Flexible Activities to Do at Any Time
Have you ever finished a lesson before the expected time? We have all been there. The first time it happened to me, I had no idea what to do. I guiltily released my students early, and guess what? Parents complained! Now, I keep a list of flexible activities in case it happens to me again. A stitch in time saves nine!
Let me share these no-prep activities that you should also keep handy!
Flashcards Games!
There are plenty of activities we can do with our students with flashcards. Flashcards are excellent tools that allow us to reinforce content and revise vocabulary. Check out my blog about Flashcards and how you use them. CLICK HERE!
See some of my flashcards HERE
Exit Tickets
Use exit tickets to wrap up the lesson. Some of them might take 5 minutes, and others might take longer, choose the one that suits you best. If you’re short of time and you’d like a packet of exit tickets that are FREE and waiting for you, then CLICK HERE! You can also read my blog post about exit tickets HERE!
Cooperative Games
Cooperative learning is a form of small-group instruction where students work in a social setting to solve problems. They are fun, students love them and you can do them at any time! They are perfect for developing collaboration and critical thinking skills. Check out these task cards 
Download the whole pack for FREE HERE!
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
These are situations in which students are given little information and then they have to find an explanation. Obviously, there is more than one possible answer. Lateral thinking is a term coined by Dr. Edward de Bono and used as a counterpoint to conventional thinking. Example: The Man in the Bar: A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says ‘Thank you’ and walks out. Possible Answer: The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups so the man no longer needed the water.
Homework
Have students start the homework (use this as a last resort, if there isn’t much time, they won’t take it seriously).
The most essential aspect of any unplanned activity is not to say it is an extra activity. Just smoothly transition into it as if you had carefully planned it. I hope you find these flexible activities useful!
Happy teaching!
