November always feels like a blink-and-it’s-over kind of month. Between days off, parent-teacher conferences, and Thanksgiving break, it can be tough to keep routines consistent — and even tougher to keep students engaged. What you need are some easy November classroom activities.
I love using simple, purposeful activities that make the most of our limited time while keeping things fun and meaningful. Here are a few of my go-to November ideas that help fill those short weeks without overwhelming you (or your students).
November Digital Library
Your students will love listening to these favorite books of the season in this digital library! After they listen, they can complete the response page. This is perfect to add to your Google Classroom as an independent listening center. Or, you can use it as a whole group to pick a book for each day in November!
Memory Games
Quick, engaging, and always a hit — memory games are one of my favorite ways to sneak in skill review! You can play them as a whole group, during centers, or as a fast finisher activity. These quick games are perfect for transitions, brain breaks, or a quiet after lunch/recess activity.
From phonics and math facts to vocabulary practice, students love the challenge of finding matches. Bonus: they’re easy to differentiate and require minimal prep. Grab this Thanksgiving Day Parade Memory game for free!
👉 Check out my Memory Games Bundle for year-round options your students will beg to play again and again.
Thankful Hearts
November is the perfect time to pause and practice gratitude. The Thankful Hearts activity is a beautiful way to help students reflect on what they’re thankful for — while creating a meaningful classroom display.
Students can fill in hearts with words, phrases, or pictures that represent what they appreciate most. String them together for a hallway display or collect them in a class gratitude book.
👉 Grab the Thankful Hearts Gratitude and Thankfulness Activity to make it super easy to implement.
Place Value Turkeys
Pumpkin season doesn’t have to end on October 31st! This Place Value Turkey activity combines festive fall fun with meaningful math review. Grab it from Teaching in Stripes store.
Students practice building and breaking apart numbers using expanded form, standard form, and base-ten blocks — all while creating their own adorable turkey craft. It’s one of those “learning in disguise” moments that doubles as easy bulletin board décor.
November Writing Journals
If you’re looking for an easy way to keep your students writing through the busy month of November, you’ll love these November Writing Journal Pages. There are 20 different prompts that touch on fall themes, gratitude, and Thanksgiving — perfect for quick writes, morning work, or a calm activity before the holiday chaos hits. I like to print a full set for each student and use them as a daily journal or fast-finisher option. Simple, low-prep, and surprisingly meaningful conversations always come out of these prompts!
Even though November flies by, these activities will help you make the most of it — blending academics, creativity, and a little gratitude. Keep it simple, stay flexible, and remember: you deserve that pie and break coming your way! Maybe these easy November classroom activities aren’t quite enough. If you feel like you’re going to go nuts in November? Check out how to stay sane teaching until Thanksgiving Break.
