Back to school season can come with a mix of emotions. You might be ready to get back into a routine, but also sad to be leaving the summer break behind. And often, students are feeling the same way. This is why starting off the year strong is important. I want to share some engaging fall themed activities that you can do with your students to make the transition back to school a breeze and help everyone settle into the new school year.
Fall Solve the Room
This Fall Solve the Room activity is the perfect way to take something routine, like solving math equations, and turn up the engagement. At the beginning of the year, they’re a great way to get students moving, energized, and engaged in their learning.
These solve the room resources cover math standards for 3rd-5th grades, so you can cover the essential standards for each grade level. The best part about a fall theme is that you can use this resource year after year during the back to school season!
Labor Day Text
This Labor Day close reading passage is an excellent way to teach students about Labor Day. Most students don’t know that this national holiday celebrates the contributions of American workers.
The passage is designed to improve students’ reading comprehension skills and includes text-dependent questions that encourage critical thinking. Help students deepen their reading skills while also learning about an often overlooked holiday.
Patriot Day Text
While Patriot Day, celebrated on the memorial of September 11th, is a somber occasion, it is an opportunity to reflect and remember those who lost their lives. It’s also a chance for teachers to incorporate lessons about patriotism and civic responsibility into their curriculum.
This Patriot Day close reading resource includes a student-friendly passage about the events of September 11th and their impact. It also includes multiple-choice questions to encourage analysis of the text.
By using this fall themed activity, you can help your students gain a deeper understanding of Patriot Day and the importance of unity, compassion, and resilience in the face of tragedy.
National Read a Book Day
A more light-hearted holiday to celebrate with fall themed activities is National Read a Book Day, observed on September 6. National Read a Book Day is an opportunity to cultivate a love for reading, something a lot of students struggle with!
One way to celebrate is by providing students with fun and engaging book review templates. On the templates, ask students to share their opinions on their favorite books. Hang the reviews up on a bulletin board or in the hallway so that other students can get inspiration for their next read.
National Pancake Day
National Pancake Day is another holiday around back to school. I truly can’t think of a more delicious way for students to observe chemical and physical changes! These Pancake Day Activities have real-world applications of several literacy, math, and science skills students use throughout elementary school.
The Pancake Day hands-on activities allow students to explore the science behind cooking pancakes while also developing their math skills through measuring ingredients and calculating recipe conversions. Students will also flex their writing skills by writing a recipe for creating pancakes.
Back to School Themed Science Experiments
Hands-on science experiments and investigations are my favorite way to get kids really excited about learning. These Back To School Themed Science Experiments will help you start the year off on the right foot. The science experiments use common household items, so you don’t have to spend the first weeks back to school frantically looking for supplies.
Students will explore questions like, “Which brand of glue stick works the best?” and “Which keeps your hands the cleanest?” They’ll also build tall and strong cup towers and create unpoppable bags. These activities are also a good opportunity to set expectations for group work and practice the collaboration they’ll need to use to be successful this school year. If you want to read more about back to school science activities, check out this post.
With back to school season upon us, we know it’s important to find ways to make the transition back to the academic year as smooth as possible. By incorporating fun and engaging fall themed activities, you can make the beginning of the year exciting and memorable for your students. These fall themed activities will not only keep students engaged, but will also help them develop important skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving.
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