Sorting Activities for Teachers
Download printable sorting activities to help your elementary students practice grouping different items into categories.
With activities aligned with the Common Core curriculum and editable options, this teacher resource collection is stocked with hundreds of resources perfect for elementary and middle school teachers,
Each sorting and grouping resource in this teaching resource collection has been created by a teacher, and each resource has undergone a rigorous review by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure it's ready to download and use in your classroom.
Choose from sorting activities for math, ELA, science or social studies with printable and digital options available! This collection also includes sorting activities that can be used for whole class, group or independent tasks.
Curious about how our teacher team uses sorting activities to keep kids engaged and make learning more fun? Read on for a primer!
What Are Sorting Activities?
Let's start with a definition. When we talk about sorting activities at Teach Starter, we're referring to hands-on activities for students that require them to identify, sort, and group different items into alike categories.
This tests recognition and helps students develop their problem-solving skills.
Are you mostly familiar with sorting activities for preschool or kindergarten? We have those, but you'll also find activities designed for older students from 1st and 2nd grade all the way up through 5th and 6th grade.
The goal is to strengthen students' comparison skills and deepening their understanding of a particular topic by sorting cards, playing games and often matching items.
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Rounding Whole Numbers Worksheets
Share these rounding whole numbers worksheets with your students so they can cut-and-paste their way to understanding rounding.
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Simple Sentence Building Activity - Caterpillar
Use this simple sentence building activity in the form of a caterpillar to have students identify the parts of a simple sentence.
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Percent Decimal Fraction Worksheet
Download this percent decimal fraction worksheet to give your students hands-on practice matching fraction, decimal, and percent equivalents.
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Text Structures Sorting Activity
A set of 24 text structure cards to use in a sorting or scoot activity.
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Multiplication and Division — Word Problem Solving and Sorting Cards
Build multiplication and division word problem skills with a hands-on sort and solve activity.
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Compound Sentence Strip Activity
Use these simple sentences and coordinating conjunctions to help students practice forming compound sentences.
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How Sound Is Made - Sorting Activity
Sort instruments that need to be plucked, blown, struck, or shaken to produce sound with our printable ‘How Sound Is Made’ Sorting Activity.
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Consonant Blends Beehive Sorting Activity
Explore common consonant blends with a bee-themed sorting activity perfect for lower elementary phonics lessons.
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Hours, Seconds & Minutes - Estimating Time Sort
Estimate activities that take about a second, minute, hour, and week with a printable unit of time sorting activity.
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Story Setting or Not? - Sorting Activity
Explore the difference between story settings and non-settings with this hands-on sorting activity.
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Mixtures and Solutions Sort
Distinguish between mixtures and solutions with this 24-card sorting activity.
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Figurative Language Sorting Activity
Explore figurative language in context with this set of 28 sorting cards.
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Initial Sound Sorting Activity (s, a, t, p, i, and n)
A sorting activity to practice initial sounds regarding the letters s, a, t, p, i, and n.
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Grouping Plants and Animals – Sorting Activity (K-1)
Sort plants and animals using different characteristics with a set of task cards and picture cards.
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Think It or Say It? - Sorting Activity
Practice using a filter when speaking with others with this sorting activity.
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Informative Paragraphs Sequencing Activity
Teach your students about informational text paragraph structure with this hands-on sequencing activity.
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Affixes Word Building Puzzle Activity
Build words with affixes with a pack of printable word-building puzzles.
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Literary Elements Fairy Tale Sorting Activity
Explore literary elements with this fairy tale sorting activity in the shape of a castle.
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Gingerbread Man Activity - Story Sequencing Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of Gingerbread Man Sequencing Cards.
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Sequencing Activities — Numbers 1 - 9 Sausage Dog
Use our sequencing activities like this sausage dog to help your students practice ordering the numbers 1 - 9.
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Uses of Materials Sorting Activity
Explore the materials objects are made of with a fun sorting activity for students.
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Acquired or Inherited? Trait Sort
Identify the differences between acquired and inherited traits with an engaging picture sort for 5th Grade.
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3-Digit Number Form Sorting Activity
Engage with different forms of 3-digit numbers with this sorting activity.
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Christmas Writing Center - Types of Sentences for 2nd Grade
Help your students answer “What Type of Sentence Is This?’ with a printable Christmas sorting activity on the 4 types of sentences.
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Vowel Teams Sort OA, OW, and OE
Decode words with "oa", "oe", or "ow" long "o" vowel teams using 18 picture cards with sorting mats.
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Antonyms and Synonyms Sorting Activity
Teach antonyms and synonyms with this hands‑on sorting activity that helps students confidently identify word relationships through meaningful, active learning.
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Prime and Composite Number Sort
Identify prime and composite numbers by sorting 30 number cards into their proper category.
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Numerical Expressions Sort!
Solve and sort numerical expressions according to different categories with this sorting activity.
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Odd and Even Number Sort
Sort even and odd numbers with this engaging task‑card activity that helps teachers confidently reinforce number concepts while keeping students motivated and on task.
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Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences Sorting Activity
Practice reading, identifying and writing simple, compound, and complex sentences with a sorting activity.
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Picture, Word, Letter, or Sentence – Sorting Activity
Help your students distinguish between pictures, letters, words, and sentences with this sorting activity.
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Ending Digraphs Sorting Activity
Practice decoding words by sorting 20 picture cards by their ending digraphs.