Early Finisher Activities Teaching Resources
Explore early finisher activities created by teachers to help you answer the question "I'm done, now what?" when your students complete work ahead of their classmates!
This collection of worksheets, quiet activities and more for those "fast finish" students is packed with options that provide students with a challenge that will keep them occupied — and keep them learning — while classmates complete a task!
Looking for ideas for early finishers and how to build this important part of classroom management into your classroom routines? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is an Early Finisher?
Whether it's completing a test before their classmates or wrapping up an assignment in half the time that you allotted, some students work more quickly than their peers.
The reasons are varied. Some kids speed through work because they aren't taking time to carefully read what's in front of them or address the assignment, but others are finishing early simply because they can.
Early finishing could come down to:
- Differences in Abilities — We know our students have individual learning styles and abilities, and with that comes an ability for some to work at a faster pace than others.
- Prior Knowledge — Your early finishers may possess prior knowledge or skills related to the task, whether from a previous class or even something learned outside of the school setting.
- Motivation Levels — Some students may be highly motivated and focused, leading them to complete tasks efficiently.
What to Do if a Student Finishes Early
Before you decide what to do with your early finishers, you need to consider why and how your students are completing their work at a rapid pace.
If the "why" is that a student is not appropriately addressing the assignments, you'll need to work with them to slow down and focus on the task. If you're looking at students who finish work early simply because they can, the next question is how to keep them engaged so they're not disrupting their classmates and getting value out of this class time.
How Do You Engage Early Finishers?
We recommend you focus your early finisher activities on a mix of practice and enrichment work rather than focusing on "fun" that may tempt students to speed through their work. As you explore this collection of activities, you'll find they're focused on skill building, rather than simply giving students a chance to goof off!
We didn't stop there! Here are some clever ideas from our teacher team to engage fast finishers.
- Establish early finisher procedures. Let students know from the first week of school what to do when they've completed individual tasks so that they can move on directly to early finisher work. You may want to establish a "must do," "may do" and "may not do" structure for this procedure so students know what they should — and should not — be doing when they've completed a task! The actual procedures will look different depending on your grade level — a kindergarten early finisher activity procedure will likely be simpler than one for fifth grade — but having it set in stone is key to good classroom management!
- Set up an early finisher destination. Minimize classroom disruptions by setting up a spot in the classroom where students know they can go to find their early finisher work such as a set of busy bins, a "what do I do now?" station or even a bulletin board with folders where students can find challenging worksheets to complete for extra credit.
- Have fast finishing students help you keep classroom supplies in line. Do you have puzzles that may or may not be missing a few pieces? It's an all-too-common problem in classrooms, and it's one that you can solve by having your fast finishers count out the pieces to ensure everything is in place. Similarly, students can use this time to ensure board games are still in working order and so on.
- Assign a classroom job. If some kids are always finishing ahead of their classmates, why not assign them a job such as helping classmates who could use their assistance?
- Differentiate your instruction. If you recognize that the same students are always finishing their work ahead of their peers, plan ahead with extension activities, independent research projects or creative assignments that encourage critical thinking.
- Have early finishers work together. You can challenge your early finishing students to work together on group projects such as a STEM challenge which can help them build their teamwork and social skills.
- Extra reading. When in doubt, allow students to spend time reading to keep their brains active (and their mouths quiet) while their classmates finish up a task or test.
- Free Plan
Free St. Patrick's Day Word Search Activity
Print a free St. Patrick's Day word search for some holiday word-find fun!
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Grammar Grid Mystery Picture Worksheet- Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives (Bunny)
Follow the color-coded parts of speech guide to fill in the word grid and reveal a mystery image.
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Easter Egg Coloring Sheet Pack
Give your students an ‘egg-cellent’ brain break with a printable Easter Egg Coloring Sheet pack.
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Easter Mini-Mystery – Who Stole the Easter Egg?
A fun, logic-based Easter-themed activity where students read clues to solve the mystery.
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Symmetry Drawing Worksheet Pack
Teach your students about symmetry using this series of drawing worksheets where they must copy an image symmetrically using grid lines for reference.
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Symmetry Worksheets
Use this set of eight symmetry worksheets to help students understand symmetry, the line of symmetry, and symmetrical objects.
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Easter Word Search
Boost reading and spelling skills with an Easter word search.
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50-Book Challenge Tracker & Printable Bookmark
Encourage your students to complete the 50 Book Reading Challenge with a printable bookmark to track their books.
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Spring Word Search Puzzle
Search, find, and celebrate spring in your classroom with a fun Spring Word Search Puzzle.
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Roll to Create a Creature - Drawing Game
Use a die and a chart to create a creature to include in a narrative text or a comic strip.
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Winter Logic Puzzles
Engage critical thinking skills with these winter logic puzzles that challenge students to use reasoning and deduction to solve fun, seasonal mysteries.
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Mini-Mystery – Which Key Opens the Door?
Use knowledge of 2-D shapes and right angles to solve the mystery in this fun, logic-based activity.
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Printable Easter Bookmarks
Hop into self-selected reading and inspire good reading habits with fun printable Easter bookmarks for kids!
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Color by Number – Repeated Addition and Multiplication
Guide your students to connect repeated addition with multiplication by completing this color-by-code multiplication worksheet.
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Finish the Picture - Drawing Worksheets
Spark creativity in the classroom with a pack of Finish the Drawing worksheets.
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Count the Nickels Worksheet
Use skip counting and addition skills to determine the number of nickels needed for a given amount.
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Order of Operations Dice Game
Practice order of operations with this set of 6 dice activity mats.
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National Dot Day Coloring Sheets - Kandinsky Circles
Introduce your students to the circle art style of Wassily Kandinsky with a set of fun National Dot Day Coloring Sheets.
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Color by Parts of Speech Worksheet – Chameleon
Practice identifying different parts of speech with this fun color-by-code worksheet.
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Fall Color By Part of Speech Worksheet - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs
Use this color by part of speech worksheet as a fun fall activity with your students.
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Comparing Three-Digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practice comparing 3-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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Halloween Cat Color Pages
Print out some Halloween Cat Color Pages to scare up some spooky season fun!
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Busy Binder - Kindergarten Morning Work Activity Book
Review daily calendar, math, literacy, and fine motor skills with a printable kindergarten Busy Binder workbook!
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Cooperation Puzzles - Team-Building Activity
Explore the benefits of cooperation with a tangram-style team-building activity.
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2-Digit Multiplication Tarsia Puzzle — Basketball-Themed
Practice multiplying two-digit by two-digit numbers with a basketball-themed tarsia puzzle for 4th or 5th grade.
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Coordinate Grids Mystery Pictures
Practice plotting on coordinate grids with this set of differentiated mystery pictures.
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Mixed Operations Minute Math Booklet (Lower-Level Version)
Jump into your math lessons with this ten-page mental math booklet covering the four operations and number patterns.
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Count and Color the Coins - Differentiated Worksheets
Use skip counting and addition skills to determine which coins are needed for a given amount.
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Color by Number – Multiplication Fact Practice (Mixed)
Practice multiplication facts through 12 with this fun color by number worksheet.
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Mini-Mystery – Who Won the Race?
A fun, logic-based activity where students read clues to solve a mystery.
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Mini-Mystery – Who Stole the Cookie?
A fun, logic puzzle activity where students read clues to solve a mystery.
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Easter Hundreds Chart Mystery Pictures
A set of 9 Easter-inspired mystery hundreds charts.