With 20 minutes left and nothing planned, pick one of these 59 activities. Every one runs with nothing prepared, fits in 20 minutes (or can be cut short), and says what you need. If the room has to stay quiet, try silent ball, silent line-up.
Checked October 30, 2026. Draw three at random for your grade and room ▸
Leave a class set of a grade-level passage with its questions in the sub folder. Students read and answer independently; the sub collects them.
You need: Printed passages at your gradeGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–45 minLeave a class set of a math sheet on a topic the class already knows well, so the substitute doesn't need to teach anything new.
You need: Printed practice sheetsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–45 minStudents draw a map of the room from above, with a key for desks, door, windows and the teacher's desk. Older students add a compass rose and a scale.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–5 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–30 minRead aloud from a book in the room until the bell, with the class listening at their desks. Stop at an exciting part if the book isn't finished.
You need: A picture book or chapter book from the roomGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 10–30 minStudents read their own books for fifteen minutes, then write one sentence about what happened in the part they read. Collect the sentences for the teacher.
You need: Students' own books; paperGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minThe substitute shows a read-aloud on the projector, reads it to the class, and asks the discussion questions printed with the story.
You need: The read-aloud pageGrades: K–5 · no paper · projector · 15–30 minStudents read their own books for twenty minutes and fill in their reading log. The substitute reads too, which keeps the room quiet.
You need: Students' own books and reading logsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minAfter the read-aloud, students fill in a story map: characters, setting, problem, events and solution.
You need: Printed story mapsGrades: 1–4 · paper · no screen · 15–30 minKeep a set of sudoku puzzles at two levels in the folder. Students who finish one try the harder one.
You need: Printed sudoku puzzlesGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minMake a word search from your current word list once and keep copies in the emergency folder. Students find the words, then write sentences with three of them.
You need: A printed word searchGrades: 1–5 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–30 minStudents write you a short letter about the day: what they did, what they learned and one question for you. You get a report in their words.
You need: Lined paperGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–20 minWrite three unrelated words on the board, like lantern, pickle and bridge. Students write a five-sentence story that uses all three. Volunteers read theirs.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–20 minSeven students stand at the front; everyone else puts heads down with a thumb up. Each of the seven presses one thumb down, then the chosen students guess who picked them.
You need: NothingGrades: 1–5 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–20 minThe substitute picks a prompt for your grade and students write for ten minutes in their journals. Leave a note saying where the journals are kept.
You need: The writing prompts pageGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–20 minStudents sit on their desks and toss a soft ball in silence. A dropped ball or a sound means sitting down for the next round, and everyone is back in for each new round.
You need: A soft foam ballGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · silent · out of seats · 5–20 minStart a story with one sentence. Each student adds one sentence in seat order. Anyone may pass. Stop when the story has an ending, or when time runs out, and retell it in three sentences.
You need: NothingGrades: 1–8 · no paper · no screen · 10–20 minAsk one question with four choices, like a favorite season. Count hands for each and write the tallies on the board. Students turn the tallies into a bar graph with a title and labels.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 1–5 · paper · no screen · 15–20 minEach student writes a word problem using the math they've been practicing, with the answer on the back. Partners swap and solve.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · 15–20 minSplit the class into two teams in lines. Name a category, like animals or things in a kitchen. One student at a time from each team writes a word on the board and hands the marker back. Count words when time is up.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minSpin a letter. Students list a food, an animal, a place and a name starting with that letter in two minutes. Unique answers score a point.
You need: Paper and the letter wheelGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · 5–15 minDraw a big triangle and split it with three or four lines. Students count every triangle they can find, big and small. Ask how they kept track; then add one more line and count again.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minRead directions one at a time: draw a big circle, give it three eyes, add a hat with a star. Students draw as you read. Hold up a few and see how different the same words came out.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 1–5 · paper · no screen · 10–15 minRead a sentence from a nonfiction book in the room, or one you change so it's false. Students vote fact or fiction, then you read the real sentence.
You need: A nonfiction book or passage from the roomGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite a short story on the board with six blanks: a noun, a verb, an animal, a place, a number, a color. Ask the class for words before they see the story, then read it aloud.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–5 · no paper · no screen · 10–15 minWrite three sentences with mistakes in capitals, spelling and punctuation. Students find and fix them on whiteboards or scrap paper. Go over them together.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 10–15 minAsk a question with four answers and point to a corner for each. Students walk to their answer. Ask one person in each corner why they chose it.
You need: Signs A to D in the corners (or call them by wall)Grades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minThe substitute hides a number on the hundreds chart and gives clues: "It is ten more than 34." Students guess on whiteboards.
You need: The hundreds chart on the projectorGrades: K–2 · no paper · projector · 5–15 minThe substitute spins the math facts wheel and students write the answer on whiteboards, showing on the count of three.
You need: The math facts wheel and mini whiteboardsGrades: 1–5 · no paper · projector · 5–15 minPick a word from the class's own reading and draw a blank for each letter. Students guess letters; each miss melts a piece of a snowman you've drawn. Whoever guesses the word picks the next one.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 1–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minThe substitute writes a number on the board and students show it as many ways as they can: tally marks, tens and ones, a sum, a word, a drawing.
You need: A number written on the boardGrades: K–5 · paper · no screen · 5–15 minStudents sit in a circle or stay at their desks and each says one thing they learned or enjoyed today. Passing is allowed.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minEach student starts a drawing for one minute, then passes it to the right. Everyone adds to the drawing in front of them for one minute. After five passes, papers go back to where they started.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minStudents line up without talking, in order of the first letter of their favorite animal. They may point and use fingers. Check the order together at the end.
You need: NothingGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · silent · out of seats · 10–15 minWrite twelve words or numbers in a jumble. Students sort them into two or three groups and say the rule: odd and even, animals and plants, nouns and verbs.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 1–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minDraw the same squiggle on everyone's paper, or on the board for them to copy. Students turn it into a picture and give it a title.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: K–5 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minStudents guess how many steps it is from the door to the far wall. Two volunteers walk it while the class counts. Whose guess was closest? Try heel-to-toe steps next.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minThe substitute thinks of an animal or object and the class asks up to twenty yes-or-no questions to guess it. A student who guesses right leads the next round.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minThe substitute tells three facts about themselves, one false, and students vote on which is the lie. Then students may ask the sub one question each.
You need: NothingGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite a three- or four-letter word, like cat. Students change one letter at a time to make a new word each step (cat, cot, dot, dog). Write each rung as they call it out.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite one interesting word from a book in the room and what it means. Students use it in three sentences of their own: a question, a statement and an exclamation.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minWrite a long word on the board, like grasshopper or thunderstorm. Students list every word they can make from its letters in five minutes. Count the longest found.
You need: The board and a marker; paperGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minThe substitute spins the would-you-rather wheel and students move to one side of the room or write their choice and one reason. It breaks the ice with a new adult.
You need: The would you rather wheelGrades: K–8 · no paper · projector · out of seats · 5–15 minGo around the room naming an animal for each letter, A to Z. Stuck on a letter? The class helps. For older students, make it countries or foods.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minStudents write one thing they learned and one question they have. You read them the next day to see how the day went.
You need: Printed exit ticket slipsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 5–10 minThink of a number from 1 to 100 (1 to 20 for kindergarten). Students guess one at a time and you say higher or lower. Whoever gets it picks the next number and whispers it to you.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minSay a word and the class says its opposite together: hot, cold; up, down; full, empty. Speed up as they get it. Let a student lead the last round.
You need: NothingGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minEach student writes one question they want to ask their teacher tomorrow about today's work. Put them in a pile on the teacher's desk.
You need: Scrap paperGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 5–10 minCount by twos, fives or tens, clapping on each number. Go up to 100 and back down. Change the number for older students: threes, fours, sevens.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minStudents move slowly in place while you count; when you say "statues" they freeze. Anyone who wobbles still plays: everyone is in every round.
You need: NothingGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 5–10 minGive quick, quiet moves that start with "Teacher says": touch your nose, hands on your head, sit down. A move without "Teacher says" is a trick. Nobody is out; anyone who moves just smiles and keeps playing.
You need: NothingGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 5–10 minAsk the class for the three most important things they did today, and write them on the board. Leave them up for the teacher to see in the morning.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minSay a sum and an answer, right or wrong: "Six plus three is ten." Thumbs up if it's right, down if it's wrong, on the count of three. Ask one student to fix each wrong one.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minPut eight things on a desk where everyone can see them. Students look for thirty seconds and close their eyes while you take one away. Who knows what's missing?
You need: Eight small things from the roomGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minLeave a class set of a grade-level passage with its questions in the sub folder. Students read and answer independently; the sub collects them.
You need: Printed passages at your gradeGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–45 minLeave a class set of a math sheet on a topic the class already knows well, so the substitute doesn't need to teach anything new.
You need: Printed practice sheetsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–45 minStudents draw a map of the room from above, with a key for desks, door, windows and the teacher's desk. Older students add a compass rose and a scale.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–5 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–30 minRead aloud from a book in the room until the bell, with the class listening at their desks. Stop at an exciting part if the book isn't finished.
You need: A picture book or chapter book from the roomGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 10–30 minStudents read their own books for fifteen minutes, then write one sentence about what happened in the part they read. Collect the sentences for the teacher.
You need: Students' own books; paperGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minThe substitute shows a read-aloud on the projector, reads it to the class, and asks the discussion questions printed with the story.
You need: The read-aloud pageGrades: K–5 · no paper · projector · 15–30 minStudents read their own books for twenty minutes and fill in their reading log. The substitute reads too, which keeps the room quiet.
You need: Students' own books and reading logsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minAfter the read-aloud, students fill in a story map: characters, setting, problem, events and solution.
You need: Printed story mapsGrades: 1–4 · paper · no screen · 15–30 minKeep a set of sudoku puzzles at two levels in the folder. Students who finish one try the harder one.
You need: Printed sudoku puzzlesGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minKeep copies of a ready-made crossword in the folder, such as space or weather. Students solve it in pairs.
You need: A printed themed crosswordGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · 15–30 minMake a word search from your current word list once and keep copies in the emergency folder. Students find the words, then write sentences with three of them.
You need: A printed word searchGrades: 1–5 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–30 minStudents write you a short letter about the day: what they did, what they learned and one question for you. You get a report in their words.
You need: Lined paperGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–20 minStudents write a short review of a book they've read this year: what it's about without the ending, one thing they liked, and who should read it.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–20 minWrite three unrelated words on the board, like lantern, pickle and bridge. Students write a five-sentence story that uses all three. Volunteers read theirs.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–20 minSeven students stand at the front; everyone else puts heads down with a thumb up. Each of the seven presses one thumb down, then the chosen students guess who picked them.
You need: NothingGrades: 1–5 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–20 minThe substitute picks a prompt for your grade and students write for ten minutes in their journals. Leave a note saying where the journals are kept.
You need: The writing prompts pageGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–20 minStudents sit on their desks and toss a soft ball in silence. A dropped ball or a sound means sitting down for the next round, and everyone is back in for each new round.
You need: A soft foam ballGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · silent · out of seats · 5–20 minStart a story with one sentence. Each student adds one sentence in seat order. Anyone may pass. Stop when the story has an ending, or when time runs out, and retell it in three sentences.
You need: NothingGrades: 1–8 · no paper · no screen · 10–20 minAsk one question with four choices, like a favorite season. Count hands for each and write the tallies on the board. Students turn the tallies into a bar graph with a title and labels.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 1–5 · paper · no screen · 15–20 minWrite easy topics on scraps: a favorite season, the best pet, a game you like. Volunteers draw one and talk for thirty seconds without stopping. Nobody has to go.
You need: Topics written on scraps of paperGrades: 4–8 · no paper · no screen · 15–20 minEach student writes a word problem using the math they've been practicing, with the answer on the back. Partners swap and solve.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · 15–20 minSplit the class into two teams in lines. Name a category, like animals or things in a kitchen. One student at a time from each team writes a word on the board and hands the marker back. Count words when time is up.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minSpin a letter. Students list a food, an animal, a place and a name starting with that letter in two minutes. Unique answers score a point.
You need: Paper and the letter wheelGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · 5–15 minDraw a big triangle and split it with three or four lines. Students count every triangle they can find, big and small. Ask how they kept track; then add one more line and count again.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minRead directions one at a time: draw a big circle, give it three eyes, add a hat with a star. Students draw as you read. Hold up a few and see how different the same words came out.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 1–5 · paper · no screen · 10–15 minRead a sentence from a nonfiction book in the room, or one you change so it's false. Students vote fact or fiction, then you read the real sentence.
You need: A nonfiction book or passage from the roomGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite a short story on the board with six blanks: a noun, a verb, an animal, a place, a number, a color. Ask the class for words before they see the story, then read it aloud.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–5 · no paper · no screen · 10–15 minWrite three sentences with mistakes in capitals, spelling and punctuation. Students find and fix them on whiteboards or scrap paper. Go over them together.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 10–15 minAsk a question with four answers and point to a corner for each. Students walk to their answer. Ask one person in each corner why they chose it.
You need: Signs A to D in the corners (or call them by wall)Grades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minWrite nine letters on the board, at least three of them vowels. Students make the longest word they can in two minutes. Check the longest ones together.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minWrite four numbers and a target, like 2, 5, 6, 8 and 24. Students use each number once, with any operations, to reach the target. Share two different ways.
You need: The board and a marker; paperGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · 10–15 minThe substitute spins the math facts wheel and students write the answer on whiteboards, showing on the count of three.
You need: The math facts wheel and mini whiteboardsGrades: 1–5 · no paper · projector · 5–15 minPick a word from the class's own reading and draw a blank for each letter. Students guess letters; each miss melts a piece of a snowman you've drawn. Whoever guesses the word picks the next one.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 1–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minThe substitute writes a number on the board and students show it as many ways as they can: tally marks, tens and ones, a sum, a word, a drawing.
You need: A number written on the boardGrades: K–5 · paper · no screen · 5–15 minStudents sit in a circle or stay at their desks and each says one thing they learned or enjoyed today. Passing is allowed.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minEach student starts a drawing for one minute, then passes it to the right. Everyone adds to the drawing in front of them for one minute. After five passes, papers go back to where they started.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minStudents line up without talking, in order of the first letter of their favorite animal. They may point and use fingers. Check the order together at the end.
You need: NothingGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · silent · out of seats · 10–15 minWrite twelve words or numbers in a jumble. Students sort them into two or three groups and say the rule: odd and even, animals and plants, nouns and verbs.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 1–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minDraw the same squiggle on everyone's paper, or on the board for them to copy. Students turn it into a picture and give it a title.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: K–5 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minStudents guess how many steps it is from the door to the far wall. Two volunteers walk it while the class counts. Whose guess was closest? Try heel-to-toe steps next.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minThe substitute thinks of an animal or object and the class asks up to twenty yes-or-no questions to guess it. A student who guesses right leads the next round.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minAfter any reading or lesson, students write what it was about in exactly twenty words. Read a few aloud. It is harder than it sounds and the room goes quiet.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 4–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minThe substitute tells three facts about themselves, one false, and students vote on which is the lie. Then students may ask the sub one question each.
You need: NothingGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite a three- or four-letter word, like cat. Students change one letter at a time to make a new word each step (cat, cot, dot, dog). Write each rung as they call it out.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite one interesting word from a book in the room and what it means. Students use it in three sentences of their own: a question, a statement and an exclamation.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minWrite a long word on the board, like grasshopper or thunderstorm. Students list every word they can make from its letters in five minutes. Count the longest found.
You need: The board and a marker; paperGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minThe substitute spins the would-you-rather wheel and students move to one side of the room or write their choice and one reason. It breaks the ice with a new adult.
You need: The would you rather wheelGrades: K–8 · no paper · projector · out of seats · 5–15 minGo around the room naming an animal for each letter, A to Z. Stuck on a letter? The class helps. For older students, make it countries or foods.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minStudents write one thing they learned and one question they have. You read them the next day to see how the day went.
You need: Printed exit ticket slipsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 5–10 minThink of a number from 1 to 100 (1 to 20 for kindergarten). Students guess one at a time and you say higher or lower. Whoever gets it picks the next number and whispers it to you.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minSay a word and the class says its opposite together: hot, cold; up, down; full, empty. Speed up as they get it. Let a student lead the last round.
You need: NothingGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minEach student writes one question they want to ask their teacher tomorrow about today's work. Put them in a pile on the teacher's desk.
You need: Scrap paperGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 5–10 minCount by twos, fives or tens, clapping on each number. Go up to 100 and back down. Change the number for older students: threes, fours, sevens.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minStudents move slowly in place while you count; when you say "statues" they freeze. Anyone who wobbles still plays: everyone is in every round.
You need: NothingGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 5–10 minGive quick, quiet moves that start with "Teacher says": touch your nose, hands on your head, sit down. A move without "Teacher says" is a trick. Nobody is out; anyone who moves just smiles and keeps playing.
You need: NothingGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 5–10 minAsk the class for the three most important things they did today, and write them on the board. Leave them up for the teacher to see in the morning.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minSay a sum and an answer, right or wrong: "Six plus three is ten." Thumbs up if it's right, down if it's wrong, on the count of three. Ask one student to fix each wrong one.
You need: NothingGrades: K–5 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minPut eight things on a desk where everyone can see them. Students look for thirty seconds and close their eyes while you take one away. Who knows what's missing?
You need: Eight small things from the roomGrades: K–3 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minLeave a class set of a grade-level passage with its questions in the sub folder. Students read and answer independently; the sub collects them.
You need: Printed passages at your gradeGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–45 minLeave a class set of a math sheet on a topic the class already knows well, so the substitute doesn't need to teach anything new.
You need: Printed practice sheetsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 20–45 minStudents read their own books for fifteen minutes, then write one sentence about what happened in the part they read. Collect the sentences for the teacher.
You need: Students' own books; paperGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minStudents read their own books for twenty minutes and fill in their reading log. The substitute reads too, which keeps the room quiet.
You need: Students' own books and reading logsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minKeep a set of sudoku puzzles at two levels in the folder. Students who finish one try the harder one.
You need: Printed sudoku puzzlesGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–30 minKeep copies of a ready-made crossword in the folder, such as space or weather. Students solve it in pairs.
You need: A printed themed crosswordGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · 15–30 minStudents write you a short letter about the day: what they did, what they learned and one question for you. You get a report in their words.
You need: Lined paperGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–20 minStudents write a short review of a book they've read this year: what it's about without the ending, one thing they liked, and who should read it.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–20 minWrite three unrelated words on the board, like lantern, pickle and bridge. Students write a five-sentence story that uses all three. Volunteers read theirs.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 15–20 minThe substitute picks a prompt for your grade and students write for ten minutes in their journals. Leave a note saying where the journals are kept.
You need: The writing prompts pageGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–20 minStudents sit on their desks and toss a soft ball in silence. A dropped ball or a sound means sitting down for the next round, and everyone is back in for each new round.
You need: A soft foam ballGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · silent · out of seats · 5–20 minStart a story with one sentence. Each student adds one sentence in seat order. Anyone may pass. Stop when the story has an ending, or when time runs out, and retell it in three sentences.
You need: NothingGrades: 1–8 · no paper · no screen · 10–20 minWrite easy topics on scraps: a favorite season, the best pet, a game you like. Volunteers draw one and talk for thirty seconds without stopping. Nobody has to go.
You need: Topics written on scraps of paperGrades: 4–8 · no paper · no screen · 15–20 minEach student writes a word problem using the math they've been practicing, with the answer on the back. Partners swap and solve.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · 15–20 minSplit the class into two teams in lines. Name a category, like animals or things in a kitchen. One student at a time from each team writes a word on the board and hands the marker back. Count words when time is up.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minSpin a letter. Students list a food, an animal, a place and a name starting with that letter in two minutes. Unique answers score a point.
You need: Paper and the letter wheelGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · 5–15 minDraw a big triangle and split it with three or four lines. Students count every triangle they can find, big and small. Ask how they kept track; then add one more line and count again.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minRead a sentence from a nonfiction book in the room, or one you change so it's false. Students vote fact or fiction, then you read the real sentence.
You need: A nonfiction book or passage from the roomGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite three sentences with mistakes in capitals, spelling and punctuation. Students find and fix them on whiteboards or scrap paper. Go over them together.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 10–15 minAsk a question with four answers and point to a corner for each. Students walk to their answer. Ask one person in each corner why they chose it.
You need: Signs A to D in the corners (or call them by wall)Grades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · out of seats · 10–15 minWrite nine letters on the board, at least three of them vowels. Students make the longest word they can in two minutes. Check the longest ones together.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minWrite four numbers and a target, like 2, 5, 6, 8 and 24. Students use each number once, with any operations, to reach the target. Share two different ways.
You need: The board and a marker; paperGrades: 3–8 · paper · no screen · 10–15 minPick a word from the class's own reading and draw a blank for each letter. Students guess letters; each miss melts a piece of a snowman you've drawn. Whoever guesses the word picks the next one.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 1–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minStudents sit in a circle or stay at their desks and each says one thing they learned or enjoyed today. Passing is allowed.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minEach student starts a drawing for one minute, then passes it to the right. Everyone adds to the drawing in front of them for one minute. After five passes, papers go back to where they started.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minStudents line up without talking, in order of the first letter of their favorite animal. They may point and use fingers. Check the order together at the end.
You need: NothingGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · silent · out of seats · 10–15 minThe substitute thinks of an animal or object and the class asks up to twenty yes-or-no questions to guess it. A student who guesses right leads the next round.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minAfter any reading or lesson, students write what it was about in exactly twenty words. Read a few aloud. It is harder than it sounds and the room goes quiet.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 4–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minThe substitute tells three facts about themselves, one false, and students vote on which is the lie. Then students may ask the sub one question each.
You need: NothingGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite a three- or four-letter word, like cat. Students change one letter at a time to make a new word each step (cat, cot, dot, dog). Write each rung as they call it out.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: 2–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–15 minWrite one interesting word from a book in the room and what it means. Students use it in three sentences of their own: a question, a statement and an exclamation.
You need: Paper and pencilsGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minWrite a long word on the board, like grasshopper or thunderstorm. Students list every word they can make from its letters in five minutes. Count the longest found.
You need: The board and a marker; paperGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 10–15 minThe substitute spins the would-you-rather wheel and students move to one side of the room or write their choice and one reason. It breaks the ice with a new adult.
You need: The would you rather wheelGrades: K–8 · no paper · projector · out of seats · 5–15 minStudents write one thing they learned and one question they have. You read them the next day to see how the day went.
You need: Printed exit ticket slipsGrades: 1–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 5–10 minThink of a number from 1 to 100 (1 to 20 for kindergarten). Students guess one at a time and you say higher or lower. Whoever gets it picks the next number and whispers it to you.
You need: NothingGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minEach student writes one question they want to ask their teacher tomorrow about today's work. Put them in a pile on the teacher's desk.
You need: Scrap paperGrades: 2–8 · paper · no screen · silent · 5–10 minAsk the class for the three most important things they did today, and write them on the board. Leave them up for the teacher to see in the morning.
You need: The board and a markerGrades: K–8 · no paper · no screen · 5–10 minUp: Substitute teachers · 25 sub-day activities · Brain breaks
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