Playful learning isn't just about having fun-it's also a powerful way to support language modeling and concept development. This Edutopia article has some great tips for integrating movement and choice into end-of-year activities, creating opportunities for rich conversations and active learning. How are you keeping learning meaningful and joyful in these final weeks of the school year?
Some of their ideas include:
Alphabet hopscotch. Create a hopscotch grid with letters or sight words. Children hop from one square to the next while calling out the letter sounds or words, reinforcing phonemic awareness while building coordination.
Math movement games. Use physical gestures to teach math concepts-jumping forward while counting by twos, clapping and stomping to represent addition and subtraction, or forming shapes with their bodies to explore geometry.
Freeze dance vocabulary. Play music and have children dance around the room. When the music stops, call out a vocabulary word or concept, and students freeze in a pose that shows its meaning. For example, the word tall might prompt students to stretch their arms overhead like a tree.
Scavenger hunts with a twist. Set up indoor or outdoor scavenger hunts where children search for items based on clues that integrate learning goals-such as finding something that begins with a certain letter or a shape with four sides.
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Liz Savage
Sr Marketing Manager, Community and Events
Teachstone
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