Every classroom has early finishers, but does every classroom have early finishers activities? Our students have different strengths and weaknesses, so naturally, they are going to work at different paces. But the question is, how do you keep those students engaged?
Well, with early finishers activities of course! There are lots of different activities for fast finishers out there from unfinished work to games and everything in between. Today, I’m sharing ten ideas you might want to implement, but make sure you see the first list of ten too!
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Past Center Work
In my previous post about early finishers activities, I suggested that unfinished work should always be your students’ top priority. I think past center work is the second best option for your fast finishers. If your students really enjoy your center work, this is a great option too. You already have the materials prepped and students would be working on academic skills that they should be well versed in!
Labeling Pictures
Labeling pictures is often a part of writing centers for kindergarten students. You can use premade pages meant for labeling, pictures from coloring books, or even have students draw and then label their own pictures for this early finishers activity.
Explore Manipulatives
Sometimes I let my kindergartners spend their mornings exploring (a.k.a. playing) with our manipulatives. This was a great way for the students to become familiar with tools we would use every day and gave them a chance to get out some energy with busy hands. Most students will love the chance to create their own shapes with pattern blocks or count how many links they can put together.
120 Charts
Your students can never have too much number practice. You can use premade 120 charts that have some numbers included to help guide your students or students can simply write their numbers on a blank piece of paper. If your students are looking for a challenge, consider letting them time themselves while they write their numbers.
Clean Desk or Cubby
This is a fantastic choice every once in a while. Most kids eventually let their workspace go, so cleaning out their desks is good for them and for you!
Draw in the Details
This is a fun activity I created several years ago to help introduce students to adding details to their stories. Since our younger students aren’t able to write a lot, these pages allow students to start becoming more detailed through their illustrations.
Practice Typing Skills
You may find it surprising how much students lack typing skills despite using technology all. the. time.
There are lots of free websites that offer fun ways for students to improve their typing skills. You may want to introduce your students to a site like Typing Club which has over 600 typing lessons!
ABC Order
Practicing putting words in alphabetical order isn’t the most fun activity to do, but giving students a page that allows them to do a little work and then have a little fun is a good compromise.
Coloring Pages
If you’re just looking for something mindless and relaxing for students to do, coloring is a great option. It is a great activity for strengthening fine motor skills. However, I’ve noticed a decline in interest over the last decade for coloring. Too many kids have grown up on devices and don’t find coloring as appealing as other generations.
Making Words
This is a great word work activity that can easily double as an early finishers activity! You can provide some premade worksheets for students or just write some letters on your whiteboard for students to unjumble.
Are you still on the hunt for more early finishers activities? Check out this post with ten other early finishers activities that you can implement in your classroom today!
Creation Castle
Heather is the author of Creation Castle. She has experience with general education, special education, and ESL students in kindergarten through fifth grade. She specializes in early elementary math and literacy, as well as organization.
