my five ideas for ways you can make the holiday special, while also keeping the learning level high. If you are interested in any of these activities, you can check out the resources I used below by clicking on the pictures. 

 

5 Reasons Why Classroom Transformations are so Effective

I love a good classroom theme or transformation. I have been doing them long before I knew they were a thing. Transformations in the classroom are powerful learning tools that can be highly engaging to students and they don't cost you a fortune either. Keep reading to see why classroom transformations are such an effective learning activity.

Classroom Transformations Equal Instant Engagement

When you change the environment in your classroom, there are a few things that happen. First, you can play to the novelty of it. Novel things are always more exciting. Shaking things up and throwing out something that is out of the ordinary gets kids' attention right away. They want to try something new. 

A classroom transformation also sparks their imagination. Let's face it. Most kids have wild imaginations. I don't care what you throw their way, give them a story line and a few details and they can run with it. Crinkle some paper and tack it to the wall, add some pool noodle dynamite, turn off the lights, and give them a tap light and they instantly buy into the idea they are geologists in an underground cave exploring for gemstones. Throw up a few vines, add some colorful paper to the desks and a couple of disposable pie pans, and play some jungle sounds and they will be excited about going on a dinosaur adventure through Jurassic Park. It doesn't even take a lot to transform a kid through their imagination. A colorful table cloth and a few hands-on activities will be enough to convince them they are chefs in a fraction bakery.

If you are excited, they will be too. So I say, play the part. Get them into it by being into it yourself. If you believe it, so will they. It takes part stage acting, part passion, and lots of imagination. 

It's all About the Content

The content behind a transformation is key. You want to take advantage of their excitement by going more in-depth than they would normally go. You can pull more out of the students when they are highly engaged. There's something about it that opens up the pathways to learning. They will give 110% because they are so excited about everything around them. You have to channel that energy into their work and you will be sure to get more effort than you ever have before. 

Content needs to be rigorous. We don't just do classroom transformations for the fun (yes, they are that), but we do them for the learning experiences they create. Whenever you have a topic that kids particularly struggle with or find boring, try finding a way to bring it to life in a transformation. It will help the kids get more excited about the topic and they will be ready to learn.

Memories

Classroom transformations create lasting memories for the students. Seriously, students remember these moments. They do not talk about their favorite worksheet moment. They probably won't remember those worksheets a month from now, but engaging the senses through a classroom transformation causes lasting memories that students remember years from now. I have had many students say to me (years after they have left my classroom), "remember when we..." They remember. They enjoyed it then and they enjoy remembering back to their experiences. 

Excitement

Classroom transformations excite not only your class, but those around the entire school.   Show up in a costume and random students will want to know what you are up to. Students will hear, through the school grapevine, about your transformation. I have had younger students in my school see all the things we do and come up to me to tell me, "I can't wait until I am in your class and we can go to Jurassic Park, or have a glow day, etc." It matters to kids. Don't we want them to have a love for learning? If we can create experiences that get them excited them about being in school, we have won. Parents tell me that when their kid knows there is a special transformation the next day, they come home excited and talking about it and ready to get to school the next morning...even reluctant learners.

Our school has about six or seven half days throughout the year...with teacher trainings in the afternoons. One thing that always bothered me was that parents seem to think half days don't matter. To combat that, I decided to go after the children. I wanted to create these fun classroom transformation days on half days to increase student attendance. It worked. Students that normally skipped those days were more likely to show up. We had fewer absences. And you can bet that if a student missed a transformation, they were not happy and tried to convince their parent to bring them next time. I call that a win!

Classroom Transformations Help me Fall in Love with Teaching Again

We all know teaching is hard...really hard, and getting harder, especially since Covid hit. Classroom transformations bring me back to the love of my career. I can have fun creating an experience for my students. Seeing them love what they are learning helps me love teaching even more. 

So why not try a transformation for yourself. You can start very small, or go big right away...it doesn't even matter. What matters is building a love a learning in your students. If you can do that, who knows how far they will go.

  

Celebrating Valentine's Day in the Upper Elementary Classroom

Celebrating Valentine's day does not just have to be for lower elementary. Lots of kids still enjoy it in the upper elementary classroom too. Hey, even the teacher loves it. 

I have a quick disclaimer to make. I work in a tiny school and I have the same kids for two or three years, depending on the year. I have had my current fifth graders since they were little third graders. With that in mind, I have to shake things up from year to year to keep it fresh since I teach multi-grade and get to hold on to the same kiddos for so many years. So because of that, I have to have a huge collection of activities that I can rotate each year.

Valentine's Day Boxes in Upper Elementary

Today, my fifth graders were asking if we could do Valentine's Day boxes. I have to admit. I love the boxes ....a lot. I enjoy seeing the creativity and originality or each student. Their personalities and passions shine through. They actually teach me something about themselves when they create these amazing boxes. It is always a surprise to see the boxes they create to hold their cards from our card exchange. They are excited to share and to see each others' and I think it is fun to create a little competition around them. So we will be doing that again this year. 

Valentine's Day Books in Upper Elementary

My students love...LOVE a good book. They love chapter books and also picture books. No book is off limits, including picture books that others may see as books for the younger crowd. Kids love growing up, but they also love the familiarity of a simple book. I love reading them just as much as they love hearing them. Here are some of the books I have collected through the years. 

Games

We love games and having fun. I love doing Minute to Win it challenges with the class. Kids this age are very competitive. A little competition is just what they need.

S.T.E.M. 

S.T.E.M. challenges are perfect for any holiday. They are perfect because they are not something we do everyday. They are a challenge, in a good way. They get kids interaction and work together. They stretch kids' creativity and ingenuity. They give kids a break from the usually learning tasks and bring a novel form of learning. They are super fun. Last year we did a Valentine's Day bridge building S.T.E.M that I got from Maniacs in the Middle. It was so much fun. This year, I purchased a class set of Valentine hashtag blocks that we will be using for small S.T.E.M. challenges. 

The History Behind the Holidays

I feel like this topic is included in every holiday I talk about. I just love helping kids learn about where traditions that surround the holidays came from and Valentine's Day is no different. Last year, I created several articles to help my students learn about some of the most obvious traditions. This year I created some more articles that I can use in my class. Here is a quick list what traditions and things my students learn about. 

Conversation Hearts

Valentine's Day Cards

Chocolate

Traditions around the World

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue Poems

Paris, the City of Love

The Love Lock bridge

We read and do comprehension activities. We extend our learning with other activities that tie into our learning as well. 

Card Exchanges and Small Gifts

Card exchanges are a must for me. We all bring cards (whoever chooses to) and some bring small candies to share with classmates. It is just so much fun to share and put a smile on the faces of others. The kids feel that. They feel the love. I enjoy bringing something small to share with the class as well. Maybe it is a pencil, a book, and special treat, just something to let them know they are loved and I am glad they are a part of our class family. 

Party

This year, we are having a donut themed party. I found cute donut erasers to pass out. We will have real donuts too. I am bringing glazed donuts and we will have a donut bar. Students will get to frost their donut with pink frosting and add sprinkles if they want. We will spend some time immersed in Valentine's books, eating donuts and maybe sipping some hot chocolate too. 

I hope these ideas help you find ways to make the holiday special in your classroom. Whatever you do, your kids will love it.

Here is a link to my History Behind Valentine's Day pack if you are interested. 

If you want to see some of the boxes we created in previous years click here. 

More Valentine's Day activities here. 

 

9 People to Feature during Black History Month in your Classroom

There are so many people, both well-known and not as well-known, that are both amazing and perfect to study with your classroom. During this black history month, here is a list of 9 of those people to bring into the classroom. My students will be studying these people and doing a simple biography about one of them. I have done this same project with kids from second grade through fourth grade and the difference is on the amount of writing the students do. I cannot wait to get started again this year.

Let's start with the well-known people:

First up is of course Martin Luther King Jr. If you have ever taught, I am sure you have taught about his man. Everyone knows about his dream for America...how he wanted all people to be able to be judged by their insides and not on the color of their skin. He spent his life working to end racism and help all people be treated equally. He protested, but he found ways to do it peacefully. He is one of the black leaders at the forefront every single black history month.

Next is Rosa Parks. She is almost as famous as Martin Luther King Jr. himself. Rosa was famous for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. It was the start of the Montgomery bus boycott. 

Bessie Coleman was another amazing black woman who was also a pilot. She had to work hard for the right to reach her dream and became the first black American to have a pilot's license. 

Harriet Tubman is one of my favorites. She was nicknamed Moses because while she could have just saved herself, she didn't. She continued to rescue other people who were enslaved. She is likened to the Biblical Moses who saved his people from slavery. She was brave and strong and selfless. 

Now for some of the lesser known people who were still just as amazing:

The first one is Garrett Morgan. Garrett was an amazing inventor who did not get all the credit he deserved. Some of his inventions were credited to another person because black people could not hold patents. He was willing to allow someone else to get credit so the inventions could be of help to others. He made traffic lights better and saved many people's lives in the process. 

Dr. Charles Drew was a hard-working black doctor who worked to figure out a way to save blood that was needed for injured people. Before his time, transfusions were done from one person directly into another person. He was able to save it so hospitals could have a blood bank to draw from. Also, he is the father of the modern bloodmobile. 

Did you know that the very first open heart surgery was performed by a black surgeon? Dr. Daniel Hale Williams did that in 1893 without any of the modern conveniences of medicine today. He saved the patient's life. He also was not allowed to practice medicine at the white hospitals of the day so he opened a hospital that kept an interracial staff and was willing to help all people. 

Lydia Newman was a black inventor. She holds the first patent for a hairbrush with synthetic bristles. This hairbrush was better suited to detangle hair, especially that of African Americans. The bristles were stiffer than those made of animal hairs. The brush she invented was also easier to clean and more sanitary. She also worked hard to get voting rights for women. 

Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator. She opened one of the very first schools for African American girls. She also worked with some presidents to help with civil rights for African Americans. 

These are just, of course, a few of the many men and women of color who have helped to make our country great. Who will you choose to bring to life in your classroom? 

Check out my black history resources if you are interested. You can find these individually or in a complete bundle. Click below to be taken to each resource.