Click to select a category below, or scroll to browse the magic!

New York Times Connections Puzzle

• Teacher notes: This is based on the popular New York Times Connections puzzle. It promotes critical thinking, pattern recognition, and group reasoning. It’s best introduced with a few class examples before students work independently or in pairs.

  • Click here to access Connections builder

• Student instructions: You’ll see 16 words on the screen. Your task is to sort them into four groups of four, based on a hidden connection between the words. Keep trying until you’ve found all four correct groups!

Word Searches

• Teacher notes: Word searches reinforce familiarity with new terminology and spelling. They can be teacher-created using the site above or found pre-made for common subjects.

  • Create a word search using key terms for the unit (or find one that already has the terms within) at TheWordSearch.com

• Student instructions: Complete the word search using the key terms from this unit. Highlight or circle each word as you find it.

REBUS Puzzles

• Teacher notes: A Rebus puzzle uses pictures or letters to represent a word or phrase. Rebus puzzles encourage creative and lateral thinking, making them a fun warm-up or brain break while still engaging literacy skills.

  • REBUS Resources #1

  • REBUS Resources #2

  • REBUS Resources #3

• Student instructions: A Rebus puzzle uses pictures or letters to represent a word or phrase. Look carefully at each puzzle and try to figure out the hidden meaning. Write your answers in the space provided.

Unit Keyword Scrambles

• Teacher notes: Jumble unit keywords. A quick and effective vocabulary activity that helps students commit terminology to memory. Great for retrieval practice at the start or end of lessons.

• Student instructions: Unscramble each of the jumbled keywords below. Write the correct word next to each scramble. Race against classmates or time yourself to see how fast you can complete them.

Odd One Out

• Teacher notes: Give 4–5 related terms; one doesn’t fit — students justify why. This task promotes analytical thinking and concept differentiation. It can also be done with images for visual learners or lower-literacy students.

• Student instructions: Look at each set of 4–5 related words (or images). Decide which one doesn’t belong and explain why. There may be more than one correct answer — what matters is your reasoning!

Crossword Clues (Quick Play)

• Teacher notes: Create a crossword using 5+ words from the unit's key terms. Provide to students either digitally or on print-outs.

• Student instructions: Complete the crossword using this unit’s key terms. Read each clue carefully and fill in the correct word in the grid. Work individually or with a partner. When you finish, double-check your answers against the word list and submit or show your completed crossword to your teacher. 

20 Questions (Topic Edition)

• Teacher notes: Pick a person, place, or concept from the unit. Students take turns asking yes/no questions as a class until they guess correctly. This activity develops questioning, deduction, and recall skills, while encouraging participation and active listening. It works well as a warm-up, recap, or lesson closer.

Matching Madness

• Teacher notes: Give students a set of terms and matching definitions or images. Matching activities support vocabulary consolidation and visual association. They can be done digitally (e.g., drag-and-drop) or in print, making them flexible for any setting.

• Student instructions: Match each term to its correct definition or image. Time yourself or compete with a classmate!

Hangman with a Twist

• Teacher notes: Play classic Hangman as a class but with content-specific vocabulary only. This keeps a familiar game academic and purposeful while reinforcing spelling and vocabulary in an engaging, interactive way.

Alphabet Race

• Teacher notes: Students complete an A–Z list using words or concepts related to the current topic (e.g., “List a history term for each letter you can”). This fast-paced activity encourages recall, creative thinking, and broad connections to unit vocabulary.

• Student instructions: You have a few minutes to complete an A–Z list of words related to this topic. Try to find one word for as many letters of the alphabet as you can. Be quick — aim for accuracy and creativity!

Fermi Question

• Teacher notes: Pose a real-world estimation question to the class that can’t be proven exactly (e.g., “How many basketballs could fit in this room?”). Fermi questions build estimation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills by encouraging students to make logical assumptions.

Number of the Day

• Teacher notes: Present a number related to the subject (e.g., 1066, π, 9.8). Students brainstorm what it might represent. This sparks curiosity and activates prior knowledge at the start of a lesson.

• Student instructions: Look at the below number. Think about what it might represent in today’s subject and discuss with your elbow partner. Write down your ideas about its significance before your teacher reveals the answer.

Headline Rewrite

• Teacher notes: Show students a current or historical news headline and ask them to rewrite it in simpler or more accurate language. This strengthens comprehension and summarising skills while helping students interpret media critically.

• Student instructions: Read the headline on the board. Rewrite it in your own words using simpler or clearer language while keeping the same meaning. Be ready to share and compare your version with others.

Paraphrase Challenge

• Teacher notes: Give students a tricky definition, quote, or passage. They rephrase it using their own words. This activity builds comprehension, vocabulary, and confidence in expressing complex ideas clearly.

• Student instructions: Read the definition or quote your teacher has provided. Rewrite it in your own words so that it means the same thing but sounds simpler and more natural. Avoid copying exact phrases.

Speed Facts

• Teacher notes: Students have 60 seconds to recall and write down as many facts as they can from the last lesson. A high-energy recall activity that reinforces memory and helps teachers see what’s been retained.

• Student instructions: Your teacher will set a timer for one minute! Write down as many facts, ideas, or key terms as you can remember from the last lesson. When time’s up, compare your list with a partner or share highlights with the class.

Brain Chain

• Teacher notes: One student says a fact, the next adds a connected fact, and so on, creating a “chain” of related ideas. Encourages active listening and reinforces how concepts link together.

Quick Poll

• Teacher notes: Use hands, mini whiteboards, or digital tools (e.g., Mentimeter, Kahoot, or Google Forms) to gather instant feedback, predictions, or opinions. Engages all students quickly and provides a fast check of understanding or sentiment.

Flash Card Frenzy

• Teacher notes: Students work in pairs to quiz each other using flashcards (teacher-made or student-created). This fast recall game supports memory, reinforces vocabulary, and promotes peer learning.

• Student instructions: Work with your partner to quiz each other using the flashcards. Take turns asking and answering. Try to answer quickly and correctly — then swap roles. Keep score for fun if you’d like!

5-Second Summary

• Teacher notes: Students must summarise yesterday’s topic in one sentence or under five seconds. Forces concise expression and demonstrates understanding — perfect as a quick warm-up or closure task.

• Student instructions: You have five seconds (or one sentence) to summarise yesterday’s topic. Focus on the main idea — what was it really about? Be clear, brief, and accurate.

Ranking Rush

• Teacher notes: Give 5–6 statements, events, or terms and ask students to quickly rank them (e.g., from most important to least important, earliest to latest, or easiest to hardest). Encourages evaluation and justification of thinking.

• Student instructions: Look at the below list. Rank the items according to the given criteria (for example, from most important to least important). Once you’ve ranked them, be ready to explain why you ordered them that way.

Quick 6

• Give students six questions that recall information from previous lessons (both immediate and further back)

• Ask students to complete at least five of the questions

• Make questions a mix of easier and more difficult 

Caption This!

• Teacher notes: Show a funny or interesting image related to the current topic. Students write a creative caption that connects the image to what they’re learning. This is a quick and engaging way to check understanding and encourage humour, creativity, and topic connections.

• Student instructions: Look at the below image. Write a short, clever caption that links it to what we’re learning about today. Be creative — your caption should make sense and show you understand the topic.

Two Truths and a Lie (Topic Edition)

• Teacher notes: Present three statements about the topic — two true, one false. Students identify the lie. This activity reviews factual knowledge in a fun, game-style format that encourages reasoning and discussion.

• Student instructions: Your teacher will show or read three statements about the topic — two are true, one is a lie. Decide which one you think is false and explain your reasoning. Be ready to share your guess with the class!

Comic Strip It

• Teacher notes: Give students a concept, definition, or short scenario and have them create a 3-panel comic that represents it visually. This supports visual learning and helps students demonstrate understanding through creative expression.

• Student instructions: You’ll be given a concept or idea from today’s topic. Create a 3-panel comic strip that explains or represents it. Include simple drawings, speech bubbles, or labels. Focus on showing meaning — not artistic perfection!

Meme It 

• Teacher notes: Show a meme template or allow students to choose one, then challenge them to adapt it to the day’s topic. Memes combine humour with conceptual understanding, helping students engage critically and creatively with key ideas.

• Student instructions: Choose or use the meme template your teacher provides. Add your own caption or text that links the meme to today’s topic. Make sure it’s appropriate, relevant, and shows your understanding of the idea.

Six-Word Story

• Teacher notes: Students summarise a key idea, lesson, or topic in exactly six words. This encourages precision, reflection, and synthesis — summarising big ideas in a concise way.

• Student instructions: Summarise what you learned in exactly six words. You can write a sentence, phrase, or mini-story — but it must be six words only! Try to capture the most important idea from yesterday’s lesson.

Analogy Challenge 

• Teacher notes: Students complete the sentence: “Today’s topic is like ___ because ___.” Analogies help students make connections between new content and prior knowledge, strengthening conceptual understanding.

• Student instructions: Finish this sentence: “Today’s topic is like ___ because ___.” Think of something familiar to compare it to, and explain your reasoning in one clear sentence.

Sticky Note Sketches

• Teacher notes: Give each student a sticky note and one minute to doodle or draw a simple image representing a keyword or concept. They then post it on the board or wall. A fun, low-stakes way to activate prior knowledge and get everyone participating.

• Student instructions: Grab a sticky note and a pen. You have one minute to draw a simple sketch that represents a key concept or word from today’s topic. Add it to the board when you’re done — we’ll look at everyone’s ideas together.

Headline Haiku

• Teacher notes: Students write a haiku (3 lines, 5–7–5 syllables) that summarises a key concept or event like a “news flash” poem. Combines creativity and summarising skills, encouraging students to express understanding concisely.

• Student instructions: Write a Headline Haiku about today’s topic or a key term.

  • Line 1: 5 syllables

  • Line 2: 7 syllables

  • Line 3: 5 syllables

• Try to capture the main idea in a creative way — like a poetic headline!

Emoji Emotion Picker

• Teacher notes: Students choose an emoji to describe how they’re feeling today, write it on a sticky note (or share digitally), and include a short explanation. The teacher can invite a few volunteers to share or review the notes privately. This activity helps gauge student wellbeing and mood before learning begins — great for building emotional awareness and classroom connection.

• Student instructions: Choose an emoji that best describes how you’re feeling today. Write it on a sticky note (or share it online) along with a short reason why you chose it. Example: 😀 “I’m happy because I finished my project!” Your teacher may ask a few volunteers to share with the class.

Rose, Thorn, Bud

• Teacher notes: Students share three reflections: a rose (something positive or successful), a thorn (a challenge or difficulty), and a bud (something they’re looking forward to). Encourages self-reflection, emotional awareness, and balanced thinking about learning experiences.

• Student instructions: Think about your learning or week so far and write down:

  • Rose: something positive or that went well.

  • Thorn: a challenge or something tricky.

  • Bud: something you’re looking forward to or want to grow in.

Mood Meter

• Teacher notes: Show a 2-axis grid (Energy vs. Pleasantness) and have students mark where they feel they are. The grid helps identify emotions based on how energetic or pleasant students feel. A visual tool that helps students recognize and regulate emotions — perfect for morning check-ins or transitions.

• Student instructions: Look at the Mood Meter grid on the board. Think about how you feel right now:

  • Energy level (high or low)

  • Pleasantness (positive or negative)

• Place yourself on the grid where your mood fits best. Be ready to reflect quietly or discuss what might help you move to a positive space.

One Word Whip-Around

• Teacher notes: Each student shares one word that sums up how they’re feeling, how yesterday’s lesson went, or what they’re thinking about the topic. A quick and inclusive way to start a discussion and gauge class energy or understanding.

• Student instructions: When it’s your turn, share one word that sums up your current mood or how you felt about yesterday’s lesson. Keep it short and listen respectfully as others share their words.

Would You Rather (Topic Twist)

• Teacher notes: Pose a fun “Would You Rather” question connected to the topic (e.g., “Would you rather travel to Ancient Rome or Ancient Egypt?”). Engages curiosity, sparks discussion, and encourages reasoning while staying subject-focused.

• Student instructions: Review the “Would You Rather” question below. Choose one option and ready to explain why you picked it. There’s no wrong answer — just share your reasoning!

Classroom Playlist

• Teacher notes: Students suggest a song that matches their mood or relates to the topic. Compile into a shared class playlist. Promotes community building and creativity, and can be used as background music for future lessons.

• Student instructions: Choose one song that reflects how you’re feeling today or connects to our current topic. Share the song title and artist with your teacher (and explain your choice if asked). Together, we’ll build a class playlist!

Thumbs Up / Side / Down

• Teacher notes: A quick, silent confidence check before beginning a new activity. Students show a thumbs up (confident), sideways (unsure), or down (confused). Provides instant formative feedback for teachers and helps students self-assess readiness.

Shout-Outs

• Teacher notes: Give students one minute to recognise or thank someone who helped them or did something kind recently by writing it on a post-it note. Builds positive classroom culture, strengthens peer relationships, and encourages gratitude.

• Student instructions: Take a moment to think of someone in the class who helped you, supported you, or showed kindness recently. Write it down on a post-it note to be shared with someone to brighten their day!

Alphabet Connections

• Pick a letter (or use a random generator to choose a letter) and ask students to list one things about themselves that starts with that letter

• For example, if the letter is S, students may say they like spaghetti, play soccer, have a dog called Sue, etc