What’s happening in September? 6 topical classroom ideas for primary schools
September is a busy month for primary schools. There’s the excitement of a new school year, new faces and new routines, but there are also plenty of events and celebrations that can provide inspiration for engaging classroom activities.
From books and maths to recycling, fair trade and a little pirate silliness, here are six September events and ideas to add to your classroom calendar.
1. Back to school: start the year with curiosity (September)
The start of a new school year is a great opportunity to get pupils talking, creating and finding out more about each other.
Try our simple “My family” activity, a classroom scavenger hunt or a quiz where pupils must discover interesting facts about their new classmates.
You could also use the first few weeks to establish some positive learning habits through short, engaging activities. Quick maths challenges, word games and independent activities can be particularly useful while everyone settles into new routines.
Busy Things idea: Check out our ‘7 great back-to-school activities and tools’ blog for more getting-to-know-you activities.
2. Get your class thinking about recycling during Recycle Week (14th–20th September)
Recycle Week is a great opportunity to look beyond the recycling bin and get pupils thinking about the things they use every day.
Challenge your class to become recycling detectives.
What materials can they find around the classroom?
Which objects can be recycled?
What happens to them afterwards?
Busy Things idea: Our Recycle Week resources include activities exploring recycling, materials and waste, as well as opportunities for pupils to think about their own choices.
3. National Coding Week (16th–22nd September)
National Coding Week is a great opportunity to get pupils thinking like programmers.
Coding isn’t just about computers. It involves problem-solving, logical thinking, creativity and learning from mistakes.
Why not challenge your pupils to think like coders by creating a set of precise instructions, spotting and fixing a “bug” or working out the steps needed to solve a problem? You can then take their learning onto the screen with Busy Code, where pupils can build, run and debug their own programs.
Busy Things idea: Our FREE National Coding Week pack includes unplugged activities, a sandwich-making algorithm challenge and access to the first Busy Code tutorial, making it easy to get started. Find out more here!
International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19th September)
Arrr, this one is purely for fun!
International Talk Like a Pirate Day is an easy way to inject a little silliness into the school day.
Challenge pupils to write a message using pirate vocabulary, create a treasure map or invent a pirate character.
For a maths challenge, give your pirates a treasure haul to share. Can they work out how many gold coins each pirate gets?
Or turn the classroom into a treasure hunt, with pupils following clues to find the hidden treasure.
Busy Things idea: We’ve several pirate-themed activities and games to bring some swashbuckling fun into English, maths and problem solving. Check out our ‘4 cool activities for International Talk Like a Pirate Day’ blog here!
5. Make maths matter during Maths Week Scotland (19th–27th September)
Maths Week Scotland this year has the theme of ‘Maths Matters’ and presents a great reminder that maths isn’t just something that happens in a maths lesson.
Challenge pupils to spot maths in the world around them. Where can they find:
- Shapes?
- Patterns?
- Measurements?
- Money?
- Time?
- Data?
Busy Things idea: We’ll be writing a blog on Maths Week Scotland very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
This event is particularly relevant to Scottish schools, but the idea of finding the maths in everyday life can be used anywhere.
6. Explore where our favourite things come from during Fairtrade Fortnight (21st September–4th October)
Fairtrade Fortnight is a brilliant opportunity to follow the journey of everyday products and discover more about the people who grow and produce them.
Pick an everyday product such as chocolate, bananas, coffee or cotton clothing.
What might make the trade fairer for the people involved?
Where does it come from?
Who produces it?
How does it get to the UK?
This can lead naturally into geography, sustainability and discussions about trade.
Busy Things idea: Go to our ‘Celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight with Busy Things’ blog! It looks at a few fairtrade products and allows you to interview a cocoa trader.
Also happening in September…
There’s plenty more going on if you’re looking for a quick classroom idea.
Celebrate stories on Roald Dahl Story Day (13th September on)
Roald Dahl Story Day is a chance to celebrate stories, characters and the sheer joy of reading, and can be celebrated from 13 September onwards. Schools can simply choose a day that works for them.
Why not challenge pupils to invent their own wonderfully unusual character and then use it in a story of their own?
European Day of Languages (26th September)
Celebrate the languages spoken by pupils in your school and explore the rich linguistic diversity of Europe this European Day of Languages. The day has been celebrated every year on 26 September since 2001.
Try creating a class “hello” wall, learning how to say a few words in different languages or investigating where the languages spoken in your school are used around the world.
Looking for more September ideas?
September is just the beginning. Throughout the school year, Busy Things has thousands of curriculum-linked activities and games to help make learning engaging, from maths and English to science, geography, history and coding.
Interested in seeing more? Simply take a free trial with us and you can! We can also provide guided tours on request!