The Sydney Teacher Blog

One of my favourite maths warm ups of all time is Target Number. This is the perfect activity to turn number practice into a quick, brain-teasing game. It builds fluency, encourages problem-solving, and keeps students engaged.

The Alphabet Key is one of Tony Ryan’s Thinker’s Keys, a collection of 20 creative thinking strategies designed to stretch students beyond surface-level responses. 

The Answer Key is one of Tony Ryan’s Thinker’s Keys, a collection of 20 creative thinking strategies designed to stretch students beyond surface-level responses. 

Mixpressions is a fun, interactive maths game from Transum.org. It’s flexible, fast-paced, and perfect for individual practice, pairs, or whole-class challenges.

Did you know you can turn the classic game charades, into an interactive maths activity? It's the perfect task for students to practise reasoning, vocabulary, and problem-solving while having fun. It is great for warm-ups, fast-finishers, or brain breaks!

Odd One Out is a quick, low-prep maths task I love. It engages students, getting them to think and explain their ideas.

If you’re reading Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae with your class, you’ll know how much students love the playful rhymes and vibrant sea creatures. To extend the fun and learning beyond the book, I’ve created three engaging (and free) classroom activities covering literacy and maths!

5 Fabulous and FREE Book Week activities for 2025

Looking for a fun back to school activity after the holidays? This FREE Mystery Message Pack is the perfect low-prep way to re-engage students with 10 secret messages to decode using a Pigpen Cipher. Ideal for any term, it’s a creative icebreaker that boosts motivation, teamwork, and excitement as students return to class.