Ten Activities to Keep Them Engaged!

As elementary teachers, one of our biggest challenges is to keep our students engaged in the learning process!

Capturing the attention of the students is not always easy. But children are naturally curious and have that infectious enthusiasm. Here are ten ways to help capture their attention, making learning fun and memorable!

Books!

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3. The right books can capture their attention and their hearts! I am committed to reading at least one picture book (or a chapter) to my students every day. Sometimes the book is related to something I'm teaching, and sometimes it is just to bring out the joy in books. See the image for a link to 10 of my favorites!

Educational Games!

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2. Integrating educational games into your lessons makes learning more enjoyable. Whether it's math bingo, spelling races, or science jeopardy, games provide a hands-on approach to learning and reinforce important concepts. Plus, they're fun, which means children will want to play them over and over! See the image for more about learning games:

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   Hands-On Science Experiments!

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   Bring science to life by conducting simple, hands-on experiments. From creating a volcano eruption to exploring the properties of magnets, these activities not only make science more tangible but also stimulate students' natural curiosity. These monthly sets are a great source of science experiments:

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   Themed Days!

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5. As much as children need consistency and routine, they also need novelty. Infuse excitement into the classroom by organizing themed days. Whether it's a historical era, a cultural celebration, or a scientific exploration, themed days allow students to delve deeply into a topic and make connections across different subjects. See the image for more about novelty.
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   Outdoor Learning!

1. Take the classroom outdoors! Plan nature walks, scavenger hunts, or even simple math games on the playground. The change of scenery can rejuvenate both students and teachers, making learning a breath of fresh air. See the image to read more about getting them outdoors

Integrate the Arts!

1. Incorporate the arts into your lessons to tap into students' creativity. Whether it's drawing, painting, crafting, or even singing or drama, the arts not only reinforce lessons but also provide a creative outlet for self-expression.

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3. Guest Speakers or Virtual Tours!

1. Arrange for guest speakers to share their expertise or take virtual field trips. These experiences broaden students' perspectives and connect classroom learning to the real world, making lessons more relevant and engaging. Parents of students can be a great resource for guest speakers, and virtual field trips are easily accessible through Google!

Classroom Puzzles and Brain Teasers!

Stimulate critical thinking by introducing puzzles and brain teasers. These activities encourage problem-solving skills and perseverance, while also making learning enjoyable and challenging. Don't they just love word finds and crossword puzzles?

Role-Playing and Drama!

1. Incorporate role-playing and drama activities to make learning more immersive. Whether reenacting historical events or performing a play related to the curriculum, these activities allow students to embody what they've learned. See the image for more about dramatics in the classroom.

Student-Led Projects!

1. Empower students by allowing them to take the lead in projects. Whether it's creating a class newspaper, organizing a STEM project, or planning a cultural exhibition, student-led projects foster collaboration, responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment.

What do you think of these ten ideas?

What could you add to this list?

The Greatest Sum - an Addition Game with Strategy and Fun!

Here's a game my students have been playing for years called The Greatest Sum! I've put it together with lots of variations!

 

The basic game is played with two 2-digit numbers. The children choose one number square at a time, and decide where to place it on their boards. It takes them only a short time to figure out they should put the greater numbers in the tens column, and the lower numbers in the ones column. You can use the numbers included in this package, or you can use tiles, cubes, or other interesting manipulatives and write the numerals 0-9 on them, as I have done in these pictures.

Here's how to play:

1. Place the tiles (or number squares) face down between 2 "Greatest Sum" boards.

 

2. The first player takes a tile and places it in one of the squares on his board. That player should think about which square might bring them the greatest sum, since he isn't allowed to move it once he lets go!

 

3. Play continues between the two players until all squares on both boards are filled.

 

4. Which player has the greatest sum? Players may use paper & pencil, whiteboards, number grids, a calculator, or mental math to determine each round's winner. (Teacher's choice!)

As you can see in this preview, there are plenty of variations to this game!

Explore the image or explore this link: The Greatest Sum

Which player had the greatest sum?

Active Students? Try Scoot!

Today I'm sharing a game that helped me through those last hectic weeks of school where the kiddos just couldn't concentrate on much of anything...Scoot!

 

All you need to play scoot is a set of task cards (I know we all have plenty of those!) an answer sheet, and some desks or tables.

In the picture above, we put the desks into a big square, which is perfect for scoot, but rows, tables, or sets of desks in any arrangement can work. You just need to set a pattern for movement.

The basis of the game:

• There is a numbered task card on each desk. 
• Students do the task card at their desk, and write their answer on the answer sheet.
• When the teacher calls "Scoot", the children all move to the next desk in the sequence, and do that task card.
• Children continue to "scoot" from desk to desk until all cards have been completed.

 

 

After completion, I usually let the children self-correct while we go over the cards. (Self correcting with highlighters makes it more fun!)

For added fun for squirmy kids, replace one (or more) of the task cards with a brain break. My kids LOVE brain breaks, and look forward to that part of scoot!

 

 

If you're interested in task cards that work well with scoot, see HERE.

 

These Reading Comprehension for Active Learners sets are designed with Scoot in mind!

Try it out with this dollar deal! Social Studies Review Task Cards

How do you keep your active students learning?

 

Celebrate Spring With Games!

I am so ready for Spring!  

Here in New Hampshire, the temperature seems to have trouble getting past the 40s, and there are still patches of snow everywhere, including my garden!

But Spring is in my heart, as well as my classroom.  

Here are some of my Spring Products that you'll find my students using!  

Earth Day Vocabulary Match is a fun way to review words related to Earth Day and protecting the environment.  There are several variations of play!

 

Spring Flower "Go Fish" Game is a great way to practice the prefixes un-, dis-, re-, and pre- as well as the meanings of these prefixes.

Here's another game with prefixes, with suffix practice as well!

Rainy Day Prefixes and Suffixes gives the children practice finding the base word of words with prefixes and suffixes.  The children can focus on just prefixes, just suffixes, or combine the two!

Two Rainbow Games:  Nouns and Adjectives, Verbs and Adverbs is a great opportunity to practice making up adjectives to go with nouns, and making up adverbs to go with verbs.  

Mental Math Addition and Subtraction Game With a Spring Theme allows the students to add or subtract multiples of ten mentally.  

I have a whole lot of sports-related products, and baseball season is upon us!  Here are a few baseball-themed games:

Baseball Antonyms is a simple matching game for antonyms.  It can also be played as an "Old Maid" game, which the kids love!

Home Run Two Digit Addition is a BINGO type of game to practice two-digit addition skills (with or without regrouping).

Looking for more sports-related resources? See HERE!

How are you celebrating Spring in your classroom?