Fun March celebrations to make relationships bloom

When you think about the month of March, you may think about spring and St. Patrick’s Day, but there are a lot of other fun occasions to celebrate. From honoring waffles to appreciating cats, shake up your routine and use these lesser-known occasions to connect with students and re-energize the classroom. Not only can you use these holidays to kickstart your Along check-ins, but you can also plan classroom activities that help your students bond with one another.

Here are some March celebration ideas your students will love.

All About Food

Who doesn’t love a day centered around food? In March, we have National “Eat Your Noodles” Day (on March 11), National Crunchy Taco Day (on March 21), and International Waffle Day (on March 25). Use these tasty occasions as a jumping off point and ask your students about some of their favorite dishes in Along. You can make up your own reflection question that ties directly into one of these holidays, or you can use one of ours. To build your appetite,, here are two fun, food-related reflection questions for your next check-in:

• What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten? What made it so special?
• Which is better: cookies or cake? Why?

Getting your students to talk about their favorite foods spices things up and makes space for lighter conversations. These types of questions can be a great place to start with your students or may be good for those who are apprehensive about opening up. Either way, they are just as important as deeper reflections. It’s an effective topic for sharing a laugh and providing insight into things that students love — key ingredients for watching your connections grow.  

Want to take the food fun even further? Try a class potluck! By asking your students to bring in their go-to noodle dish or waffle toppings, you give them a chance to open up about why they love those foods. This activity creates a safe place that welcomes diversity and where students from different cultural backgrounds can share traditions. 

All About Reflecting

Here at Along, we believe reflection is a pathway to connection. So imagine our delight when learning that there are March occasions that celebrate strategies for thinking deeply. From National Write Your Story Day (on March 14), to World Poetry Day (on March 21), to Take a Walk in the Park Day (on March 30), you can use these holidays to chat about healthy reflection and mindfulness practices. 

Before diving into these holidays, it’s a good idea to first check in through Along and ask students how they’re currently feeling. This can help guide your decisions for which holidays to focus on and which reflection practices will be the most effective for your students.  

All About Fun

Embrace the silly side of your students and bring some truly amusing occasions to the classroom. How about Wear a Hat Day (on March 26)? Or Respect Your Cat Day (on March 28)? Or you could go with National Virtual Vacation Day (on March 30). They might seem a little goofy, but leaning into a feeling of levity either in class or during your check-ins will likely be refreshing to your students. (And we all know how much you can bond over chatting about cats…)

Another option is to play up March Madness (starting on March 13). Sports are a valuable topic for students of all ages because it gets their bodies moving and teaches them about teamwork. One idea is to ask your students to bring in white t-shirts and supply them with fabric paint to create “jerseys.” Pump up the fun with a team name for the classroom and have everyone vote on team colors. This creative activity will promote unity amongst your students. 

We encourage you to take advantage of all the wonderful celebrations the month has in store. There are so many (we didn’t even have a chance to mention Awkward Moments Day!) and each one can provide a fresh way to bond and grow relationships. By embracing the spirit of these holidays, you’ll create memorable experiences for yourself and students. Happy March!