You planned a great lesson, and you thought you timed it perfectly but then your students get done a little faster than you expected. We have all been there before. Sometimes an activity just doesn’t take as long as we think it will or our students are having an exceptionally awesome day and finish up sooner. That’s why having five minute time fillers for students is so important!
Why You Need Time Fillers For Students
No matter how much you plan, there is going to be a time when you just have an extra five minutes. While you can let students do an early-finisher activity, or just have some time, this tends to lead to chaos. Having five minute time fillers for students ensures your classroom stays under control.
Time Fillers For Students that Work
There are so many ways you can fill time for students when you only have about five minutes to spare. I recommend doing something fun when these times happen because they are probably rare. This will make these sever time fillers for students special when you use them in your classroom.
1. Play Simon Says
Sometimes playing a simple game like Simon Says can be very effective. I typically am always Simon so no one has to fight. However, being Simon can also be a fun reward for students. I love this time filler for students because it can take as much or as little time as you need. Plus, you can work on different ideas like directions (left and right) as well as counting.
2. Monkey See Monkey Do
This is a fun time filler for students because it makes students really focus on you! This is great for classes that might need a little extra help following directions or staying silent. Again, I am always the person who is being followed. This is important for this time filler because you never know what students are going to do.
3. Fill Time with a Sing Along
Many time fillers for students focus on being quiet and keeping the peace. This time filler is all about making noise! Singing along to some fun song like a Disney song everyone knows can be a great way to fill time. Why? You can always choose how many songs you want based on how long they are. This is a great time filler when your students have had a lot of silent work to do throughout the day.
4. I Spy….Time Fillers for Students!
Another great activity to do when you just have a few minutes left is I Spy. This is an easy game to play in your classroom or with I Spy pictures that you can find online. You can have students take turns “spying” different objects. This is great for not only filling time, but also for paying attention to detail.
5. Practice Those Spelling Skills
A great time filler for students that is educational is speed spelling. All your students need is some scrap paper and a pencil. You give students one spelling word and they write it as many times as they can in 30 seconds. They get points for how many times they wrote the spelling word correctly on their paper. Students can do this in teams and the team who wins might get to be line leaders! This is fun and something students can do as a team.
6. Shhh…It’s Silent Ball
This is a fun group game that requires students to focus on each other. Students need to sit silently in a circle. Then, they must make eye contact and then throw the ball to that person. If the throw is caught, the game resumes. If the throw is not caught but it was a good throw, the thrower is out. However, if the throw was bad, the thrower is out. Students can also get eliminated by talking or making noise. This is a fun game to play and can end at any time.
7. Raise the Roof with Time Fillers for Students
While this might sound like a loud and crazy time filler for students, it’s really low key. All you need to do is make the “raise the roof” motion. Then, students have to keep a straight face. If they smile, they have to sit down. This is a fun game that can be played more than once!
We all have moments where we finish with our Picture Book Pals or art activity early or really anything else. When this happens, you don’t want chaos to ensue! Instead try time fillers for students that will be fun and educational!
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