February Fun - Free Lessons You'll Love!

February is packed with fun holidays, making it a great time to integrate seasonal activities into your lessons. This year we celebrate the Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and Presidents' Day, to name just a few. I'm sure you're aware that it's Black History Month, but I'll bet you didn't know that it's International Friendship Month, too!

Every minute counts during the school day, so seasonal activities MUST meet the same standards we apply to all of our lessons. They must actively engage students and provide opportunities for real learning. It can be challenging for upper elementary teachers to locate meaningful holiday-themed lessons, but it IS possible to find seasonal activities that are both academically rigorous and fun! To see what I mean, download my free February Activities mini pack. This teaching resource is jam-packed with engaging lessons and no-prep printables for February and winter.  Click here to request your free copy now.

By the way, February Activities is just one of the monthly lesson packs in my Seasonal Activities Bundle. If you like this freebie, you'll also enjoy my seasonal activity packs for the other months of the year!

My Favorite February Lessons 
Here are some of my favorite lessons and activities from the February Activities pack, but this is by no means all of them. This 27-page freebie includes lessons and activities for Valentine's Day, International Friendship Month, Black History Month and Presidents' Day, and more! My daughter Amy is a freelance photographer, and she spent the afternoon preparing these activities and photographing them so that I could show them to you. Didn't she do a beautiful job? :-)

Heartfelt Thanks Appreciation Notes
To celebrate International Friendship Month, teach kids how to express gratitude and appreciation by giving each student a copy of the printable with heart notes printable. Discuss what it means to be thankful for something or someone, and provide class time for writing and exchanging notes.

Conversation Hearts Candy Fractions
If you've been studying fractions, your kids will love this lesson with conversation hearts! The focus of the lesson is on finding fractions of a number, and the final step is having students create their own fraction problems as shown below.

Writing Friendship Cinquains
Since February is International Friendship Month, it’s a perfect time to write friendship poems. Cinquains are simple 5-line poems, and this activity will lead your students through the poetry writing process as they interview a friend and write a poem about him or her.

Valentine's Day Reading Marathon Activity

Valentine’s Day is bound to be filled with excitement, but it doesn't have to be chaotic! Start the day with a Reading Marathon, an activity in which students choose their own books and read for an extended period of time, with short breaks to stop and create a storyboard.

Where to Find the February Activities Freebie

Are you wondering where you can download this lesson-packed freebie? This 26-page activity pack is a free gift for subscribers of my email newsletter, Candler's Classroom Connections. I recently sent this freebie to all of my subscribers, but if you didn't get it, you can click here to receive your copy. You'll automatically be signed up for Candler's Classroom Connections, too. (If you are already signed up, you'll just be confirming your current subscription.)

I enjoy creating interactive teaching resources for busy educators because I know just how much time it takes to plan engaging lessons. I hope this February Activities freebie lightens your lesson-planning load this month!