Whether your school carnival happens as a fall festival or an end-of-year party, the right decor can help make the carnival an official big-top event. Our bundle of 70 printable carnival station signs includes everything you need to organize your next carnival. Download and laminate them so they can be used year after year.
Download our free set of carnival signs with options for food, drink, games, and other booths. Just enter your email in the form on this page!
What carnival station signs are included?
We’ve included signs for 70 classic carnival stations, from cornhole and Ping-Pong to admission and tickets. Use these signs to plan and set up a carnival, and you’ll have every game covered!
Here’s a small sample of the signs included in the bundle:
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Admission
Let people know where the fun is with an admission sign. Print multiple copies of this sign and post them along the road leading up to school so people know where to start.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Tickets
Start at the ticket booth. Selling tickets that people can use to play the games turns a carnival into a fundraiser.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Photo Booth
Create memories with a photo booth. Include school-themed props. Students can take photos with their own cameras, or have someone take photos to share.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Water Gun Race
This is a game of skill and accuracy. Line up Ping-Pong balls and have players try to shoot them off using a water gun.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Grab footballs from the gym and use them in this fun game. The person who tosses the football across a yard line wins.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Cornhole
Bring cornhole to your school by making or painting cornhole boards in your school colors.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Flamingo Toss
Use flamingo floaties and Ping-Pong balls to create a simple yet tricky game of accuracy.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Prize Punch Board
Elementary schools need this activity. Students turn in a ticket for a chance to punch a prize. Everyone is a winner!
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Leap Frog
This is a carnival game you might remember from your childhood. Build a game that combines strength with chance.
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
Guessing Game
Fill a jar with candy or other small objects and have students guess how many there are.
Download your free printable bundle of carnival signs!
Myranda McDonald for We Are Teachers
To get your free printable bundle of all 70 signs, just click the button below and fill out the simple form on this page for instant access.
Whether an elected student council in high school or a teacher-nominated student council in elementary school, student council members are the ambassadors of school spirit. School spirit is comprised of all the events that make everyone feel they are part of something greater than themselves. Your student council is the perfect group to take school spirit to the next level.
Use these fun ideas to foster school spirit to inspire your student council. There are options for community service, school-wide initiatives, and plain old fun.
1. Dress Like a Teacher Day
Kids love to imitate their favorite teachers, so what better way than to host a Dress Like a Teacher Day? Students dress as their most influential teachers for the day. Expand the idea to include famous teachers (Janine from Abbott Elementary anyone?).
Recruit green-minded students and start a garden club with a focus on sustainability and community involvement. In spring, you can harvest early vegetables and pass out samples (a la Costco) in the lunchroom.
Every school sports event needs a good cowbell! Use craft paint and ribbons in your school’s colors to create custom cowbells for pep rallies and sporting events.
5. Hold a lip-synch battle
It’s karaoke night but with school spirit. Students sign up to lip-synch their favorite songs. End the battle with the school song.
6. Put on a talent show
You have many students with talents that aren’t showcased every day. Put on a talent show to let those talents—e.g., dance, singing, drums—shine.
Try a mini version of Top Chef by hosting a pie-baking or cookie-making contest. Recruit the home ec teacher to coordinate and choose judges. Film the competition, then stream it for students in homeroom.
8. Host a book donation project
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Not everyone has access to Wi-Fi or e-books, and getting to the library can be challenging. Create a drop box at your school where classmates can donate books. Then, using a survey tool like Survey Monkey or Google Forms, reach out to families to find out who wants books and where to deliver them. Work with your advisor to create a plan for delivery.
9. Plan a design-a-mask challenge
One of our favorite student council ideas is a little outside the box. Challenge classmates to come up with a design for a mask that celebrates school spirit. Then, pick your three favorites. Create a video where you interview each classmate and ask them about their design and how it represents your school. If you have the funds, work with a local print shop to get the masks made, and sell them to raise money for your school.
10. Hold a trivia contest
Nothing brings people together like trivia! A trivia contest is a fun homeroom idea. Or you can hold it in the lunchroom to include a mix of people.
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11. Put together a Senior Spotlight
Celebrate your seniors by broadcasting highlights of their greatest accomplishments on social media. Create a standard page and adjust it for each senior.
This makes a great annual tradition that builds school pride and stronger neighborhood-school ties. Students, teachers, staff, parents, and alumni get together to participate in a day of service in the community, whether by cleaning up sidewalks, planting trees, visiting seniors, or serving at food banks.
13. Create a school cheer
Simple or complicated? It’s up to your school! Make your school cheer catchy so that years from now, it will still pop into alums’ heads and remind them of the good times they had at your school. This activity is a good opportunity to collaborate with your school’s cheer squad.
14. Send teachers thank-you notes
Naomi Meredith at We Are Teachers
Draft personalized letters to teachers and school staff to thank them for being a part of your school community. Consider sharing this meaningful gesture as an activity for back to school, end of year, Teacher Appreciation Week, or Activity Advisor Appreciation Day.
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15. Highlight your school’s diversity with holiday hallway decorations
Welcome classmates back from winter or spring break with holiday hallways. Decorate school hallways for different cultural traditions to educate students about different holidays around the world.
16. Host a Color Run
A Color Run is a healthy and fun way to show your school spirit. Students wear a shirt they don’t mind getting dirty and run around a track while teachers throw colored chalk on them. Take lots of photos—you’ll want this one in the yearbook.
17. Make spirit shakers
Another super-fun activity from our favorite student council ideas. Use liter soda bottles and pony beads in your school colors. Add curling ribbons to the lid and ribbons around the middle of the bottle. Then use them at school pep rallies and sporting events.
18. Set up a virtual calming room
School can get stressful, especially during exams or big projects. Link guided meditations, online puzzles and games, yoga videos, and other fun ways to take a break to your school’s website.
Examples: We are Eagles. We are considerate. We are responsible. Engage with your school principal to craft a mantra that reflects your unique school culture. You could even have specific mottoes for each grade.
20. Surprise your rival school with positivity
Spread kindness and positivity to your rival school! Surprise them by decorating their sidewalks or hanging posters with positive messages during the evening or over a weekend.
21. Use a spirit can
Jointly sponsor a spirit can in partnership with the cheer team. During school events and game time-outs, student council members or cheerleaders lift the lid on the spirit can, signaling for the crowd to cheer. The higher the lid is lifted, the louder the crowd cheers. As the lid is lowered to the can, the crowd becomes softer. The spirit can holds T-shirts and candy, which can be thrown out to the loudest fans.
22. Design a school spirit stick
Use your creativity to make a spirit stick with your school colors. Use an empty gallon water bottle, a broomstick, beads, and ribbon. Award the stick on a revolving basis to the grade or class that shows the most school spirit throughout the year.
23. Create decade-themed spirit boards
Brighten up your school’s hallways with decades of color! Assign an era to each grade level. For instance, the 1950s for 9th graders, the 1960s for 10th graders, etc.
24. Host a photo booth
Design your own “frame” with your school mascot or colors and let students line up for photos. Post them on your school’s website (with permission, of course).
25. Celebrate your school’s unsung heroes
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Plan a day to honor the support staff in your school. In addition to teachers, give a special shout-out to the special-education aides, custodians, cafeteria workers, and other generous souls who help in so many ways.
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26. Host a school-wide Amazing Race
Looking for memorable student council ideas? Check this one out. It’s got lots of potential for getting lots of students involved. Students go on a scavenger hunt around the school, completing certain tasks. The last team to make it to each checkpoint is out.
27. Let seniors personalize their parking spots
Seniors finally get to park in the front row! Advocate for seniors to get designated prime parking spots and work with your school administration to allow custom decoration. Then, invite seniors to show their pride with a little personalization.
28. Have a students vs. faculty competition
Organize a game where students compete against faculty. It could be a basketball or kickball game—or even musical chairs. Hilarity is guaranteed!
29. Hold a T-shirt-decorating contest
Challenge students to design a spirit shirt for your school. Feature all entries on a bulletin board in a common area or web page so that everyone can view the entries. Determine the winner by popular vote or via a committee vote.
30. Adopt a sister school
Find a school in another state, or even overseas, and collectively write letters to that school. Send your news and school highlights. Post replies where everyone can read them.
31. Share positive messages with a Kindness Rocks Project
Inspire positivity and kindness around your school community with a Kindness Rocks Project. Paint rocks with an encouraging word or message and scatter them throughout your school and community.
32. Put together a gratitude chain
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Give each student an opportunity to write something they’re thankful for on a strip of paper, then link the strips together to form a gratitude chain to decorate the hallways of your school.
During a stressful time for students like state testing or finals week, set up a large blank canvas in the common area along with paints in your school colors. Encourage students to “throw” paint against the canvas using paintbrushes and sponges. When the activity is over, you’ll have an amazing painting to display!
34. Celebrate your school’s history
Educate new students and introduce incoming students to the rich history of the school. Make weekly history announcements, include a history column in the school paper, or post a history board in the halls to feature influential teachers, founders, the school’s namesake, and outstanding alumni.
35. Hold an old-fashioned field day
Support your school’s field day activities by organizing and running different events and competitions. You can host a field day at the end of the year or any time of year you need a good way to get students engaged in friendly competition.
Find out who in your community needs help with their yard work, and plan a day where students can sign up to rake lawns and bag the leaves. Your students may find that doing common yard work is a fun way to get everyone out of the house, spend time together, and help out your community.
37. Open a school spirit and supply store
Sell spirit wear so everyone can get decked out in your school colors. You could even create an online pop-up shop that makes it easy for families to buy school spirit wear from home. Use the proceeds to raise funds for your school or a charitable cause.
Use Google Slides or another display program to create a gallery where classmates can put their artwork on display. You can even add background music and host an opening reception event that you promote on your school’s social channels.
39. Paint a unity wall
Make all students feel welcome in your school with a unity wall that highlights what makes them unique and the characteristics they share. To create a unity wall, invite individuals to contribute personalized pieces, such as drawings, photos, or written reflections, that showcase their unique traits and shared values. Then, display them together in a prominent, collaborative space at school.
40. Hold a multicultural night
Celebrate the diversity in your school with a multicultural night. Students can plan and organize booths for parents and teachers who want to share their culture with the school community.
41. Compose a school song
A school song is a tradition that will create lasting memories for generations. If you have a talented student or teacher musician, you could even compose an original song. Already have one? Host a contest to update and refresh it. Then teach it to the student body and use it for morning arrival and events.
42. Designate special dress-up days
One of those classic student council ideas but with a modern twist. Dress-up days, such as tie-dye day, beach day, jersey day, and favorite book character day, can be a great way for students to get creative and have fun. To increase participation and promote inclusion, be sure to incorporate ideas that are easy to do, such as favorite outfit day or school colors day.
Recruit art students to showcase their talents by painting their peers’ faces with school colors. Schedule it on a pep assembly day to give students the opportunity to amp up their school spirit.
44. Hold a poster contest
Have different homerooms, school clubs, or teams make their best spirit posters to display in the halls. Present the winning one at a pep rally and reward the artists with small gifts like school key chains or rally towels.
45. Get “fired up” at a back-to-school cookout
Get the whole school community together to get “fired up” for the school year. Having time to casually socialize with teachers and staff helps ease the back-to-school transition for students and families.
46. Host a game tournament
Engage students and foster a positive school climate by hosting a tournament or game night. Student council members can be the moderators or game hosts.
47. Decorate with chalk
Turn your sidewalk into a celebration of school spirit by having student council members decorate it with sidewalk chalk. A great way to welcome the year or send students home on the last day of school.
48. Come up with a yearlong theme
Collaborate with your principal to create a motivational school theme for the year, like “teamwork” or “respect.” Integrate the theme into as many aspects of your school as possible throughout the year. For example, introduce the theme at your back-to-school night and incorporate it into your school newsletters throughout the year.
49. Make DIY pom-poms
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
This is one of many fun moneymaking student council ideas. Make and sell paper pom-poms before your student athletic events to fill your gym with school spirit. Keep the cost low—25 cents or so—to make them accessible to everyone.
Pair older students with younger students for the duration of the year. “Buddies” can invite each other to lunch (on specially designated days), write notes (monitored), and team up on field day competitions. Near-peer mentoring, with students just a grade or two apart, can be a big benefit for both students.
51. Host a school movie night
Spread a king-size sheet or painter’s tarp on the side of the school to project a movie, and invite students and their families to bring lawn chairs or blankets. If the weather’s cold or rainy, turn your school gym into a movie theater and spread out the gymnastics mats for seating.
52. Spread compassion in the cafeteria
Write kind notes to your cafeteria staff and give them to students who are standing in line for lunch, along with directions to pass the note to a cafeteria staff member. With minimal effort, your whole student body can overwhelm your cafeteria staff with compassion and gratitude!
53. Host a senior breakfast
In the last week of school, host a senior breakfast to celebrate students’ graduation and give them a positive send-off. Be sure to offer decaf coffee—they’re already stoked enough!
54. Organize a tutoring program
Recruit classmates who are willing to tutor other students. Create a schedule and share it with families and students, so they can drop in and get help on a variety of subjects.
55. Make spirit bracelets
Another fun DIY project! This tutorial will teach students how to make simple braided paper bracelets using school-colored paper. Tackle making them as a class project, or encourage a school club to make them as a fundraiser.
Advocate to begin an honorary school diploma program, recognizing people in the community—living or historical—who have made outstanding contributions to the school or have noteworthy achievements that align with your school values. A student council can help to organize the program with support from administration and serve on the selection committee, nominating awardees and writing the citations.
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57. Do an end-of-year graduation walk
Graduating high school seniors walk the halls in their caps and gowns to inspire younger students to go the distance. If you have older students or a K-8 or K-12 school, have the older graduates walk the kindergarten grads through the school.
58. Hold a board game costume day
Challenge your student body to show up with this fun idea. Invite students to dress as their favorite board game or card game character (e.g., an Old Maid, the Queen of Hearts, a Twister board).
59. Set up a flash mob
Flash mobs are a great way to bring students together. With just a few guided practices, they can be part of a fun and special event. All you need is a music system and a few students who are on the dance team and can get a team ready with choreography.
60. Show pride in your school’s appearance
Organize a school cleanup day. Have kids collect trash and recyclables, weed the gardens, and clean off sidewalks and garden areas. Not only will this event help spruce up the place, it can teach students the value of gratitude and stewardship.
61. Get eco-friendly
Launch eco-friendly initiatives like a recycling drive or a campaign to reduce plastic use. Encourage environmental responsibility within the school community by putting students in charge.
62. Set up photo ops
Let students ham it up in front of an inspiring wall like a wall of hearts, butterfly wings, or being the I in Kindness. You’ll get adorable photos and can sell them to parents for a fundraiser.
63. Celebrate your school’s history
Start up a school history project to build school pride. Have students research and present the history of their school and local community, possibly in collaboration with other member schools. Set up history displays throughout the halls to remind students they are part of something bigger.
64. Hold a door-decorating contest
Courtesy of Naomi Meredith
Looking for student council contest ideas? Host door-decorating contests with themes such as holidays, homecoming, spirit days, or making the world a better place. Reveal the winning classroom over morning announcements and award the winners with prizes like pizza or an ice cream party.
As part of spirit week, have a Wacky Sock Day! Encourage students to get creative and wear the craziest combination of socks to school that day.
66. Set up testing week support stations
This is one of those student council ideas that can really have a positive impact on the student body. During testing weeks, set up snack and drink stations with donated items. Paint and display encouraging posters around the halls. Organize fun activities and games during lunch and recess (for younger kids).
67. Host cafeteria karaoke
A positive school environment celebrates everyone’s talents. Give your students the opportunity to bust out a tune at lunchtime by setting up a karaoke slideshow.
If you’re looking for student council fundraising ideas, try a fun run that combines fitness and school spirit. Student council members can get the word out on social media and with posters and flyers. Encourage students to participate individually or as part of a team. Hold a fun run T-shirt design contest and let students create their own shirts from the winning design.
69. Do birthday shout-outs
During morning announcements, have a member of student council wish a happy birthday to students born on that day. Be sure to include students whose birthdays fell on the weekend during Monday’s morning announcement.
70. Have some fun with icebreakers
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Students are more invested in their school community when they have a genuine connection with other students. Encourage students to broaden their social circles with icebreakers. Whether you use them in homeroom, in the cafeteria, or at after-school events, the more you build connections, the stronger your student body will be.
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71. Build a wall of kind words
Combine kind words with fundraising in this fun activity. At lunch and during passing periods, have student council members set up stations to sell paper “bricks” for $1. On their bricks, students can write a compliment or a shout-out for another student. Display the bricks in the cafeteria or hallway, and watch the brick wall grow throughout the week. The student council can use the funds to donate to a cause, put on an event, or buy supplies for future activities.
This is a great idea for elementary school student councils. Research the features of a sensory room, plan a room for your school, and fundraise for the materials. Then, host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for your new sensory room.
Postcard exchanges are a fun way for students to improve writing skills and develop knowledge about other parts of the world. They’re also a challenge to set up. A motivated student council can reach out and connect classrooms with postcard buddies, and create displays to showcase the postcards students receive.
Be sure to follow your school’s social media policy for this one. Student council can identify an event or aspect of your school to showcase on social media. Take photos, plan the language, and post the event. Make sure the post shares that it comes from the student council.
The same idea as sharing successes on social media, student council can write a press release and email it to local media. Local news outlets are always looking for great human interest stories, and your school could be featured.
76. Create a reading buddies program
Reading buddies are a great way to connect classes across grade levels and build older students’ fluency. Put student council in charge of matching classrooms and informing teachers of the schedule and rules.
77. Plan and paint a mural
Another school beautification idea is a mural. Student council can generate ideas, take a vote on the idea the student body likes the best, and paint the mural. It’s also a great way for one school year’s student council to leave their mark.
78. Advocate for school improvement
Inspire future community organizers with a school improvement campaign to make your school even better. Students identify a problem, like the quality of school lunches or aging playground equipment. Then, they create a plan to address the problem and see it through.
79. Share with the school board
Build students’ public speaking skills by preparing a presentation to the school board. Students can create the slides, rehearse, and then attend the board meeting.
80. Put students in charge of Teacher Appreciation Week
Naomi Meredith for We are Teachers
Put students in charge of Teacher Appreciation Week. They can plan each day, send home notes to parents, and take over some teacher responsibilities
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81. Invite a guest speaker
Give students a time slot for an assembly, and invite a local expert in to talk about a topic that’s relevant for your students. It could be a local author, the fire department, or a motivational speaker. Even better, this activity requires students to manage a budget and make decisions about which topics are most important for their peers.
82. Create a new-student welcome packet
Challenge the student council to create a welcome packet that can be given to new students and families. This encourages students to think about what makes their school awesome and what they can do to make newcomers feel welcome.
83. Host a car wash
A car wash is a classic way for students to work together and raise money. Students apply organization skills to set up the car wash and can choose how to donate proceeds to improve the school.
84. Have an open-mic night
This activity is great for middle and high schoolers. Turn the theater or cafeteria into a cafe or other space for an open-mic night. Kids can express themselves through song, poetry, comedy, or other performances.
85. Host a family engagement night
Students are bound to have ideas about which events they want to attend. Let student council create the event they most want to see, then help them bring it to life.
86. Host a lost-and-found fashion show
Challenge students to turn lost and found items into a school-spirited outfit. Create a runway in the theater, cafeteria, or outside for students to show off their fashions.
87. Join the 30 Days of Service Challenge
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
What better way to build school spirit than by doing good works together? Download our free 30 Days of Service Challenge checklist and challenge kids to complete tasks such as “Check in with an elderly relative” or Collect gently used books to give to the library.” To up the ante a bit, make it a competition between homerooms.
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88. Appoint a Student of the Week
Put student council in charge of Star Student or Student of the Week. They can collect nominations each week, take photos, and decorate the bulletin board to highlight your amazing students.
89. Collect donations for a cause
Another way for student council to do good for the community around your school is by conducting a clothing or school supply drive. Partner with a local organization to collect clothes (prom dresses, baby clothes, coats, etc.) or school supplies. Student council can create the advertising, spread the word, and deliver the donations.
90. Build care packages
Another way to give back to the community is by creating care packages. Herobox is one organization that engages volunteers in creating care packages for soldiers.
91. Run morning announcements
Student council can plan and provide the morning announcements for the school. Let them get creative with how they present everything from the school lunch menu to upcoming dates and a morning message.
92. Post affirmations
Build school spirit with school-related affirmations. Brainstorm a list of positive statements about the students in your school (for example, “You are a leader! You are a lion!”) Then, put these statements around the school on table tents in the cafeteria or on posters in the restrooms and hallways.
93. Host an awards ceremony
Send students into summer with an end-of-year awards ceremony. Student council members can plan the awards, from deciding on the categories to collecting nominations and writing speeches.
94. Run a Never Been Absent campaign
Student council is all about school spirit, but they can also focus on important things like attendance. Have student council create a Never Been Absent campaign. What would motivate students to attend your school specifically? How can student council spread the message that it’s important to be in school?
95. Create a Random Acts of Kindness bulletin board
Student council members are at the right place to catch their peers doing good, so put them in charge of a Random Acts of Kindness bulletin board.
96. Unplug for a cause
Whether or not cell phones are a problem in your building, going screen-free for a day is never a bad thing. Student council can run a school-wide day to unplug with screen-free activities for students and awareness posters about how screens impact our lives. Send the student council around to take photos of all the things that kids are doing when they’re not on screens.
97. Host an art fundraiser
Plan an art gallery that doubles as a fundraiser. The student council collects the art, making sure there is art from every grade level. Then, they set up a gallery. They can also provide ways for parents to purchase art, through a silent auction or another opportunity to purchase art.
98. Share compliment cards
Adrienne Hathaway for We Are Teachers
Challenge your student leaders to pass out compliment cards with notes such as “You have great style,” “I love your smile,” and “You’re a great friend!” Include instructions on each card that direct the recipient to pay the compliment forward to someone else—creating a butterfly effect of kindness across your school!
99. Make up a school holiday
Student council can create a holiday just for your school (Spartans Sports Day, for example). Yes, you’ll have school that day, but you can make it feel like a holiday just for your campus.
100. Form a new-student welcome committee
Start each student’s experience with school spirit. Have the student council create a procedure for welcoming new students. This could involve a buddy to walk them through their schedule, a lunch friend, or a welcome basket with some school swag.
101. Arrange a field trip
Invite students to plan a field trip, during or after school hours, that students can attend. Ask them to wear their spirit wear and represent your school at a theater or sporting event.
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What student council ideas do you have for building school spirit? Come and share your ideas in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Looking for great ways to help students learn to work together, listen carefully, communicate clearly, and think creatively? Try some of these awesome team-building activities for kids. They’re a super way to give your students the chance to get to know one another, build trust as a community, and, best of all, learn valuable life skills that will last long beyond their school years.
FREE GOOGLE SLIDES
Team-Building Games for Kids
These Google Slides make it easy to share team-building games with your students Grab our easy instructions and get to bonding!
Benefits of Team-Building Games for Kids
Team-building games for kids are a great way to build community as you start a new school year—or anytime of year for that matter. Not only are they super fun (and what kid doesn’t like fun?), team-building activities help kids:
Develop communication skills
When students work together, they learn how to express ideas clearly and actively listen. Both verbal and non-verbal communication skills are critical for classroom participation and success in the real world.
Encourage problem-solving and critical thinking
Many of these games and activities involve challenges or puzzles. Working together to solve them helps students think creatively, plan strategically, and persevere when they get stuck.
Foster collaboration and cooperation
Working on a team or with a partner isn’t always easy. Kids need to learn how to respect others’ ideas and perspectives and work to compromise. They also need to stand up for their own ideas and actively participate.
Boost confidence and promote leadership skills
Making a contribution and accomplishing a goal as a team member is very rewarding. And when a student develops the strength to take the lead, it boosts their self-image in long-lasting ways.
Promote social inclusion and foster friendships
Engaging with people you don’t know very well can sometimes feel risky. But team-building games provide a structure that allows for students to move out of their comfort zone. In addition, they give students a chance to interact with new people, build empathy for others, and support a sense of belonging.
Teach conflict resolution skills
Team-building activities for kids are a perfect tool for teaching conflict resolution skills. After all, conflict can occur in any group setting. Conflicts allow you the opportunity, as their teacher, to model and guide them through a constructive process for a happy ending.
Jump to:
Problem-Solving Activities for Kids
1. What’s My Name
Objective: This game encourages students to mingle, ask questions, and use deductive reasoning skills as they try to figure out whose name is stuck to their forehead.
Materials: Sticky notes
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Write the names of famous people your students will know, such as actors, athletes, or characters from a book or show, on sticky notes.
Once every student has a name on their forehead, set a timer and have students circulate around the room asking yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are.
Continue play until everyone guesses their identity or time runs out.
2. Categories
Objective: Students work cooperatively in small groups to sort items into categories.
Materials: A tray with 20 unrelated items, or an image of 20 unrelated items
Participants: Groups of 3 or 4
How to play:
For this activity, prepare a tray with 20 unrelated items, e.g., a book, an eraser, a juice box, etc. Alternatively, create a document with 20 images of things to project on a screen.
Divide students into groups and set a timer.
Have each group divide the items into four categories that make sense to them. For example, things you wear, things you use with your hands, etc.
Have groups work quietly so that their ideas are kept secret.
When each group is finished, give each one time to present their categories and the rationale behind their thinking.
3. Flip the Tarp Challenge
Objective: Students cooperatively flip over a tarp while standing on it.
Materials: Flat sheet, tarp, or blanket
Participants: 2 teams
How to play:
Divide students into two teams. One team will do the challenge while the other team watches, then they will switch places.
Gather one team on a flat bedsheet, tarp, or blanket. They should fill up all but about a quarter of the space.
Now, students must work together to figure out how to flip over the sheet/tarp without anyone stepping off or touching the ground.
4. Scavenger Hunt
Objective: Students work together to get to know the classroom/school (and each other) with a scavenger hunt.
Materials: Scavenger hunt lists
Participants: Partners
How to play:
Pair up students randomly.
Prepare a list of important things to find in the classroom and have students copy it into their journals. For instance, a pencil sharpener, nonfiction books, a turn-in basket, etc.
Have students work with their partner to check off all the items on the list.
This is also a great idea to get to know the layout of the school, e.g., the library, nurse’s office, lost and found, etc.
Get To Know You Team-Building Activities
5. Yes, No, Stand Up
Objective: This easy yes-or-no game is a fun way for younger kids or English language learners to get to know one another.
Materials: A list of yes-or-no questions
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Before the game begins, prepare a list of yes-or-no questions to ask students. For example, “Do you like chocolate?” “Is your favorite color blue?” “Do you like soccer?”
If their answer is yes, the student stands up. If their answer is no, they sit down.
Pause between questions to give students time to look around and find students they have answers in common with.
If time allows, let students come up with questions of their own.
6. Spiderweb
Objective: Students sit in a circle and pass a ball of yarn around as they get to know one another.
Materials: Ball of multi-colored yarn
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Sit in a circle. The leader chooses a topic (favorite food, favorite place, funny story, one thing that makes me unique, etc.).
Play begins when the first person, holding a large ball of yarn, shares their answer with the group.
Then, keeping a hold of one end of the yarn, they toss the ball (gently) to someone else in the circle.
Play continues around the circle until every person has had the chance to share.
In the end, the yarn will form a “spiderweb” of color, reminding the students that they are all connected in one community.
7. Birthday Line-Up
Objective: Students must communicate and cooperate to line up in birthday order.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes, depending on your grade level.
The objective is to have students line up in order of their birthdays—January 1 through December 31—before time runs out.
To accomplish this, they will need to talk with one another in order to figure out who goes in front of whom.
Try this activity with other fun ways to line up—by height, alphabetically, by foot size, etc.
Outdoor Team-Building Activities for Kids
8. Caterpillar
Objective: Groups of students (caterpillars) move forward without stepping outside of their Hula-Hoops.
Materials: 1 Hula-Hoop per student
Participants: Groups of 4 (if possible)
How to play:
Line up teams of four at the end of a field. Have each student stand in the center of a Hula-Hoop on the ground, forming a “caterpillar.”
To move forward, the last player in line steps into the hoop with the player in front of them, picks up their empty hoop, and passes it overhead to the front of the line.
The front player then places the hoop on the ground in front of them and steps into it. Every player then shifts forward, moving the caterpillar.
The first team to cross the finish line wins.
9. Balloon Battle
Objective: Using a pool noodle and balloon, students race to score a goal.
Materials: Pool noodles, balloons
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
This fun game teams students up as they try to bat a balloon over each other’s goal line using a pool noodle.
Divide students into two teams and let play begin.
Periodically blow a whistle to have students substitute in so that everyone gets a chance to play.
The first team to score 10 points wins.
10. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag
Objective: For this fun tag game, students play Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine who chases whom.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Before you begin, stake out the boundaries and position a home base at either end for each team.
Divide students into two teams.
At the start of each round, both teams will huddle up and decide whether they are rock, paper, or scissors.
The two teams line up facing each other, and on your signal, all players flash rock, paper, or scissors.
The kids on the losing team must run back to their base before they are tagged by the kids on the winning team.
Objective: Students will race to pick oranges up using only their knees and hop to transfer them to a target.
Materials: Oranges, Hula-Hoops
Participants: 2 teams
How to play:
Have students line up in two equal teams.
Place a bowl of oranges at the front of each line. The first two students each take an orange and squeeze it between their knees.
Next, they hop or take tiny steps to deposit their orange into a Hula-Hoop across the field.
Once their teammate’s orange is deposited, the next student goes. Play continues.
The team that transfers the most oranges in 2 minutes (or whatever time limit you wish) is the winner.
12. Tic-Tac-Toe Relay
Objective: Students play an IRL tic-tac-toe game.
Materials: Hula-Hoops, beanbags
Participants: Teams
How to play:
Set out Hula-Hoops in the shape of a tic-tac-toe frame.
Divide students into two teams and give each team a supply of different-colored beanbags.
One student from each team runs to the frame and drops a beanbag in their preferred spot.
They return to the start and tag the next runner, who does the same thing.
Play continues until one team achieves a tic-tac-toe (three beanbags in a row)!
Team-Building Games for Kids That Foster Cooperation
13. Hula-Hoop Pass
Objective: Students work together to pass a Hula-Hoop around a circle.
Materials: Hula-Hoop
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Have your students stand in a circle and join hands.
Unclasp one pair’s hands and place the Hula-Hoop between the two. Then have them rejoin their hands.
The object of the game is to pass the Hula-Hoop all the way around the circle without unclasping hands.
Students work together using listening, coordinating, and strategizing skills to figure out how to maneuver their bodies all the way through the hoop to pass it on.
14. Elbow Pass
Objective: This simple passing game encourages students to work together, look each other in the eye, and have a good laugh.
Materials: Four-square ball or similar-size ball
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Have students stand in a line.
The first student will hold a ball between their elbows in front of their chest and then pass it to the next player.
Continue until the ball reaches the end of the line.
If the ball drops, the game starts over at the beginning.
15. Move On, Back Up, Flip
Objective: Students stand connected in a circle and must cooperate to follow directions.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Start with students in a circle with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.
At the signal “Move on,” students take one hop forward together.
At the signal “Back up,” students take one hop backward together.
And at the signal “Flip,” students will turn 180 degrees and place their hands on the shoulders of the person who was behind them.
16. Straw Balance
Objective: This fun balancing exercise requires coordination and cooperation.
Materials: Plastic straws
Participants: Whole group
How to play:
Have your students form a large circle and give each one a plastic straw.
The challenge is to balance each straw between one person’s right pointer finger and the left pointer finger of the person next to them.
Challenge your students to make movements such as rotating the circle, squatting down, raising one foot, raising your right hand, etc.
The goal is to make the movements while keeping the straw connections intact.
Circle Games That Build Community
17. Bumpity-ump-bump-bump
Objective: Students race to follow directions and learn one another’s names.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
Students stand in a large circle with one student in the middle.
That student walks around the inside of the circle, stops in front of one person, and gives them a direction.
There are four choices: Left = say the name of the person to the left. Right = say the name of the person on the right. It = say the name of the person who is “it.” And Self = say one’s own name.
After they give the direction, they say “bumpity-ump-bump-bump!”
The student who was given the direction races to say the name of the correct person before the student finishes the phrase.
If they can’t, they’re the next person on the inside of the circle.
18. Zip, Zap, Boing!
Objective: This is a super-fun game that involves strategy and fast thinking.
Materials: None
Participants: Whole group
How to play:
This super-lively circle game involves careful listening, quick thinking, and three actions—Zip, Zap, and Boing.
Zip means point to the person on your right. Zap means point to the person on your left. And Boing means point to a classmate on the opposite side of the circle. (Boing cannot be passed to the person standing right next to you.)
All students place their palms together in front of their chest. This will act as their pointer.
The first person starts by calling out one of the actions and points their hands the right way. The person they’re pointing at chooses the next action, and play goes around the circle.
Try to play as fast as you can. If you perform the wrong action, you are out. Last player standing wins.
STEM Team-Building Activities
19. Marshmallow Tower Challenge
Objective: This STEM activity challenges students to create a sturdy tower.
Materials: Marshmallows, wooden toothpicks
Participants: Partners or small groups
How to play:
Divide students into partners or groups of equal numbers.
Pass out an equal number of marshmallows and wooden toothpicks to each group.
Challenge the groups to create the tallest, largest, or most creative structure in a set amount of time, each member taking turns doing the actual building.
Afterward, have each group present their creation.
20. No-Hands Cup-Stacking Challenge
Objective: Using patience and perseverance, students will stack cups using pipe cleaners (or strings) and a rubber band.
Pair up beginners or younger students and begin with a rubber band with two pipe cleaners attached.
Each student will take the end of one pipe cleaner.
Together, they will maneuver the rubber band to fit over the top of the stacking cup. (No hands allowed!)
One by one they will work together to create a tower of stacking cups.
Divide older kids into groups of four or five, attach that number of strings to a rubber band, and complete the same task.
21. No-Hands Drawing Challenge
Objective: Students will work together to maneuver a pen with strings.
Materials: Markers, string, paper
Participants: Small groups
How to play:
Just like the activity above, this hilarious “no hands” exercise requires cooperation and patience.
Divide students into small groups and give each group a marker with the matching number of strings attached.
Tell the students what they will be drawing, e.g., a tree, a house, or a shape.
Groups will gather around a desk or small table as each student holds the far end of their string, pulling the line taut to support the pen upright over the paper.
The challenge is to manipulate the pen to draw whatever image is called for.
More Team-Building Games and Activities for Kids
22. Hot and Cold
Objective: Students guide a “finder” to locate an object in the classroom with the prompts “hot” or “cold” to lead them in the right direction.
Materials: Classroom objects
Participants: Whole class
How to play:
One student, the “finder,” steps out of the classroom.
The rest of the class picks an object (for instance, the pencil sharpener) in the classroom for the finder to find.
When the finder comes back in, they begin walking around the classroom in search of the object.
If the finder is far away from the object, the only advice the group will give is to say “cold.” When the finder gets close, the group will say “hot.”
Play continues until the finder picks the correct object.
Variation: Instead of saying “hot” and “cold,” students can applaud softly for cold or vigorously for hot.
23. Body Parts
Objective: Following directions, students will try to be the first to snatch a plastic cup.
Materials: Small plastic cups
Participants: Pairs
How to play:
Students stand facing their partner. A plastic cup is positioned on the ground between them.
When the leader calls out a body part, the players must move both hands to that spot—knees, toes, shoulders, hips, etc.
When the leader says “Cup!” each person tries to grab the cup.
The student who snatches the cup remains in the game. The other players are out for the round.
Students pair up with new partners, and play continues until one person wins.
24. Human Alphabet
Objective: Students will form letters of the alphabet with their bodies.
Materials: None
Participants: Individuals and partners
How to play:
Have students spread out and show them how to form letters with their body. For instance, stand tall and spread arms straight out to form the letter T, or raise arms at an angle to form the letter V.
Once they get the hang of individual letters, call out short words. Start with two-letter words (e.g., on, so, it), then three (and, now), then four (past, four).
Students must team up to correctly form each word.
25. Back-to-Back Artists
Objective: This blind drawing activity requires teamwork and clear communication as one student directs the other to draw a picture.
Materials: Drawing paper, pen or marker, sample drawings
Participants: Partners
How to play:
Pair students up and have them sit back-to-back.
Give one student a blank piece of paper and a pen or a marker. Give the other student a picture of a simple object.
The student holding the illustration will not tell their partner the name of the picture. They will verbally describe how to draw the picture, step-by-step, to their partner.
The other student must draw the picture using only the verbal cues given by their partner.
When they are finished, the pair will compare the drawing and the original to see how close they came.
Get my free Team-Building Games for Kids Google Slides!
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Ready to get bonding? Download our Google Slides and have them on hand when playing these team-building games. Just fill out the form on this page to get your free slides.
Do you have favorite go-to team-building activities for kids? Come share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!
Social-emotional skills like identifying and regulating feelings, kindness, sharing, and empathy are all skills that kids learn in early childhood, and they have a huge impact on later success. In fact, one study found that the social-emotional skills that kids display in kindergarten correlate with success in early adulthood, making SEL activities worth including in every classroom. Here are some of our favorite social-emotional learning activities to use with your preschool and kindergarten students.
SEL Activities for Self-Awareness and Self-Management
These SEL activities are all about learning to recognize, understand, and manage feelings, emotions, and behaviors. This is a major SEL focus for preschool and kindergarten, helping kids learn to understand how they’re feeling, why they’re feeling that way, and how to cope with those big feelings. When you teach self-awareness and self-management at this age, kids get better at responding to challenging situations, now and in the future. Try some of these activities with your preschoolers and kindergartners.
1. Post a feelings chart
Naomi Meredith for We Are Teachers
Start your day with a morning meeting. When you talk about the weather and schedule for the day, also include a few minutes to talk about how everyone is feeling or explore a specific emotion in more detail. Kids can also refer to these charts when they’re struggling.
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2. Use real faces to learn emotions
Create a slideshow with faces of your students showing different emotions or of photos of kids making feelings faces. Kids will get a kick out of seeing their classmates making different faces, but it also gives them practice recognizing emotion in real humans.
3. Make affirmation bracelets
Set out cups of colored beads. In front of each cup of beads, add a sticky note with a positive affirmation. For example, red may be “I can do this,” orange is “I am smart,” yellow “I am special.” Have each student make a rainbow bracelet with pipe cleaners and beads. Remind them to use their positive affirmations throughout the day when they touch the red bead and tell themselves they can do it!
4. Teach feelings vocabulary words
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Talking about big feelings takes a big vocabulary! Our free printable chart is a terrific tool for helping kids find the words they need to make their feelings clear (to themselves and others). You can also use the words to create a word wall in your calm-down corner.
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5. Sort emotions pictures
Print out pictures of emotions, either the basic emotions or the basics plus more (anxious, disgusted, afraid, etc.). Print images that could go with each emotion. You could print a picture of a spider to go with “afraid” or a birthday cake to go with “happy.” Have students sort the pictures with the emotions. How does each picture make them feel? (Note that not all students may have the same reaction to each picture.)
6. Play a game of musical feelings
Draw feelings faces on paper plates and lay them out on the ground in a circle. Play music and have students move around the circle until the music stops. Students look at the card closest to them and hold a pose that demonstrates that feeling until the music starts again.
7. Hang an emotions bulletin board
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Teach emotions using our free printable bulletin board set! Kids can move their names to the appropriate place on the board to share how they’re feeling each day. This can be easier for some kids than talking out loud, especially in front of the whole class.
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8. Make a feelings collage
Collect magazines or old books for this group project. Start by choosing one feeling, like “happy.” Ask kids to tear or cut out images from the materials that represent that emotion for them. Write the emotion in the middle of a piece of chart paper, and attach the pictures they find to create a collage. Continue with other emotions to make a whole set of collage posters. (This is another activity that shows that people can have different emotions about the same thing. For instance, one student might say pickles make them happy, while another finds them disgusting.)
9. Encourage “I” statements
Encourage students to be mindful about how they’re feeling by helping them practice how to articulate their thoughts without lashing out at others. Give them starters such as “I feel angry when …,” “I feel happy when …,” “I feel frustrated when …,” etc. Once they are able to articulate their feelings, help them strategize ways to handle those emotions.
10. Match emotion cards
Print two sets of our free “Today I Feel …” cards. Cut them apart, mix them up, and lay them face down on the table or floor. Kids take turns turning over two cards to see if they match. If they do, the player keeps the cards. If not, the next player takes a turn. Be sure to name each emotion as you turn it over to give kids practice recognizing feelings.
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11. Make emotion masks
Make emotion masks using paper plates, markers, and other art supplies. Then, have kids sit in a circle, and invite one student into the middle. They call out an emotion, and the other students hold up the appropriate masks to match. Verify everyone has chosen the correct mask, then pick another student for the next round.
12. Paint gratitude rocks
Use river rocks and paint markers, and ask students to paint the rocks to express what they’re thankful for or something they care about. Create a jar or garden display using their finished rocks, and encourage others to check out the display and add their own rocks to the collection!
13. Teach the characteristics of feelings
This easy (and free!) lesson plan helps kids recognize what feelings and emotions look like, both in themselves and in others. Kids will have a great time adding play dough features to their face work mat to represent the different emotions.
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14. Play with a feelings tower
Pick up a set of colorful Jenga-style blocks and assign an emotion to each color (red = happy, blue = sad, orange = angry, etc.). As kids pull the blocks to play the game, they name something that evokes that feeling for them. For example, if a student pulls a blue block, they might say that they’re sad when their grandparents go home after a visit. SEL activities like this not only help kids identify feelings, they help them become more comfortable talking about them with others.
15. Try a Zones of Regulation activity
This simple concept assigns colors to emotions: red (angry), orange (overwhelmed, frustrated), yellow (worried, anxious, confused), blue (sad, disappointed), and green (calm, content, happy). Once students have identified which zone they’re in, they can learn the appropriate strategies to manage their feelings.
Deep breathing reduces stress and anxiety—it’s an incredible tool for managing emotions at any age. The concepts are simple and can become automatic when you practice them early and often. Check out our collection of five breathing exercises that are perfect for preschool and kindergarten, like Bunny Breathing and Box Breathing. Be sure to print and share our free posters too!
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17. Sing feelings songs
Songs can help teach emotional vocabulary in a fun and relatable way. You’ll find all sorts of songs for kids about emotions and feelings on sites like YouTube. Put together a playlist to share with your class with picks like the “Feelings Song” by The Singing Walrus on YouTube
18. Keep a feelings journal
Most preschoolers and kindergartners aren’t able to do a lot of writing on their own, but they can draw pictures to illustrate their feelings each day. Teachers can add a few emotion words to each page for kids not old enough to write on their own yet.
19. Create a cozy calm-down corner
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Set aside a separate cozy space where kids can go when they’re having trouble handling big feelings of any kind. Make it comfy and calming with beanbag chairs or a soft rug, and include tools and toys to help kids find their inner calm. Hang a feelings chart, provide stuffed animals for hugs, stock up on fidget toys, and don’t forget noise-cancelling headphones to help them block out distractions.
Kids are never too young to try some yoga poses! They can help kids find their inner calm when they’re upset or overexcited. Teach and practice a new pose each day during your morning meeting, or use them for brain breaks or transition times.
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21. Use a feelings spinner
Hand out white paper plates, and have students draw eight circles representing faces around the edge. Then, they give each face a feeling (happy, sad, angry, tired, surprised, afraid, hungry, excited, calm). Once the faces are complete, create a spinner using a brad and arrow. Students point the arrow at the face that represents how they’re feeling today. This is also a good social-emotional learning activity to do with students who would rather point to how they feel than talk about it.
22. Try emotions charades
Here’s another fun way to use our free printable emotions cards! Kids draw an emotion card from the pile, then act it out for others to guess. For example, if they draw “angry,” they could stomp around with a mean face, pretending to yell. This one is great for encouraging the imagination too!
23. Make calm-down jars
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Make these mesmerizing calm-down jars for your classroom using just water, oil, and food coloring. Add glitter for a little extra pizzazz. When students are feeling overwhelmed or upset, give them a few minutes to focus on the jar as they turn it upside down and back. Focusing on the movement and colors will help students calm down so they can get back to work.
Take social-emotional learning activities outside with a nature walk that uses students’ five senses. Explore the changing color of leaves, different leaf shapes, pine cones, and more. Listen for birds and other critters. Lie down on the grass and feel the earth beneath you as you look up at the blue sky. These mindfulness activities remind kids of the emotional importance of getting outside to “touch grass” on a regular basis.
25. Set up sensory stations
Sensory bins or tables engage the senses, giving students something to focus on besides their roiling emotions. Teach students that they can spend time at the sensory station any time they feel overwhelmed and need to calm down. Switch out your stations regularly to stimulate new feelings, physically and emotionally.
SEL Activities for Social Awareness and Relationship Skills
At this age, kids are just learning how to navigate social relationships and becoming more aware of the differences and similarities between themselves and their peers. SEL activities for preschool and kindergarten emphasize the need for empathy, kindness, and cooperation with those around us. Teachers and parents should model good behaviors, as well as teach them directly and indirectly with social-emotional learning activities like these.
26. Choose your daily greetings
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Daily greeting routines build community and confidence. They can also be used as a social-emotional learning check-in. Use this daily greeting printable to give students ideas for how they can greet you. You can use the ideas on the printable or create your own with your class.
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27. Draw helping hands
Talk about how our hands can help others. Then, students trace their own hands and reflect on what their helpful hands can do. You can create a class bulletin board using the students’ drawings. Over the next weeks, take photos of students helping and add them to the bulletin board.
28. Plant seeds of kindness
Have students write or draw one kind act they can do today on a paper “seed,” then hang it in a kindness garden bulletin board or place it in jar.
29. Hang leaves on a kindness tree
Naomi Meredith for We Are Teachers
Draw a large tree trunk on a sheet of chart paper. Then pass out different-colored leaves made from construction paper (or use our printable leaf template linked below) and ask each student to write or draw an act of kindness they can do on their leaf. After they’ve finished, help them tape their leaf to the tree trunk as reminders of how they can show kindness and respect for others. Add more leaves to the tree as you notice students being kind.
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30. Play Kindness Bingo
Create bingo cards showing different ways to be kind or show kindness, and use them to give an SEL twist to the classic game. Have students help you brainstorm the various squares on the card and come up with pictures that represent the actions.
31. Hold a compliment circle
Have students sit in a circle with their legs out so that everyone’s feet are in the circle. Ask for a volunteer or start the circle. The first person says a compliment for a peer. The peer says “Thank you!” and pulls their legs in so they are sitting crisscross-applesauce. Then, they give the next compliment. The compliment circle continues until everyone has received a compliment and is sitting crisscross-applesauce.
32. Use conversation starters
Learning to talk to others, especially new people, is vital for developing healthy friendships. Get the conversation started with questions like “What is your favorite thing to eat at lunch?” or “What was the funniest thing that happened to you today?” Pair students up and have them take turns asking the questions and giving answers to start a conversation.
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33. Practice sharing with ice cream cones
Sharing is one of those skills that can be really hard for kids to develop. Practice the idea of sharing by making paper ice cream “cones” and passing the “ice cream” (a lightweight ball that will fit in the cone) from one person to another. As students share their ice cream, have them practice saying please and thank you.
34. Teach whole body listening
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Teach students what their bodies should look like when they are listening. Use these whole body listening posters to reinforce this skill. Note you can always make accommodations for students since kids with ADHD, autism, and sensory-processing challenges may not be able to perform whole body listening in the same way other students do.
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35. Practice listening daily
Learning to listen, not only to themselves but to one another, is a critical skill for preschoolers. Set aside time each day to sit quietly with your students and listen for sounds in and around the classroom for increasing lengths of time. Or ring a chime and ask students to see how long they can hear the sound it makes. Intentional listening exercises like these give kids practice with this sometimes-challenging skill in a low-risk setting.
36. Play listening games
Practice listening skills with a game like Simon Says, Telephone, Freeze Dance, or Musical Chairs. Players must listen closely and pay attention if they want to win!
37. Watch friendship videos
Learning to get along with others takes a lot of practice. A video can be a conversation starter for students or a way to talk about how to handle tough friendship situations.
As young children learn about different ways we express ourselves, use poetry to talk about friendship. After you’ve read poems about friendship together, write a class poem or challenge older kindergartners to write their own friendship poems.
Listen to friendship songs with your students and talk about the lyrics. What does it mean when Woody sings “you’ve got a friend in me?” or when the Beatles sing they “get by” with a little help from their friends?
Have students think about what kind of friend they want and want to be by creating friend paper dolls. Draw an outline of a person on paper and give one to each student. Students decorate their “friend” and then share what they included. Does their friend have a pet to take care of together? Does their friend like gymnastics, just like them?
41. Fill buckets with positivity
The book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? has become a hit in preschool and elementary school classrooms, teaching kids how their words and actions affect others. Read this book, then give each student buckets and pom-poms representing positive comments. Encourage students to fill each others’ buckets with kind words and deeds!
Social stories are simple narratives that teach rules, expected behaviors, and how to handle various situations. For example, you may use a social story with students to teach them what to expect and how to behave during a fire drill. Or you may use a social story with a student who wants to learn how to make a friend or handle a social situation. The goal of social stories is that students learn clear actions they can take to solve common social situations.
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43. Let kids work out their own problems
As your students engage in play and collaboration, conflict will occur. When it does, help them solve their problems by observing and modeling rather than solving their problems for them.
Role-play is a wonderful way to teach your preschoolers and kindergartners social behaviors, rules, and expectations. Rehearsing these skills in a safe space, with a teacher’s guidance, helps them learn social norms. Pretend how to act in a restaurant, assembly, or in other spaces they’ll need practice with. Or practice how to handle situations that kindergartners will come across, like not wanting to share a toy or asking someone for help.
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45. Get a classroom pet
This is definitely a lot of work for teachers, but the benefits for students can be unbelievable. Even students who are uncomfortable around other children can often empathize with animals, helping them develop a better understanding of humans too. When kids help take care of a class pet, they have to make good decisions and demonstrate responsibility too. Not ready for the commitment in your classroom? Consider bringing in your own dog from time to time for students to play with.
In any social situation, conflict will happen. Teach students what to do beforehand with strategies like saying “stop,” ignoring the behavior, walking away, and getting help.
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47. Play with dolls
Imaginative play with dolls helps develop social-emotional relationship skills in every child, regardless of gender. Be sure to provide dolls that ensure every student sees themselves represented in your classroom, and include different styles and sizes too. As kids play, praise them for good social skills (“You did a good job helping your doll get dressed”) and guide them to kinder, more responsible behaviors (“How do you think the doll feels when you throw it down and step on it?”).
When kids play games that require them to work together to win, they build all sorts of SEL skills. They need to make smart decisions and think ahead to plan their strategy. Plus, they need to cooperate and function as a team to decide what to do next. Keep some of our favorites on hand in your classroom for quick and easy SEL activities!
Thoughtful book choices turn story time into learning time! Many books for kids are written with social-emotional learning in mind. Look for relatable characters that kids enjoy to help make the messages more meaningful to your audience. Here are some of our top picks for SEL books for preschool and kindergarten.
49. Mindfulness books for kids
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Mindfulness can be an abstract concept. Teach students what mindfulness is and what it looks like in our lives through read-alouds.
We tell students that learning is its own reward, and that’s certainly true. But it’s also nice to win money and other prizes! Knowing they could gain recognition or even a prize for winning can be incredibly motivating. This roundup includes the best contests and competitions for high school, middle school, and elementary school students.
Jump to:
Contests and Competitions for High School Students
FEATURED PICK
The Edit
The Edit is a digital storytelling challenge from NBCU Academy and Adobe. Your middle or high school students will build critical communication and collaboration skills as they plan, script, and produce their own 90-second video news reports on wellness topics. Winning classrooms will be rewarded with prizes like GoPros, Fandango gift cards, and more!
Come up with a big idea to help create meaningful change and healthier school communities. Then use the AdCap project designer to submit your idea, and compete for funding to bring your project to life.
If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive $2,500 plus full tuition to the Semester at Sea program as well as a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with a leader at the Department of State.
Student films have the opportunity to become an Official Selection, screened at the AMC Empire 25 Theatres in Times Square, the busiest movie theater in America! Each October, thousands of student filmmakers gather in New York City for an action-packed weekend of resources and entertainment, including the Teen Indie Awards Show, where over $500,000 in prizes and scholarships are handed out.
The ArtEffect Project teaches middle and high school students about their power to effect positive change through creative storytelling that celebrates unsung heroes from history. Students submit high-quality creative art projects in the visual arts, narrative film, theater, and creative nonfiction genres. Winners can receive thousands of dollars in prizes.
Entrepreneurial high school students pitch their innovative business ideas to receive feedback from experts, as well as the chance to win prize money. Teens can enter on their own or as a team of up to four people.
Students submit a big scientific idea in fundamental physics, life sciences, or mathematics in video form. Winners receive college scholarships, plus money for their teacher and school.
Students in grades 7–12 use design thinking to create solutions to real-world challenges. In this 10-hour experience, students develop entrepreneurial skills and empathy while learning about prototyping and testing.
Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.
Design an innovation, solve an important problem, and establish yourself as an entrepreneur. You might just change the world in the process! Students work in teams of two to five to compete for prizes such as scholarships, pro-bono legal and consulting services, and a Dell Chromebook.
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA’s competitive events can be grouped into three broad categories: role-plays and case studies, prepared events, and online simulations. Events take place around the country and throughout the year.
Students create a poster for International Compost Awareness Week, which takes place in May. The winner gets $500 and the chance to see their poster produced professionally.
High school students can win up to $1,000 in scholarship money by writing an essay on a new Austen theme each year, sponsored by the Jane Austen Society of North America.
Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competition in which teams of four players compete to answer questions that cover academic subjects like literature and science as well as the broader world of popular culture and current events. Local middle school and high school tournaments send their winners on to regional and national championships.
As middle and high school student teams compete to answer questions aligned to national standards, they must also cooperate and use teamwork to tackle each quarter’s new challenge. Each school can field a team of 15 to 40, giving lots of kids a chance to participate.
National History Day (NHD) is an annual event for teachers and students in grades 6–12 that promotes critical thinking skills through project-based learning. Students begin their journey by presenting their projects in classrooms, schools, and districts around the world. Top entries are invited to the state/affiliate-level contests. The top two entries in every category at the state/affiliate level are then invited to the National Contest.
The challenge is simple: First, students write their own composition for a small ensemble (two to six instruments) or full orchestra. Then, a panel of judges chooses the top three orchestral and top three ensemble compositions to be performed and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at the NYCC Composium held in Orlando, Florida.
Each month, the New York Times announces a new writing contest for middle and high school students ages 13 to 19. The topics and requirements are different each month, with something to appeal to all sorts of young authors and journalists.
PicoCTF is a computer security game for middle and high school students. The game consists of a series of challenges centered around a unique storyline where participants must reverse-engineer, break, hack, decrypt, or do whatever it takes to solve the challenge. The challenges are all set up with the intent of being hacked, making it an excellent, legal way to get hands-on experience.
Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? In this competition, judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University, students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. (Note: Only open to 11th graders.)
The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens (ages 13+, grades 7–12) awards scholarships and gives kids a chance to showcase their skills for some of the foremost leaders in the arts.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition invites middle and high school teachers to lead a group of students in creating a STEM-centered solution that addresses a need in their communities. Teachers and students compete to win a share of $2 million for their schools. The National Winner prize is $100,000 in technology and classroom materials.
These events emulate, as closely as possible for high school students, the experiences of working as members of aerospace design and proposal teams. Students learn cooperation, management, and communication skills. Finalists win the chance to travel to Kennedy Space Center!
Stossel in the Classroom wants to know what high school and middle school students think about entrepreneurship and innovation. With $20,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, kids can enter the essay contest or the video contest. There are bonus prizes for teachers too!
The United States Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students. Each high school enters a team of nine students: three honors students (3.80–4.00 GPA), three scholastic students (3.20–3.799 GPA), and three varsity students (0.00–3.199 GPA). They’ll need a wide variety of academic knowledge and skills to come out on top!
This tiered competition for high school students consists of a series of chemistry exams. Local winners move on to the national exam, whose winners participate in a study camp and international exam contest over the summer.
Middle and high school students create a short video—up to 60 seconds long—about human population growth that highlights one of the following global challenges: climate change, gender equality, or waste. Kids can win up to $1,200!
Contests and Competitions for Middle School Students
The ArtEffect Project teaches middle and high school students about their power to effect positive change through creative storytelling that celebrates unsung heroes from history. Students submit high-quality creative art projects in the visual arts, narrative film, theater, and creative nonfiction genres. Winners can receive thousands of dollars in prizes.
Students in grades 7–12 use design thinking to create solutions to real-world challenges. In this 10-hour experience, students develop entrepreneurial skills and empathy while learning about prototyping and testing.
Future City is a project-based learning program in which students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future.
This contest challenges students in grades 6–8 to practice critical thinking supported by accurate computation. Both kids and their teachers are eligible for prizes.
Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competition in which teams of four players compete to answer questions that cover academic subjects like literature and science as well as the broader world of popular culture and current events. Local middle school and high school tournaments send their winners on to regional and national championships.
As middle and high school student teams compete to answer questions aligned to national standards, they must also cooperate and use teamwork to tackle each quarter’s new challenge. Each school can field a team of 15 to 40, giving lots of kids a chance to participate.
National History Day (NHD) is an annual event for teachers and students in grades 6–12 that promotes critical thinking skills through project-based learning. Students begin their journey by presenting their projects in classrooms, schools, and districts around the world. Top entries are invited to the state/affiliate-level contests. The top two entries in every category at the state/affiliate level are then invited to the National Contest.
New Moon Girls publishes contributions from girls ages 8–14. The magazine publishes four times each year, and submissions are more likely to be published if they fit an upcoming editorial theme.
Each month, the New York Times announces a new writing contest for middle and high school students ages 13 to 19. The topics and requirements are different each month, with something to appeal to all sorts of young authors and journalists.
Students ages 11 to 18 can learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Submit a piece recognizing climate change heroes, using visual arts, poetry and creative writing, film, performing arts, or multimedia. Prizes include cash awards and eligibility for special opportunities.
PicoCTF is a computer security game for middle and high school students. The game consists of a series of challenges centered around a unique storyline where participants must reverse-engineer, break, hack, decrypt, or do whatever it takes to solve the challenge. The challenges are all set up with the intent of being hacked, making it an excellent, legal way to get hands-on experience.
Teachers and schools can nominate 8th grade students to compete in this contest. Nominees submit a piece of writing based on the year’s prompt. Winners receive certificates in various levels of distinction.
Kids 13 and under can enter any nature-themed photo they’ve taken on their own using a camera or phone camera app. Every month, winners will be selected by the judges and posted on the contest homepage in the Recent Contest Winners slideshow. Online winners will be in the running for Ranger Rick’s “Your Best Shots” Magazine Award. Magazine Award winners will be selected three times each year for publication in Ranger Rick magazine’s December–January, April, and August issues.
This contest challenges students in grades 5–8 to design and create a working invention/artwork that incorporates at least one rubber band. Students can compete in one of two separate divisions: Arts & Leisure or Science & Engineering. Winners receive up to $300.
The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens (ages 13+, grades 7–12) awards scholarships and gives kids a chance to showcase their skills for some of the foremost leaders in the arts.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition invites middle and high school teachers to lead a group of students in creating a STEM-centered solution that addresses a need in their communities. Teachers and students compete to win a share of $2 million for their schools. The National Winner prize is $100,000 in technology and classroom materials.
Stossel in the Classroom wants to know what high school and middle school students think about entrepreneurship and innovation. With $20,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, kids can enter the essay contest or the video contest. There are bonus prizes for teachers too!
Middle and high school students create a short video—up to 60 seconds long—about human population growth that highlights one of the following global challenges: climate change, gender equality, or waste. Kids can win up to $1,200!
Students in grades 5–8 create a one-to-two-minute video describing a new, innovative solution that could solve an everyday problem. Ten finalists will be chosen for their passion for science, spirit of innovation and ingenuity, and effective communication skills.
Authors 19 and under can submit a one-act play to the New Voices competition. They’re particularly interested in plays that speak to BIPOC teens and youth.
Contests and Competitions for Elementary School Students
Did you know that each year, one student in grades K–5 has a chance to see their own doodle featured on the Google search page? This annual contest gives kids the opportunity to reach millions of viewers with their design.
New Moon Girls publishes contributions from girls ages 8 to 14. The magazine publishes four times each year, and submissions are more likely to be published if they fit an upcoming editorial theme.
Kids 13 and under can enter any nature-themed photo they’ve taken on their own, using a camera or phone camera app. Every month, judges select winners and post them on the contest homepage in the Recent Contest Winners slideshow. Online winners will be in the running for Ranger Rick’s “Your Best Shots” Magazine Award. Magazine Award winners will be selected three times each year for publication in Ranger Rick magazine’s December–January, April, and August issues.
Contests and Competitions for Students of All Ages
The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which young filmmakers create movies that tell the entire story of a Newbery award–winning book in about 90 seconds. Winning entries are screened at events nationwide including in New York, Chicago, and Boston.
This contest is open to K–12 students attending public schools, homeschool, and art studios. Kids and teachers can win prizes, classroom supplies, and more!
Students can win scholarship money by submitting an entry to this annual contest, and teachers can too! There are multiple categories with specific prompts for each, including songs, essays, STEM projects, and more. Teachers receive a $50 Amazon gift card when at least 10 of their students submit an entry.
The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Discovery Award provides students in grades 4–12 a unique opportunity to research primary sources and develop outstanding projects that feature unsung heroes who can serve as role models and inspire others to create change.
Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world. Students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. It’s open to students in grades 3 and up.
The Invention Convention program is a K–12 project-based learning curriculum that helps students learn to think critically and identify problems in their world. Inventors and entrepreneurs are invited to compete at prestigious annual events.
Competitors submit a short film inspired by, and using, actual footage from NASA’s digital archives for a chance to earn cash prizes and have their film screened at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, held each November. Although entrants must be at least 18 to enter, parents and guardians can enter submissions on behalf of their younger children.
The contest is open to all K–12 students attending public, private, parochial, and home schools who are residents of the United States, and grades K–12 of U.S. military members stationed overseas.
The National History Bowl is a buzzer-based history quiz competition for teams of up to six students ages 19 or younger. Local competitions send their winners on to compete in the national championships.
Students of all ages create and submit original works of art in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Local winners move on to the regional, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.
Scope magazine (published by Scholastic) features a wide variety of contests to excite students in grades 4–12 about writing. Plus they can win awesome prizes!
Is the country’s next spelling champion in your own classroom? Find out by holding your own spelling bee, then sending the winner on to compete in regional competitions leading to the ultimate national competition. Students up to age 16 are eligible to participate.
The Student Ideas for a Better America contest welcomes applications from pre-K through 12th grade. Enter any idea for a new way to demonstrate an educational concept, an idea for a new product, or an improvement for an existing product or procedure.
Engage your students in bullying prevention with this competition. Students watch a video followed by a handout review. Then they respond to the content in their own creative way through art, writing, graphics, or videos for the chance to win prizes for their school.
Students ages 6–18 can submit fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to The Telling Room. Each year, they award the Founders Prize to the best piece of writing to come out of a Telling Room program.
Did we miss one of your favorite contests or competitions for high school, middle school, or elementary school students? Contact us here.
One of my 8th grade students is intent on making every class a nightmare for me. He responds “Why?” to every single thing I say, from “Get out a sheet of paper” to “Push in your chairs.” He knows it gets under my skin and wastes class time, but it continues anyway. I’ve contacted home, and his mom said to me, “Sounds like you have a problem with my son for being curious.” I almost ripped my hair out. What do you do when a student isn’t breaking the rules but is being really freaking annoying?
—Done With the Defiance
Dear D.W.T.D.,
An 8th grader? No way. All the 8th graders I know have been compliant and delightful!
Hahahaha.
All jokes aside, I acknowledge that this can feel so defeating and frustrating. I don’t think you will like my suggestion, but hear me out: Even if this is the most annoying student in the world, you have to make this student believe that you like him.
Think about your own life for a second. Picture a boss, coach, teacher, or someone in a position of authority whom you’re confident didn’t like you. (Yuck.) Now, picture someone in a position of authority whom you know loved you, but who had to remind you of boundaries from time to time. You know you got on their nerves, but they always returned to a place of love.
Huge difference, right?
I say from experience that if you’re not careful, it’s easy to let a relationship with a tough student get to a point of mutual disdain or hostility. This happened years ago when I had a student teacher. My third period class was so challenging, and it got to the point where everyone in the room knew this was our least favorite class. So my student teacher and I conducted an experiment: Treat this class like our favorite class.
We bragged on them. We brought them candy. Instead of cracking down immediately on their antics, we gave them more wiggle room than normal and actually engaged with their jokes. In less than a week, we were stunned by the transformation. They were still our squirreliest class, but they were squirrels we loved instead of loathed.
I have no doubt that this child’s behavior is maddening. But you have to remember that you’re the adult here. You’re the one with a developed frontal cortex. You’re the one with the ability to offer a clean slate, find a private moment, and say, “Hey, I remember you saying you love The Office. Who’s your favorite character?” My guess? After a while of pretending to genuinely like this student, you won’t have to pretend anymore.
Dear We Are Teachers,
My 6th grade students’ behaviors are out of control this year. For example, I had a student tell another student he would pay someone to r*pe her if she didn’t bring him the chips she’d promised. Another student almost punched me in the face after I took a soccer ball he kept bouncing after repeated warnings. I’ve used every tool in my proverbial teacher “toolbox,” but at this point I’m exhausted and considering leaving the profession. My principal’s only solution is to give these challenging students ISS for a day or two, but when they return they’re behind and the behavior hasn’t improved. Do you have any suggestions?
—A Very Tired Teacher
Dear A.V.T.T.,
I see what you mean. On one hand, ISS is more than what I hear a lot of principals are willing to give kids who act out. But on the other hand, it’s not exactly restorative or corrective.
What I’m hearing are threats of violence and sexual violence against you and your students. (By the way, it doesn’t matter if that student was “joking” with the other student or not—intention doesn’t matter when another student has to deal with that level of emotional impact.) If I were the parent of the threatened child, I cannot tell you how fast I would file a Title 9 complaint.
I think a couple of things need to happen. The first: Talk with your principal about the need for your students to understand the specific and serious consequences for students if they threaten you or another student with physical and sexual violence. Maybe your principal wants to give this talk himself. Maybe he wants to bring in a counselor or SRO, I don’t know. But whatever the students are told, the same communication needs to go to parents as well. “If you/your child makes this choice, expect this this consequence.”
The second thing that needs to happen is better mental health resources for students at your school. I know all too well what a tall ask that is. But if you do have these resources and they’re not being utilized, they need to be. Check with a counselor or district counseling resource to see how to help your students learn better neural pathway responses than violence.
Finally, if after these measures, you still feel unsafe, I think you either switch schools or careers. No career is worth that level of exhaustion and stress.
Dear We Are Teachers,
I took a job this year in a new role my school created as a writing teacher. I teach every student in 11th and 12th grades at our school, and our time together is dedicated just to focus on writing. While I love my job, I am struggling so much with the grading! With 200 students and five writing assignments per week, I’m easily spending almost eight hours on the weekend trying to keep my head above water, and even then I rarely finish all of it. I love my job but this is too much. Help!
—Paper Princess
Dear P.P.,
Oh, I love being a fairy godmother! Are you ready for me to grant you your first wish?
Yay! Now that we have that guilt trip off your shoulders, here are some other shifts you can make in grading:
For recurring assignments, create a feedback checklist and give each comment a corresponding number. Instead of typing or writing out lengthy comments, you can write “1” or “9” in the margins wherever you see room for improvement.
For anything that’s not a test grade, have students go through detailed peer editing based on your rubric. This will cut down on what you have to grade and will sharpen students’ editing skills.
Remember: Writing assignments can be short! In many circumstances, a simple paragraph can be enough to assess mastery.
Hope these help make feedback faster and easier for you while still keeping it authentic and meaningful for your students.
I’m in my second year teaching high school and am on the verge of quitting. The dread I feel knowing that anytime I enter grades for an assignment, send out a newsletter, or make a new announcement on Google Classroom, I’m going to be met with at least five parent emails is debilitating. They want exceptions, explanations, additional help, and special assignments. I understand that this is part of my job, but with pushy parents on this scale, I can’t get anything done. Are there any kind of boundaries I can set, or should I just switch schools?
If there’s one thing kids love, it’s games! If you’re looking for brain breaks, icebreakers, team-building activities, field day games, or just ways to fill the last few minutes of class, Minute To Win It games are the answer. Many of these 60-second Minute To Win It games involve common items found around the classroom, while others require no equipment at all. There are games for kids as little as preschool and others that will keep even adults entertained. Whoever finishes the Minute To Win It games first is the winner. Our list of 50+ Minute To Win It games for kids features some hilarious and challenging games that will definitely be a hit with your class.
1. Chopstick Pickup
Split up your class into teams and give them each two paper plates, a set of chopsticks, and 20 pieces of candy or another small item like math manipulatives. Whoever moves the objects from plate to plate using the chopsticks fastest is the winner.
2. Scoop the Snowballs
Put out bowls of cotton balls and ice cream scoops. One player from each team has to scoop cotton balls into a bowl while blindfolded. Whoever scoops the most cotton balls within 60 seconds wins the game. Watch as the chaos unfolds!
Cut up the front of cereal boxes to create puzzles. Then, students have a minute to put the puzzles together. Make sure each cereal puzzle is the same level of difficulty with the same number of pieces.
4. Cup Stack
Amazon
Stacking and unstacking cups is a sport (honestly!). Students are given a stack of plastic cups, then they have to stack and unstack the cups into a pyramid in a minute or less. If your students like the basic stacking game, they can get a cup-stacking game that includes 18 different variations.
This is one of those Minute To Win It games that’s perfect for gym class, field day, or as an extra-special outdoor activity. It’s just like regular ring toss but with a fun twist: Hula-Hoops or pool rings are the rings and students are the “sticks.” Students choose someone to throw and someone to stand, and see how many “rings” they can toss over their partner within one minute.
6. Donut on a String
Tie donuts (or snack of choice) to a string and try to eat it with no hands! For an added challenge, try this blindfolded.
7. Dice Stack
Kids place a Popsicle stick in their mouth. When the timer starts, they try to balance five or six dice on the end of their stick for three seconds. It’s more challenging than it looks!
8. Pom-Pom and Straw Challenge
Line up pom-poms along a line or piece of tape. Students blow through straws to “race” the pom-poms across a finish line. The first pom-pom across the line wins.
Students move 25 pennies into a stack using only one hand in this Minute To Win It challenge.
10. Baby Rattle
The goal here is to move all the marbles or gumballs from one 2-liter bottle to the other. Before the game, fill one empty 2-liter soda bottle with gumballs or marbles. Tape the empty bottle to another 2-liter bottle by the neck. Then students shake the bottle with the marbles until all the marbles are transferred to the other bottle.
11. Ping-Pong Tic-Tac-Toe
Use trays that will fit a Ping-Pong ball to play a fun spin on tic-tac-toe! Students toss Ping-Pong balls, and the first player or team to get three in a row wins.
Provide students with a paper plate filled with Cheerios (or Froot Loops, etc.) and a pipe cleaner. Students use one hand to put as many cereal pieces onto the pipe cleaner as possible in one minute.
Set up plastic cups with pieces of card stock in between. Players yank the cards out from between the cups, causing the cups to fall into a tower. Each time a player makes a mistake, they must reset until all the cups fall into each other. This game is a blast!
14. Worm Diving
Moisten a gummy worm and tie it to the “fishing line.” Dive that worm into a bowl of pretzels, and then eat the pretzel without using your hands. A delicious yet challenging game.
15. Blow It to the Other Side
Blow the Ping-Pong balls from one soda can to the other. So frustrating yet so much fun!
16. Suck It Up
Using a straw and some chocolate candies, move as many candies as possible to an empty plate. Bonus: Kids get to eat the candy at the end!
Just like wrapping presents, only with a twist. Each team of two has one person using only their right hand and the other using only their left hand to wrap the present. First team to wrap the present, put a bow on it, and address it to someone wins!
18. Keep the Balloon Up
The goal seems simple: Keep three balloons from touching the floor or leaving the designated area. Inflate three balloons and set a timer. Throw three balloons into the air. Students stay in a designated area and use any part of their body to keep the balloons in the air. To make it easier or harder, change the area that students are working in to be smaller or larger. All three balloons must stay in the air for the whole minute for students to win the game.
Using a sweet potato and a spoon, players must move the potato down the line of painter’s tape and back. The hard part is keeping the sweet potato in line. This one will definitely bring on some laughs!
20. LEGO Tower
Kids build a tower of LEGO as tall as they can, only with a catch: They can only use their hands to touch one brick at a time, so holding the tower still is not allowed. Prepare for lots of crashing LEGO towers!
Divide students into pairs. One partner has a packet of sticky notes, the other has to stand still. The partner with the sticky notes puts as many sticky notes on their partner as possible in one minute. Up the challenge and require that the sticky notes do not overlap.
Set up pins (you can use a bowling set or empty soda bottles or cans), and give each student five balls to knock them over in one minute. The fun of this version of bowling is in the strategy—do students try to aim just right or just roll the ball as many times as possible?
Line up eight cups so that the edges touch. Then, students stack coins on the edge of the cups. If the coins fall in, the game is over!
24. Bottle Flipping
Fill plastic bottles one-third full of water. Then, students flip the bottles into the air and try to make them land upright. Students may want to perfect their technique so they can compete as expert bottle flippers.
25. Paper Toss
Ball up pieces of paper and attempt to shoot them into a recycling bin. The twist is, you have to throw the paper blindfolded! This is a perfect way to clean up paper and scraps in the classroom in that final minute of class. At least all the paper will be in or closer to the garbage can.
Set up a row of empty soda cans. Give pairs of students dry spaghetti noodles. Students use their noodles (no hands) to move soda cans from one spot to another. Add an additional challenge by requiring students to create a pyramid with their cans.
27. Tea Party
Players wear a baseball hat with tea bags attached to either side of it as they swing the bags around until someone lands them both on the bill of the hat. We love that this Minute To Win It game requires little more than what you already have at home.
28. Bottoms Up
We love games that use toys in an unconventional and inventive way. In this fast-paced game, players hang a yo-yo from their pants and then attempt to swing it around and knock four soda cans over.
29. Antlers
Give each pair of students a pair of nylon stockings and several balloons (enough to fill the legs of the stockings). Students stuff the balloons into the nylons and then place the nylons onto one of the player’s heads, making antlers.
30. Mad Dog
Glue two boxes of mints to the end of a wooden ruler. Then, students shake the ruler in their teeth to empty the boxes of mints in less than one minute
31. Egg Race
What could be more fun than a good old-fashioned egg race? We highly recommend using plastic or hard-boiled eggs so there’s less mess afterward.
Although you could play this anytime, a plastic egg match is one of the perfect Minute To Win It games to play in the spring. Scatter halves of plastic eggs around a room and then have players race to match as many as they can and return them to a basket in the corner of the room.
Do you need a Minute To Win It game but don’t have any supplies on hand? All you need for a good old-fashioned staring contest is the ability not to laugh first!
34. Obstacle Course
Set up a DIY obstacle course using everyday objects, then have kids maneuver their way through the course in less than a minute. Create a graph of the time it took in seconds for each student to complete the obstacle course for an extra math component.
35. Book Balance
Set up a course for students to walk through and have them complete the course with a book balanced on their head.
36. Backward ABCs
This one is so simple, but don’t let that fool you. First, see who can say the alphabet backward in a minute. Of the people who can do it in a minute or less, see who can do it the fastest.
37. Spin Doctor
All you need for this game is a level surface and some coins. Students compete in pairs. One partner sets a coin spinning and the other has to stop it, then send it spinning back. Keep track of the number of times each pair sends the coin from one end of the table to the other.
38. Cookie Face
See who can get a cookie off their face and into their mouth in under a minute.
39. Toilet Paper Pull
Before playing this Minute To Win It game, unwind several rolls of toilet paper across a table with a heavy-ish object on one end. Make sure each object is the same weight. Then, place some painter’s tape down on the end where the players will sit. Finally, have players race to roll up their toilet paper without breaking it or knocking the object off the paper.
40. Whipped Cream Christmas Tree
Grab some friends and cans of whipped cream and then see who can build the tallest Christmas tree in a minute’s time.
41. Plate Head
The premise of this game is so simple, but it will be sure to have kids laughing. One player balances a paper plate on their head while a teammate races to see how many objects they can place on it without it falling.
42. Bite It!
Cut up paper bags to various heights and place them around the room. Players race to pick up as many as they can in a minute using just their mouth.
43. Dizzy Mummy
Students work in pairs. Each pair has a roll of toilet paper. One person spins while the other unrolls the toilet paper, wrapping the first person up in toilet paper. It’s a great way to get some energy out and have everyone in giggles.
44. Shoe Flick
Set up a series of tables 10 feet or more from where participants are standing. Everyone attempts to throw a shoe onto the first table. If successful, they can attempt to throw it onto the next table, and so on until the minute is over. The player to get the shoe the farthest wins.
45. Oven Mitt Race
Give each participant a pair of oven mitts and then see how many Hershey’s Kisses they can unwrap in a minute. For extra motivation, let them eat whatever they can unwrap!
This is one of the perfect Minute To Win It games for the littlest competitors since it reinforces color recognition and gross motor skills. See who can sort the most M&Ms or similar candies by color in a minute. Students can do this at their tables or using a relay format running to and from a pile of M&Ms and bowls.
47. Rhyming Race
Assign a word and then see who can come up with the most rhymes for it in a minute.
48. Whipped Cream Worm Search
Put down a tablecloth. Then, hide gummy worms in a pile of whipped cream. Students race to see who can find the most gummy worms. The trick: They can only use their mouth.
49. Junk in the Trunk
Fill a tissue box with Ping-Pong balls. Then, stick the tissue box onto someone’s backside (with a belt or tape). Students have to shake all the balls out of the tissue box in one minute in order to win. The only rule: Students may not touch the box with their hands.
50. Ponginator
Place a large egg create (18 or 24 eggs) in the center. Pass out Ping-Pong balls to students who stand at an equal distance away from the egg crate. Then, students toss the Ping-Pong balls into the egg create. The team that throws the most Ping-Pong balls into the egg crate wins.
51. Cookie Unicorn
Students with good balance (we guess) will do well with this Minute To Win It game. Students have one minute to stack cookies (think sandwich cookies, like Oreos) on their forehead. If the cookies drop, they have to start over. You can play to a set number, like five cookies, or focus on stacking the most cookies they can. And the full stack must remain on their head for three seconds.
52. Marshmallow Toss
Put cups on a flat surface and have students stand 2 to 4 feet away. Each student has a set of marshmallows (or another small candy) and tosses the marshmallows into the cup. The student that gets the most marshmallows into the cup in one minute wins.
53. Apron Race
Students put on an apron, either a baking apron or a half apron. They fill the pocket of the apron with pennies, beans, Ping-Pong balls, or other items. Then they run from one spot to another. If they drop anything, they lose.
54. Ball Drop
In this Minute To Win It game, students try to get a ball into a cup, but from a vertical drop (instead of a horizontal throw). Students stand over a cup and drop a ball into the cup. It’s harder than it sounds!
55. Balloon Stomp
Blow up balloons to the same size. Tie a balloon around everyone’s ankle. Then, students try to stomp on each others’ balloons. The last person with an inflated balloon around their ankle wins. You can also arrange this challenge in rounds.
56. Choosing Cups
You’ll need 25 cups. Put a sticker on the bottom of some of the cups. Fill each cup partway with water. Players choose one cup at a time and try to find the cup with the sticker.
57. Applestack
Give each team five apples. They have one minute to stack them. This is harder than it sounds, so working in teams is a good idea.
58. Nose Dive
Prepare three bowls, one with a little petroleum jelly, one with cotton balls, and one empty bowl. Students dip their nose into the jelly, then into the cotton balls. Then, they run with the cotton ball on their nose to the other bowl and drop the cotton ball into the empty bowl. They repeat for one minute, and the student who transfers the most cotton balls in this Minute To Win It game is the winner.
Over the course of their careers, teachers develop their own lexicon for addressing classroom happenings. How many of these do you remember from your own time in the classroom?
“Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”
“The bell doesn’t dismiss you, I dismiss you.”
“I’ll wait. …”
Recently on Reddit, user @BardGirl1289 asked teachers this question:
“What’s your favorite go-to phrase to tell students when they are being a handful? Not blatantly disrespectful or mean, just a handful?”
Here are just a few of the incisive, silly, and witty things teachers had to say.
(Note: Remember as you read the list that each teacher has a unique way of responding depending on a variety of factors. The situation and context, of course. Their personality and regional colloquialisms. That particular teacher’s comfort and/or skill with sarcasm. Tone. And critically, relationships with students. Feel free to use these classroom phrases as inspiration, but as is the case with so many things in the teaching world, this list is not one-size-fits-all!)
When students are making demands …
“I answer a lot of questions not related to our content with an exhausted sigh and, ‘I don’t know man, I just work here.’” —saa2pc
“I’m not a DJ, I don’t take requests.” —Corinna0815
When they’re whining …
“‘I don’t make the rules’ and ‘that’s above my pay grade’ are my go-tos for when they are upset about a school-wide rule.” —Dobbys_Other_Sock
“I tell them to send a letter to the superintendent or contact their local representative.” —Hoodsie08
“I have reached the point where I’ve made a QR code that links to the webpage where people can request to be added to our school board’s next meeting agenda and I just point at it. It’s actually worked out because I’ve had a couple of students legitimately use it to advocate for policy change on things that were truly unreasonable.” —Guerilla_Physicist
“A few years ago, my statistics students were really mad about a new dress code rule that banned Nike shorts. They whined about it daily. I told them to do something about it, but that they shouldn’t just complain. ‘Administrators like data,’ I told them. So they conducted a poll of students and adults, went to public places like the mall and restaurants and counted Nike shorts. (The ban was based on the idea that the shorts were a disruption of the learning environment.) The girls argued that Nike shorts were so common that no one noticed them at all and removing the students from the classroom was more disruptive. The principal was so impressed that he got the girls to speak at the school board meeting. The school board agreed to add students to the dress code revision committee. The next year, the revised dress code was more equitable, less sexist, and much easier to enforce. My students kept their shorts on and learned some data analysis.” —tiffy68
When they’re approaching your breaking point …
“When they go off on a tangent, I hit em with a ‘Sir, this is a Wendy’s.’” —TheTinRam
“Audacity must’ve been on sale because you got a LOT of it.” —sprout72186
(Note: This next one may need to be accompanied by the fabulous YouTube clip contextualizing it.)
“When they’re fighting: ‘Leave your sibling stuff at home.’” —Illogical_Fallacy
“Along those lines, every once in a while, I’ll pull out a ‘If you don’t shape up, I swear I will turn this classroom around!’ That usually makes them pause and laugh.” —CrankyArmadillo
“You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choices.” —YourHuckleberry
When you’re saying goodbye for the weekend or a long break …
“Have a good weekend. If you can’t be smart, be careful.” —EffectiveFilm
And finally, though we can’t advocate using this risky one, we did find it hilarious:
“Don’t end any lives or start any new ones!” —chiquitadave
Ready to add one of these retorts to your repertoire? Pepper it into your instruction over the next week or so—your students are bound to catch on!
With each election cycle, the spotlight on engaging young voters intensifies, underscoring the important role of younger generations in shaping our country’s future. Youth who learn about voting in high school are more likely to become informed and engaged voters in the future. Recognizing this, some states have enacted laws requiring high schools to actively participate in registering young voters. This movement not only seeks to empower students but also instills a sense of responsibility and civic duty from a young age.
Where states are engaging young voters
In Texas, for example, the law mandates that high schools offer voter registration to eligible students twice a year. Colorado, on the other hand, encourages schools to engage in peer-to-peer voter registration, offering the Eliza Pickrell Routt Award to schools that excel in registering voters. This not only fosters a proactive community spirit but also rewards schools for their civic contributions.
Here is the list of states where voter registration activities are required in schools. Is your state on the list?
Many young people are unaware that they can register to vote before they turn 18. Educators can play a crucial role in raising awareness about pre-registration and its benefits.
Teach the presidential election process! Embed discussions about democracy and voting rights into the curriculum. This helps students understand the weight of their votes and the mechanics of elections.
4. Bring in community resources
Engage with local organizations like The Civics Center to access training and materials for organizing school-wide voter registration events.
Educators are not just teachers of curriculum but also mentors for future leaders and informed citizens. By fostering an environment that supports and encourages voter participation, you help ensure that young voices are not just heard but are influential in shaping the future of our communities and our nation. By taking proactive steps today, we can cultivate a generation that values and actively participates in our democracy, ensuring a brighter, more engaged future for all.
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Many educators find a growth mindset helpful in reminding kids that even though they’re struggling to do something now, it doesn’t mean that will always be the case. Learn how to open student minds to the idea that they really can learn new things, and that the effort is just as important as the achievement.
Fixed mindset: People with a fixed mindset feel that their abilities are what they are and cannot be changed. For instance, a person may believe that they’re bad at math, so they don’t bother to try. Conversely, a person may feel that because they’re smart, they don’t need to work very hard. In either case, when a person fails at something, they simply give up.
Growth mindset: Those with this mindset believe that they can always learn new things if they make enough effort. They embrace their mistakes, learning from them and trying new ideas instead.
Dweck found that successful people are those who embrace a growth mindset. Though we all alternate between the two at times, focusing on a growth-oriented way of thought and behavior helps people adapt and change when needed. Instead of thinking “I can’t do this,” these people say, “I can’t do this YET.”
Growth mindset is key for learners. They must be open to new ideas and processes and believe they can learn anything with enough effort. Teach kids to make this mindset their default with classroom growth mindset activities like these.
Pass out square pieces of paper, then hold up an origami bird and ask kids to fold their own. Don’t provide any instructions at this point; just give them the paper and make the request. After a few minutes, talk about their frustrations. Then give them printed instructions to follow, and encourage them to ask for help if they need it. When everyone is finished, discuss learning as a process that means trying and failing, then trying again.
Let a real growth mindset expert (who also happens to be a fellow kid!) inspire your students. When Rebecca’s mom forced her to join student council, she turned her anger into a growth mindset instead.
4. Use project-based learning
Project-based learning uses real-world projects and student-directed activities to build knowledge and skills. Kids tackle issues that matter to them, making learning meaningful. Many students start these projects thinking there’s no way they’ll actually be able to create change or solve problems. But as they work, their mindset begins to shift, and they realize that big things are possible when you take them one smaller step at a time.
Show students examples of fixed mindset statements, and compare them with more growth-oriented examples. When students use a fixed mindset phrase, ask them to restate it from a growth standpoint instead. Get this free poster for your classroom to keep the language fresh in their minds.
6. Focus on praising the process instead of the person
When you praise a person, you’re praising traits, which they don’t really have any control over. When you praise their process, you show that you value their actions and efforts, which encourages them to keep trying even when things are difficult. Here are some examples of person praise vs. process praise:
You aced that test! You’re so smart. ==> You aced that test! You must have studied hard.
Of course you made the team. You’re very talented. ==> You made the team! I’m so proud of all your practice and hard work.
You got an A in math! Good job! ==> You raised your math grade by 8 points this semester. You really persevered!
7. Change your words, change your mindset
We Are Teachers
The things we say to ourselves are just as important as the efforts we make. Start by sharing fixed mindset statements like “I don’t know how” or “This is too hard.” Ask students to help you shift those statements to a growth mindset instead, saying “I don’t know how yet” or “This is hard, but I’ll keep trying.” Use our free bulletin board set for ELL or other classrooms too.
Working toward specific goals helps students stay focused on their progress. Help them set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Then, encourage them to map out smaller steps they’ll take on the journey to meeting those goals. Remember that the milestones can be just as important as the finish line.
We’ve rounded up a huge selection of growth mindset quotes. Use them to decorate your classroom by asking students to choose one that’s meaningful to them, then create a poster or other visual art project to illustrate it. They’re also terrific inspiration for journal entries and personal narrative essays.
Looking for quick growth mindset decorations for your walls? Be sure to grab our free printable set of eight, with messages like “Mistakes Are Expected and Respected.”
Use bullet journaling or a more traditional style to reflect on personal goals and progress. Students can try habit trackers and goal-setting pages to keep track of what’s important and how their journey is going. Encourage them to take time to write about how they’re feeling, and look for ways to recognize successes big and small.
Science says that brains get “stronger” the more we use them! This fun book about the brain explains the science behind the growth mindset, explaining why it really does work. Students learn how the brain functions, and how it continues to grow and change throughout our entire lives.
When you add “yet” to a fixed mindset statement, it can really change the game! Ask students to brainstorm some things they can’t do yet, and list them on a big piece of chart paper to post on the classroom wall. From time to time, revisit the list and update it to show your students’ progress.
14. Sing about it
Whether you check out an old classic like Big Bird’s “Everyone Makes Mistakes,” or enjoy a tune geared toward younger generations, these are the kinds of songs that get stuck in kids’ heads and reinforce the important message that it’s OK to make mistakes, as long as you learn and grow from them.
15. Work together in an escape room
Any escape room activity can encourage students to try new ideas and work together to figure out the answers. You can buy escape option kits from a variety of sources, or use our guide to put together your own.
When students learn to code, “What if we try this?” becomes their go-to phrase. As you give your students the time they need to discover what works, the reward is in the process. Student coders become master revisionists, which allows them to deepen creativity to find success.
Anybody who watches HGTV is familiar with the idea of flipping a house. People buy a cheap house (a flop) that needs a lot of love, then spend time, effort, and hard work (and more money) to improve it (the flip). When it’s done, they’re able to sell it at a big profit. We can all learn to do that with our own flops, flipping them into opportunities instead. Try using this example and language with your students; you can even watch an episode of a show like “Flip or Flop” together!
18. Create an alternative progress report
We Are Teachers
There’s value in the traditional letter grades, but they definitely don’t tell the whole story about a student’s progress. Grades are more about the end accomplishment, not the hard work that got a student there. Try using an alternative report that emphasizes growth mindset behaviors, like perseverance and hard work.
Chances are good your students know the story of gymnast Simone Biles and her amazing comeback after a very public “failure.” So many famous people only accomplished their dreams after many years of trying. Share some famous failures with your students, then have them round up more famous failure stories on their own.
When you need some low-prep, ready-to-go growth mindset activities, turn to a workbook full of ideas. It’s worth it to spend a few bucks up front to have a whole collection of tools in your toolbox.
Mistakes are OK, because we can learn from them. When students get the answer wrong or aren’t able to do something they want or need to do, encourage them to look back at their errors. Reflect on what went wrong, and use that knowledge to try again. You can even do this as a classroom activity, calling out specific questions that many students missed on a recent test (without naming names). Work together to determine not only the correct answer, but the specific mistakes that led to the wrong one.
22. Fail early, fail often, fail forward
Will Smith has a truly meaningful message for kids and teens: “Failure actually helps you recognize the areas where you need to evolve.” Share his quick video with students when they need a reminder of this key concept.
23. Use growth mindset exit tickets
At the end of a lesson or day, use a growth mindset–oriented exit ticket. Pose a question like “What can you do now that you couldn’t do at the beginning of class?” or “What do you find most challenging about this topic, and how will you work to overcome the challenge?”
24. Play a growth mindset game
Amazon
When you come down to it, nearly every board game encourages a growth mindset. You have triumphs and setbacks, but the only way to win is to keep playing. Some companies have developed games specifically to teach growth mindset to kids and teens, and they can be a great addition to your classroom game shelf.
Here’s another way to set growth mindset goals, while also celebrating successes. Create a two-column chart, with one column labeled “Glow” and one called “Grow.” On the “Glow” side, kids list recent accomplishments they feel good about, as well as the efforts it took to achieve them. On the “Grow” side, they list opportunities to do even more, creating a list of things they can’t do YET but will be able to soon!
Self-regulation is a struggle for everyone lately. All the distractions we face each day make finding time to reflect or focus feel almost impossible. And our students are no exception. Behaviors in our classrooms are getting worse, but we know that isn’t the only problem. What problems are we seeing our students struggle with the most?
Staying motivated
Focusing on what’s being taught
Keeping their materials organized
Making a plan to get work done
Seeing plans through to completion
In other words, they don’t know how to self-regulate.
If we want to improve students’ behavior, focus, and ability to complete tasks, we need to begin explicitly teaching our students self-regulation skills. We Have Choices is a free, research-based program that helps 4th and 5th grade teachers do just that. And the results teachers are reporting are pretty encouraging.
Say hello to We Have Choices
We Have Choices, an innovative 4th and 5th grade program, is the focus of a study about teaching students self-management skills by giving teachers the following resources:
A 9-week curriculum of quick, fun lessons to fit into your weekly schedule
Videos, posters, and daily student trackers that reinforce self-regulation concepts
Easy-to-follow instructions on how to teach the lessons
Tools to help you monitor your students’ improvement
Why this program is good for you and your students
The program focuses on teaching students critical classroom skills like following expectations, focusing on tasks, managing feelings, asking for help, and doing their best work. If you think your 4th or 5th grade students would benefit from practice on any of these skills, this program is for you.
Here’s why teachers have signed up their classrooms:
We Are Teachers
How the lessons fit into your daily routine
The We Have Choices curriculum can be done at any point during the week, making it totally flexible for your schedule. It was designed with a teacher’s busy schedule in mind, often taking no more than 30 to 60 minutes a week. Video lessons present an entertaining game show that demonstrates skills and engages students. And the My Daily Tracker student booklets support self-management routines that are easily incorporated into regular classroom activities.
Take a look at how these teachers made the lessons work with their schedules:
We Are Teachers
Why students love these lessons
We know a program works best if students enjoy and look forward to the lessons and activities. We Have Choices is successful because it really helps students see how their actions affect their emotions and behaviors. It teaches them the tools they need to follow instructions and learn during the school day. As students learn to see the patterns in their own behaviors, they see for themselves how powerful self-regulation can be. By learning to check in with themselves each day, they begin to take responsibility for the way they act and behave in class and in their own lives.
What do students who’ve been through the program like the most?
Sounds great, but does it really work?
It can be scary to try out a new program when your schedule is already chock-full as is, but we know what we’re currently doing just isn’t working. Student behavior is getting worse and more and more students struggle with basic skills like organization and time management. We Have Choices is looking for solutions to these problems. By taking the time to explicitly teach our students these skills, we’re going to get that time back (and more!) when they are able to self-regulate more effectively during class time. Participating in research helps create new knowledge that can change the way we teach and help students learn. And creating that knowledge takes a community.
Here’s what teachers who completed the program observed in their own classrooms:
Here’s how to get started
If this program sounds like something that you might want to try out in your classroom, fill out the We Have Choices Research Study Inquiry form. You’ll hear back from our partners at the We Have Choices program within a day or two.
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Meghan Mathis, M.Ed., Elementary and Special Education
The Week Junior is excited to offer a special giveaway that will bring history to life in your classroom! We are giving away a free timeline poster highlighting the great moments of the 21st century. It’s designed to engage and educate students from 3rd to 8th grade.
What’s Included
A Stunning Timeline Poster: This 3-foot wide, fold-out poster showcases significant moments from the past 24 years. This includes historic events, scientific breakthroughs, animal discoveries, and pop culture highlights. It’s a fantastic visual tool to spark curiosity and discussion among your students.
Lesson Plan and Interactive Worksheets: On the back of the poster, you’ll find a comprehensive lesson plan dedicated to teaching timelines. The interactive worksheets encourage students to dive deep and create their own timelines. This will reinforce their understanding of historical sequencing and significant events.
A Free Issue of The Week Junior: In addition to the poster, you’ll receive a free issue of The Week Junior, a news magazine packed with engaging current events content tailored for young readers. This is a perfect opportunity to explore the magazine and see how it can enhance your classroom learning experience.
Why You Should Get This Kit
Educational Value: The timeline poster and materials will make history and science exciting and accessible for students. They’ll love looking up moments from the year they were born, too!
Interactive Learning: The worksheets encourage students to actively participate and create their own timelines, which promotes critical thinking and creativity.
Limited Availability: We have a limited number of posters to give away, so make sure to request yours soon! This exclusive offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
How to Get This Timeline Poster and Kit
Don’t miss out. To receive your free timeline poster, lesson plan, interactive worksheets, and a free issue of The Week Junior, fill out the form. You’ll have fresh and exciting materials to kick off the new school year.
Goal setting is a part of teaching. Each year, you have goals for your students. And as students learn how to work in your class, they’ll learn how to set and reach goals as well. Setting goals and working to achieve them is an important skill for students to learn starting in kindergarten. In fact, the process of setting goals is an evidence-based practice, and working toward them has positive impacts for students. It helps students maintain a growth mindset, where they’re focused on learning something new and mastering new skills.
Here’s our guide for goal setting with students with our favorite classroom resources.
What is a goal?
DaLiu via Getty Images
A goal is a focused aim or result you want to achieve. Eating a bowl of ice cream after dinner is a want. Reading 100 words correctly per minute is a goal. All goals should be SMART:
Specific: What do you want to accomplish?
Measurable: How will you know you achieved your goal?
Attainable: What goals are within your reach?
Relevant: Which goals are important to you? What about the goal is important to you?
Time-bound: How long will you give yourself to reach your goal?
So, some SMART student goals might be:
Kindergarten: I can read 10 sight words now and want to read 20 sight words by winter break.
3rd grade: I know my times tables through 7. I want to know my times tables through 10 in the next 4 weeks.
Middle school: I want to raise my grade in math from a C to a B by the end of the semester.
High school: After I take my SAT prep course, I want to get a 1200 on my SAT in May.
Each of these goals is specific, and the student will know when they accomplish it. They’re realistic, important to the student, and can be accomplished within a reasonable time.
How to teach goal setting
Goal setting is something you can incorporate into your classroom all year long. Here are our favorite books, tools, and resources to teach this important skill.
Use picture books
Amazon
For all students, it’s helpful to share books that portray goal setting, the process of wanting something, setting a clear goal, and working toward it. In early elementary grades, Peter’s effort in Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats is a classic example of persistently working toward a specific goal. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall also shows how one character achieves an attainable goal by jumping off the diving board.
Amazon
For older students, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Reader’s Edition) by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer chronicles William’s work to relieve his village from drought. It includes the sub-goals he works toward along the way, such as researching viable solutions and figuring out how to build a windmill.
Amazon
A great picture book option for older students is Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo. This title is a biography of a diver who set and reached many goals, both physical and academic, along the way to becoming an Olympian. Picture book biographies are often great for teaching goal setting as many revolve around a notable goal.
Make goal setting part of your everyday conversation by talking through your own goals and by weaving these inspirational quotes about goals into your conversation, morning meeting, and reflection.
Start with small goals, the kind that can be accomplished in a lesson or two. Have students write their goals on sticky notes and reflect on them as soon as they achieve them. Ring a bell or clap when a student achieves their goal (if the student wants) to celebrate the small wins.
Unpack the goal-setting process with students
We Are Teachers
This goal-setting worksheet helps students start with their strengths and think through what goal they want to work on. Coach students to be specific when thinking about what they want to get better at. How can they improve at science within the next unit? Or what does it look like to improve in math?
Once students have set their goals, it’s time to track! Use this goal tracker to help students track their progress. Remind students that progress may not be a straight line, but the goal is to see progress over time.
Another way to track progress is by reflecting quickly on how well a goal was achieved. For elementary students, have them set a goal and then mark if they met their goal or progressed to their goal each day. So, if their goal is to memorize through the 10 times table, but they didn’t practice their multiplication, then they would fill in the sad face. The point isn’t to make students feel bad, it’s to reflect on how our choices and actions impact our ability to meet our goals.
Use graphing to have students create a record of their growth. Use the graphs to reinforce progress with students and to communicate student progress to parents. This is especially helpful when students are working on goals that are not reflected in test results.
If you have school or classroom character traits, set goals for how students will demonstrate these traits. This reminds students that they can improve in respect, kindness, patience, and other skills.
Track habits
We Are Teachers
Creating a habit, like reading 20 pages a day, doing one kind deed each day, or doing 20 push-ups each recess, is a long-term goal. Have students set a goal they want to become a habit and use a habit tracker to complete over the course of a month. At the end of the month, reflect on how repeating an action over and over for 28 to 31 days changes how difficult the action feels.
Another way to model and practice goal setting is to set a goal as a class. Set a goal to master a reading or math skill, contribute acts of kindness, or plan and lead a reading-buddy session with a kindergarten class. Class goals build classroom culture and students’ sense of community. Note: You can use the habit tracker to track those classroom goals as well, and take time at the end of the day to reflect on how you met your classroom goal that day.
Plan for longer goals
We Are Teachers
For middle and high school students who may have a goal that takes more than a few weeks to complete, have them build milestones and mini-goals into their course calendar. Use this editable course syllabus to help students break their big goal into smaller chunks that need to be done each day or week.
When you get results from assessments, share them with students as a class and individually. Make the conversation about reflection. This is a great time to reflect on what students did well and their next goal.
Celebrate!
We don’t mean throw a party. Celebrate when students achieve goals by giving them a round of applause, verbal praise, or another small celebration. Come up with a way to celebrate as a class, a firework hand clap, a chant, or a short dance. The idea is to acknowledge that the student achieved the goal, and celebrate it, while building intrinsic motivation.
Getting to know our students is one of the most important aspects of creating a great classroom culture. One of the easiest ways to do this is to build opportunities for conversation and sharing into the normal routines and procedures you’ll use every day. Our friends at Starr Commonwealth believe that building positive relationships with students is vital for helping students become resilient, positive young adults. These attendance questions for high school and middle school are a perfect way to do that.
What are attendance questions?
Attendance questions are fun but thought-provoking questions that every student can answer and discuss. They are most often used at the beginning of class as a bell-ringer activity or as a way to take attendance. Attendance questions are a great transition tool since it signals to students that class has begun and they need to start preparing for learning.
What types of questions are in the slideshow?
The questions in the slideshow are specifically chosen because of the quick but engaging conversations they’ll spark between you and your students. Here’s a breakdown of some of the question types:
Questions about school and learning: This is great information to have as you develop rapport with individual students.
Questions about values and communication: These questions ask what they care about, what makes them feel valued and seen, and how they like to communicate. As a teacher, these insights are invaluable.
Questions about favorites and fun: Finally, many of the questions are just fun and/or silly. They ask about favorite foods or music, what animal best fits students’ moods that morning, and more. They’re perfect for getting even the most reluctant teen sharing and interacting in your class discussion.
Here are a few questions to help you get a feel of what this is all about:
If you could get rid of one school rule, what would it be and why?
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in school that wasn’t taught by a teacher?
Do you believe social media helps people maintain their friendships? Why or why not?
What do you believe sets your generation apart and makes it unique?
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Meghan Mathis, M.Ed., Elementary and Special Education
I’ve taught AP Lit for 12 years and I’m used to the senioritis that sets in this time of year. But this year, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. The majority of my students are college-bound and have committed to their school of choice, yet I still have about 35% of my class failing right now. I know they need a wake-up call, but “You will not graduate” doesn’t seem to be working. What’s happening? And how do I help them?
—RUnning on empty
Dear R.O.E.,
Having not taught seniors before, I will defer to our Big Kid expert on staff, Meghan Mathis. Here’s what she had to say:
“That is so rough. Having taught senior English for almost a decade, I know how much effort you’ve already put into helping them get across that graduation stage, and it is SO frustrating when they just seem to refuse to do anything to help themselves get there.
“I’d start by meeting with them one-on-one. Show them their grades and ask them point blank what their plan is when they fail your class, because that’s where their current choices are leading them. Now’s the time to be blunt. ‘How are you going to explain to your family that you won’t be getting your diploma with your class because you’ll need to attend summer school to earn the credits you’re not going to get if you don’t fix things SOON?’ Don’t let them hem and haw. Really ask them to visualize telling their family they failed.
“Once they see where they’re headed if things don’t change, lay out your plan for how the two of you are going to get them to their diploma—together. Yes, they’re seniors. Yep, some of them may even be 18, technically adults. But in reality, many of them still feel like kids who need our help. Have a clear, doable plan in mind for how they can complete the assignments they owe or the tasks they need to finish in order to pass your class. Make sure they’re broken into small, manageable chunks and you have frequent check-in points for them between this meeting and the last day they can turn in assignments.
“Is this a lot? Absolutely. Should you have to be responsible for this? Absolutely not. But if helping these students get their diploma is your goal, you’re going to need to give them a lot of support to get there. End your meeting by letting them know how committed you are to seeing them graduate and how possible it is, IF they follow the plan the two of you have agreed upon. Send them away with one specific task to accomplish and a firm deadline for when you want to see it.
“And if they don’t turn it in? That’s a great time to set up a meeting with your student, their parent(s)/guardian(s), the school counselor, and the principal. Bring the plan so they can see everything you’ve tried so far and determine as a team what the next course of action should be. Good luck!”
(Isn’t Meghan great?)
One thing I would add: Let your principal know that 35% of your AP Lit class isn’t on track to pass and invite them to personally come to encourage your class. Maybe hearing the exact same words from someone else—perhaps the person not handing them a diploma in a few weeks—will jolt them awake.
Dear We Are Teachers,
OK, not sure if it’s just the middle school where I work, but the screaming has become intolerable. Kids are unleashing bloodcurdling screams in class, in the hallways, and at lunch. It’s not just exaggerated reactions to things that are funny, surprising, gross, etc. They are definitely doing it to catch teachers off-guard and see who can get away with it. And so far, they are getting away with it, because my principal thinks this is just normal May rambunctiousness. Can teachers do anything about it?
—i scream for no scream
Dear I.S.F.N.S.,
You have two options: offense and defense. You can play just defense, just offense, or both. (Is that how every sport works? I don’t know. I need to stop with sports metaphors.)
Defense: Get some Loop earplugs. Call home for any of your students who break the rules.
Offense: Tell your principal you’ve received lots of complaints from students about how annoying the screaming in the hallways is and how it hurts their ears. Ask if it’s OK if they practice their email etiquette/advocacy and write you about the issue. Hopefully your principal sees the writing on the wall—that annoyed kids = annoyed parents.
If your principal says, “No thanks, I’ll put an end to this issue now,” great.
If your principal says, “What a great idea! I would love to reply to hundreds of emails this time of year!”, do it! And encourage students to have their parents write similar emails too!
I come back to this idea again and again—that it’s sad that parents can get things moving at school way faster than teachers can. But for now, anyway, it’s the truth. And thus we have to play … defense …? Ugh, I don’t know, OK?!
Dear We Are Teachers,
I’m at the end of my first year teaching 5th grade. My biggest feedback from my administrator this year was to stop taking disrespect and defiance from students personally. I know he’s right (and he gave me this feedback in the nicest way possible), but I don’t know how to “improve” on this. Are there certain strategies or techniques you recommend to compartmentalize a child’s behavior and keep it separate from your human feelings?
—A human (shocking, I know)
Dear A.H.,
Undoubtedly, the single-most helpful thing I learned before I started teaching middle school was the anatomy of kids’ brains. I can’t tell you how many times I thought back to the visual of their shriveled little underdeveloped frontal lobes. To illustrate my point:
A pile of pencil shavings deposited from the pencil sharpener directly NEXT to the trash can instead of inside it? Underdeveloped frontal lobes.
Found “I EAT SH*T TACOS” scrawled into a desk? Underdeveloped frontal lobes.
Stepped on a strategically twisted-up ketchup packet and got ketchup all over my white Air Forces? Underdeveloped frontal lobes.
Seriously, though, it helped a lot to know that my students—even when reactionary or making bad choices—were doing so because they couldn’t biologically do better. This doesn’t mean that they got off the hook or that I dismissed their bad choices. It just meant that I could deal with their behavior without thinking it was a reflection of me or my teaching.
Here are some other pieces of advice—and I’ll link to where I found them so you can read more!
“I learned about behavior, trauma, relationships. And I explore my own trauma history and triggers to build up my coping skills. For example, I focus on being safe for them in a variety of ways: calm voice and body, consistent and clear communication, take accountability for my own actions and mistakes, consistently give a gentle warning before I bring up topics that require a bigger mental and emotional lift, take a breath and be the accepting and unmovable rock when they’re triggered. When I find a behavior especially challenging, I remember kids are good inside and they do well when they can. I remind myself: If they’re not doing well, they’re having a hard time.” —A.W. on our Facebook HELPLINE group
“Two words: rational detachment. You have to stay out of your emotional brain and stick with your thinking brain. Rational detachment is the ability to stay calm and in control—to maintain your professionalism—even in a crisis moment. It means not taking things personally, even with button-pushing comments.” —our article Principals Know How To Keep Cool During Tense Conversations. Here’s How They Do It.
“The best thing about teaching is that we are all human. The worst thing about teaching is that we are all human. So much baggage comes with school. There’s not enough time in the world to figure out why kids say or do what they do. So step back and address what’s happening without personalizing it. The next time you find your patience challenged, ask yourself, What does this student need right now?” —our article 11 Big Classroom Management Mistakes (Plus How To Fix Them)
Finally, if all else fails, imagine them as a baby. Or a dog. Or some other creature that would never twist up a ketchup packet with the intent for it to explode on you.
I finally decided to leave a toxic principal and school. I’m applying to a new school in a new district. In the spot where it asks “Reason for Leaving” on the application, I’m wondering what I should put. I’m thinking either “Seeking leadership that reflects my educational philosophy” or “Needed improvement in work culture.” Which would you recommend?
11 mil likes. 28K followers. 2.7 million views. These aren’t stats from an NFL player or major recording artist. They belong to P.E. teacher Sam Balto in Portland, Oregon, who created an organized way for students to ride their bikes to school every morning.
What is a bike bus?
Coach Balto’s bike bus originated in 2022—on Earth Day, to be precise. As Balto told People magazine, “It was a way to get my students active, reduce car trips of students being driven to the school, and have fun on bikes.”
Each day, students gather at the meeting spot at the assigned time. Once it’s time to leave, they bike together with parent volunteers and teachers, including Coach Balto. Other riders join the pack along the way. The “bus” has evolved to include music and unofficial cheerleaders in the community. Best of all, Coach Balto’s bike bus has inspired teachers and schools across the country to start their own!
Take a look at the bike bus in action:
We love so many things about Coach Balto’s project. The sense of community, kids starting their day with physical activity and outdoor time, the music … what an inspiration!
FAQs About the Bike Bus
1. How do you cross major streets?
2. What does the bike bus do when it rains?
3. Where do you store the bikes at school?
4. How do you prevent accidents with cars?
Ready to start your own?
In response to Coach Balto’s super-popular TikToks, people have started their own bike buses across the country! Coach Balto has a tab on his TikTok page for starting your own with these helpful videos.
Week 1
In this video, Coach Balto explains how he started a bike bus for his son’s school. He starts with planning, then shows their first practice ride, and finally gives his thoughts on improvement.
Week 2
Coach Balto mentions how he reviews expectations with the increased number of riders. He also mentions the challenge of finding a pace that works for both elementary and middle school riders, as well as the challenge of getting more bike racks.
Week 3
After two weeks of riding the bike route, Coach Balto shows how to get the word out about the bike route, plus the challenges (and joys!) that continue as a new bike bus gets off the ground.
In an age when TikTok trends often revolve around viral pranks or dares, it’s refreshing to see a P.E. teacher pedaling his way to the hearts of his students and the community. Coach Balto’s bike bus initiative isn’t just about exercise—it’s about fostering a sense of community and proving that educators can lead by example in the most unexpected ways. Maybe this will inspire more educators to think outside the classroom and onto the bike path.
It’s my 10th year teaching 9th grade World Geography. After the pandemic, like a lot of schools, we’ve seen a huge rise in absenteeism. What used to be a handful of kids is now more like 20%. What’s unusual is that parents are fully aware of these absences. They’ll write in that their child was “having a bad morning” or “didn’t sleep well” or that they’re leaving early for spring break … in a year where they already have 20 absences. It feels insulting and makes teaching impossible. Is there anything we can do? And should we take it up with individual parents or our administration?
—stay with me
Dear S.W.M.,
I think it’s probably too late in the year this year to address this widespread of a problem. But for next year, talk to your administration now about how you need a big change.
Ask them to revisit and readjust their absence/attendance policy next year. How are students who are absent this much promoted to the next grade level? Bring data when you meet to back up the absentee percentage of your class, and bring suggestions from yourself and other teachers on what to include.
Next, write a mass email to parents explaining that, due to the increase in student absences, you’ve had to adjust some class policies:
No makeup work or tests in advance. Students can make up tests at [this specific time] or [this specific time].
Students are responsible for getting, completing, and turning in makeup work independently using [your class website].
Parents can stay up-to-date on students’ missing assignments via [school grading system].
Make sure you send a draft of this to your administrator for approval first. Nothing like having to backtrack because your mom said no.
Finally, understand that you’re not alone in this struggle. Chronic absenteeism in schools has skyrocketed in recent years. Like many issues in education, we can’t task individual teachers with fixing a systemic issue.
Dear We Are Teachers,
My principal is a known misogynist (like, he was reprimanded this past fall for posting online about the “crazy females” he works with-type misogynist). I finally hit my breaking point this year when he wrote me up for leaving my room of 4th graders to go to the bathroom. When I explained that I tried calling the main office to cover me and no one picked up, he informed me that “just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you get special treatment.” I quit a few weeks later, and when he asked why, I said I could no longer do my job effectively under his management style. The next morning, we got a faculty-wide email that there had been changes to our duty stations. I checked—the only change was me, and instead of hall duty, I was added to outdoor bus line duty in an added position that was not under the cover of the pavilion. He also emailed me to say I’d been chosen to proctor four additional standardized tests this year for a grade level I don’t even teach. Normally I would just try to get through to the end of the year, but something in me cannot let this go. Who should I go to and what should I say?
—Imbued with BORROWED strength from my unborn child
Dear I.W.B.S.F.M.U.C.,
Oh, how I wish I could tell you my choice words for this … individual.
I’m glad you can’t let this go because I can’t either! Your principal is apparently unaware of what a clear case of workplace retaliation he has created for himself. You have the timestamped emails, the prior duty assignments … what a gold mine! He probably won’t get fired before the end of the year, but I bet he will be forced to scoop up all the B.S. he spread. A karmic delight.
One word of advice, though. Before you do anything, review your situation with a union rep on your campus. There might be a specific strategy or approach relative to your state or district they would recommend.
Don’t forget to email me when he backpedals on all of this and has to awkwardly say “just kidding” to all the extra assignments he just gave you. I’m grinning just thinking about it.
Dear We Are Teachers,
One of my 8th grade students failed a test back in January. I did everything I could to get him to retake this test. I talked to him in person. I emailed him several times. I sent him messages on our school management system. He never showed up to office hours to retake this test … and now his parents are complaining that I didn’t “make” him retake it! I don’t want to involve my administration in this—can I solve it myself without just kowtowing to their whims?
—you have got to be kidding me
Dear Y.H.G.T.B.K.M.,
I’m very curious how you were supposed to “make” this child appear in your classroom. Blackmail? Telekinesis? Dead lift? 🤔
That said, I have two thoughts. One is a hot take, one is a lukewarm take.
The lukewarm take: You did too much for this student. I think he gets two reminders max unless specified otherwise on an IEP or 504. When he doesn’t show up after 10 reminders, you’re trolling yourself at that point.
The hot take: I do think you could send an email to parents when students don’t show up to their retake. Just a quick “Hi, just wanted to let you know I gave Andrew an opportunity to retake the test he failed, and he didn’t show.” I think instead of “Why didn’t you make my kid retake the test?” what the parents mean is, “I wish we could have known he was rejecting these opportunities so we could have taken up his phone as collateral.”
I know it’s frustrating to do this song and dance year after year. But remember, it’s not your job to hunt down students and beg them to retake your tests. It’s your job to teach and to keep students and families informed on how you can support them. Let them make the choice to meet you halfway. Middle school is the time to be learning this lesson. You’re doing them a favor.
I’m in my 17th year teaching 6th grade English. I have used the same curriculum (tests, quizzes, and resources I’ve created) for years, and I’ve never had so many students failing. Even my pre-AP students are struggling. In an effort to get their grades up, I allowed all my classes to take their midterm open-book with any notes they wanted, and the class average was still a 67. My coworkers are seeing the same thing. What should we do?
Art has been created and enjoyed since the beginning of humankind. Art takes many forms including painting, drawing, writing, acting, music, and more. It serves as therapy, expression, protest, and entertainment. There have been many beautiful quotes about art, so we have compiled the best quotes about art from artists, writers, actors, politicians, and philosophers. Check out our list below and be prepared to inspire your students (and yourself!) to create.
Quotes About Art by Famous Visual Artists
I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality. —Frida Kahlo
Art is the best possible introduction to the culture of the world. I love it for the buried hopes, the garnered memories, the tender feelings it can summon at a touch. It washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. —Pablo Picasso
Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing. —Salvador Dalí
The task of the artist is to make the human being uncomfortable. —Lucian Freud
Philosophers and aestheticians may offer elegant and profound definitions of art and beauty, but for the painter they are all summed up in this phrase: to create a harmony. —Gino Severini
The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people. —Vincent van Gogh
We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents. —Bob Ross
The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep. —Paul Strand
The sculptor, and the painter also, should be trained in these liberal arts: grammar, geometry, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, perspective, history, anatomy, theory of design, arithmetic. —Lorenzo Ghiberti
A dead princess is only complete when surrounded by gaping crowds with their cameras out, or the opportunity to photograph yourself pulling an amazed expression when a killer whale leaps from a toilet. —Banksy
In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that cannot be explained. —Georges Braque
I don’t believe in art. I believe in artists. —Marcel Duchamp
Painting is the pattern of one’s own nervous system being projected on canvas. —Francis Bacon
Quotes About Art by Philosophers
The culture of a civilization is the art and literature through which it rises to consciousness of itself and defines its vision of the world. —Roger Scruton
As for the story, whether the poet takes it ready made or constructs it for himself, he should first sketch its general outline, and then fill in the episodes and amplify in detail. —Aristotle
The most beautiful colors laid on at random, give less pleasure than a black-and-white drawing. —Aristotle
When shall we see poets born? After a time of disasters and great misfortunes, when harrowed nations begin to breathe again. And then, shaken by the terror of such spectacles, imaginations will paint things entirely strange to those who have not witnessed them. —Denis Diderot
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. —Thomas Merton
Ideas matter—and philosophy is the art of thinking about them rigorously. In my view, that should be done in as public a forum as possible. —Sam Harris
Art, it is said, is not a mirror, but a hammer: it does not reflect, it shapes. —Leon Trotsky
The productions of all arts are kinds of poetry and their craftsmen are all poets. —Plato
There are three arts which are concerned with all things: one which uses, another which makes, a third which imitates them. —Plato
Without material art can do nothing, material without art does possess a certain value, while the perfection of art is better than the best material. —Quintilian
Astronomy was born of superstition; eloquence of ambition, hatred, falsehood, and flattery; geometry of avarice; physics of an idle curiosity; and even moral philosophy of human pride. Thus the arts and sciences owe their birth to our vices. —Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Psychology is a science and teaching is an art; and sciences never generate arts directly out of themselves. —William James
The rude beginnings of every art acquire a greater celebrity than the art in perfection; he who first played the fiddle was looked upon as a demigod. —Voltaire
It seems to me now that mathematics is capable of an artistic excellence as great as that of any music, perhaps greater; not because the pleasure it gives (although very pure) is comparable … but because it gives in absolute perfection that combination, characteristic of great art, of godlike freedom, with the sense of inevitable destiny. —Bertrand Russell
The urge for destruction is also a creative urge. —Mikhail Bakunin
Quotes About Art by Composers and Musicians
You don’t finish something because you need to get it done. You finish something because you have something to say. —Sarah McLachlan
Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. —Frank Zappa
In order to create there must be a dynamic force, and what force is more potent than love? —Igor Stravinsky
To be deprived of art and left alone with philosophy is to be close to hell. —Igor Stravinsky
If you don’t call it art, you’re likely to get a better result. —Brian Eno
Try to make things that can become better in other people’s minds than they were in yours. —Brian Eno
We must be patient, and believe that inspiration will come to those who can master their disinclination. —Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
It is already a wonderful thing if just the main ideas and general outline of a work come without the racking of brains, through that supernatural and inexplicable force we call inspiration. —Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
If it is art, it is not for all, and if it is for all, it is not art. —Arnold Schoenberg
An artistic impression is substantially the resultant of two components. One what the work of art gives the onlooker—the other, what he is capable of giving to the work of art. —Arnold Schoenberg
Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets. —Ludwig van Beethoven
The best music always results from ecstasies of knowledge. —Alban Berg
The gift of imagination is by no means an exclusive property of the artist; it is a gift we all share; to some degree or other all of us, all of you, are endowed with the powers of fantasy. —Leonard Bernstein
A work of art does not answer questions: it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between their contradictory answers. —Leonard Bernstein
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity. —Charles Mingus
Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate about something, then you’re more willing to take risks. —Yo-Yo Ma
The first mistake of art is to assume that it’s serious. —Lester Bangs
My role in society, or any artist or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all. —John Lennon
Surrealism had a great effect on me because then I realized that the imagery in my mind wasn’t insanity. Surrealism to me is reality. —John Lennon
Listen, real poetry doesn’t say anything; it just ticks off the possibilities. Opens all doors. You can walk through any one that suits you. —Jim Morrison
All were artists, playing foolish, having fights and making love as if the rest of the world had no racial problems whatsoever. —Chuck Berry
I sometimes wondered what the use of any of the arts was. The best thing I could come up with was what I call the canary in the coal mine theory of the arts. This theory says that artists are useful to society because they are so sensitive. … They keel over like canaries in poison coal mines long before more robust types realize that there is any danger whatsoever. —Kurt Vonnegut
The practice of art isn’t to make a living. It’s to make your soul grow. —Kurt Vonnegut
Art and religion first; then philosophy; lastly science. That is the order of the great subjects of life, that’s their order of importance. —Muriel Spark
Artists are always the Johnny Appleseeds of gentrification. —Scott Hutchins
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. —Thomas Merton
I know that one of the great arts that the writer develops is the art of saying, No. No, I’m finished. Bye. And leaving it alone. I will not write it into the ground. I will not write the life out of it. I won’t do that. —Maya Angelou
Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art. —Maya Angelou
It is the art of mankind to polish the world, and every one who works is scrubbing in some part. —Henry David Thoreau
The conscious utterance of thought, by speech or action, to any end, is art. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Art is the need to create; but in its essence, immense and universal, it is impatient of working with lame or tied hands, and of making cripples and monsters, such as all pictures and statues are. Nothing less than the creation of man and nature is its end. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honor. —Ernest Hemingway
Truth in art is the unity of a thing with itself: the outward rendered expressive of the inward: the soul made incarnate: the body instinct with spirit. For this reason there is no truth comparable to sorrow. —Oscar Wilde
The primary distinction of the artist is that he must actively cultivate that state which most men, necessarily, must avoid: the state of being alone. —James Baldwin
Artists are here to disturb the peace. —James Baldwin
And really the purpose of art—for me, fiction—is to alert, to indicate to stop, to say: Make certain that when you rush through you will not miss the moment which you might have had, or might still have. —Jerzy Kosinski
I collect human relationships very much the way others collect fine art. —Jerzy Kosinski
The person who wants nothing, hopes for nothing, and fears nothing can never be an artist. —Anton Chekhov
You are right to demand that an artist engage his work consciously, but you confuse two different things: solving the problem and correctly posing the question. —Anton Chekhov
Something is always born of excess: great art was born of great terrors, great loneliness, great inhibitions, instabilities, and it always balances them. —Anais Nin
There are two avenues from the little passions and the drear calamities of earth; both lead to the heaven and away from hell—Art and Science. But art is more godlike than science; science discovers, art creates. —Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
Art is the tree of life. Science is the tree of death. —William Blake
I don’t understand how any good art could fail to be political. —Barbara Kingsolver
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival. —C.S. Lewis
To discover the mode of life or of art whereby my spirit could express itself in unfettered freedom. —James Joyce
Really I don’t like human nature unless all candied over with art. —Virginia Woolf
How life did imitate art sometimes. And the cruder the art, the closer the imitation. —Stephen King
Quotes About Art by Mathematicians and Scientists
The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see. —John Tukey
True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist. —Albert Einstein
Is there not a certain satisfaction in the fact that natural limits are set to the life of the individual, so that at the conclusion it may appear as a work of art? —Albert Einstein
One of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one’s own ever-shifting desires. —Albert Einstein
One can envisage an end of science no more readily than one can envisage an end of imaginative literature or the fine arts. —Peter Medawar
Every science touches art at some points—every art has its scientific side; the worst man of science is he who is never an artist, and the worst artist is he who is never a man of science. —Armand Trousseau
How often people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection. An artist is emotional, they think, and uses only his intuition; he sees all at once and has no need of reason. A scientist is cold, they think, and uses only his reason; he argues carefully step by step, and needs no imagination. That is all wrong. —Isaac Asimov
All great scientists have, in a certain sense, been great artists; the man with no imagination may collect facts, but he cannot make great discoveries. —Karl Pearson
Space belongs to all of us. There is science in dance and art in science. —Mae Jemison
Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability. —William Osler
Errors are not in the art but in the artificers. —Isaac Newton
The thing about performance, even if it’s only an illusion, is that it is a celebration of the fact that we do contain within ourselves infinite possibilities. —Daniel Day-Lewis
To that extent that you can sustain and maintain that childlike part of your personality is probably the best part of acting. —Paul Newman
I’ve had different opportunities in my life, but I’ve tried to maintain the spirit of an amateur. Our culture roots everything in the barometer of success and how much money you make. But if you really just aspire to a life in the arts, it’s really not a barometer at all. —Ethan Hawke
It’s hard to act in the morning. The muse isn’t even awake. —Keanu Reeves
The real actor—like any real artist—has a direct line to the collective heart. —Bette Davis
Making films has got to be one of the hardest endeavors known to humankind. —Spike Lee
Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theater, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world. —Alan Rickman
It used to be that we in films were the lowest form of art. Now we have something to look down on. —Billy Wilder (on television)
I steal from every single movie ever made. If people don’t like that, then tough tills, don’t go and see it, all right? I steal from everything. Great artists steal, they don’t do homages. —Quentin Tarantino
Once a month the sky falls on my head, I come to, and I see another movie I want to make. —Steven Spielberg
I regard myself as an entertainer much more than an artist. —Peter Jackson
Quotes About Art by Famous Political Figures
Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries. —Jimmy Carter
Above all, we are coming to understand that the arts incarnate the creativity of a free people. When the creative impulse cannot flourish, when it cannot freely select its methods and objects, when it is deprived of spontaneity, then society severs the root of art. —President John F. Kennedy
To encourage literature and the arts is a duty which every good citizen owes to his country. —George Washington
Now I think, speaking roughly, by leadership we mean the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done because he wants to do it. —President Dwight D. Eisenhower
And that, I think, is what the arts and the humanities do—they lift up our identities, and make us see ourselves in each other. —President Barack Obama
Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse. —Winston Churchill
A world turned into a stereotype, a society converted into a regiment, a life translated into a routine, make it difficult for either art or artists to survive. Crush individuality in society and you crush art as well. Nourish the conditions of a free life and you nourish the arts, too. —President Franklin D. Roosevelt
For my first two years of teaching 7th grade math, the big feedback was to improve my classroom management. Now that I’m in my third year and have my class under control, the feedback I’m getting is to make my lessons more “entertaining.” The last lesson where I got this feedback, students were designing mazes! I don’t know how to do this, short of putting my lessons on TikTok. Should teachers be entertaining, or should I push back that this isn’t on my evaluation criteria?
—went to teaching college, not clown college
Dear W.T.T.C.N.C.C.,
Should teachers be entertaining? Ah. The age-old question.
First, I think “entertaining” is the wrong word. I do think lessons need to be engaging, but as anyone who has attended a really great education conference will tell you, engaging and entertaining are not the same thing. (For example, did we see some really fabulous speakers over the course of three days and walk away with tons of ideas for our classroom? Yes. Would we call that entertaining? No.)
Here’s the difference to me:
Engaging content is insightful. Well organized and executed. Relevant. Promotes inquiry and thought. Sets an expectation and fulfills it.
Entertaining can be all of the above, but it doesn’t have to be. Entertainment simply commands the attention of the viewer. Asking teachers to be entertaining when entertaining means something different to every child is, in my opinion, bonkers.
Second, I do think it’s fair to evaluate teachers on how engaging their lessons are. However, that said, I think that learning to deliver engaging lessons—like classroom management—comes with experience. Over time, you’ll learn little tricks and upgrades to take your lessons from awkward stumbles to polished, effective lessons. But it doesn’t happen overnight.
Ask your administrator (nicely, not snarkily) to point you to the evaluation criteria for “entertaining” so you can be exactly sure what to aim for. My guess is your administrator will actually point you to something that’s more about student engagement than whether teachers should be entertaining. Then, say this:
“Thanks for this feedback. I’m really eager to make my lessons more engaging. I know that this is something that comes with experience, but I want to learn all I can in the meantime. Could I schedule some time to observe teachers on campus you would say are masters at engagement? I want to build this into my end-of-year goals.”
With this, you’re sharing: Gratitude for their feedback. ✅ Taking initiative. ✅ Not putting any extra work on their plate. ✅ A veritable hat trick in the sometimes treacherous game of talking to administrators.
Dear We Are Teachers,
It’s my second year of teaching. This year, I have an experienced teacher on my team who seems like she has it out for me. Last week was the last straw when she noticed that a group of female students eat lunch in my room. After school, she told me it was “inappropriate” and that I shouldn’t leave the door closed. I was and still am so offended at what she’s implying, and told her she doesn’t get to give me directives. Then, magically, this week my principal stopped by during lunch and told me the same thing. It’s one thing when she and I don’t get along, but it’s another for her to get my boss involved and put a target on my back for an unbelievably serious untrue accusation for a male teacher. Is there any coming back from this, or has she ruined my reputation?
—GET OFF MY CASE
Dear G.O.M.C.,
It’s hard to comment on whether or not your coworker “has it out for you” in other areas. However, she is right about the lunch thing. It’s not a good look for any teacher to regularly have students in private, closed-door meetings (even if you don’t see it that way). Keeping the door open protects students from ill-meaning teachers, but it can also protect teachers from untrue allegations. She warned you. Then, when you continued, she told the principal. She did the right thing.
I would recommend apologizing to the teacher and thanking her for warning you. Also, it might be worth exploring whether this experienced teacher “has it out for you” or whether her feedback is valuable advice you’d be wise to listen to.
Dear We Are Teachers,
My student teacher this semester has a strong foreign accent. He is wonderful, hardworking, and great with kids—but they often have a tough time understanding what he’s saying. I do too. I think working on his pronunciation could go a long way for him. But is this my place? I don’t want to embarrass him or suggest he needs to be “more American.” I would just rather this feedback be delivered lovingly (from me) than harshly from a mean parent in the future.
—IN A communication QUAGMIRE
Dear I.A.C.Q.,
I’m glad to hear you approach this topic with so much empathy. This situation could easily get ugly and xenophobic in the wrong hands.
My first thought was that this is not your place. But the more I considered it (and read about accent discrimination), I think it could be your place since an accent could potentially interfere with the ability to perform the job of a teacher. Plus, like you said, if he gets a job at another school and parents complain that their child can’t understand him, he might be confused why this is something you never brought up.
A few things to consider first:
Are you and your students accustomed to accents? If your area is otherwise pretty homogeneous, it’s possible that even a slight accent might take some getting used to. In this case, I’d say just give it more time. Learning to understand and be patient with an English-language learner (or anyone with an accent) is an important social skill.
Could his speech be improved by speaking slower and/or louder? Sometimes it’s less about having a strong accent than it is about slowing down or speaking loud enough.
Make sure you understand accent discrimination. It doesn’t sound like you would do this, but just keep in mind that you cannot use his accent in any part of your student teacher evaluations or potential recommendations for jobs.
If you decide to talk to him about it, tread gently and kindly. First, see if this is something he has noticed as well. “I’ve noticed some students have trouble understanding you from time to time. Have you noticed this, too?” Any foreign-language learner knows pronunciation is crucial to being understood, so I doubt he’ll be totally caught off-guard. But be ready to explain why you’re bringing this up, that this isn’t part of his evaluations, and that you’re here to encourage and help in any way you can.
Last week, I “liked” a tweet from our school district announcing that school was cancelled. I was at my own home. I was not on school Wi-Fi. I was not using a school device. And yet, when I arrived at school on Monday, I had an email from my principal reprimanding me for my “unprofessional conduct” in liking the tweet. When I asked why liking the post was offensive, he emailed back that my thumbs-up “sent the message to community members that not having to do your job is something to be celebrated.” I’m so incensed I haven’t responded yet. Would you argue back or take this on the chin? It’s so petty!
Last week, I “liked” a tweet from our school district announcing that school was cancelled. I was at my own home. I was not on school Wi-Fi or using a school device. And yet, when I arrived at school on Monday, I had an email from my principal reprimanding me for my “unprofessional conduct” in liking the tweet. When I asked why liking the post was offensive, he emailed back that my thumbs-up “sent the message to community members that not having to do your job is something to be celebrated.” I’m so incensed I haven’t responded yet. Would you argue back or take this on the chin? It’s so petty!
—I’m, LIKE, NOT SORRY
Dear I.L.N.S.,
Though reading about this situation prompted an incredulous “WHAT?!” from me out loud, I would not argue back with this principal. First, this isn’t a disciplinary offense that goes on your record. Second, your principal sounds like a person who:
Wouldn’t hesitate to throw you under the bus with parents or your superintendent
Isn’t interested in the notion that teachers are human beings and thinks they should be benevolent, programmable robots whose needs are limited to a small charging station. Like a vacuum.
Has not considered the Pandora’s box-esque ramifications of implying that employee likes = endorsements.
So, while I can think of certain principals I would absolutely rush to chat with about this, something tells me it wouldn’t go over well with your principal. Yes, this is unbelievably petty. Yes, your principal clearly needs bigger things to care about. But this level of micro-managing B.S. does not indicate to me that he has the emotional or intellectual intelligence for even the most reasonable negotiation.
Here’s what I would email:
“Thank you for your email. I meant my ‘like’ as a thank-you to the district communication team for notifying us, but I didn’t consider how the ‘like’ could be interpreted in other ways. I have a strong sense of pride and joy for my job, and I appreciate your heads-up that the optics might not match my intentions.”
Now find another principal to work for.
Dear We Are Teachers,
It’s my fifth year of teaching. I’m just now realizing that between student apathy, parent attacks, and a spineless administration, I’ve hated my job 2.5 of those years. This year, I just have no motivation. I’ve worked so hard at creating solid relationships, set firm boundaries, and yet I still feel drained. I have no drive to continue to make things better.
I made up my mind that I’d have to teach at least another two years because school helps pay for my master’s program. But recently, a friend told me he could help me get a job somewhere else (non-education-related) where I would be making a lot more money, not be as drained, and they would pay for the entirety of my last year in my master’s program (not just part of it). But when I think of leaving at the end of the school year, I feel terrible—like crying-and-tight-stomach terrible. Why do I feel so guilty? Do I keep teaching and give it one more year?
—Burned (OUT) to a crisp
Dear B.O.T.A.C.,
I’ll tell you why you feel guilty. Teachers have been conditioned to think that they are single-handedly responsible for children’s well-being. Schools and communities praise the overworked, martyr teacher. Parents and government systems leave us with impossibly huge gaps to fill. Then, they blame us when we say, “I can’t do it anymore.”
Stepping out feels like giving up. It’s not.
It sounds to me like you already know that leaving is the right move. Do you need someone to tell you you’re not a bad person for taking care of yourself? Let it be me: You’re not a bad person.
The one variable you may not have tried is switching schools. So, if you have the energy for it, interviewing at a few other schools with strong reputations might give you perspective. You may leave interviews saying, “Holy moly, this school sounds awesome. I think this place could breathe life into the embers of my teaching soul.” Or you may say, “This school sounds awesome but I just can’t imagine teaching being sustainable anywhere.” Eventually, that’s where I arrived. I was at my dream school and still couldn’t make teaching work. (Know there are plenty of teachers who can, though!)
Remember, too: This isn’t a permanent decision. Rather than, “I am leaving teaching,” tell yourself you’re trying something new. You can always come back after a break. I know a teacher who does a 4 years on–1 year off circuit.
There’s no wrong way to do what’s right for you.
Dear We Are Teachers,
I’m in my eighth year teaching a high school photography course. I have a class right after lunch that is mostly (16 out of 23) freshmen boys. Despite my best efforts, they totally control the class. They’re rowdy, totally disruptive, and feed off each others’ goofiness. I talked to my AP about it once, and he gave me a bunch of resources to improve my classroom management. But for the past eight years, I’ve been managing classes without issue! Is it ever the actual kids that are the problem?
—fed up with freshmen
Dear F.U.W.F.,
With total solidarity and respect here, I don’t think you’re even saying that the problem is the actual kids. In this case, it’s the situation of them all being together at once.
Talk to your administrator again. Stress that this is the only class you’ve struggled to manage in the eight years you’ve been teaching. You may want to bring up the liability of their rowdiness in a room full of expensive camera equipment. Present your plan: A. Identify your rowdiest students. B. Notify parents that if their behavior continues, they will be pulled from photography and assigned an alternate elective. Make sure your AP signs off on this approach, because nothing is worse than an empty threat.
Send the email to the adults of your rowdiest students. “Dear [adults], I’m emailing to notify you that [student]’s behavior in my class is disruptive to the learning of other students. He [give specific examples]. Additionally, [student]’s rowdiness is a liability for our photography equipment. For this reason, [AP name] has asked that if student behavior does not improve, [student] may be switched to an alternate elective based on which courses still have space. Please let me know if you have any questions.”
Check back in with your AP in a week or so. Even if everything suddenly turns peachy, it’s good for your AP to know that his (minimal) involvement made a situation radically better.
All kids are good kids at their core. But not all kids need to be in the same class at the same time.
My 3rd-grade partner teacher is out on maternity leave for the rest of the year. Her maternity leave sub is really struggling, and my AP has gradually been asking me to take on more and more responsibilities to help make sure her class is getting what they need. First it was meeting with the sub every day. Then, my AP asked me to teach a section of her class during my planning period so kids don’t fall behind in math. Now, after a parent raised a concern about grading, I’ve been asked to take over all the grading for this teacher! I was barely getting my work done as it is, and when I tried to point out that I really can’t make this work, my AP said to try to remember why I took this job and “at the end of the day, we have to do what’s right for kids.” Oh, he also said “June is just a few months away!” How do I stick up for myself without sounding like I don’t care about the kids?
