Teacher’s Brain

10 Inspiring New Year’s Resolution Ideasand Activities for Students


Hey friend! Can you believe it’s that time again – the transition from one year to the next? Have you been thinking about New Year resolution ideas? I know I have! I’ve been thinking a lot about how we can make the upcoming year special for our kiddos. You know, sprinkle in a little magic and set the stage for growth. 

new year's resolution ideas for kids

So, I thought, why not get our students excited about some New Year’s resolutions? If you’ve been looking for the perfect New Year activities for kids or New Year activities for students, you’re in the right place. Let’s help them stride into the New Year with purpose and a sprinkle of fun.

What is the best New Year’s resolution for kids? Here are some ideas to get you started! 

Read More Books

Encourage a love for reading by setting a goal for the number of books to read in the upcoming year. Create a reading log or a fun book tracker where students can mark off each book they complete.

Practice Kindness

Foster a caring and supportive classroom environment by encouraging students to set resolutions focused on kindness. Whether it’s helping a classmate, being a good listener, or performing random acts of kindness, these resolutions contribute to a positive classroom culture.

Healthy Habits

Teach the importance of physical well-being by setting resolutions related to health. This could include goals like eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, or engaging in regular physical activity.

Organize Schoolwork

Help students develop valuable organizational skills by setting resolutions related to their school materials. Whether it’s keeping a tidy desk, organizing their backpack, or turning in assignments on time, these resolutions promote responsibility.

Learn Something New

Encourage a love for continuous learning by having students set resolutions to acquire new skills or knowledge. This could involve learning a musical instrument, mastering a new language, or exploring a particular subject in-depth.

Mindful Moments

Introduce the practice of mindfulness by encouraging students to set resolutions focused on being present and self-aware. Simple activities like deep breathing exercises or short moments of reflection can make a big difference in promoting a positive mindset.

Goal-setting Galore

Teach the importance of setting achievable goals. Have students break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. This not only helps in achieving success but also instills a sense of accomplishment.

Family Bonding

Foster strong family connections by encouraging resolutions centered around spending quality time with loved ones. Whether it’s a weekly family game night, cooking together, or sharing stories, these resolutions strengthen family ties.

Environmental Stewardship

Instill a sense of responsibility for the environment by setting resolutions related to sustainability. This could involve reducing waste, recycling, or participating in a community clean-up project.

Gratitude Journaling

Foster a positive outlook by encouraging students to keep a gratitude journal. Have them write down one thing they are thankful for each day. This simple practice can enhance their overall well-being and perspective on life.

If you’re looking or New Year activities for students that you can easily do with little to no prep, I have you covered! 

Check Out This New Year’s Resolution Writing Craft

new year's ideas for kids

Are you looking for a New Year’s writing activity to help students understand resolutions and goals? This NO PREP activity is great to use in both boy and girl versions to create goals for the new year and an easy bulletin board!

What is in the download?

  • a vocabulary poster for the word /RESOLUTION/
  • 3 Boy Options
  • 5 Girl Options
  • 1 Blank head to create your own (add a face and hair)
  • 4 different writing prompt pages (With and without hands on the side, Primary and Intermediate lined)
  • 2 Rough Drafts (Primary and Intermediate lined)
new year's resolution ideas for kids

Looking for more New Year fun? Check out my post here! 

4 Engaging Brain Break Activities Your Students Will Love

Wondering if you should be adding in more brain breaks to your days with your students?

Think of brain breaks as super important timeouts for our little ones in elementary school. They’re not just about taking a break – they’re like power-ups for our students! 

brain breaks for kids

These short breaks do more than give a breather from lessons; they actually help our kids think better, feel happier, and make the whole classroom experience way more awesome. 

In elementary, every day is a mix of excitement and learning, throwing in brain breaks is like adding a secret ingredient to help our little learners grow and have a blast.

What is a brain break? 

Brain Breaks are short activities that help energize your students. They last about 1 to 5 minutes. They require no or little prep and help send oxygen to the brain to help students retain information.

Looking for brain break activities? I have you covered! 

There are many things you can do like getting some physical activity, watching a short video on YouTube, taking a dance break, playing a game, or making a craft. One of my favorite brain break activities is coloring! 

If you are looking for some high-quality coloring sheets that will keep your students occupied, these are perfect for you. 

Dinosaur Coloring Pages

brain break coloring pages for kids

These dino coloring pages make great discussion starters and writing prompts!

Unicorn Coloring Pages

unicorn coloring pages for kids brain breaks

These unicorn coloring pages are the perfect magical break from learning. 

Winter Coloring Pages

winter coloring pages

These help keep students and you calm and make great wall decorations!

For even more brain break fun, you can check out this brain break activity resource! 

brain breaks for kids

This is my favorite collection of 48 different Brain Breaks. These task cards can be used as transitions, breaks during an activity, something to raise or lower the energy of the group, team-building activities, and so much more!

What’s included?

• 48 Printable Task Cards in Black and White (4 per page) PDF

• 48 Printable Task Cards in Color (4 per page) PDF

• 48 Printable 8×10 Cards in Color (1 per page) PDF

• 48 Goofle Slides in Color for Digital Displays or Sharing at a Distance

• 2 Editable Slides to Create Your Own Brain Breaks (Google link digital option provided in the PDF)

Place them on a ring, on popsicle sticks, or in a crayon box for easy storage!

Use the Google Slides in presentation mode to randomly pick a brain break.
Looking for more classroom management tips, check out my post here!

3 Delightful Gingerbread Man Activities This Holiday Season


It’s officially time to get excited for the holidays! As the festive season approaches, there’s an undeniable air of excitement and joy in our classrooms. The fun holiday crafts lining the halls and the anticipation of holiday fun make this time of year truly magical for our little learners.

gingerbread man activities for kids

What are some popular Christmas activities? 

There are many ways that you can bring holiday cheer to your classroom, but I wanted to share a unique spin- gingerbread-themed activities! 

In the spirit of spreading holiday cheer, I’m thrilled to share some gingerbread-themed activities that will make your classroom feel like a winter wonderland. If you’re looking for Christmas activities for students or Gingerbread Man activities, you’re in the right place! 

Here are my top 3 Gingerbread Man activities for kindergarten or early elementary students! 

Gingerbread Man Craft and Writing Activities

gingerbread man activities

Let your students turn into the gingerbread man (or girl) this holiday season! This is a fun headband or writing topper that comes with bonus writing prompts. Students will color, cut, and glue the parts together to turn themselves into a gingerbread cookie!

Build a Gingerbread House or Man Writing Activity

gingerbread man activities writing activities

Are you looking for a great way to do an engaging virtual OR in-person Holiday writing lesson with students with a gingerbread theme?  I have you covered with these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts to design their own gingerbread house or person.  Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about the decorated gingerbread. You can even have a virtual contest!

Gingerbread Man Craft Bulletin Board Set 

gingerbread man activities creativity

Are you looking for a great way to get students to sequence events with a gingerbread man theme or maybe an interactive decorative classroom bulletin board for your classroom? This download includes different pull waffle books to use with the story, a pocket to hold the characters for students to reenact the story, and BLANK waffle books to create your own story! Just add a bow and a folded lunch bag to create a keepsake for students to give to others or use on the bulletin board.

I hope these printable Gingerbread Man activities and digital activities bring a smile to your students’ faces this year. 


If you want more Christmas activities for the classroom, check out my post here!

Jingle All the Way to Learning: 5 Enchanting Christmas Activities for the Classroom

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s time to sprinkle a bit of holiday magic into your classroom with some Christmas activities for kids or holiday activities for elementary. 

Christmas and the winter holidays are just around the corner, and I want to share some festive resources and activities that will turn your classroom into a winter wonderland of learning and joy! 

christmas activities

If you are looking for Christmas activities for elementary students, you’re in the right place!

Teaching during the holiday season is a special opportunity to infuse the spirit of Christmas into your lessons while keeping the focus on education. Here are some of my favorite Christmas activities for kids!

Christmas Math and Literacy Worksheets

Christmas activities for kids

Are you looking for some holiday worksheets for your K-1 students? I have you covered with over 100 various types of worksheets, games, and printables that cover many kindergarten and 1st grade skills. 

Holidays Around the World Escape Room

holiday activities

Looking for a GREAT activity for your students to help your students practice problem-solving and learn about different winter holidays with a focus on the main idea? Digital Escapes™ are a fun way to get students to learn without even realizing it. NO Printing and No Prep needed for this digital escape! Super EASY for in-person or Distance Learning. 

Students will click an audio button for a short story and directions to help with their first clue. During the escape, students will be tasked with solving 4 lock clues in order to escape the room and break the spell a bad elf placed on them. There is a PDF included in this download with directions, the link to the site, an answer key, and an optional note-taking worksheet for students. This activity takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

Christmas Ornament Poem (FREEBIE!)

free Christmas activities for kids

Are you looking for a great poem to easily download, print, and add to an ornament filled with a ribbon the same size as the student? I have you covered. 🙂 These make perfect gifts for the family!

Christmas Door Decorations

Christmas classroom decorations Christmas activities for kids

Ready to have the cutest door at school for the holidays? This is a simple door or bulletin board you can create using these printables. Pair Santa’s Vacation display with student writing samples or have students add a personalized bulb to the palm tree.

Santa is gone to the beach!

Ugly Sweater Christmas Writing Activity

Christmas activities for kids writing activity ugly sweater

Are you looking for a great way to do an engaging virtual OR in-person Holiday WRITING lesson with students?  I have you covered with these interactive, editable Google Slides to easily have students copy and paste movable parts to DESIGN their own Ugly Sweater.  Then, they will write a narrative, persuasive, or opinion paper about ugly sweaters.

‘Tis the season to be jolly and learn together! I hope you and your students love these resources as much as I do. 

Looking for more Christmas fun? Check out my post here!