Extension & Enrichment Activities
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These cross-curricular enrichment activities are perfect for teachers and supervisors working with an extended-day program. Enhance children's creativity with a wide variety of crafts, puzzles, games, and outdoor activities that will help you extend any topic. Build skills in critical thinking, listening, memory, visualization, and concentration through singing, hands-on science experiments, physical education games, word puzzles, art projects, and more! |
Songs & FingergamesChildren enjoy this chant and hand jive about making an apple pie. This Kentucky mountain song is a favorite among younger children who love to practice their animal sounds. A lively chant that allows children to experiment with the different levels of their voice tone. A fun finger and hand movement chant that can be altered for younger or older children. Children will practice patterns and eye-hand coordination while singing this chant. A humorous fingergame that is a favorite on the playground. Incorporate movement into your music lessons with these fun singing games for "The Telephone Rings", "Ring Around the Rosie", "Shoo Fly", and "Pumpkin Patch". Arts & Crafts ActivitiesUsing toothpicks, marshmallows, and their imaginations, students create shapes, structures, and more. Use these easy and inexpensive recipes for modeling and projects or to improve hand coordination. Create designs on plain paper towels using dye and water. Make masks and puppets using many different materials including old newspaper, plastic milk jugs, and fabric scraps. Enjoy an art project that is appropriate when studying any famous person. Children will use their senses to determine what secret object is hiding in a closed box. Try a printable worksheet that lists the elements of an effective poster. Working with a partner, students will create toothpick structures for a creativity contest. In this project, students will become more aware of marketing strategies by creating a product poster themselves. Students will create a quilt that tells a story. This is a great arts & crafts activity that also ties in creative writing and black history! Students will use their imaginations to create paper portraits of different people. This interdisciplinary lesson will allow students to write a book and relate its shape to almost any theme or subject being studied.
PuzzlesStudents create their own math puzzles and then have their classmates try to solve them. A challenging math puzzle. Students use their visual skills to create a mirror image drawing. Complete this crossword puzzle by using critical thinking skills. Students use their critical thinking skills to unscramble names in foreign languages and complete this challenging worksheet. Employ a printable arts and crafts activity that helps build skills in assembling a dinosaur puzzle.
| Science & Nature ActivitiesPressing flowers and leaves is an excellent way for young children to learn about plants. This easy and interesting experiment will teach children about the concepts of solutions, saturation, and density. Observe how liquids may change to solids and how crystals develop with a fun chemistry activity. Show students the process of plant life by growing sprouts right in your classroom. Students create a model made from food. This interesting – and tasty – arts & crafts activity will quickly become one of your students' favorites. Teachers can use the Invent-a-Fair as a creative alternative to a science fair. A great source of ideas to make your science class that much more interesting. Children will observe, sort, and classify different natural objects.
Indoor & Outdoor GamesImprove student's hand-eye coordination with a different type of bowling. Primary and intermediate students will enhance motor and space judgment skills. Improve your students' memory and concentration skills by playing a game that requires no equipment. Students practice their visual tracking and balancing skills during this game. Students can improve their listening and memory skills while being social. The students will go on an adventurous scavenger hunt to find and classify the selected objects. Working with a partner, students will create soap carvings for a creativity contest. Teach your students the rules and strategy for playing Capture the Flag. These traditional games are easy to organize, challenging, and fun.
Related ResourcesOnline games are a great way to build Science skills and reinforce concepts. Students will stay engaged through the last day of school with our end-of-the-year resources. Encourage them to keep up their math and reading skills with summer book lists, games, and activities. Discover everything a beginning teacher will need for a successful school year, from tips for your first day, to classroom-management advice, to printables and lesson plans that will support your curriculum all year long. |
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November Calendar of Events
Use our Educators' Calendar to find activities and printables for every day in November, including Geography Awareness Week (Nov. 15–21) and Thanksgiving (Nov. 26). Plus celebrate American Indian Heritage Month and Aviation History Month all November long!
Continuity of Learning
Is the flu causing you or your students to miss class? Pearson introduces www.PearsonContinuity.com to help keep the doors of learning open. This new website offers print and online resources for students, parents, and teachers to continue education if the H1N1 virus or another crisis keeps children from attending school.
Teaching The Diary of Anne Frank
PBS MASTERPIECE is airing a new film in the spring based on The Diary of Anne Frank, and, in conjunction with Facing History and Ourselves, the MASTERPIECE team will be creating resources to help educators introduce this timeless story to students. You're invited to share your ideas about what activities and tools you'd like to use in your classroom at the PBS Teachers blog!
Bulletin Boards
Improve effectiveness and enjoyment of lessons with our bulletin board ideas and examples. They'll make your classroom visually appealing and stimulating for your students.
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