by Marianna Monheim, Marissa Despins, Jeanine Schneider, and Jacqueline Ortiz, updated January 21, 2025
Spring Fever is Setting In....How Do We Keep Students Engaged?
There is no limit to the amount of engaging spring activities for upper elementary students. Spring is the perfect time to try something new, whether you’re putting a twist on a classic activity, adding in more independent accountability, or taking advantage of the warmer weather and longer days to try an outdoor lesson. Speaking of those nicer days…spring is also a time when our upper elementary friends may start getting antsy, so it’s important to keep them busy with a variety of fun activities in your classroom! Here are a few of our favorites:
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Highlight Character Changes with a Spring Narrative
One of the more challenging aspects of narrative writing is showing how characters change over time. Use the current season as a “spring” board (get it?) to showcase character changes with a spring writing prompt! I like to use PowerPoints to guide students through planning, drafting, and writing their narratives. This way, I can quickly spot any breakdowns in the writing process, and students know exactly what needs to be done at each step.
Speaking of steps, this Step by Step Narrative Activity has everything you need to get your students to publish their own masterpieces. The finished products make a great spring-themed bulletin board, too!
Freshen Up Spelling Routines with Spring Themed Activities
Even though spring weather feels like a breath of fresh air, the trade-off is students who start getting antsy when it comes to doing the same activities they’ve been doing all year. One thing I’ve found that works like a charm is putting a seasonal twist on my go-to activities. Sometimes, just changing the name of a familiar activity is all you need to do to make it seem brand new!
You can see how I accomplish this with my Spring Spelling Worksheets. Spoiler alert: they’re the same activities you’ll find in my Spelling Word Practice resource but with a fun spring twist!
"Spring" Into Repetition and Practice
There are certain skills that we have to touch on and practice all year long, especially in grammar. My students always benefit from a refresher on pluralization rules for nouns, and these task cards have been a hit! Put them in a center or assign for independent practice. If you’re feeling up to it, you could even enjoy the weather and use the task cards to create an outdoor scavenger hunt!
Reading Love will Blossom with Spring-Themed Novel Studies
As the weather warms up, Marissa from Creative Classroom Core believes that it’s a great time to introduce some fun Spring novel studies in your upper elementary classroom! Spring is often the time of year when schools focus on test prep. However, it is also the perfect time to introduce new and exciting literature to your students. This is a great way to way to review key skills and content that you have spent all winter teaching!
Novel studies are an engaging way to get students excited about reading and writing, while also addressing important language arts standards. Novel studies not only engage students and help them build their reading comprehension skills, but they can also be lots of fun and provide plenty of opportunities for critical thinking. Read more about teaching novel studies during the Spring by checking out the Creative Classroom Core blog!
Spring Poetry to Help Young Writers Bloom
Jacqueline from The Little Ladybug Shop shares ways to spruce up your spring-themed bulletin board for your classroom while engaging with poetry writing! Encourage your students to craft their own spring-inspired poems! Poetry not only creates a vibrant and engaging display but also allows your students to develop their writing and creative skills. I love giving my students the chance to explore poetry all year long, whether they’re reading or writing it—it’s a wonderful way to inspire creativity and self-expression.
The Cure for Spring Fever: New and Engaging Activities
Every teacher knows that spring fever is a real thing! And it always seems to show its face as soon as the calendar flips to March, and gets stronger and stronger until the end of the school year! How can you cure spring fever in the upper elementary classroom? Jeanine, from Think Grow Giggle, has the answer for you! Engage students with high interest projects and outdoor fun! Head over to read the secret formula to squashing spring fever and grab some fun and free activities, too!
