Sorting Activities Teaching Resources
Download printable sorting activities to help your elementary students practice grouping different items into categories.
With activities aligned with the Common Core curriculum and editable options, this teacher resource collection is stocked with hundreds of resources perfect for elementary and middle school teachers,
Each sorting and grouping resource in this teaching resource collection has been created by a teacher, and each resource has undergone a rigorous review by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure it's ready to download and use in your classroom.
Choose from sorting activities for math, ELA, science or social studies with printable and digital options available! This collection also includes sorting activities that can be used for whole class, group or independent tasks.
Curious about how our teacher team uses sorting activities to keep kids engaged and make learning more fun? Read on for a primer!
What Are Sorting Activities?
Let's start with a definition. When we talk about sorting activities at Teach Starter, we're referring to hands-on activities for students that require them to identify, sort, and group different items into alike categories.
This tests recognition and helps students develop their problem-solving skills.
Are you mostly familiar with sorting activities for preschool or kindergarten? We have those, but you'll also find activities designed for older students from 1st and 2nd grade all the way up through 5th and 6th grade.
The goal is to strengthen students' comparison skills and deepening their understanding of a particular topic by sorting cards, playing games and often matching items.
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Vowel Sounds Sort - /a/ and /e/
Practice distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds for letters /a/ and /e/ by sorting this set of 24 picture cards into categories.
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Line and Feelings Sorting Activity - Upper Elementary
A fun sorting activity for students to explore interpretation of line in visual art.
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Beginning Sounds Sorting Activity
Practice identifying beginning sounds of words by sorting this set of 24 picture cards.
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Radiation Sorting Activity
A set of 20 cards to sort according to the type of electromagnetic wave.
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5 Text Structures Sorting Cards
A set of 24 sorting cards to practice identifying the five different text structures.
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Punctuation in a Pouch - End Punctuation Sorting Center
A fun, marsupial-themed activity to help your students with editing and punctuation.
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Line and Feeling Sorting Activity - Primary Grades
A fun sorting activity for students to explore interpretation of line in visual art.
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Color Sorting Activity
A fun sorting activity to use in the classroom when learning about colors.
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Final 'e' Sorting Activity
Practice decoding final -e conventions with this set of 18 sorting cards representing long 'a', 'i', and 'o' vowel sounds.
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Think It or Say It? - Sorting Activity
Practice using a filter when speaking with others with this sorting activity.
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Sound Devices Sorting Activity
Reinforce sound devices used in text by sorting 16 poetic device cards into their appropriate category.
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Identifying Colors - Sorting Game
A fun sorting game for students to play when learning their colors.
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Living vs Nonliving Things - Sorting Activity
Sort biotic vs. abiotic things and discuss their characteristics with a hands-on living and nonliving things picture sort.
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Simple Machines Sorting Activity
A fun sorting activity to use in the classroom when learning about simple machines and how they work.
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Fact Family Fishbowls - Multiplication and Division
Demonstrate an understanding of multiplication and division fact families with this sorting activity.
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Chance Scenario Sorting Game
A hands-on sorting activity to use when describing possible events and their chances of occurring.
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How to Wash Your Hands - Sequencing Cards
A set of 8 cards showing the steps for how to wash your hands properly
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How to Make a PB and J Sandwich - Sequencing Cards
A set of 6 cards showing the steps to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
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Fly Life Cycle Sort Activity
Help your students concrete their understanding of the fly life cycle with this interactive game.
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Consonant Blends Fishbowl Sorting Activity
A small group or whole class sorting game to consolidate the learning of beginning consonant blends.
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Ordinal Stories and Sorting Activity
A fun, hands-on sorting activity to use when learning ordinal numbers.
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Silkworm Life Cycle Sort
Help your students concrete their understanding of silkworm life cycles with this interactive game.
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Alien Number Sequencing Cards - 1 to 20
A hands-on activity to practice number sequencing from 1 to 20.
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Butterfly Life Cycle Sort
Help your students concrete their understanding of life cycles with this interactive game.
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Seasons Sorting Activity
Teach students in K-2 the proper clothing, activities, and objects for different types of weather with this four seasons activity.
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Food Choices Sorting Activity
A sorting activity to help students recognize healthy and unhealthy foods.
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Transportation Time Machine - Past and Present Transportation Sorting Activity
A fun sorting game for students to identify past and present modes of transportation.