My favorite part of school was always the festive decorations. As seasons changed, my classrooms’ décor did, too. When I began my work in after-school programs, I found that it was quite natural to structure themed activities around the seasons, as it was a way to engage students by using current events and holidays that were already on their minds.
Evan-Moor’s Seasonal Activities series is tailored to grade levels and has loads of activities for every season and its respective holidays. Books are available for PreK–K, 1–2, and 3–5, all of which are also available as e-books!
As summer approaches, I find it gets tougher to hold students’ attention. I don’t blame them; we all can get a little antsy being indoors when the sun is shining outside. Try these lighter lessons from our Seasonal Activities books to give students a break while reinforcing grade-appropriate skill sets like phonics, sequencing, vocabulary development, and alphabetical ordering.
Grades PreK–K This book includes weekly at-home activities for students to complete with parents, like reading a book together, practicing counting, and making a healthy snack together—great on-the-fly and kid-friendly ideas.
May Day Basket: Students can practice their fine motor skills with these May Day activities through coloring, cutting, and pasting.
Teacher Tip: Ask students to tell you what colors they would like to use before beginning. This will help them practice colors, as well as metacognition.
Grades 1–2 These are a great way to loosen the noodles at the beginning of the day or a fun way to end the school day!
Connect the Dots: Connect the dots activities are a great way to practice alphabetical order or numbers.
Teacher Tip: Consider similar activities that count by 2s or 3s to practice number sequencing, as well.
Grades 3–5 These activities are perfect for thematic homework, or you can just keep a few ready for students who finish their classwork early.
A Summer Picnic: Challenge students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills by having them plan their own picnic.
Teacher Tip: Ask questions like “What if there’s no shade?” or “How can we keep our drinks cool?”
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Read this article for additional free printables for spring: Lesson Roundup: Activities for the End of the School Year and Summer Learning
Karina Ruiz has four years of experience working with children for non-profit after-school programming for K–12 and four years of nanny work. She is currently a volunteer intern and attends California State University, Monterey Bay.