Every year, schools around the country celebrate the 100th day of school, commemorating their students’ progress in recent months. This unique celebration gives schools educational opportunities to engage their classes in fun math activities. In this blog, we’re sharing some easy 100th day of school ideas for elementary students that include movement-based learning strategies! We’re sure these activities will make your celebration memorable and lively as your students learn on their feet!
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The 100th day of school is a time to recognize accomplishments from the school year so far and help children learn the mathematical value of 100. Educators began celebrating the 100th day of school back in 1979 when California teacher Lynn Taylor first recognized the day.
Lynn wanted to help her students gain a concrete understanding of the number 100, so she organized an event to specifically bring attention to the number. In this initial instance, one of Lynn’s 100th day of school ideas for her elementary students was to use a puppet of the Sesame Street character “The Count” to turn 100 pennies into a dollar.
Two years later, Lynn and her colleagues, David Cooper and Mary Hurdlow, published an article about their 100th day of school ideas in an international newsletter for teachers. From there, the idea took off, and now the 100th day of school has been celebrated in different school districts for over 40 years.
Because of varying school calendars, the 100th day of school doesn’t have a universal set date. Once the school year begins, days are counted – excluding weekends and holidays – until the campus officially holds 100 instructional days. Schools tend to reach this point in February or early March. This is over halfway through the typical 180-day school year.
The 100th day of school is a milestone for all students. Since it happens over halfway through the school year, students have a lot of progress and accomplishments to look back on. On the 100th day of school, teachers have the opportunity to expand their students’ learning through fun math activities to celebrate.
In most cases, children are expected to be able to count to 100 in first grade. This skill is necessary for the rest of their schooling, and the 100th day of school is the perfect time to emphasize that. This vein of numerical literacy is utilized in daily life and almost every math class, forming the foundation for future mathematical education.
In the fall of 2024, Forefront Education analyzed nearly 150,000 student records to uncover insights about early numeracy in elementary students. This study found that counting and cardinality are foundational skills that many kindergarten students struggle with.
Furthermore, the dataset revealed that new challenges arise as students progress into higher grade levels with more complex operations like subtraction, place value, and fractions. Struggles in math continue because students lack a conceptual understanding of counting. This is how performance gaps start and continue to widen.
Since counting is a primary struggle for elementary students, practicing number sequences should be a priority for children developing their number sense. Luckily, the 100th day of school provides an opportunity to do so in a low-stress, fun way! Below, we’re sharing some of our favorite 100th day of school ideas for elementary students.
At Math & Movement, we strongly advocate for incorporating physical movement into school lessons and activities! Kinesthetic learning engages the brain on multiple levels, helping children focus and learn more effectively – while also having fun! Here are six 100th day of school activities using Math & Movement materials!
Grades: K-2
Have every student bring in 100 objects from home. Some ideas for objects might include paper clips, marbles, beads, dominoes, cotton balls, or crayons. Take turns laying out the objects on the Add/Subtract (1-100) Mat.
Grades: 3-4
Ask students to divide 100 by the number of students in the class as evenly as possible. Have each student bring that many objects. For this activity, students could bring in larger objects, like stuffed animals or rocks. Set the objects on the Add/Subtract (1-100) Mat. This 100th day of school activity provides a visualization of division and, if applicable, remainders.
Grades: K-2
Put 100 pennies in a jar or another clear container. Ask students to estimate how many coins there are in the jar. After all the students have guessed, ask them to line up and file past the container. Each student will take one penny out at a time and lay it consecutively on the Add/Subtract (1-100) Mat until they reach 100.
Grades: K-2
Lay out the Hop by Tens Mat. Have one student find 10 and stand on it. Ask the student to make up a movement to do 10 times. Then, as a class, do the movement they come up with together.
Next, have another student stand on 20 and come up with a new movement to do 20 times. Continue down the mat, allowing other students to pick the movements until you reach 100.
Some movement ideas include 10 jumping jacks, 20 running steps in place, 30 toe touches, or 100 claps. The teacher may want to pick the movement based on the difficulty and number of repetitions.
Grades: 2-4
Lay out an assortment of coins. Ask students how many ways they can combine different coins to reach one dollar. There are 293 different ways! Can they find 100 ways? Use the Dollar Hop Mat to help.
Grades: K-2
Don’t let our name fool you – at Math & Movement, we like literacy activities as well! Here’s a 100th day of school activity that includes reading and counting.
Challenge your students to find as many words as they can on the 100 Word Hop Mat that have any letter in common with those in “ONE HUNDRED.” When they find one, have them stand on it and read it aloud. Then, they can write it on the board or a list of their own. Next, ask them to count how many letters their word and the phrase “ONE HUNDRED” have in common.
At the end of this activity, compare lists with the entire class to see who found the most words. (Only 22 words on the 100 Word Hop do not have any of the letters that they are looking for.)
The 100th day of school is a great way to practice old and new skills through active movements and engaging activities. Over the last several decades, the 100th day of school has become a sensation in schools nationwide. Make this year’s celebration extra unique by incorporating movement-based activities into your day. Help your students recognize their accomplishments and continue to learn through kinesthetic strategies.
Ready to incorporate movement-based learning strategies into every day of school? Enter your email to download our FREE Training Manual with over 250 active math movements that your students can do without any additional materials. Introduce movement-based learning with just your body and imagination!
Looking to add a storybook about the 100th day of school to your classroom bookshelf? Check out this book written by our founder!
Counting by fives is more fun if you do it with a friend, especially a loyal, royal, furry friend! In this book, Sarah and her dog Honey show kids how fun and practical math can be.
Movement isn't just for recess
Want to get started with movement-based learning right now? Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
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