Sometimes when you're called in to substitute for a class at the last minute, you may be left to fend for yourself, without any lesson plans. Other times the plans the teacher left are completed by the students way before the end of the class.

Here are some ideas to occupy the time, and some things to keep in your "tricks" bag, depending on what grade level you are teaching for the day. These ideas are also great for parents wanting to add a little home enrichment, and fun to their child's studies.

Color and activity sheets are a great idea for all ages. You may think color sheets would only be good for younger children, but even high school age students love the chance to create. Especially if you offer a reward for the best, maybe a full size candy bar. Don't forget to bring some markers or color pencils, in case there are none in the classroom. Let others in the class vote on the pictures, and specify they cannot vote for their own, or you can have the final say on the winner.

Another great idea is to give the students a writing prompt, and have them write a story. You can set a time limit for older students, and have them do more than one to keep them busy. Have volunteers read their story to the class. You can adapt this to any subject, for math the students can write word problems. For science or health pick a prompt related to what they are currently studying. You can give rewards such as candy, stickers, or bookmarks to the best stories. These can be your picks, or the class picks.

One of my favorite things to do when I am left without a lesson plan is to read to the students. Students of all ages enjoy being read to. I have included a list of some of my favorite stories, grouped by grade level, in the sidebar. Check out a couple of my favorites, or head over to Amazon and find some of your own favorites to share. I like simple, fun stories with great illustrations for younger students. For older students I like chapter books where each chapter is about a different person, or situation. In these books you can read one chapter or several, without leaving the students hanging.

I also love to listen to music if I can make it educational. Some children are auditory learners, and learn really well from hearing things repeatedly. Check out these great songs to help students with: addition and subtraction, multiplication, states and capitals, and many more fun and exciting things.

I enjoy quick and easy art projects when there is a block of time to fill. If you plan an art project, make sure you bring some supplies with you, in case the classroom does not have any. You may need to bring scissors, glue, paper, colored pencils or markers, depending on the classroom resources. Here are some great projects I have found online over the last couple years:

Paper Flowers

Simple Craft Ideas

Free Kids Activities

And here are some great books to find fun projects to complete:

Usborne Book of Art Ideas -This book has everything, it is an excellent resource if you can only afford one art book, this is the one.

Day by Day Activity Book : 365 Days of Fun Ideas for Parents, Teachers & Kids - A great resource for parents, and teachers

The Jumbo Book of Easy Crafts - Full of easy fun crafts.

Finally as a last resort you may need to bring an educational video, or DVD to fill a large chunk of time. Some great videos include, Reading Rainbow - Math , The Magic Schoolbus Series, or Rock and Learn- for kindergarten classes. Many classrooms have a video, or DVD player available, but some do not.

These are some of the resources I use when I am left with incomplete sub plans. Most of them are very inexpensive to use in the long run. You may need to purchase some of the resources up front, but most of them can be reused over and over.

What are some of your favorite teaching resources? Please feel free to share them in the comments section below.