Making Worksheets Fun

If you’ve been around my site for awhile now, you know I am not a fan of worksheets. I think they’re boring, often not engaging, typically not all that fun, and students generally don’t like them – especially if you’re doling out 5+ of them every school day.

But today I want to share my tips for making worksheets fun. Because sometimes you just need to do a worksheet. I get it. Maybe you didn’t have time to create that engaging activity. Or maybe your district is mandating you use a set curriculum.

Whatever the reason may be, know you’re not alone! While worksheets are not my favorite, sometimes they’re a necessity.

So keep reading to see my TEN TIPS for making worksheets fun.

1. Use stamps for excitement!
   • Too often I see students completing a worksheet while the teacher goes back to their desk to start grading the last set of worksheets. And I get it, there’s a lot of grading to do sometimes. BUT, what if you walked around and graded WHILE the kiddos worked? I used to have a set of stamps like this one, and my Kinders AND 6th graders LOVED them! Seriously – the oohs and ahhs and exciement over which stamp I chose never got old. I tried to get these out at least three times a week – but even daily if I could.
   • BONUS: In addition to the students’ excitement, these stamps allowed me to walk around the room and ensure everyone had problem #1 done correctly. If someone didn’t, I could immediately reteach or redirect. It also eliminated behavior issues because I was RIGHT THERE. Kids were less likely to misbehave when I was just a few feet from them and walking around. Whereas the minute I sat down at my desk, I swear they had a sixth sense and started acting up.
     
2. Let them work with partners!
   • I know this one won’t work every day, but at least one time a week I would let students work with a partner on a general worksheet. Sometimes I would assign partners, other times I would randomly draw sticks, and on even rarer occasions the students would pick the partners themselves.
   • Then I could walk around, monitor, maybe even use my fancy stamps from above – therefore ensuring the partner work is productive, everyone is pulling their weight, and reteaching as needed.
     
3. Turn the worksheet into a puzzle.
   • Some days you’re not going to have time to “redo” a worksheet. But even once a week, try to find a way to take a general concept – maybe contractions, or matching irregular plural nouns to the singular, or even something as simple as this week’s spelling list – into a fun puzzle. Students will love the hands-on piece, have fun seeing what the final shape will be, and stay more engaged!
   • Here are over 120 editable puzzle options on TPT. You can choose a seasonal option like a snowman, flower, or pumpkin. Or choose something your kids love – like dinosaurs, cats, dogs, or even a cactus or shark.
   • All you need is PowerPoint, the 12-20 problems you want to use, and a little bit of time. From there – type in the questions and answers (or ask your para or parent volunteer to help!), and then give students the paper, have them cut, and then watch as they excitedly put the puzzle together to figure out the shape!
   • If you love saving money – all 120 editable puzzles are available in a bundle that’s over 90% off. Click here to check it out on TPT. Or you can buy the bundle here on this site.
     
4. Utilize whiteboards.
   • Take the worksheet you want everyone to do and project it for the class – but only ONE problem at a time. Ask all students to write their answers on the whiteboard. You can grab as you go, give immediate feedback, and not have a stack of papers waiting for you at the end of the day.
     
5. Cross out some problems.
   • I love handing out a worksheet and then telling the students to cross out all the odd numbered problems. It immediately clicks for some kids that they now only have HALF the work to complete.
   • Or mix it up a bit and tell students they can choose their own problems. Maybe they HAVE to do #7, but only two others. You get to make the rules on this one. But giving the students choice often keeps them engaged, even when the actual worksheet may not be all that engaging.
     
6. Use page protectors and dry erase markers.
   • Sometimes it’s the boring paper pencil concept that makes worksheets unappealing. But the minute you slide them into a page protector and get out the dry erase markers, it’s fun again! (If grading is a must and you’re worried about work being erased, try wet erase markers instead.)
     
7. Race the teacher!
   • Have you ever raced your students to complete a task? I have. And my competitive side loved it! I’ve actually had students beat me over the years – from my littlest Kinders all the way up to my 6th graders.
   • Timed tests are an example of a time I’ve used these. The kids who are already good, push themselves to be included. The kids who struggle still give it their all because they want to be included in the “teacher race”.
   • With my Kinders, we would “race” but it was actually for perfection. On several occasions I would have the kids race to see who could write the alphabet the fastest, BUT with the best penmanship. So it probably wasn’t a true race since the person who finished first didn’t necessarily “pass” the judge! The next time any visitor came into the room – often admin, another teacher, or para – we would ask them to judge which was the best. (I was often NOT the winner!)
     
8. Give options.
   • Many times I have found that my curriculum companies give more than one option for a worksheet. So I would let students choose which of the two options they wanted to complete. That little bit of choice can truly help buy in!
     
9. Cut em up!
   • When possible, I like to cut a worksheet up and give each student (or group of students) just a problem or two to complete. Then I can grade just that portion, ask everyone who completed #1 to show their work at the board together, or ask each person to share with the class. But it definitely makes the worksheet feel less daunting when kids know they have only have a limited amount of problems to answer.
     
10. Answers first!
    • Sometimes it’s fun to give the students the answer and ask them to create the question. If this is in math, you may need to provide guidance to ensure they stay on the topic at hand. (For example, only multiplication word problems can be used to show the question for an answer of 36.) For longer essay responses, remind them that the question may have multiple parts.
    • This activity can vary quit a bit. Students can work independently, with a partner or small group, as part of a whole class discussion, or they can even write the question on a whiteboard where the class can see all the great options.

Making worksheets fun truly IS possible! It might take a bit more effort, but the engagement and actual learning that will take place because of that extra effort make it 110% worth it.

Still tired of worksheets? I get that! Keep reading by getting my 15 tips for teachers who are tired of worksheets. You’ll get great ideas for the days where you don’t HAVE to do a worksheet. Click here to learn more.