By incorporating Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts into the classroom, you create traditions and rituals your students will learn to expect and look forward to.
We absolutely love the Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts because they allow every day to be a reason for celebration.
Whether we’re celebrating National Ice Cream Day or finding extra ways to spread kindness on National Kindness Day, students begin to find a little something special every day of the year.
Since we have Holiday of the Day writing prompts for every day of the school year, teachers have found lots of different ways to incorporate them into their daily learning.
Here are some of our favorite ways teachers are incorporating Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts into the classroom.
8 Ways to Incorporate Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts into the Classroom
Incorporating Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts into your classroom can look like doing the prompts the same way every day, or you can change it each day. It is up to you! But the resources are there (every day) and ready to be used whenever you feel it is most appropriate!
In a lot of these examples, we are using the Holiday of the Day as a foundation to learn more about the holiday or the topic of the holiday and build on that knowledge with another project or assignment.
#1 | Morning Meeting Rituals
Start the day by incorporating the holiday of the day into your morning meeting rituals.
Begin by reading the prompt and then doing a short discussion or sharing activity where students can talk about their own experiences related to the holiday or learn about its cultural significance.
Encourage students to ask questions, share stories, or even present artifacts or images associated with the holiday.
#2 | Themed Writing Prompts
Infuse writing activities with the spirit of the holiday of the day. Each Holiday of the Day Writing Prompt encourages students to write on the topic, but you can also take these a step further.
Provide themed writing prompts that invite students to reflect, imagine, and explore different aspects of the holiday.
Prompts could include writing about personal experiences, crafting fictional stories, composing poems, or even creating persuasive arguments for why the holiday should be celebrated.
#3 | Collaborative Projects
Foster collaboration and teamwork by assigning group projects centered around the holiday of the day.
Students can work together to research and create presentations, posters, or multimedia projects showcasing the history, customs, and traditions of the holiday.
Have fun with the visual components of the holiday by encouraging students to add images, illustrations, or even short videos to make their presentations stronger.
#4 | Cultural Exploration Stations
Create interactive stations in your classroom where students can engage in hands-on activities related to the holiday of the day.
Students could explore crafts, traditional games, or sample foods associated with the holiday.
To prepare for these types of events, assign some of the bigger cultural holidays included in the Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts resource to students at the beginning of the year. Each group will be responsible for deciding and creating the stations that will be presented on their holiday.
#5 | Guest Speakers and Virtual Tours
Invite guest speakers from different cultural backgrounds to share their experiences and knowledge about the holiday of the day.
These speakers don’t even have to take a cultural perspective. On National Ice Cream Day, you can invite a local dairy farmer or talk to the owner of the local ice cream place.
For some holidays, it may even be fun to take students on virtual tours of cultural sites or celebrations. This is a fun, meaningful way to connect with diverse perspectives.
#6 | Literature Connections
The Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts are writing-focused, but why not add some additional reading on the topic?
Select children’s books or excerpts from novels that highlight the holiday of the day or feature characters from the respective culture.
You may even find that some of the selections from our monthly Close Reads with Mystery Pictures directly align with the holidays you’re learning about.
Read whatever selections you were able to find aloud or assign them as independent reading. Engage students in discussions about the stories, characters, and/or cultural elements as a way of engaging with the holiday of the day topic in a new way.
#7 | Reflection Journals
Allocate time for students to maintain reflection journals specifically focused on the holiday of the day.
In these journals, students can write about their thoughts, feelings, and newfound knowledge about the holiday. Encourage them to consider their personal connections, any questions or curiosities that arise, and how they can apply the values or lessons of the holiday to their own lives.
#8 | Class Yearbook
Create a photo book depicting all the ways students celebrated the Holiday of the Day over the course of the year. Take quotes from students about the holiday and take note of any fun or silly moments that took place while celebrating. At the end of the year, make the photo book available for students/parents to purchase through a service like Shutterfly.
With so many ways of incorporating Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts into the classroom, it is no wonder these short prompts are so popular. They help make every day a little bit special and unique, and we are totally here for that kind of fun!
Check out some of these other blog posts if you are interested in even more ways you can be incorporating Holiday of the Day Writing Prompts in your classroom!
