Best educational activities for elementary students
Correct development of children in elementary school is crucial for successfully mastering the requirements for middle school, high school, and college. That is why teachers pay great attention to educational activities for elementary students so they can get to know the world around them and the areas they will learn about in the future in a timely manner.
When they are young, children just want to play, while learning sounds like something awfully boring and scary. In order to bring knowledge closer to children and make it more relatable, experts have devised ways to familiarize them with math, foreign languages, geography, etc. through play.
In addition, great attention is paid to children’s social and emotional development. Although we are talking about small children here, they easily acquire new information, provided that it is presented adequately. Therefore, it is very important to design activities for kids that encourage them to problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, etc.
Educational activities for elementary students
Learning through play is the best way for elementary students to learn many useful things. The most important thing at this age is to hold children’s attention, so it is advisable to use toys, coloring books, picture books, music, and other interesting elements as much as possible so as to help them master their tasks more easily.
Computers and tablets that enable children to use educational applications, and other gadgets that are gradually becoming an integral element of everyday educational activities in school are also very helpful. However, the most important element is the creativity of children and their teachers.
Board games
Board games are a great strategy for learning many useful things. There are various board games with simple rules that can be very helpful in education. But, why not design a new board game? All we need are game pieces, dice, and an idea. The idea is simple: mark the starting area, and the positions that lead to the finish should be thematically related to one of the areas of learning.
Thus, for example, it is possible to design a board game where children will learn about planets, stars, and space while piloting a rocket (game piece) on its way to Earth. Special fields can be designated to “launch” the player three positions forward, or force them to go two positions back to “avoid a meteor” (learning what meteors are in the process). The best quality of such games is the fact that not only do they help introduce children to various areas of learning, but they also teach them patience and competitive spirit.
Scavenger hunt
One of the best educational activities for kids is scavenger hunt, i.e. hunt for hidden treasure. The idea is to hide the treasure in the yard, or the room (if it is played indoors), and children go hunting for it by solving riddles that lead them to the next clue. With a little creativity, it is possible to design fantastic educational scavenger hunts. The first step is to select a topic, e.g. Alphabet, where the clues to the treasure will refer to letters and words.
For example, the first clue can be: “Make as many steps as there are letters in the Alphabet”. The next clue could be assembling words from the given letters, or a riddle. This is a great opportunity for children to develop their social skills, make suggestions, and help each other. The treasure should always be something satisfying that will make them happy, and encourage them to learn through play.
Science experiments
There are a number of perfectly safe experiments to introduce children to the world of science. They involve very simple, but attractive and educational activities aimed at getting children interested in physics, chemistry and other scientific disciplines. Let’s just mention a few of extremely fun experiments every child will love:
- Making huge soap bubbles
- Making a lava lamp
- Making a sundial and a calendar
- Discovering density of liquids
These are just some of science experiments that are perfectly safe, but at the same time fun and engaging for children. Another benefit of these experiments is that they will help children realize that science can be cool.
Video shoot
Children love cartoons and to watch their favorite heroes on TV, but also on their computers and mobile phones. So, why not make up a story of their own, and shoot a video (with teacher’s assistance)? To achieve that, children will have to collaborate with each other in order to come up with an idea. The quality of the video is less important than the process, and the effort invested in it. It is important that children learn to share ideas, support each other, come to an agreement, and work in a team. This method is also great for distance learning conditions, because each child can make up a project of their own at home.
Learning through play brings numerous benefits
Kids will love these educational activities, and they will not even notice how much they have learned while having fun. This is the key for instilling the right values in them from an early age, such as respect for others, while simultaneously sending the message that effort always pays off eventually. It is interesting that this system is implemented even in the case of older kids and college students.
The difference is, of course, in the complexity of the material, but the main idea remains unchanged – creativity, interaction, and desire for progress. When this approach to learning activities is implemented, it no longer matters what students learn – writing, drawing, or the chemical composition of Jupiter’s atmosphere.
