It’s 1:55 pm on a Friday, and I’m savoring the rare luxury of an uninterrupted prep period. Leftover pizza’s in the microwave, and I’m halfway through jotting Monday’s objectives on the board when the phone rings. Sixth period? On a Friday? The peace and quiet was too good to last.

Sure enough, it’s the school secretary. “Can you cover a class?” My options: Photography or AP History. Neither is remotely in my wheelhouse, but I sigh, choose Photography, and head over—only to find the classic teacher nightmare: no sub plan.

Luckily, this isn’t my first rodeo. Back in the day, my backup plan lived on a flash drive dangling from my lanyard. These days, it’s a trusty Google Drive folder I can access from anywhere. I call it my Adulting Activities Toolkit—a collection of quick, practical life skills lessons that has rescued me (and plenty of potentially bored students) more times than I can count.

Adulting Activities are a Secondary Substitute’s Best Friend

As a math, science, and special education teacher I discovered that if you bust out a lesson on angles or photosynthesis for a class expecting Honors English or Auto Shop, the blank stares and groans start rolling in. It didn’t take long to realize that those lessons weren’t going to cut it. That’s when I discovered my secret weapon: Adulting 101.

Here’s the thing—almost every student, whether they’re a freshman or an adult learner, gets into adulting topics. They’re interesting, relatable, and, best of all, practical. That’s why I keep a Google Drive folder packed with quick, ready-to-go activities. I’ve got crossword puzzles, word searches, and games to ease them in, plus more in-depth lessons on things like job hunting, apartment searching, signing a lease, and even how to hunt for scholarships.

These activities have saved me so many times. Whether I’m covering a class at the last minute or need to hit pause and switch things up, my Adulting Activities Toolkit is always there. And you know what? Students love it. They dive right in because it feels real to them—like something they’ll use after graduation.

But it’s not just about filling time. These lessons get students talking, asking questions, and even learning from each other. I’ve seen them get genuinely excited about things like spotting red flags in a rental agreement or coming up with clever answers for interview questions. It’s fun to watch them build confidence and independence right in front of you.

Times Adulting Activities Saved the Day

These are just a few scenarios in which I’ve used adulting life skills lessons to engage students when I’ve found myself teaching in an unexpected situation:

Covering a Class on My Prep Period: A lifesaver when I’m the pinch-hitter.
Proctoring State Testing: Ideal for when students finish 48 minutes before the bell cue eye roll.
Saturday School or Summer School: Works wonders in any setting where flexibility is key.

No matter the situation, these lessons always spark interest. For younger students, I keep things straightforward and fun. For older students, I dig a little deeper—encouraging questions, sharing personal advice, or adding extension activities. It’s all about relatable, real-world skills that students care about.

It’s been a crowd-pleaser every time.

Six times it's helpful to have an adulting life skills lesson on hand — Examples of situations when you can use an adulting activity on the fly.

How to Choose the Right Adulting Activities for Your Class

The next question is: how do you decide which domain of adulting to teach? For me, it all depends on the group I’m working with:

Outgoing or chatty group? I lean into their energy with something interactive, like Postsecondary Pathways Bingo or a lively game of Would You Rather - Adulting Edition. It keeps the vibe fun and engaging.
Behavior concerns? It’s all about choice! I pull up a thumbnail view of my folder showing all the activities and let students choose the topic. Plus, I keep a class set of printed copies for each adulting activity in a portable file bin, so I’m ready for any last-minute surprises.
English Learners? I start with a word search and terminology sheet to introduce adulting vocabulary. Then, if there’s time, I’ll follow up with the corresponding lesson on that topic and finish with a crossword puzzle to reinforce key terms.
Students with disabilities? Many students with Individualized Transition Plans (ITPs) benefit from career exploration. I use CareerOneStop’s interest assessment to help them identify potential strengths and possible career matches. I make sure to pass along the results to their teachers or case managers to support their transition plans.
Honors/AP students? I like challenging them with activities like Lease Lingo, where they analyze rental agreements, or Scholarship Savvy, where they explore real scholarships, eligibility criteria, and application tips.
When in doubt? I pick a lesson I’m in the mood for 😉. Lately, my favorite has been this free, quick, and easy printable higher education scavenger hunt!

Hints on how to pick the right adulting activities based on the student audience — Suggestion for matching adulting activities with student needs.

Breaking the Ice for Adulting Lessons

When I face a sea of unfamiliar faces, I know I’ll need some buy-in. I start by introducing myself and, instead of mentioning the lack of a sub plan, I say something like, “Mr. So-and-So gave me the freedom to share one of my favorite life skills lessons with you today.” Then, I bring out a little adulting humor. I project this quote: “So, it turns out that being an adult is mostly just Googling how to do stuff.”

Man frustrated and overwhelmed fixing over with quote "so it turns out that being an adult is mostly just Googling how to do stuff" — Google - the secret to successful adulting!

And I ask, “How many of you are looking forward to being out on your own? How many of you feel totally prepared? How many of you plan to Google your way through it?”

Or if I’m with adult education students, I tweak it to ask, “How many of you have mastered adulting? How many of you rely on Google?” And raise my hand right along with them!

With the ice officially broken, I explain that while adulting can feel like a mystery, plenty of it can be learned—lightening Google’s load just a bit. And with that, we’re off and running!

Free Adulting Resources for Your Sub Plans

Throughout this post, I’ve shared several resources I use—some free, others for a small cost. In the spirit of substitute solidarity, here are a few more free resources I’ve relied on over the years:

DMV Practice Tests: Go to your state’s DMV website to work through practice questions for permit or licensing tests. It’s practical and always a hit!
Apartment Hunting: Hop on Zillow and have students search for apartments, either in your area or in a city they dream of living in.
Career Exploration: Try My Next Move or the O*Net Interest Profiler to help students discover careers that match their interests and skills.
CareerOneStop: This site is a goldmine for career exploration. Here’s a free mini-lesson I created that walks through their interest assessment.
Scholarship Searching: The College Board’s Big Future site is perfect for helping students search for scholarships they qualify for—it’s straightforward and incredibly useful.

8 resources with free adulting activities for sub plans — Resources for free adulting activities.

Build Your Own Adulting Activities Toolkit

Give it a try! Start with a few versatile adulting lessons and see how quickly these real-world topics capture your students’ attention. Looking for more ideas? Check out my collection of free and premium lessons for adulting activities that will help you keep students engaged. After all, everyone can use a little Adulting 101 in their lives!

No Sub Plan? No Problem. Adulting Activities to the Rescue!