6 Last Minute Lesson Ideas for Emergencies Posted on 2 December 2024 by Guest Blogger - Adam Morris, Twinkl Content Executive in Resources We’ve all been there. You had your day perfectly planned out, brilliant lessons, timed to fit in the KS1 Nativity. Then, disaster strikes. The parent's performance overran and now you have a 30 minute hole to fill. At this time of year especially, teachers need a few ideas in their back pocket just in case things don't go as smoothly as planned.You may already have a few back up plans for those types of emergencies. But if you’re on the lookout for more last minute lesson ideas, these are some of the best ones that have been learned from experience, from simple reading tasks, to hidden activity folders. 1) BooksBooks really are worth their weight in gold. If you need a last minute lesson idea, reading as a class has mountains of benefits. It doesn’t have to be fiction, either. Invest in a few books around your subject. Books you’re familiar with. If you can extract an activity, theme or idea from a book, you’ve got some class reading and a discussion topic raring to go.Okay, it might feel a little unconventional compared to a typical lesson. But this strategy can buy you enough time to find a solution if your lesson plan has gone wrong. And at the end of the day, something is better than nothing.2) TextbooksThis is old school. But if you’ve got textbooks hiding at the back of a shelf, or in the store cupboard, it’s time to dig them out.If there aren’t enough books to share, put the board to use. Read aloud to your class, write instructions on the board, make the most of whatever tools you have.It might not be an all-singing, all-dancing lesson. But no one perfect. Things go wrong. And this is a quick way to salvage a lesson in the event of an emergency. Top tipFor any reading activity, why not make it an active listening exercise? Ask your pupils to write 3 adjectives, or 3 features of the book that stands out to them. This can be another topic for discussion afterwards too. 3) An Activity Folder This is a great fallback for when things go wrong. Building this resource takes a lot of planning. But it pays off in the long run. And it’s a smart way to reuse activities that you might not have used in previous lessons.Create a folder for every class you teach. Then fill it to the brim with tasks, project ideas, activities, etc. These can include short comprehension exercises, spot the mistake, matching activities, word searches, crosswords, and extended writing tasks. You can differentiate them, organise them by topics, or rank them using Blooms’ Taxonomy. It’s up to you.Over time, as you keep adding to these folders, you’ll find yourself with a huge catalogue of activities. Perfect for extension work, or those rainy days when you need a last minute lesson idea.If you’d like to make a start now, there are all sorts of wonderful online activity generators that’ll whip up some worksheets for you in a jiffy. 4) Peer AssessmentsIf you can, ask your pupils to pair up so they can quiz each other. Give your pupils where appropriate total autonomy over the questions they ask each other. Some love the chance to be independent. Then see what they remember when they mark each other’s answers.This is a lovely way to practice their recall, not just because they have to answer these questions. But they’ll also have to apply what they know in order to come up with questions as well.5) The Internet (If It’s Still Working)Technology is wonderful when it works. If you need a quick last minute lesson idea and the internet is available to you, there are some amazing resources online: Some require an account, but signing up now will save you loads of hassle further down the line.● Pobble - a story writing prompt generator, with build in activities.● Polypad - a maths teaching tool, with virtual manipulatives.● Twinkl - a massive resource library, packed with lesson plans, printables, puzzles, games● Phet - has loads of simulations for maths and science lessons, such as circuit building and more.● TED - talks on everything. There’s even a playlist for talks you can watch with children, including some maths magic.6) Scrap Paper DrawerThe scrap paper drawer is more of a rarity these days. But it can be your secret weapon, when paired with some colouring pencils. As a last minute lesson idea, scrap paper can be a game of bingo, a round of anagrams, a treasure hunt, or even just pictionary. The list can go on and on and on. And if you want more ideas for games, look no further.There is so much you can do with a bit of scrap paper. And it’s good for the environment, too.Hopefully, you’ll not to use these last minute lesson ideas. But better to have them, just in case, right? As educators, you often have to adapt on a regular basis, and make something out of nothing. We hope these top tips help you do just that. Do you have any ideas that you think will help others? Feel free to share them with us on social media, or get in touch. In the meantime, If you’re interested in learning more teaching tips, why not try this article on staff well-being, or building positive relationships with parents and families.