Amazing Websites, Games, and Learning Activities for First Graders

First grade is an adventure! Kids are excited to learn and always ready for more. With that in mind, we’ve gathered together learning links and fun activities that will help kids build skills in literacy, math, science, and social studies—plus some that are just for enjoyment. This list of first grade websites and activities is something kids can easily do at home with their families. 

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Reading & Language Arts Activities

Most teachers would tell you the very best thing you can do with your children at home is read, read, read! Read all about everything from friendship and grit to math and sports. Here are our picks for 50 of the Best Books for First Grade.

Listen to read-alouds.

Research shows that listening to fluent readers read aloud is one of the ways to build better readers. And lucky for us, many of our favorite authors are offering online read-alouds and activities on social media. Some of the big names include Mac Barnett, Oliver Jeffers, and Peter Reynolds. For more, check out our Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read-Alouds and Activities.

In addition, Audible is offering free audiobooks for kids during school closures. Treat your first grader to a true classic: The Timeless Tales of Peter Rabbit 

Write stories.

Encourage a daily writing practice with these simple but creative writing prompts for first graders . Prompts like “What is your favorite animal and why?” “How do you make a PB and J sandwich?” or “What are three interesting facts about your hometown?” help students develop their narrative, informative, opinion, and research writing skills. 

Do word work activities.

Check out the website IXL for word work activities appropriate for 1st graders. You’ll find a variety of activities from reading foundations and strategies to vocabulary and grammar and more.  

Play games.

Many board games help reinforce literacy skills in young learners. Check out these Storytelling Cubes (or better yet, make your own).  Or play Boggle Jr., Scrabble Jr., or even I Spy. 

Math Activities

Play math games.

Hands-on activities are an excellent way to practice, and gain a deeper understanding, of math concepts. Try Dice War, Number Dot Bowling or have a Place Value Scavenger Hunt. For more ideas, check out our roundup of First Grade Math Games.

Play cards.

A simple deck of playing cards can provide many ways to practice math skills. You can use them for addition (Go Fish), place value (Beat the Teacher) or even fractions (Fraction War). Check out more ideas here.  

Read books about math.

Storybooks are a great way to introduce and reinforce math concepts for young learners. Learn about Place Value with this funny book by David Adler. For many more titles, check out our round up of Picture Books About Math. 

Play favorite board games.

There are tons of board games that teach kids basic math concepts, from Yahtzee, Battleship and Sorry! to one of our favorites,  i Sea 10!

Practice math skills.

While hands-on learning and math games are the best way to learn math, there is also a place for worksheets to give kids practice working independently. Check out the free printables for first graders on concepts on telling time, 2D and 3D shapes, place value and more available from Education.com. 

And if you’re looking for something more, check out our roundup of over 60 math websites.

Science Activities

Binge-watch animals.

What could be more fun than peeking in on animals (jellyfish, sea otters, eagles, and more) in their natural habitat? Make like a junior zoologist and check out this awesome list of nature webcams.

Conduct science experiments.

From studying birds to blowing up balloons with gas, here are 25 science projects your first grader will love. They’re easy to do and most require only simple objects you can find around the house. 

Explore online.

PBS Learning Media has a seemingly endless list of fascinating science resources to dive into including images, videos, and interactive lessons. They are all sorted by topic and grade level. Find topics from hatching crocodiles and animals and plants in the city to landforms and bodies of water.

Do a nature study.

Get outside and learn about trees, birds, bugs, and more. Here are 50 ideas for teaching with nature with ideas like Create a Nature Art Area, Learn to Identify Trees, Make a Bird Feeder, and more. 

Take a virtual field trip.

Maybe you can’t go out to the zoo or the Natural History Museum, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the learning. Many places are offering virtual tours—aquariums, the Boston Children’s Museum, the Smithsonian Museum, and more. Check out our picks for Best Virtual Field Trips.

Social Studies Activities

Tune in to Brainpop Jr. 

Brainpop Jr. is offering free access for families impacted by school closures. It is an amazing resource that offers fun, engaging videos, games, and quizzes across the curriculum. Explore communities, citizenship, American history, and more with Annie and Moby here. Note: other versions include Brainpop for older kids and English language learners. 

Study the states. 

Did you know the state bird of Florida is the mockingbird? Or that Montana has at least 300 mountain peaks that over 9,600 feet tall? Explore the United States, from Alabama to Wyoming, with National Geographic Kids. Learn about each state’s history, geography, landforms, natural resources, and more.

Use this time as a real-life economics lesson.

Now is a great time to talk with your child about supply and demand and needs vs. wants. As so many of us are hunkered down at home, we’ve had to take stock of what we have and what we need. Talk about the national run on toilet paper as an example of consumer demand. For more kid-friendly social studies videos, click here. 

Make maps.

In first grade most students study maps and globes. A great hands-on way to understand maps is to make your own. This map-making lesson plan is easily adaptable to mapping your room, your house, or even your neighborhood. 

Check out  social studies websites . 

Just for Fun Activities

Go on a scavenger hunt. 

Here are over 30 adorable (and educational) scavenger hunts from Buggy and Buddy. Take a sound walk, a color walk or a nature hike and learn about the world around you. 

Have fun with at-home challenges.

Try these Minute to Win It games, put together by a two brother team. 

Have some laughs!

Check out these corny but entertaining jokes and riddles 151 Jokes for Kids Guaranteed to Crack You Up.

Make Fortune Tellers.

Watch this easy to follow video to learn how to make one of kids’ all-time favorites. 

Color a masterpiece.

Crayola has a variety of beautiful free coloring sheets that you can download and print. Browse by category to find themes on Disney, plants and animals, holidays, and more. 

What are your favorite first grade websites and activities? Please share in the comments! 

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For more creative inspiration, check out 40 Amazing 1st Grade Art Projects to Bring Back Creativity and Play.