Try This Easy Morning Meeting Plan for Upper Elementary
Have you always wanted to try out a morning meeting in your upper elementary classroom but weren’t quite sure where to start? Maybe you’ve wondered:
What do I even say?
What do the students do?
How do I get the timing right?
I’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for a simple, copy-and-paste style plan for implementing morning meeting without stress or prep, this blog post is your new best friend. Keep reading for a full example of one day’s morning meeting that you can use as-is, or tweak to make your own.
Whether you’re new to morning meetings or looking for ways to refresh your routine, this breakdown will walk you through each component of a typical meeting: message, greeting, sharing, and activity.
Let’s jump in!
What Is a Morning Meeting and Why Does It Matter?
Morning meetings set the tone for the day, and they do so much more than just provide structure.
Here’s what makes morning meetings a must-do:
Build classroom community and trust
Give students a predictable, calming start
Encourage student voice and choice
Promote active listening and speaking skills
Support social-emotional learning in organic ways
And the best part? Once you get into the groove, they’re quick, easy, and fun.
A Copy-and-Paste Morning Meeting Plan You Can Use Tomorrow
This sample morning meeting follows a four-part structure that I use in all of my May Morning Meeting Slides. You can follow it exactly to try out the rhythm or customize it as you build confidence.
Here’s what your students will do and how you can lead it:
1. Morning Message Slide: Start with a Calm and Clear Transition
As students walk into your classroom, have a message slide projected on the board. The slide should include:
A warm greeting
A quick snapshot of the day
Any materials students will need
Optional reminder or question to think about
This allows your students to settle in, know what’s coming, and start the day grounded.
Pro Tip: Keep the message positive and predictable—this helps students feel safe and know what to expect.
Example:
“Good morning! Happy Monday. Today we’ll be doing some reading rotations, working on our math projects, and playing a game during morning meeting. You’ll need your journal and a pencil.”
Once students have read the message, have them transition from their desks to the circle area. This is a great time to layer in your greeting!
2. Greeting: Add Joy and Connection with a Bow or Curtsy
Greetings are more than a formality—they’re a chance for students to connect in light-hearted ways.
Today’s greeting idea: The Bow Greeting
How it works:
As students walk to the circle, they greet the classmates they pass.
Each student says: “Hi, I’m [Name],” and the other student responds.
After introducing themselves, they take a bow or curtsy (their choice).
It’s simple, silly, and brings smiles to faces first thing in the morning!
You can change it up each day to keep it fresh:
High-five greetings
Elbow bumps
Compliment chains
Mystery handshakes
The goal: Make every student feel seen and welcomed before the day even begins.
3. Sharing Prompt: Build Empathy and Listening Skills
Once everyone is seated in a circle, it’s time to move into the sharing prompt. I like to add daily themes to the prompts because it keeps things interesting.
Try these weekly themes:
Mindset Monday
Travel Tuesday
Wacky Wednesday
Thankful Thursday
Feel-Good Friday
Today’s sample is a Mindset Monday prompt:
“What put you in a good mood recently—and why?”
Instructions:
Students turn to a partner and share their answers.
After a few minutes, invite 2–3 volunteers to share with the full group.
Encourage active listening and respectful responses.
This part of the meeting builds strong communication skills, encourages personal reflection, and gives quieter students a low-stakes way to participate.
4. Activity: Get Students Moving with the Game “Blizzard”
Now for my absolute favorite part of morning meeting: the activity!
Every day, I include a short game or activity that builds classroom community, supports executive functioning, and lets students have fun together.
One of my go-to games is called Blizzard—and your students are going to love it.
Here’s how to play Blizzard:
All students stand up and begin moving around the classroom.
Play music while they mix—think fun, upbeat, instrumental tracks.
After about 15 seconds, pause the music and call out a number (1–10).
Students must quickly form a group with that many people and sit down.
Start a 10-second countdown: “10, 9, 8, 7…” If they’re not in a group by 1, they’re out for that round!
Repeat with different numbers until a few students are left—or just play a few rounds for fun.
Why I love this game:
It encourages cooperation and quick thinking
It gives students a brain and body break
It sets a joyful tone for the rest of the day
You can adapt it with themes like:
Blizzard of Books (group by genre)
Math Mix-Up (group by math facts or shapes)
Friendship Freeze (group by shared interests)
Let your creativity flow!
Morning Meeting FAQs for Teachers
Here are some common questions teachers have when getting started:
How long should morning meeting last?
Aim for 10–15 minutes. That’s enough time to do all four parts without losing instructional momentum.
What do I do if students aren’t engaged?
Start with games and greetings they enjoy, and give them choice whenever possible. Also, be consistent—students thrive on routine.
Do I need special materials?
Nope! You can do a morning meeting with just a whiteboard and your voice. But if you want ready-to-go, themed slides, I’ve got those too!
Grab Your May Morning Meeting Slides!
If you loved this structure and want to make mornings even easier, check out my May Morning Meeting Slides.
They include:
Daily message slides
Fun and thoughtful greetings
Share prompts by theme
Easy, engaging community-building games
I made them with real upper elementary classrooms in mind—yours included!
Want to try it out? Let me know how it goes. I’m the person on the internet trying to convince the world to try morning meetings because they actually work.
You’ve Got This, Teacher Friend
Trying out a morning meeting might feel like one more thing on your to-do list—but it can actually be a moment of peace and joy in your day.
So take this plan, give it a go, and know that you’re building something beautiful in your classroom: connection, confidence, and community.
Let me know in the comments or shoot me a message if you try the Blizzard game or need more ideas. I’m always happy to help you make the magic happen!
