Are you ready for a classroom transformation that will shine above the rest?! If so, we have just the resource for you: Glow Day Classroom Transformation. So turn off the lights, sit back and grab your glow sticks while this post illuminates how this day will become a shining memory for you and your students.

If you are new to the idea of classroom transformations, they are when you set aside the normal task and routines for an entire day of themed fun. Our latest classroom transformation pack is our brightest: Glow Day!

Download Glow Day Schedule

This post will be separated into categories:

Teacher Prep

Decoration & Snack Ideas

Morning Work

Literacy

Math

Brain Breaks

Science

Art

Teacher Prep

This section highlights the things that can be planned and prepped before Glow Day begins. Think of it as your party to do list.

1. Home Note

Sending home a note before your glow party lets kids get the chance to wear any neon clothing or accessories they may have, which will look rad under a blacklight! Also, having each student bring their own flashlight makes glow day reading a breeze.

2. Glow day signs & checklist

Use these signs to set up different learning centers or to designate students to a group. If you do the centers idea, you will want to also print off the checklist to ensure every student completes every center.

3. Certificate & Brag Tags

Reward your students for shining behavior with a Glow Day certificate and brag tag!

Decoration & Snack Ideas

The following decoration and snack ideas are not necessary for your glow day transformation to be successful and memorable. However, they can add the extra details that make the day extra fun. And, some of these decorations are already on All Access! (Just print and go!) Check out the list and photos below to get your glow day started.

Decor

1. Ready to Print on All Access

• Decoration Ideas List
• Glow Day Banner
• Glow Day Poster

2. Crafted or Brought from Home

• Dark tablecloths, fabric or sheets-drape from the ceiling or bulletin board to make the room extra dark.
• Butcher paper-hang dark butcher paper to create areas for a graffiti wall and to make it darker.
• Highlighters or neon markers-you may need a lot of these!

3. Optional Purchases

• Blacklight-this is what makes everything glow!
• Glow sticks, necklaces, bracelets-these can be things you give students OR they can be brought from home.
• Neon Pencils-pass out to students to use while they are working.
• Party lights-will make everything glow and look bright.
• Black light tape or washi tape-decorate the classroom with bright colored tape & use to hang signs.
• Glow in the dark face paint-could be used as a face painting station.
• Light up sunglasses-a fun gift idea for students!
• Glow in the dark cups-Use for activities, brain breaks or snack time.
• Bright streamers or garland-Hang from the ceilings, desks, tables and walls.

Snacks

Once again, snacks and decorations are optional extras, but can be fun! If you choose to serve these glow in the dark snacks, download the cheat sheet of All Access!

Also, grab this snack bag tag in case you send snacks home or want to label them for each student.

1. Glow in the Dark Cupcakes

Yep, you read that right! Cupcakes that glow in the dark! What is the secret ingredient that makes these delicious treats glow?? Tonic water! Watch the instructions below from Youtuber, Pankobunny.

2. Lifesaver Neon Gummies

Most kids love gummies! Have them look at the LIfesaver Neon Gummies under a black light!

Click on the image below to grab these sweet treats off Amazon:

3. Rice Krispie Bars

The light coloring of Rice Krispie bar ingredients assures it will shine under a black light. Follow any traditional recipe for this beloved snack. Here is one right from the Rice Krispies brand.

Morning Work

When kids arrive in the morning, they are going to be excited. Our team has a couple ideas to get your students calmed down and ready to enjoy their special day.

Morning Work Options

It is beneficial to have something for students to do right when they walk in the door. (This will stop students from running around the room with glow day energy!)

1. Ah-MAZE-ing

Students will love seeing how this maze looks under the black light! Have them highlight their way through each of the mazes.

2. Shades of Neon Word Search

Students might think they are simply completing a fun word search, but this activity serves a double purpose! It is also a review of shades of meaning.

3. Glow & Seek Hidden Picture

Let students “catch” fireflies, well at least with their highlighters.

4. Doodle Challenge

Let students finish a picture starting with just a few doodles! Using highlighters will make these pictures pop under the blacklight.

Review the Rules

When all students have arrived, call them up front and review the rules of the day. Remind them this is still a classroom and you have the same expectations of a typical school day.

Literacy

The Glow Day classroom transformation includes several literacy resources including:

• A reading lesson on the super cute book about a firefly's gratitude, Firenze's Light by Jessica Collaco.
• Literacy centers
• A flashlight reading activity

Let's take a closer look at each of these engaging activities.

Firenze's Light

Using this adorable book, teachers will guide students through comprehension questions and worksheets focusing on sequencing, character traits and author's purpose. (These worksheets would be perfect for small group work!) AND, when the whole group work is done, have students rotate through Glow Day literacy centers, while you meet with small groups and target comprehension skills (or whatever specific skills are needed for your class).

Sample Glow Day literacy block schedule:

Whole group lesson: (15 minutes):

Read Firenze's Light, using the comprehension question cards throughout.

Small Group/Independent work: (30-40 minutes):

Pull small groups to work on the provided comprehension skill sheets with each group, focusing on specific and needed skills.

Character Traits Worksheets

Sequencing Worksheet

Author's Purpose Worksheet

While you are meeting with small groups, the other students work through the following stations:

Light Bright Sight Word Stations

Using hands-on materials, these sight word stations focus on the visual and kinesthetic needs of students. (And students LOVE using these materials!) Using:

• Glow sticks
• Pom poms
• Pipe Cleaners
• Play dough
• Magnet lettters
• Unifix cubes
• Highlighters
• Shape blocks

Students will make their sight or “heart words”. Being Science of Reading aligned, these stations are sure to help your students learn their sight words by heart.

Grammar Glow Root Word Ring Toss

This station combines prefixes, suffixes, root words and athletics! If students are able to correctly answer a question about a root word (or prefix/suffix), they will toss a glow bracelet, trying to make it around a bottle. It is like grammar practice and a carnival all in one!

Reading Passage & Tumble Tower

Another hands-on activity, students will read a comprehension passage about Glow Sticks. Then, they will answer color coded. comprehension questions on this passage. If they are correct, they will pull out a Jenga block of the same color.

Don't have color coded Jenga blocks? Here are some options!

• On Amazon
• Color the ends with marker
• Tape the ends with colored washi tape or neon glow tape

Flashlight Reading (10-15 minutes):

Have students pull out their flashlights and enjoy some relaxing, independent reading time!

Math

Our team couldn't let you run a classroom transformation without activities for each part of the school day, including Math! This resource includes 5 glowing math centers for you to print, click, and use!

Glowing Math Facts

While at this center, students will practice 2-digit and 3-digit addition/subtraction. Bonus idea: Tape the addition and subtraction cards around the room for students to find on a flashlight hunt!

Time to Glow Bowling

Students don't always enjoy learning how to tell time. This station will change that, using an engaging idea to practice telling time to the nearest 5 minutes. Students will determine the time shown on an analog clock task card. If they are correct, they can roll the bowling ball.

If you do not have a classroom bowling set, here are some ideas:

• Plastic Bowling Set

• Glow Bowling Set

• Small ball with empty soda bottles

You will not strike out with this center!

Shiny Spoons Money Race

A twist on the traditional Spoons game, this center will have students will practicing counting coins. Try not to be the last one to grab a spoon! This game will sure to give your students some giggles.

Dice in the Dark

Using glow in the dark dice (find those on Amazon HERE) students will practice using tally marks and bar graphs. Tip: have students roll the dice onto carpet or something soft to eliminate the constant rolling sound!

Additional Glow Worksheets

These worksheets would be perfect for additional independent work, to use as a whole group lesson, or as small group focused lessons.

Download All Glow Day Math Worksheets

Brain Breaks

Classroom transformations, while fun, can up the excitement level in the classroom. Allow time for much needed brain breaks in your daily schedule. Check out these three shining examples of perfect Glow Day brain breaks.

Glow Day Dace Party

Get your students up and out of their seats with a dance party! And, don't worry, we have put together the playlist for you already. This playlist can be spread throughout the day to allow for multiple brain breaks as needed.

Tic-Tac-Glow

This is not your average tic-tac-toe game. Students will be up and moving to get an active break away form their centers and lessons of the day.

Tic-Tac-Glow Directions:

1. Set up 9 classroom chairs in a 3 x 3 array.
2. Divide the class into two teams: X's and O's and give them their X and O cards.
3. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors to see which team can start.
4. Ask players the questions, and if they answer correctly they get to sit on one of the chairs.
5. The first team to get a tic-tac-glow wins!

Bin-Glow

What kid doesn't love a Bingo game? Try out this glowing themed Bin-Glow game for a whole class game break. If you wish to give prizes to winners, glow sticks would be perfect!

Science

Have you heard about Bioluminescent creatures? If not, you will be excited to learn facts about these creatures, and so will your students! With a digital slides science lesson plus two follow up activities, this will be a favorite glow day activity!

Download Bioluminescent Creatures Activities

Bonus idea: Follow up the digital slides lesson with this video from SciShowKids.

Art

What special classroom day is complete without an art project? Our Glow Day project idea is sure to be a favorite memory for students! This graffiti wall activity is very open ended. Although our Graffiti Wall instruction sheet gives several ideas as to what students can write/draw, you can also let students' imaginations run wild.

Download Graffiti Wall Instructions

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Hopefully this post allows you to illuminate your students' special Glow Day! Be sure to check out all our classroom transformation ideas:

Springtime Classroom Transformation

Snow Globe Classroom Transformation

Restaurant Classroom Transformation

Beach Day Classroom Transformation

Earth Day Classroom Transformation

Game Day Classroom Transformation

Happy teaching!