Early Finisher Activities for Kindergarten and 1st Grade

What makes a good early finisher activity

It needs no help from you. Kids should start it, play it and get unstuck without raising a hand.

It reviews. It doesn't teach. Stick to skills the class has already had.

It's easy to stop. Short rounds beat long projects, so a kid can put it down when the class is ready.

Keep the spot and the routine the same, so kids stop asking what to do next.

Set up an early finisher station

1. Pick one spot: a Chromebook, iPad or laptop, or a bin by the door.
2. Teach the routine once: finish your work, check it, then go to the station.
3. Keep a short list of games that match this unit. Swap the list when the unit changes.
4. Set a stop signal, like a chime, so kids know when to come back.

Digital picks for kindergarten

Each game practices one skill. Almost every game gives a hint when an answer is off, so kids can keep going on their own.

• Making 10: Make Ten Ladybugs (K-1), Ten Frame Fun (K-1)
• Comparing numbers: Batty Compare (K-2)
• Coins: Piggy Bank Coin Counting (K-1, no account needed)
• Shapes and patterns: Shape Safari (K-2, no account needed), Pattern Parade (K-2)
• Letters and sounds: Letter Twins (K-1), Word Builder (K-1, no account needed)
• Science: Five Senses Explorer (K-1), Sink or Float (K-2)

Digital picks for 1st grade

• Adding and fact families: Doubles Dominoes (K-2), Fact Family Houses (K-2)
• Tens and ones and skip counting: Base Ten Builders (1st-2nd), Skip Count Race (1st-2nd)
• Time: Tick Tock Time (1st-2nd, no account needed), Set the Clock (1st-2nd)
• Coins: Which Is Worth More? (K-2, no account needed)
• Phonics: Blend Builders (K-2), Vowel Valley (K-2), Silent E Magic (K-2)
• Sentences and stories: Sentence Sparkle (K-2), Story Order (K-2)

Why a screen works here

Open a Chromebook, iPad or laptop browser. The games run there with nothing to install.

Students don't get logins. Only the teacher signs in. Ads and chat stay out of the games, and nothing inside them costs real money. Once a no-account game has been opened, it also works offline, which helps when the wifi drops.

Paper early finishers

Not every early finisher should be a screen. Keep a bin of no-prep printables next to the station.

Teacher Games makes no-prep math and reading games for K-2, the classroom games Bright Minds Club grew out of. In December, the Christmas math games work well as early finishers: see Christmas math games.

Pair a printable with something hands-on: counters for counting games, play coins for money games or pattern blocks for shapes.

See all Teacher Games on TpT

FAQ

What are good early finisher activities for kindergarten?

Short activities kids can do on their own that review a skill they already know. A one-skill game like Make Ten Ladybugs, Shape Safari or Letter Twins works well. So does a bin of no-prep printables with counters.

What can 1st graders do when they finish early?

Practice that runs itself: Doubles Dominoes for adding, Base Ten Builders for tens and ones, Tick Tock Time for clocks, or Blend Builders and Silent E Magic for phonics.

Are there free early finisher activities?

Piggy Bank Coin Counting, Which Is Worth More?, Shape Safari, Word Builder and Tick Tock Time need no account. Membership opens every other game in the club: 14 days free, then $9 a month or $79 a year. We'll email you 3 days before your first charge. Cancel anytime.

Do the games work on classroom Chromebooks and iPads?

Yes. Chromebook, iPad and laptop browsers all work, with nothing to install. Kids don't need their own logins.

How do I keep early finishers from distracting the class?

Use one spot and one routine. Pick games the class already knows how to play, and set a stop signal so kids come back when it's time.

More pages

• For teachers
• Kindergarten math centers
• Chromebook learning games
• Kindergarten games
• 1st grade games
• Christmas math games