Five Ways to Celebrate the 100th Day of School with Your First Graders

The 100th day of school is a great excuse to work some number lessons into your teaching routine with some fun 100th day activities, especially for first graders. If you're teaching first grade education, there are (and please excuse the pun) hundreds of 100-oriented lesson plans, games and 100th day activities available to spark your centenary creativity.

Here's a roundup of five great 100th day activities to help your students celebrate the 100th day of school:

1. Sort and Graph 100 Candies
Mix number lessons and snack time by letting your students sort and graph 100 colored candies. Fill small sandwich or Ziplock baggies with 100 Skittles, M&M's, jelly beans or other small multicolored candy. On the 100th day of school, let your students sort the candies by color and fill out a graph like the one shown here from The Teacher's Guide.

2. 100th Day Showcase
Challenge your students to bring in 100 of something small, such as paper clips, pop can tabs, bottle caps, or pebbles. Set up a table to display your students' items.

3. Take 100 Steps
Get your students outside (or into the gym if the weather is cruddy) for this fun activity that teaches estimation skills. Have your students guess just how far 100 steps will get them on the playground and then, together, count off 100 steps to see how accurate their guesses were.

4. Read a 100 Story
No, don't read 100 stories - that's too much, even for the best first grade teacher! Instead, read a book that involves the number 100, like one of these:

One Hundred Shoes by Elinor J. Pinczes
100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Charles Ghigna
Jake's 100th Day of School by Lester L. Laminack
Emily's First 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells
From One to One Hundred by Teri Sloat

5. Creative Writing about the Number 100
The 100th day of school doesn't have to be all about number lessons. Work some writing practice in there with a creative writing prompt. Have your students write a few sentences with one of the following story starters:

What would you do with $100?
What would you do if you met 100 angry rhinos while walking home from school?
What do you think the world will be like 100 years from now?
You've been in school for 100 days. Describe your favorite day.
If you could have 100 of anything, what would it be?

The 100th day of school is a great time to celebrate the number 100 with your first graders. With fun games, number lessons and 100th day activities, you'll have your students looking forward to their next 100 days of school.