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| ISSUE 66 | JANUARY 2026 |
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We hope your year is off to a great start! As you settle back into classroom routines, this issue focuses on effective classroom ideas that make teaching and learning both productive and fun. You’ll find engaging activities and smart strategies from Superkids teachers—ways to reinforce skills during and after instruction; keep your classroom organized and running smoothly; and build a positive, joyful learning environment.
This month, we’re sharing 20 super ideas gathered over the years—from clever tips spotted by Superkids coaches to creative activities shared by teachers on our Superkids Facebook page. Each idea has been created and tested in real classrooms, offering inspiration you can put to work right away.
Here’s to a January filled with fresh ideas, effective teaching, and a little extra fun along the way!
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Superkids teachers are always finding smart, simple ways to make classroom life easier! From time-saving tricks to creative routines, these ideas will help keep your days running smoothly and your students engaged.
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Handwriting Lines in a Flash
When using the dry-erase board for handwriting routines, Superkids teacher Hayley L. has a genius hack! She tapes three colored markers together with masking tape. With one quick stroke, she creates perfect ice cream lines!
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Dazzling Reveal
Kindergartners love the excitement of meeting each new Superkid during the first semester. Ms. McNeil makes every reveal magical with a shiny tri-fold bulletin board. When opened, it sparkles and shines to unveil the new Superkid poster inside.
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Know Where to Go!
Keri A. keeps independent work time running smoothly with a colorful pocket chart. At the top, she displays which students are in each of her three groups. Below, she lists that day’s tasks under each group. Students always know where to go and what to do while she meets with small groups.
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Super Storage
Brittany R. keeps Superkids skill reinforcement activities neatly organized in plastic storage carts—one drawer per unit. Each activity baggie and drawer is clearly labeled, making it super easy to grab what she needs in a flash!
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Check Your Spelling
Glass vase fillers—those shiny, little gems from craft or dollar stores—can be a teacher’s secret spelling weapon! During dictation and spelling routines or Word Work, place a glass gem on any letter that needs to be corrected. It’s a quiet, visual way to guide students toward accurate spelling.
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Sound Wall Success
Christina S. builds a sound wall that supports both whole-class instruction and independent spelling practice. At the start of the year, all Sound-Spelling Cards are covered with little paper locks. Each time a new phoneme is introduced, the “lock” is removed—unlocking the sound for everyone to see and use!
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Spaces, Please!
To help students self-check spacing between letters and words, Nadine S. created ice-cream-themed craft sticks—adorable and effective! This simple, hands-on tool encourages careful handwriting and builds independence during writing time.
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Looking for fresh ways to keep your super readers excited to learn? Check out these clever activities shared by teachers who know how to make every lesson an adventure!
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Vroom, Vroom! It’s a Reading Race!
At Sacred Heart School, kindergarteners hit the fast lane for reading fun! Students built their own hot rods and raced around the gym, stopping at 20 “pit stops” supervised by fifth graders. At each stop, they read a sentence aloud before zooming off to the next checkpoint—and finally, across the checkered-flag finish line!
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Letter Formation Station
Do some students need extra handwriting practice? Try this easy setup for independent work time. Slip handwriting lesson pages from extra kindergarten Student Books/Skills Books into clear page protectors, then collect them in a binder or folder. Students use dry-erase markers to trace, write, erase, and try again—perfect for extra practice with newly introduced letters!
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Activity Table Fun
Lindsay C. keeps practice fresh with clever activity tables that feature a clear acrylic sheet on top. She slides Practice Pages, ice cream paper, or other activity sheets underneath, and students write directly on the clear surface with dry-erase markers or crayons. When it’s time for a change, Lindsay simply swaps the pages beneath!
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Super Stick Puppets
Put those extra student workbooks to creative use! Cut out the Superkids characters from the books, laminate them, and hot glue each one to a large craft stick. Students can use their puppets to retell stories, act out scenes, or even make up new adventures for their favorite Superkids!
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Whole Class Journals
Andrea D. keeps early finishers engaged with a box of “Whole Class Journals.” Each notebook is labeled with a topic, and any student can contribute a paragraph or two. Over time, the journals become a collaborative collection of class writing that everyone enjoys reading!
The label on the front reads:
Whole Class Journal
Write about (topic).
Please share a paragraph or two about the topic. Please do your best and use your conventions. When we aren’t writing in the journal, we will be reading it. Have fun!
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SEL and Superkids
Camryn C. uses the Superkids Feelings Chart to build emotional awareness every day. She creates mini versions of the chart as cards, introducing and discussing each feeling before using the cards in independent activities like matching, sorting, or daily check-ins. Students also use the cards to reflect on how the Superkids characters might feel in the stories they read and discuss in groups.
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Superkids Careers
Chloe B. shared this activity that developed when her class had an impromptu discussion about what the characters might want to be when they grow up. She decided to turn it into a project. Each student illustrated the character they wanted to focus on. They then wrote details about what the character likes and what career they think the character would choose.
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Every Superkids classroom has its own special spark, and teachers never run out of creative ways to celebrate the program! From festive decorations to imaginative classroom projects, these ideas show just how much fun learning (and teaching!) with Superkids can be.
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Lighthearted Leprechaun
Around St. Patrick’s Day, a mischievous leprechaun brought giggles and surprises to this Superkids classroom! Each morning, students searched to find which Superkid had been caught up in the leprechaun’s latest antics—Sal in a sink, Cass in a cupcake, Lily in logs, and more!
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Super Pumped About These!
How cute are these? Sherri F. created a collection of Superkids pumpkins for her classroom using small foam pumpkins. She shares, “I get them out one at a time as we meet each Superkid—and they stay out all year!” What a fun and festive way to celebrate the characters!
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Make a Superkids Bus!
Kim S. let her students’ creativity take the wheel! Using large cardboard boxes, her class built their very own Superkids bus.
Many teachers use their finished bus as a cozy reading nook—a perfect spot for one or two students to climb aboard for some quiet reading time.
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MURAL-culous Walls
At Somerset Academy Lone Mountain, the hallway got a super makeover when they painted a bright mural of the Superkids’ bus for everyone to enjoy. What a wonderful way to celebrate the stories and strengthen students’ connections with their favorite characters.
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Perfect Puppets
Laura K. crafted a full set of Superkids hand puppets for her class—and even included Ben, Oswald’s little brother, by special request from a student! Her students love using the puppets to act out stories and bring the Superkids’ adventures to life.
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Fabulously Fun Fingernails
Talk about Superkids spirit! First-grade teacher Karen P.’s daughter painted her fingernails to look like the Superkids characters. Her students were thrilled—proof that even the smallest details can make learning to read FUN!
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If the creative ideas for using the Superkids Feelings Chart have inspired you, you’re in luck! Feelings Charts are now available for both editions of Superkids. Download the chart, easy-to-follow assembly directions, and additional suggestions for using this engaging resource in your classroom. It’s a great way to help students recognize, name, and talk about their emotions—Superkids style!
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