Winter’s reign is ending. Spring is on its way, and you’re ready to share your feelings of positivity with your students. But, wait. You sigh as you think of the hours of lesson planning ahead. Suddenly, all your euphoria dissipates. And, no wonder. Studies show that teachers devote an average of seven hours per week to lesson planning. To ease your workload, the authors of 365 Days of Classroom Fun have provided exciting educational activities for every day of the year. To usher in spring, these March classroom ideas should do the trick.
1) Read Across America Day (March 2nd)
Supplies Needed: Books
Suggested Activities: Kick off the day with an interactive discussion about reading and its importance. After lunch, take your students to the library to select a book for taking home. And, don’t forget to close out the day by reading a passage from one of your favorite childhood books!
- Teach your students about the importance of reading. Start by emphasizing: Reading is fun and helps us learn. Then, tell them a great story about how reading became one of your favorite activities.
- Invite students to share their favorite books with the rest of the class. If some of your students are shy, ask leading questions and provide gentle hints along the way. Make it easy for your students to interact with you and their peers.
- Celebrate by creating a banner highlighting your students’ favorite books. Ask your students to help decorate the banner with crayons and then hang it up in the classroom.
2) Unique Names Day (March 5th)
Supplies Needed: Books on origins of baby names
Suggested Activities: Modern parents are giving their children more interesting and unusual names than ever. In fact, some names are so unique that it may be a challenge to find them in a book of baby names. A few days in advance, give your students a special “homework assignment.” Ask them to find out how they got their names. Gather these details and combine them with other information in a book. Then start your day!
- Teach your students that some people are named for a family member, while others are named after events, nature, legends, and months.
- Invite students to share with their classmates the details of how they were named.
- Celebrate by creating a table tent for each student, with their names on one side of the tent and two or three facts about their names on the other side.
3) Dentist Appreciation Day (March 6th)
Suggested Activities: If you have a friend or family member who is a dentist, ask if they would be willing to give a 30-minute talk about how they help people care for their teeth. You can also kick off the presentation with some “tooth trivia” and serve healthy snacks during the presentation.
If you can’t provide a guest speaker, consider showing some video clips and reading fun books about dentistry. If you’re a daycare teacher, consider books like “Curious George Visits the Dentist” (H.A. Rey), “The Crocodile and the Dentist” (Taro Gomi), and “If I Were a Dentist” (Scholastic).
4) Napping Day (March 11th)
Supplies Needed: Nap mats or cots; blankets; pajamas
Suggested Activities: Begin promoting Napping Day about a week in advance. Send your students home with notices proclaiming that they have special permission to wear their pajamas to school on the 11th. Kick Napping Day off with some fun “sleep trivia” questions that motivate your students to think about their sleep habits. Here are some tips to help you make Napping Day a hit. In fact, celebrating this holiday may just be one of the most restful March classroom ideas you’ve ever implemented!
- Teach your students about the importance of sleep and how many hours of sleep they need each night.
- Invite students to share helpful tips with their classmates about how they get to sleep, even when they don’t feel tired.
- Celebrate Napping Day by allowing students to wear their pajamas to school. Have an extra-long nap session after lunch.
5) Plant a Flower Day (March 12th)
Supplies Needed: Seeds or flowering plants; water
Suggested Activities: Kick off the day with a short discussion about flowers and the many ways they brighten our lives. Then, incorporate these tips into your daily activities:
- Teach students about the different types of flowers in your region. Touch upon ways to care for flowers throughout their lifespan.
- Invite your students to join you as you plant flowers or seeds in your school’s garden.
- Celebrate by having students color pictures of their favorite flowers and posting them on the wall.
6) St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th)
Supplies Needed: Green outfits and accessories
Suggested Activities: Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! While you can’t make a toast in class, you can still help your students enjoy this amazing holiday. Start off the day by sharing one of your favorite St. Patrick’s Day memories as a child. Then, encourage students to share their own memories or any plans they may have for the evening. Here are some creative ways to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in the classroom:
- Teach your students about the origins of St. Patrick’s Day and why we celebrate it.
- Invite students to use their eyes to locate 10 small four-leaf clovers that you have positioned strategically across your classroom.
- Celebrate by encouraging students to wear their favorite green clothing. Have green headbands and beads on hand for students to wear, as well. Make it as festive as possible. And, be sure to sashay into class with your favorite green outfit! To finish up, put on a St. Patrick’s Day song and have the children dance to it. Children learn best through movement, so dance on!
7) National Women’s Month (March 18th)
To celebrate National Women’s Month, reach out to local female celebrities, politicians, business owners, or influencers. Ask if they would be willing to join your classroom for 30 minutes to talk about their roles as daughters, mothers, sisters, and role models in the community. Plan to schedule four speakers to visit at different points throughout the day to keep students engaged. Here are some suggestions to consider:
- A local doctor such as a pediatrician or family care provider
- Your principal or vice-principal if the positions are held by women
- A popular news anchor who your students may know as a semi-celebrity
- A local singer who also performs at school events
8) Music In Our Schools Month (March 19th)
Celebrating Music In Our Schools Month is a great way to engage with students and parents. Plan a short music concert to showcase each student’s musical abilities. You can give students the option of singing a short song or playing an instrument for a minute or two. Ask each student to give one or two short statements about their “music” before they begin. Be sure to provide examples of what to say so they’ll know how to proceed:
- “Hi. My name is Michael and I like to sing. I’m going to sing a song my dad taught me about taking a vacation.”
- “Hi. My name is Sue and I’m going to play the triangle. Did you know that the triangle is one of the oldest musical instruments on earth?”
Be sure to prompt students gently, especially if “stage-fright” grips them. Music is a great way to reach young students: research shows that music learning can boost memory and motivate learning. In all, celebrating Music In Our Schools Month may just be one of the best March classroom ideas you’ve ever implemented.
9) Purple Day (March 26th)
Purple is such a popular color that your students will certainly look forward to celebrating Purple Day! From purple clothing to purple decorations, there are many fun ways to celebrate this amazing color.
Supplies Needed: Plenty of purple objects, clothing, and snacks!
Suggested Activities:
- Teach your students about the origin of purple and how you can make purple by mixing red and blue together.
- Invite students to wear their favorite purple shirts or accessories. Set the tone by dressing up to the nines in purple.
- Celebrate Purple Day by putting up purple streamers and serving purple M & Ms during breaks.
10) National Crayon Day (March 31st)
Supplies Needed: Paper and a box of crayons
Suggested Activities: Crayons are loved by children across the globe. In fact, nearly 65% of children ages two to seven use crayons at least once a day. So, it only makes sense to end the month of March by celebrating National Crayon Day!
- Teach your students that crayons are made of wax and tell them that children all over the world have been using them for over 100 years.
- Create a beautiful springtime picture using crayons and paper.
- Celebrate by hanging each student’s picture on the bulletin board for all to see!
Discover Other March Classroom Ideas in the Book
What are your go-to ideas for providing a great learning experience every day? As outlined above, March is full of holidays that can be used to create exciting learning opportunities for your classroom.
To discover how you can provide a great learning experience every day of the year, get your copy of 365 Days of Classroom Fun today. Written by industry experts, this user-friendly guide offers 365 cost-effective, fun lesson ideas that will engage children and delight their parents. Order your copy from Amazon to get classroom ideas for March and beyond.
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