Theme days are a fun way to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary! That’s what we love about the concept of a glow day in the classroom. Have you tried it? If so, we want to hear your tips in the comments below! And if you haven’t, we’ve got you covered with how to set up your room and educational activities for your classroom.
What exactly is a glow day?
It’s pretty much all things neon and glow in the dark! Chris Pombonyo kicked off his session in Get Your Teach On by sharing how to set up a Glow Games in the classroom, and we’ve seen many teachers sharing their ideas across the social media platforms too.
What do I need for a glow day?
You’ll definitely need some supplies, but teacher Lisa H. has a tip that everyone should use. “Ask your science teacher.” They just might have some blacklights and supplies available.
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- Blacklights (you’ll need 3-5 depending on the size of your classroom)
- Glow in the dark paint
- Blacklight tape
- Black poster paper and/or black disposable tablecloths
- Glow sticks!
Optional items include:
How do I set up the room?
First things first, you want your classroom to be pretty dark. This means covering any windows on your wall and door with the black paper or tablecloths.
Place your blacklights strategically around the room, ideally one of them up on a shelf. Add decorations like balloons, disco balls, and letters that spell out “Glow Day.”
Then you’ll want to set up your stations and games.
All of this should be done the day before. You can surprise your students, or you can let them know ahead of time so they can dress appropriately (white really pops under the blacklight, or they could even wear neon colors!)
Image Source: Adventures of Ms. Smith
What games and stations are good for a glow day?
Neon Writing. With white paper and neon highlighters, your students can do any sort of writing/art!
Source: @wildaboutfifth
Jenga. You can buy the regular game and put glow in the dark tape on each piece.
Source: @harveysmasters
Connect Four: Add some neon tape to a traditional Connect Four, and students can play as normal!
Source: @coffeeandliteracy
Tic-Tac-Toe. Draw the tic-tac-toe squares on tables, and the students can use their glow in the dark bracelets for their pieces!
Source: @gingersnaps_treatsforteachers
Build a Number Line: Tape a line on the floor with the blacklight tape. Then let students use neon post-its to build a number line. Incorporate skip counting or fractions for older students.
Source: Keeping Up With Ms. Harris
Ball Toss. Line up neon cups and hand out ping pong balls to your students.
Source: @ berrybrightin4th/toss
Glow Day Bowling: Recycle those water bottles by adding neon tape!
Source: @berrybrightin4th/bowling
Ring Toss. Purchase neon cones and have your students throw glow necklaces (in the shape of rings) onto the cones.
Source: Elementary Shenanigans
What are your favorite glow day in the classroom activities? Share in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletters for more classroom activities.
Featured image source: Kirk H. in WeAreTeachers HELPLINE.
