February Resource Roundup: Upper Elementary Centers for February

Written by Emily Upton - Posted Feb. 1, 2024

February always gives me the blues. It's just so cold and yucky outside, it still gets dark wayyyy too early, and Spring Break is nowhere in sight. If you need help finding the motivation to get your lessons planned or keep your kiddos engaged during the winter slump, this blog post is for you! Even though the weather outside might be super lame, February is full of fun holidays that you can leverage for a little extra engagement in your classroom. I'll share some of my favorite lesson and center ideas for holidays in February. 

Click the images to check out the resources!

Groundhog Day (February 2)

I LOVE Groundhog Day. It's such a weird and fun holiday that you can use to practice so many different cross-curricular concepts. Check out these resources that will teach your students why we listen to that silly groundhog, anyway.

I love using escape rooms to get my students engaged! This escape room features 3 rooms with cross-curricular topics like timelines, groundhog math, and reading. The best part? Once students crack the codes, they get to color a color-by-code picture!

Do you know why we celebrate Groundhog Day? The history might surprise you! This no-prep activity is perfect for sneaking in a little history and reading comprehension.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This was a great reading activity to practice with working on reading comprehension. I like to use materials that are related to holidays in order to help the students gain a better understanding and it seems more real to them."

Need a hallway display for February? This groundhog craft incorporates reading comprehension with science as students learn about how light travels. My favorite part is when students glue a mini groundhog to the hat to illustrate how shadows are formed!

FREEBIE ALERT! This Groundhog Day freebie incorporates analyzing data and making predictions. Just how often is Phil correct with his predictions, anyways? Check out the data on this freebie to find out!

You can click here to grab the free resource.

Lunar New Year (February 10)

Do you teach about holidays around the world? Lunar New Year is a great way to teach students about a different culture while sneaking in some science!

In this project, students read about the history of the Lunar New Year and how it connects to the phases of the moon. Then, they create a Chinese lantern that shares all of their findings, including a diagram that shows each moon phase! This resource also includes a color-by-code activity with reading comprehension questions.

Valentine's Day (February 14)

Love is in the air, and so is learning! Check out these resources to level up your lessons in a way your students will love.

Chocolate, anyone? This science project combines reading and science all about chocolate! From the history of inventions that made chocolate what it is today to changing states of matter, your students will learn all about this delicious Valentine's Day treat (and make a pretty cool hallway display!).

A Valentine's Day bestseller, this reading comprehension passage with a timeline and color-by-code activity will teach your students about the iconic heart candy that they know and love!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "My students enjoyed learning about this holiday in a unique way. The kids have always had this candy so they were intrigued since the passage was relatable."

Leap Day (February 29)

You only have a chance to celebrate it once every four years, so your students will be instantly engaged! 

This escape room incorporates the history of Leap Day, the science behind why we need to add an extra day to our calendar every four years, and math related to this special day. Students answer the comprehension questions to crack the secret codes. At the end, they color a color-by-code activity!

February Writing Centers

Looking for a quick new warm-up routine or a center activity that will actually engage your reluctant writers? You need these writing activities!

"We do a prompt a day and the kids love to answer and talk about it with their peers. They find it very engaging and are willing to do some writing!"

There's just something about a daily fun fact that gets students excited about writing! Try out the February prompts for this day in history. (If you're looking for tips to start this new routine in your classroom, check out this blog post about quick writes!)

If you need to fit a little social-emotional learning into your daily lessons, these daily journal prompts and check-ins are a great way to do it. The month of February focuses on building and reflecting on honesty.

No matter what subject you teach, there are lots of ways to incorporate a little February fun into your classroom! I hope you enjoy these resources and that they bring a little brightness to the February gloom.