6 Early Finisher Activities For Any Subject

On any given day in class, there will inevitably be at least one student who questions you with the iconic, “I’m done.  What do I do now?”  Instead of panicking because there are 10 minutes left and all other students are still working, you will be prepared with these fun, educational activities.   

 

Trivia

Kids of all ages love being challenged with trivia questions.  Search on the Internet for trivia aimed at your students’ ages.  The trivia can either be an assortment of random questions or subject-specific questions.  Use key phrases such as “trivia for kids” or “math trivia for middle school.”  Of course, you can also create your own questions based on course content.    

 

Print several copies of the trivia questions, as well as one copy of each answer key.  Put all of these sheets in a binder.  Place the answer keys in plastic sheet protectors with a note stating that answer keys must remain in the back of the binder.  Allow students to access the binder at their leisure, taking out a sheet of trivia questions that they may write on and keep.     

 

Brain Teasers

In addition to answering trivia questions, kids enjoy solving brain teasers.  Plus, critical-thinking skills will be activated.  Search online with key phrases such as “picture brain teasers” or “riddles for kids.”

 

Just like with the trivia questions, print several copies of the brain teasers or riddles, along with the answer keys.  Store all of these sheets in a binder for the students to take out pages as needed during free time.         

 

Mad Libs

Reviewing the parts of speech of the English language should not be reserved solely for reading and writing classes.  Any opportunity to strengthen your students’ command of the English language should be embraced, and Mad Libs is a great, entertaining, creative way to do that.    

 

Printable versions of the timeless game can be found on the Internet, so printed copies can be put into a binder.  It is also helpful to include reference sheets with definitions of the parts of speech.  Another option is to buy several Mad Libs books to keep in a bin or on a book shelf.  The books can be found at most book retailers and stores that sell children’s games and toys. 

Writing Prompts

As with Mad Libs, writing prompts should be used in all subjects.  Activities to enhance writing abilities benefit your students’ academic growth.  One option for the storage of writing prompts is to have each prompt on a separate strip of paper in a container in which the strips will be randomly selected.  Another option is to have a list of prompts on several sheets of paper, and put each sheet in a plastic sheet protector within a binder for students to peruse and select prompts of interest.  

 

The writing prompts can relate to your content in order to be reflections of the knowledge students have gained.  A prompt in a social studies class might read, “Explain how life today would be different if the Declaration of Independence was not created.”  In a science class, a prompt may state, “Select a scientist.  Describe the impact that his/her discoveries have had on society.”  By composing responses, students are activating prior knowledge to defend a claim of their choosing and are utilizing cross-curricular skills. 

 

Literary Resources

A variety of digital platforms exist that provide an abundance of fiction and nonfiction texts related to all academic disciplines.  Resources such as Scholastic, NewsELA, CommonLit, and ReadWorks provide such materials.  The texts on these websites include accompanying questions in the forms of multiple choice and short-answer to enhance a variety of skills: reading comprehension, critical-thinking, inferencing, defining new terms, and more.  

 

Print an assortment of texts and their questions to keep in a binder.  Students can select readings of interest to them, which will keep them productive and engaged while their classmates continue working on the day’s activity.     

 

Independent Reading

Request that your students bring independent reading books to class every day.  The books can be of any genre, as long as they are school appropriate, of course.  Encourage students to explore anything from a biography about a musician to a graphic novel about an action-packed adventure.     

 

When students have books that are self-selected, they will look forward to days where they have a few minutes left at the end of class to read.  Enhancing reading ability and vocabulary will positively impact students’ academic skills across all subjects.     

Regarding the first five enrichment activities, keep a folder for each student where he/she can store their assignments – trivia, writing prompts, etc. – that are in progress or have been completed.  As the end of the marking period approaches, you can review their work and grant extra credit.  Additionally, each student can look back at his/her folder throughout the year and be proud of the effort put into the extra activities. 

 

What enrichment activities do you recommend for early finishers?  Leave a question, comment, or suggestion below, in the Comments Section!    

 

Please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store to purchase a variety of resources for all grades and subjects!

 

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Peace.  Love.  Reading & Writing.

 

💗 Miss M