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Orange Shirt Day Activities for Elementary Students in 2026

These activities are very popular for Orange Shirt Day, but they can be used any time of the year. They provide fun and engaging learning experiences to help you celebrate Orange Shirt Day with your class. Check out all of the Orange Shirt Day activities for elementary students below!

Orange Shirt Day activities for elementary students

10 Orange Shirt Day Activities for Elementary Students

Below are our favorite Orange Shirt Day activities for kids at the elementary level.

1. When I Was Eight Book Activities

When We Were Alone follows Olemaun, an Inuit girl who yearns to read the outsiders’ books despite her father’s initial resistance, and after facing adversity and mistreatment at the outsiders’ school, she perseveres, finds her voice, and achieves her dream of reading, ultimately feeling proud and triumphant. This When I Was Eight Book Companion includes reading comprehension questions, writing prompts, SEL lesson ideas, student activities, and much more. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!

2. When We Were Alone Book Activities

When We Were Alone follows a young girl’s conversation with her grandmother, exploring the resilience and strength of Indigenous people in the face of cultural assimilation, and the importance of preserving traditions, identity, and connection to one’s heritage. This When We Were Alone Book Companion includes reading comprehension questions, writing prompts, SEL lesson ideas, student activities, and much more. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!

3. Orange Shirt Day Book Companions

One of our favorite ways to teach Orange Shirt Day is by reading aloud related picture books. Two great books for this are When I Was Eight and When We Were Alone. Learn more about this Orange Shirt Day book companion bundle resource that includes book activities for both read alouds in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!

4. Orange Classroom Reading Passages with Comprehension Questions

This Orange Shirt Day Non-Fiction Reading Unit includes 3 leveled reading passages, comprehension questions, quizzes, and more. Pair this with one of the read alouds above for a series of lessons about Orange Shirt Day. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!

5. Orange Shirt Day Bookmarks

These Printable Orange Shirt Day Bookmarks pair nicely with other Orange Shirt Day activities. Students will enjoy these coloring activities that spark creativity while giving them a purposeful finished product to use during independent reading. This bookmark resource is ideal for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms. Learn more about this resource below!

6. Orange Shirt Day Directed Drawing and Writing Activities

This Orange Shirt Day Directed Drawing and Writing Activities resource is an engaging way for elementary students to practice a variety of important skills: writing, vocabulary, focus, fine motor, social-emotional, and more. Learn more about this Orange Shirt Day directed drawing activity below!

7. Orange Shirt Day Word Search

This Orange Shirt Day Word Search is one way for students to honor the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also commonly referred to as Orange Shirt Day. This activity reinforces spelling, vocabulary, reading, visual scanning, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. The best part is that it includes an answer key, which makes grading quick and easy. Learn more about this resource below!

8. Orange Shirt Day Flip Book Project

This Orange Shirt Day Flip Book Project is a meaningful way to recognize Orange Shirt Day in your elementary classroom. It includes structured writing prompts, engaging reading comprehension passages, and more. Learn more below!

9. Orange Shirt Day Acrostic Poem Activities

These Orange Shirt Day Acrostic Poem Activities are another way to honor the indigenous Canadian children who were sent to residential schools and forced to assimilate into Canadian culture. Learn more about this resource below!

10. Orange Classroom Transformation

Do a classroom transformation in your room using this Orange Classroom Theme Decor. It is packed with tons of resources to pick and choose from. You can also scale it down and just do a themed bulletin board. Learn more about this resource in our Clutter-Free Classroom Teacher Store!

Get All of the Orange Shirt Day Teaching Resources

Check out the Orange Shirt Day activities below!

Orange Shirt Day acrostic poems Orange Shirt Day book companions Orange Shirt Day non-fiction unit orange classroom decor
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Orange Shirt Day Bookmarks Orange Shirt Day Directed Drawing Activity Orange Shirt Day Word Search Orange Shirt Day Flip Book
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In closing, we hope you found this list of Orange Shirt Day activities for elementary students helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these other related posts:

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