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Toy Theater is your source for free educational games specially designed for elementary-aged students. It's available on all desktop computers, tablets, and mobile devices, ensuring learning is never out of reach. If you are a fan of our site, we encourage you to share Toy Theater on your social media or website.

Explore Toy Theater

Here's a sneak peek into what Toy Theater has in store:

Math Games: Ranging from counting and numeral recognition to division and telling time, there's a vast assortment of interactive math games.

Language Arts: Students can work on spelling, letter recognition, and even practice reading with online books.

Art and Music : From teaching students to play simple songs on a keyboard to exploring symmetry via art games, the platform fosters creativity alongside learning.

Puzzles and Games: Ideal for early finishers or indoor recess, their online educational puzzles and games promise fun-filled learning.

Teacher Tools: Need a fun timer or a spinner? Or perhaps a simple way to evaluate basic math skills? Their virtual teacher tools have got you covered.

Whether you project Toy Theater games and interactive tools on your smartboard for the whole class to see or use them during small group work, you're sure to love them!

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Toy Theater | Fun Online Educational Games for Kids

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Make learning a blast! Toy Theater is chock full of interactive online art, reading & math games for kids. Designed with the needs of kindergarten through third grade classrooms in mind, these free games are trusted by teachers around the world to provide real educational value.

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13,000 possible mastery points

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Learn fifth grade math-arithmetic with fractions and decimals, volume, unit conversion, graphing points, and more. This course is aligned with Common Core standards.

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Introduction to the Solar System: Crash Course Astronomy #9

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The Size and Scale of the Solar System - Comparing the Planets to Earth and the Sun

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Today we explore the size and scale of the solar system, using familiar objects and numbers to help you visualize the cosmic proportions of our celestial neighborhood. We will see how the sun is by far the largest and most massive object in the solar system, being about 109 times the diameter of Earth.

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Unit 4: Earth's Systems and Water Resources

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Unit 4: Earth's Systems and Water Resources

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Unit 6: Properties of Matter Study Guide

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Unit 6: Properties of Matter Study Guide

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5B Unit 2 Westward Expansion & Civil War Study Guide

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5B Unit 2 Westward Expansion & Civil War Study Guide

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Semester B- Unit 2 Changes in Matter Study Guide

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Semester B- Unit 2 Changes in Matter Study Guide

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B-Unit 4- Transfer of Energy Study Guide

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B-Unit 4- Transfer of Energy Study Guide

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Write a story about yourself

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Writing a Personal Narrative for Kids - Episode 4: Writing a Draft

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One of the most common essay types is the opinion, or persuasive, essay. In an opinion essay, the writer states a point of view, then provides facts and reasoned arguments to support that viewpoint. The goal of the essay is to convince the reader to share the writer's opinion.

Students aren't always aware of how many strong opinions they already hold. Use the following opinion writing prompts to inspire them to start thinking and writing persuasively.

Prompts About School and Sports

School- and sports-related topics often elicit strong opinions in students. Use these writing prompts to kick off the brainstorming process.

1. Ch-ch-ch-changes. What is one thing about your school that needs to change? Is bullying an issue? Do students need longer breaks or a dress code? Choose one vital issue that needs to change and convince school leaders to make it happen.

2. Special guest. Your school is trying to decide on a famous person to give a speech or presentation to students. Who do you think they should choose? Write an essay to convince your principal.

3. Oxford or bust. Is the Oxford comma essential or obsolete?

4. Scribble scrabble. Do students still need to learn cursive handwriting?

5. Co-ed conflict. Would students perform better if more schools were single-gender rather than co-ed? Why or why not?

6. Participation awards. Should there be winners and losers in sports, or is participation the ultimate goal?

7. Homework overload. Write an essay to convince your teacher to assign less homework.

8. Sports. Which sport (or team) is the best? What makes it better than the others?

9. No slacking. Write an essay persuading a fellow student to do their homework.

10. Class trip. This year, students get to vote on where to go for a class trip. Write an essay convincing your fellow students to vote for the place you'd like to go.

11. Superlatives. Which would you rather be: a top student, a talented athlete, or an accomplished artist?

12. Virtual athletes. Video games competitions are often aired on TV and treated like sports competitions. Should video games be considered sports?

13. Class debate. Should classes that students may not use or that don't interest them (such as physical education or foreign language) be required?

Prompts About Relationships

Friendships, dating, and other relationships can be both rewarding and exasperating. These writing prompts about relationships will help students explore their feelings about both the positive and the negative moments.

1. Snitch. Your best friend tells you about his plan to cheat on a test. Should you tell an adult? Why or why not?

2. Give it a chance. Your best friend is convinced that she would hate your favorite book, even though she's never read it. Convince her to read it.

3. Friendships vs. relationships. Are friendships or romantic relationships more important in life? Why?

4. Driving age. What age do kids start driving in your state? Is that age too old, too young, or just right? Why?

5. Truth or consequences. Your best friend asks your opinion about something, but you know that a truthful answer will hurt her feelings. What do you do?

6. Who chooses? Your best friend is visiting, and you want to watch TV together, but his favorite show is at the same time as your favorite show. Convince him that your show is a better choice.

7. Fun times. What is the most fun thing you and your best friend have ever experienced together? Why does it deserve the top spot?

8. Dating. Are long-term dating relationships good or bad for teens?

9. New friends. You want to spend time with a new student at school, but your best friend is jealous. Convince your friend of the importance of including the newcomer.

10. Be mine. Is Valentine's Day worthwhile or just a scheme for the greeting card and chocolate industry to make more money?

11. Debbie Downer. Should you cut ties with friends or relatives who are always negative?

12. He loves me not. Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

13. Elders. Should you respect your elders merely because they are older, or is respect something that must be earned?

Prompts About Family, Pets, and Leisure Time

The following writing prompts related to family, furry friends, and free time will help students reflect on preferences, ethics, and integrity.

1. Self-reflection. This time, you're the one who needs convincing! Write an essay to persuade yourself to start a healthy habit (or kick a bad habit).

2. Paper wars. Should toilet paper hang with the loose end resting on the top of the roll or hanging from the bottom?

3. Movie vs. book. Choose a book that has been made into a movie. Which version is better, and why?

4. Weekend wanderings. Do you prefer to stay home on the weekends or get out and do things around town? Write an essay to convince your parents to let you do what you prefer this weekend.

5. Sweepstakes. A travel agency is hosting an essay contest to give away an all-expenses-paid trip to the one place in the world you'd most love to visit. Craft a winning essay that convinces them they need to choose you.

6. Zoo debate. Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos? Why or why not?

7. Presence of pets. Should there be limits on the types of places pets can go (e.g. airplanes or restaurants)? Why or why not?

8. Inspiring stories. What is the most inspiring book you've ever read? Why is it so inspiring?

9. Dollar discovery. You find a $20 bill in the parking lot of a crowded store. Is it okay to keep it, or should you turn it in to customer service?

10. Vacation day. What is the very best way to spend an unexpected day off from school and why is it the best?

11. Digital or print? Is it better to read books in print or digitally? Why?

Prompts About Society and Technology

The people and technology around us have a significant impact on our lives. These writing prompts encourage students to consider the effect that society and technological advances have on our day-to-day lives.

1. Reverse technology. Pick one technological advancement that you think the world would be better off without. Explain your reasoning and persuade the reader.

2. Out of this world. Do aliens exist? Why or why not?

3. Social media. Is social media good or bad for society? Why?

4. Emoji. Has the use of emoji stunted our ability to express ourselves in writing, or does it help us identify our emotions more precisely?

5. Auto safety. Have advancements like self-driving cars, blind spot indicators, and lane departure warning systems made driving safer, or have they just made drivers less attentive?

6. Exploration Mars. Write a letter to Elon Musk convincing him that you should be part of a colony to Mars.

7. Fundraisers. Is it okay for kids to stand outside stores and ask shoppers for money for their sports teams, clubs, or band? Why or why not?

8. Inventions. What is the greatest invention ever made? Why is it the best?

9. Important cause. In your opinion, what global problem or issue deserves more attention than it currently receives? Why should more time and money be invested in this cause?

10. Minimalism. Does living a minimalist lifestyle make for a happier life? Why or why not?

11. Gaming gains. Are video games generally a positive or a negative influence? Why?

12. Rose-colored glasses. Is the current decade the best era in history? Why or why not?

13. Paper or plastic. Should plastic bags be outlawed?

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One of the most common essay types is the opinion, or persuasive, essay. In an opinion essay, the writer states a point of view, then provides facts and reasoned arguments to support that viewpoint. The goal of the essay is to convince the reader to share the writer's opinion.

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Reading is both an art and a science in so many ways. Once young readers move on from word recognition to reading for meaning, a whole new world opens up. Reading comprehension activities within the ELA block help students develop skills that will deepen the meaning of literature, while also leading to an understanding of material in other subjects. As students learn to make connections within a text, lifelong reading skills are born and cultivated. Check out these ELA anchor charts to help your students analyze the many elements necessary for reading success.

1. Questions To Ask While Reading

Questions like these help students think about the purpose of reading itself. They also encourage kids to consider important basics, like setting and characters.

2. Story Elements

Going over the key components that make up a story will make your students better readers. They'll know exactly what to look out for, and searching for these pieces will make reading seem like a fun scavenger hunt.

3. Read, Cover, Remember, Retell

Stop students from skimming longer texts with this concept. This way, they'll break the text into bite-sized chunks and truly understand what they're reading.

4. Making Predictions

Making predictions is a great way for students to interact with a text. Just introduce them to these three simple steps and watch them succeed!

5. Beginning, Middle, End

Have students look for growth throughout a story by paying attention to the beginning, middle, and end. They should think about where the characters start, what happens to them, and how they're different at the end.

6. Choosing a Just-Right Book

Comprehension is deeply connected to children's current reading abilities, and knowing how to choose a just-right book can help them gain confidence in their skills.

7. Summary Sentences

Make sense of more complicated passages by writing summary sentences for each paragraph or section on sticky notes. They'll be helpful when reviewing for tests or writing a paper.

8. Monitoring for Meaning

Self-monitoring is key for success in reading comprehension at all levels. Giving students some questions to ask themselves as they read is a great first step toward understanding.

9. UNWRAP

Use the UNWRAP method to guide students through a thorough reading. This is an especially valuable technique for nonfiction passages.

10. Understanding What Reading Looks Like

Setting expectations for what reading really looks like can help lay the groundwork for comprehension, as illustrated in this reading anchor chart.

11. Literary Elements

This is like combining four anchor charts for reading comprehension into one! It's the kind of chart that kids can refer to over and over.

12. How To Mark a Text

Use an anchor chart and strategy like this one to teach your students how to properly mark up texts. Afterward, have a group discussion and ask students to utilize the sections they emphasized in their texts to support their individual points.

13. Cause and Effect

Considering cause and effect is an excellent way to improve reading comprehension. Students learn to watch for words like "because" and "so" with this anchor chart.

14. Decoding Tricky Words

Decoding strategies help students step back from a frustrating word or sentence and revisit it from another angle. Especially when they're just starting out, your class (and their parents) will appreciate having access to these tips.

15. Coding Thoughts

Shortcut symbols allow students to annotate texts without slowing down or interrupting the reading flow. Be sure to teach them how and when to use each symbol as they read.

16. Using Context Clues

This anchor chart for reading helps students use context clues, such as synonyms and word parts, to become "word detectives" when they stumble upon a word they don't know.

17. Types of Conflict

Dig deeper into characters by understanding the conflict they face during the story. Remind students that more than one of these often applies.

18. Nonfiction Text Features

If you're doing a nonfiction unit, consider creating an anchor chart as a guide. It can be difficult for some students to understand the differences between fiction and nonfiction, but a chart like this one will immediately orient them within a text.

19. Visualizing as They Read

Visualizing is an important part of achieving reading comprehension. Get kids to see the "movie in their minds" as they read.

20. Figurative Language

Figurative language can be challenging to teach. Make it easier with this anchor chart and a few pieces of text to act as examples. Then, set your students free and see how many elements of figurative language they can find in their individually chosen books.

21. Building Fluency

Fluency is another important part of reading comprehension. When students are robotic in their reading expression and pacing, they have trouble understanding meaning.

22. Overcome Distractions

Even the best readers sometimes have trouble focusing on their books! Make your students more effective readers by going over how to overcome wandering thoughts.

23. Retelling the Story

Retelling or summarizing is an important check on comprehension-can the student identify the main events and characters of the story? Reading anchor charts like this one lend a hand in explaining the concept.

24. Find the Main Idea

Understanding the main idea, or identifying what the text is mostly about, even if it's not explicitly stated, is one of the first higher-level tasks of reading comprehension.

25. Understanding Character

Ask students to distinguish between what's on a character's outside versus a character's inside to help them understand the text.

26. Setting

A story's setting is made up of more than just where it takes place. Help your students fully grasp everything the concept encompasses with a fun and simple visual.

27. Point of View

Understanding point of view in a story can be challenging for beginning readers. This chart will help them pick it up and then implement it in their own writing too.

28. Theme vs. Main Idea

It's so easy for young readers to confuse the theme of a text with its main idea, which is why comparing the two concepts side by side is sure to set up your students for success.

29. Thin and Thick Questions

Teach your students the difference between basic yes-or-no (thin) questions and more involved (thick) questions. When students can answer harder questions about the story, their level of understanding will go through the roof.

30. Making Connections

You can be sure kids comprehend what they read when they can start connecting it to themselves and to the world around them.

31. Reading Conference Guidelines

Implementing one-on-one student-teacher conferences during individual reading time can be really helpful for students, especially when you set expectations and guidelines ahead of time. This will give your students time to think about what they will focus on during their time with you and how it will help them become better readers.

32. Plot Structure

This basic plot anchor chart can help students understand the rising action, climax, and falling action that make up a plot.

33. Making Inferences

To make an inference, students have to differentiate between what's being said on the page and what's not. This anchor chart does a great job of explaining.

34. Writing a Book Review

The key to writing a successful book review is being aware of what to focus on during the reading stage. If you plan on having your students write a book review, go over what they should take notes on or pay close attention to while they are reading with an easy anchor chart like this one.

35. Inference Thinking Stems

Reading is an active endeavor; readers often make predictions based on what they already know. These thinking stems can help students put their ideas about stories into words.

36. Evidence-Based Reading

Students show they understand what they are reading by pointing to evidence within the reading. These words are the key to finding those bits of evidence.

37. Elements of Poetry

Poetry is tricky and reads a lot differently than most other texts students tend to gravitate toward. Nevertheless, it's an important art form to explore in the classroom-so why not use a pretty anchor chart as a primer? We guarantee it will take the fear out of reading poetry.

38. Author's Purpose

Why did the author write this book? Was it to persuade, inform, or entertain? The author's purpose may dictate how students read an article or story, and this chart helps students identify it.

39. Questions and Answers

If your class is struggling with how to find answers to questions while reading, this anchor chart just might help them.

40. Themes in Literature

Another great way to teach theme. Books are like a cream-filled cupcake: You never know what's hiding inside!

41. Vowel Teams

Vowel teams can be confusing for young readers. This chart color-codes each vowel team and incorporates example words with pictures to help students remember these tricky sounds.

42. Stop and Jot

It is always a good idea to have students write about their reading in a Reader's Notebook so they can look back on their thoughts. Anchor charts for reading like this one remind students of great reasons to stop, think, and jot while reading.

43. Using Think Marks to Dig Deeper

Some students are great at remembering to stop and jot as they read, while others are more reluctant. Motivate your students by incorporating these fun symbols that can be placed on sticky notes throughout a text.

44. Thinking Questions To Ask While Reading

Use this chart to help students apply higher-order reading comprehension strategies as they read independently. These also make great conversation starters for whole- and small-group activities.

45. Understanding Why Readers Close-Read

Close reading helps students dig deeper as they read to better understand the text. Give them the background knowledge on this strategy to help motivate them to take a closer look.

46. Steps to Close Reading

Your students will become expert reading detectives with these helpful close-reading tips you can put on anchor charts.

47. Tone and Mood

As students think about their feelings while reading a particular piece, they will learn to build their own opinions of literature and poetry. Help them understand how the author's tone also has an impact by using these anchor charts for reading.

48. Reading Comprehension Strategies Summed Up

This is an excellent summary of multiple reading comprehension strategies used in the classroom all year long. It works well across most grade levels too.

49. ELA Test-Taking Strategies

Help ease the pressure of test taking with these practical reminders. These great tips are well suited for ELA and beyond!

If you like this roundup of anchor charts for reading, subscribe to our free newsletters for more of the latest teaching ideas and tips.

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49 Anchor Charts That Nail Reading Comprehension

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These terrific anchor charts for reading comprehension will help students learn about characters, setting, main ideas, context, and more.

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5B- Unit 5- Food Webs & Cycles Study Guide

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5B- Unit 5- Food Webs & Cycles Study Guide

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5B Unit 4 Good Times and Hardships Study Guide

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5B Unit 4 Good Times and Hardships Study Guide

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5B- Unit 6- Conserving the Earth's Resources

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5B- Unit 6- Conserving the Earth's Resources