5 Fun April Staff Morale Boosters

Are you ready to see your school staff light up with excitement this April?! I sure hope so! These 5 fun April Staff Morale Boosters are just what you need to engage your faculty as we inch toward the end of the school year. Come along to see these ideas to boost staff morale and keep everyone smiling!

Make Staff Morale a Priority In Your School

If you're an administrator or head of your school Sunshine Committee, you probably already know what an incredible effect staff morale activities can have on your school. We live in a time where teaching is harder than ever, and school staff are presented with daily challenges. When we make staff morale a priority, we're not only fostering connection in our school relationships but also bringing encouragement and excitement to our daily routines. 

So, if you're looking for ways to inspire and show appreciation to your school staff this spring, you're in the right place! Let's explore 5 of my all-time favorite April Staff Morale Boosters and how I used them to make a big impact in my school! 

1. Spring Mirror Shout-Outs

We're kicking off this list with one of my favorite April staff morale boosters - Spring Shoutouts! The idea behind this resource is that it will offer a way to praise and recognize your staff in the simplest way. Inside, you'll find templates for fun, spring-themed phrases that you print and cut out. Then, place them on the mirror in your staff bathroom, in the staff lounge, or around the school as a fun surprise and reminder of the good job your staff is doing daily. The phrases included in this resource are things like:

• I Notice a Spring in Your Step 
• Live Life in Full Bloom 
• You Look A-MAY-Zing!
• I Be-Leaf in You
• and many more!

These silly, quirky phrases are sure to make your staff smile when they see them. In my school, I challenged staff to take a selfie with the shoutouts that resonated with them most and then posted the photos on a staff bulletin board. While this is such an easy staff morale booster to implement, it made a big impact in building community in our school! Plus, everyone looked forward to seeing the new shoutouts posted each month!

2. Staff Salad Bar Luncheon

What's more fun than a staff luncheon? I think we can all agree that getting together to "break bread" is something most people look forward to. In my school, I loved hosting a potluck, lunch, or snack bar at least once a month for this very reason. It's just wonderful to visit with colleagues, share favorite recipes, and build a sense of community. 

In April, we're all usually ready for some fresher spring fare, so what better thing to host than a Salad Bar Luncheon?! Inside this resource, you'll find everything you need to plan an event that will be a total hit! You get:

• salad bar timeline for planning 
• advertising signs 
• sign up sheets (if you choose to do this potluck style)
• information for setting up 
• coordinators shopping list 
• bulletin to notify staff
• salad bar-themed decor 

These materials make it super simple to facilitate this event, even if you've already got a "full plate" (pun intended!) In all seriousness, this was a favorite at our school. Everyone was excited to bring a component for the salad bar, and with so many options to choose from - there's something for everyone to enjoy. I also find that luncheons that allow everyone to create their own special plate are usually everyone's favorite. Try adding this April staff morale booster to your calendar this spring to connect with staff in a fun new way! 

3. Lucky Duck Hunt 

Alright, friends, ready for something a little different on this roundup of April staff morale boosters? If you're looking for a fun way to engage your staff, I know you will absolutely love this Lucky Duck Hunt! Not only is this activity fun, but it's so easy to prepare for! 

Here's how it works - You will purchase 100 small rubber ducks like these ones and number the bottom of them with a permanent marker. Then, the night before your event - hide the ducks all over your school. Included in this resource is a directions memo that can either be hand-delivered or dropped in staff mailboxes. You'll just want to make sure everyone reads the directions the morning of your event. 

The objective is for staff to find and collect ducks as they go about their daily routine. At the end of the day, they will turn them in, and the winners with the most ducks will receive prizes! This is such a great activity because you get to determine the budget and number of prizes to be distributed. Whether you want to reward everyone or just "big winners" is totally up to you. This makes it such a versatile and affordable activity for any school! 

Inside the resource, I've also included numbers that can be used for random prize drawings if you would prefer to offer rewards that way. You'll also find a list of prize ideas that are both free and at varying price points. This will allow you to customize this April staff morale booster to fit your needs and budget easily! 

4. Spring Seed Packets for Staff Appreciation 

When I was head of the Sunshine Committee at my school, I loved looking for fun and inexpensive ways to show staff appreciation. We all know that working in a school is a tough job, and everyone who chooses to do it deserves recognition! What I love most about these Spring Seed Packet Gifts is that they can be used for every staff member in your school, not just teachers!

The idea is that you will buy assorted seed packets in bulk. Then, you'll print off the fun garden-themed cards that each feature a sweet quote. I like to print these in full color on cardstock to really make them stand out and feel special. There are 4 different designs to choose from, so you'll have a good option for every member of your staff. Finally, you'll fold the flaps on the cards and tuck the seed packets inside. Distribute them as a "just because" spring gift that your staff will love!

These are so much fun to leave in staff mailboxes or distribute at your April staff meeting. They are super simple to make and inexpensive, meaning they check all the boxes in my book! Plus, the garden theme is perfect for April! 

5. Staff Appreciation Easter Eggs 

Last but not least, I've got one more April staff morale booster that is going to be a hit! At your April staff meeting, invite "the Easter Bunny" to make an appearance with these Staff Appreciation Easter Eggs. 

This resource includes printable prize tags that you'll use to fill Easter eggs. Then, place the eggs in a basket and distribute them as prizes at your next meeting. Or you could even host a staff Easter egg hunt by hiding them all over the school. There are tons of prizes currently included, and I am actively adding more! There are free options, as well as ones that require a purchase, giving you plenty of options to customize this activity for your school. 

Oh, and if you need help financing your staff morale activities, be sure to read this post next! It's filled with all my best tips for budgeting for staff morale and making space for these types of activities. It takes a little planning, but it's well worth it.  

Make Planning April Staff Morale Boosters Quick and Easy

Isn't this roundup of April staff morale ideas fun?! These were such a hit at my school that I thought it might be helpful to put them all together in one convenient bundle for you. Inside the April Staff Morale Bundle, you will find all 5 of these great activities! 

This will make it super simple and easy for you to plan your staff morale activities this spring. Take one thing off your to-do list, AND engage your staff in the process! What's better than that? Head on over to my TPT Store to check it out. Have fun with your staff this month!

Looking for More Staff Morale Activities?

Check out these posts next to keep the fun rolling!

• Staff Morale BINGO 
• Staff Morale Boosters That Aren't Food
• Tasty Staff Snack Bars Everyone Will Love!

Save These Ideas 

Don't lose track of these April staff morale boosters! Pin this post on Pinterest so you can easily find it later. 

5 Engaging April Literacy Centers for Primary Students

As spring emerges in the world, a new excitement spreads into the classroom. I don't know about you guys but April is one of my favorite months in the classroom. The warmer weather brings a happy vibe to the classroom that I absolutely love. And what better way to celebrate than to connect our classroom learning with the fresh themes of spring. 

Bring on the Springtime Fun! 

April is a fun month for teaching and we've got plenty of fun things to explore like spring themes, Easter, and Earth Day. . .  hooray! In my room, I liked to play into these fun themes by choosing centers and activities that align. After a long winter in the classroom, I think it's safe to say everyone is usually ready for some springtime fun. Now, without further ado, here are 5 of my favorite April literacy centers!

1. April Letter Fluency Spinner Game 

We all know that letter identification and letter fluency are keys to becoming a successful reader. As a primary teacher, you're probably always looking for ways to make practicing these skills more fun since they are something our students work on all year long. This April Letter Fluency Spinner Game is just the thing to add to the mix when your students are in need of some extra practice. 

The way these work is simple and they're perfect for small group time. Aside from small group learning, I find that this is especially helpful if your students need to be assessed regularly for intervention or RTI. All you need to do is print the game mats and spinners and you're ready to go! If you plan to use them for years to come I also recommend laminating them. 

Students can use either a pencil and a paperclip as a spinner, or you can set these plastic spinners on top. Students will spin and see which spring picture they land on. Then, they find that picture on their game mat and try to read the letters in the order they occur as fluently as possible. There's a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters on each card, so students will get plenty of practice with letter identification in this activity. 

Once students know how to use this activity, it also makes a great desk activity, literacy center option, and even homework! Everyone will love the adorable spring theme too! 

2. April Nonsense Word Games 

Nonsense word games are among my favorite literacy activities for primary learners. These April Nonsense Word games are always a hit and make it fun to practice spotting the difference between real words and pretend ones! The great thing about these games is that they're super engaging. This means you'll be able to target important literacy skills in your classroom, without losing the interest of your kiddos! 

Here's how to play - just like the Letter Fluency Mats I mentioned above, this game requires using a spinner and a game mat. Students will spin the spinner, identify the spring picture, and then find that section on their mat. They read straight across and after each word, they will decide if it's real or nonsense. This game gets a lot of giggles, trust me! 

These activities are super engaging and absolutely perfect for small group instruction and April literacy centers. There are 5 different game mats included in 3 different printing options so you can choose what works best for your group. 

3. Real and Nonsense Word Sort 

Nonsense words are fun and such a great phonemic awareness activity, so why not keep the fun rolling with another game using this skill? In my April Real and Nonsense Word Sort, students will draw a card, read the word, and then decide if it's real or not. This game includes headers as well as 60 different task cards so there is plenty of decoding practice included.  

My favorite thing about this activity is its versatility. We played this game in small groups, during center time, and even as a whole group activity. Typically, I'd introduce first as a whole group game by playing on the floor in a big circle. Students would draw a card and then set it under the correct heading, which I placed in the middle of the circle. Then, try it again at the table in small groups to assess student understanding and help correct mistakes. Finally, place the headings in a pocket chart and turn this into a partner game or center activity for continued practice. There's even a student recording sheet that can be added in for some additional accountability. 

With so many uses, you'll definitely want to laminate the materials included for this game and use them again and again in your classroom! 

4. Spring Letters Sensory Bin 

Next up on this list of April literacy centers, I'm sharing a student favorite. . . a spring sensory bin! We all know that hands-on learning is valuable in the classroom. Anytime I could find creative ways to use tactile materials, I noticed that my students were far more engaged. That's why I love to use this Spring Letters Sensory Bin to practice letter identification and letter sounds. It's different than a typical worksheet and feels exciting to students.

All you need to do is grab a small bin and add some sensory filler to it. April is the perfect time to grab some colorful Easter grass for this activity! You could also throw some plastic bunnies or chicks in for even more thematic fun. Then, print, cut, and laminate the letter cards and add them to the bin. Students will search through the bin for cards, identify the letter or letter sound, and then record it on their paper. Make this even more challenging for your students by adding a pair of tweezers to the bin. They'll need to use hand strength and fine motor skills to retrieve it! 

There are also spinners included if you'd like to prompt students to search for specific letters or letter sounds with each turn. I love putting this activity out during center time. It's such an engaging way to target these important skills!

5. Spring Alphabet Hole Punch Activity 

Last on this list, we've got an activity that targets fine motor skills, hand strength, letter identification, and letter correspondence. Doesn't get better than that right? Give this Spring Alphabet Hole Punch activity a try in your room in April to practice these skills in a fun way. 

Included, you'll find learning mats and corresponding task card decks that target uppercase letters or lowercase letters in both sequenced order and mixed up. The idea is that you will pair the matching deck with a mat and allow students to draw one card at a time. They find the letter they drew on their mat and hole-punch it. The center of the learning mats features a cute spring picture that everyone will love! There are many versions of play for this activity including:

• Capital to Capital
• Lowercase to Lowercase
• Cross Case Letter Matching
• Beginning Sound
• Letters in sequence
• Letters out of sequence 

The great thing about this activity is that you'll be able to play it more than once in your classroom. Try showing students how to play first in small groups and then choosing another version to play as a center station later. Everyone will love working on their fine motor skills with the hole punch while they search for the letters they draw. 

Make Planning Your April Literacy Centers a Breeze 

So what do you think friend? Aren't these fun?! I love these spring literacy centers and they're absolutely perfect for the month of April. If you're looking for a simple way to plan all of your literacy centers this month, I've got something exciting for you. . .  The April Literacy Centers Bundle is about to make your life a whole lot easier! This bundle includes all 5 of the resources I shared here in one place. Plus, with the bundle, you'll save money too. 

These engaging April literacy centers will make it quick and easy to plan springtime lessons in your classroom. Best of all, these can be used in so many ways! Small groups, intervention, center stations, homework, morning work, and more. Grab the bundle and simplify your April literacy centers with engaging activities your students will love! 

Looking for More? 

Be sure to check out these posts next for more engaging learning ideas for the primary classroom. 

• 4 Fun Activities to Practice Hearing and Counting Syllables
• Phonics Activities that Align with the Science of Reading
• 7 Engaging Ways to Practice CVC Words

Save This Post 

Make sure to pin this post on Pinterest so that you can come back to it when you're ready to start planning your April literacy centers.