Games and Activities
Looking for activities to show your child the fun side of learning? From science experiments and math games to writing projects and more, we've got you covered! Use the selector on the right to browse around, or narrow your search by grade and subject area.
First graders will get a kick out of creating a written message and practicing their letters using sticks they find in nature. This also helps to practice their letter formation and handwriting strokes.
Global consciousness can be a hard pill to swallow, so give them a good reason by introducing them to organizations like Heifer International.
More activities:
Play the Game: Itsy Bitsy May I?
Remember the game "Mother, May I?" Try this following directions tag game that focuses on gross motor skills to the theme "Itsy Bitsy Spider". Fun indoors or out!
Glue a Bumpy Alphabet!
Hands-on activities are fantastic for your preschool child. While kids learn when they see or hear, they learn even better when they can touch, too! Get your child's fingers walking the alphabet, with this easy project. All you need is glue, and a few other simple supplies.
Disappearing Crystals: A Refraction Experiment
Illustrate the idea of light refraction with this exciting and mystifying experiment. (Hint: it's not magic, it's science!)
Illustrate a Famous Book!
In the best picture books, the illustrations bring as much meaning to the story as the words themselves. But what if your child couldn't see the pictures? In this activity, she'll listen to a story without looking at it, and create her own images.
Play Placemat Place Value
With a little help from grownups, almost anything can equal math discovery for kids. Take ordinary drinking straws, for example: fun for drinking juice and even for spitballs when you're not looking, but also fabulous for learning math.
Take a Shape Safari!
Forget a jeep in Africa. You can head out for a safari right in your own neighborhood. Instead of hunting lions and tigers, you'll troll for circles and triangles. Why? Because shapes are at the heart of the first grade math and writing curriculum. Plus, a hunt through the backyard is just plain ...
Make a Book Jacket!
Want to play publisher for a day? Become the copy editor and illustrator for this creative and fun project.
Play Pantry Math!
Use what's stacked in your cupboard to help your child learn how to compare fractions and decimals. Bust out that 3.3 lbs. bag of rice and that 3 1/3 lb. box of juice and go to town! Concrete objects bring math to life.
Go on a Kitchen Scavenger Hunt!
Toss those geometry worksheets! Kids learn about shapes best when they're in three-dimensional form.
String Story Necklaces
Tell your kid you're going to spend the afternoon working on comprehension and you're sure to get a yawn. This activity delivers the goods with a fun art project that will also teach kids to look for a story's beginning, middle, and end.
