Enrichment activities for kids
October 7, 2010 11:12 AM Subscribe
What are your best ideas for enrichment activities for kids in a small private school with a limited budget?
I have recently been asked to direct a program of enrichment activities at a small private school that my kids attend. The kids that will be participating range from 1st to 10th grades, so obviously I need to figure out different age-appropriate activities.
The idea is to have a wide range of possibilities, then attempt to match those with the interests of the kids and with the availability and skill sets of teachers and volunteers. Obviously I have some specific ideas already, but can certainly use more.
We are looking at a program of accelerated instruction alongside this, but here I'm looking specifically for enrichment ideas that are not simply things like learning math concepts from the next grade level. I'd love to hear "out-of-the-box" ideas, as well as things that have worked or not worked for you if you have experience with this sort of thing.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
I have recently been asked to direct a program of enrichment activities at a small private school that my kids attend. The kids that will be participating range from 1st to 10th grades, so obviously I need to figure out different age-appropriate activities.
The idea is to have a wide range of possibilities, then attempt to match those with the interests of the kids and with the availability and skill sets of teachers and volunteers. Obviously I have some specific ideas already, but can certainly use more.
We are looking at a program of accelerated instruction alongside this, but here I'm looking specifically for enrichment ideas that are not simply things like learning math concepts from the next grade level. I'd love to hear "out-of-the-box" ideas, as well as things that have worked or not worked for you if you have experience with this sort of thing.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Best answer: I hope no one is offended by this idea, but I did this with university students (biology majors/premed/etc) and we brought this activity to a school for a day and some of the high school age students loved it. I've also done small related activities with 6th graders who selected the activity, and they were also enthusiastic.
So rather than look at biology in a book (terms, etc.), do dissections. If you get a fresh fish, you can look at everything from how it protects itself (mucosal slime layer), how it feeds by the shape of the mouth and size of the gill rakers, to how it floats or digests food (if a fisherman lends you a fish, you may be able to open the stomach...and see the fish/lure).
Along those same lines, you can show any age group skulls, bones, skeletons, and learn things about the animal (i.e. compare the nasal cavity of a deer vs a dog...and you can see a difference immediately in the bone structure), which has implications for sensory (i.e. olfactory) and circulatory system.
You can also look at the insides and dissect a sheep eye or a sheep brain. A lot of things you can get straight out of biological supply catalogs.
Re: cost saving. For fish, talk to a fisherman or 2 to see if they will give you fresh fish for the activity. From the catalogs, if students treat the material well, you only need to order a few brains and can use it for many, many students.
You may also want to talk to a nearby college or university (for brain awareness week, I brought the sheep brains into a high school along with a few human brains) -- the undergrads that I was teaching at the time volunteered to come help with presentations, too, so you may find free/interesting resources. If you are interested in hearing more along these lines, feel free to memail me because I loved these activities, but I do understand a lot of people are not that interested in it.
posted by Wolfster at 11:27 AM on October 7, 2010
So rather than look at biology in a book (terms, etc.), do dissections. If you get a fresh fish, you can look at everything from how it protects itself (mucosal slime layer), how it feeds by the shape of the mouth and size of the gill rakers, to how it floats or digests food (if a fisherman lends you a fish, you may be able to open the stomach...and see the fish/lure).
Along those same lines, you can show any age group skulls, bones, skeletons, and learn things about the animal (i.e. compare the nasal cavity of a deer vs a dog...and you can see a difference immediately in the bone structure), which has implications for sensory (i.e. olfactory) and circulatory system.
You can also look at the insides and dissect a sheep eye or a sheep brain. A lot of things you can get straight out of biological supply catalogs.
Re: cost saving. For fish, talk to a fisherman or 2 to see if they will give you fresh fish for the activity. From the catalogs, if students treat the material well, you only need to order a few brains and can use it for many, many students.
You may also want to talk to a nearby college or university (for brain awareness week, I brought the sheep brains into a high school along with a few human brains) -- the undergrads that I was teaching at the time volunteered to come help with presentations, too, so you may find free/interesting resources. If you are interested in hearing more along these lines, feel free to memail me because I loved these activities, but I do understand a lot of people are not that interested in it.
posted by Wolfster at 11:27 AM on October 7, 2010
Best answer: In case science activities are on the table:
Two websites that I used all the time in my afterschool science job (elementary school aged kids) were Fetch! and ZOOM, both treasure troves of activities and suggestions for leading them. Include or leave out obnoxious cartoon dogs as you see fit :) A lot of these activities you have probably seen or done before (make a boat out of tinfoil, see how many pennies it holds), but these are good resources for adding structure and extending the same activity of a wider range of ages. The Fetch! website has good general suggestions for facilitating open-ended activities too.
posted by heyforfour at 11:32 AM on October 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Two websites that I used all the time in my afterschool science job (elementary school aged kids) were Fetch! and ZOOM, both treasure troves of activities and suggestions for leading them. Include or leave out obnoxious cartoon dogs as you see fit :) A lot of these activities you have probably seen or done before (make a boat out of tinfoil, see how many pennies it holds), but these are good resources for adding structure and extending the same activity of a wider range of ages. The Fetch! website has good general suggestions for facilitating open-ended activities too.
posted by heyforfour at 11:32 AM on October 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My elementary school introduced social dance for 5th graders twenty years ago, and all of the kids were from my class (my teacher had the idea.) Now it's a full-fledged hour-a-week activity; she retired in the early 1990s. We did both waltz/box step/cha-cha stuff and folk/ancient dances. The absolute winner with us kids was the "dead fish dance," which Ms. Glasford said was a dance designed to mock the French.
Also, a class in one of the very large rooms made a papier mache item every year (I believe the Brachiosaurus ended up at a museum, along with the orchas and possibly the mini space shuttle.) And a pair of 5th/6th grade teachers had their two classes write, direct, and star in their own original musical each year.
We also had Camp Fire (led by students from Occidental College - sadly, I didn't meet Barack Obama OR Ben Affleck) and every year went to an opera after learning the entire score, and I don't know why, but a scientist came by and poured dry ice on the playground and that was sweet.
Also, Junior Achievement has a number of in-school programs. So do many other organizations like that.
posted by SMPA at 11:40 AM on October 7, 2010
Also, a class in one of the very large rooms made a papier mache item every year (I believe the Brachiosaurus ended up at a museum, along with the orchas and possibly the mini space shuttle.) And a pair of 5th/6th grade teachers had their two classes write, direct, and star in their own original musical each year.
We also had Camp Fire (led by students from Occidental College - sadly, I didn't meet Barack Obama OR Ben Affleck) and every year went to an opera after learning the entire score, and I don't know why, but a scientist came by and poured dry ice on the playground and that was sweet.
Also, Junior Achievement has a number of in-school programs. So do many other organizations like that.
posted by SMPA at 11:40 AM on October 7, 2010
Best answer: Depends on where you are located but how about arraigning for them to attend a dress rehearsal of an orchestra or ballet company or other performing arts organization.
posted by leafwoman at 11:43 AM on October 7, 2010
posted by leafwoman at 11:43 AM on October 7, 2010
Response by poster: These are all great answers. A couple of clarifications:
- I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so I do potentially have access to resources such as universities, performing arts organizations, etc. Those are great ideas that I hadn't even considered.
- Science activities are certainly on the table...and those resources look great.
Thanks to everyone that's replied so far, and I'm looking forward to hearing any other ideas you all have.
posted by greenmagnet at 11:53 AM on October 7, 2010
- I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so I do potentially have access to resources such as universities, performing arts organizations, etc. Those are great ideas that I hadn't even considered.
- Science activities are certainly on the table...and those resources look great.
Thanks to everyone that's replied so far, and I'm looking forward to hearing any other ideas you all have.
posted by greenmagnet at 11:53 AM on October 7, 2010
Check the Tulsa Ballet, they are very good and have an active outreach program.
posted by leafwoman at 12:12 PM on October 7, 2010
posted by leafwoman at 12:12 PM on October 7, 2010
Best answer: Settting up a court over some cause is a good way to get kids involved in debate, logic, law, etc. I recall my daughter in fifth grade acting as the judge in a liver's lawsuit against beer (or something like that)
posted by SLC Mom at 12:53 PM on October 7, 2010
posted by SLC Mom at 12:53 PM on October 7, 2010
Best answer: You could try asking local high schools if their leadership classes would like to lend you a hand with activities.
Also, the local schools in my area get a grant to go to sites like the PAC and other venues.
Maybe the Zoo & the Philbrook have web-based resources.
posted by dragonplayer at 1:26 PM on October 7, 2010
Also, the local schools in my area get a grant to go to sites like the PAC and other venues.
Maybe the Zoo & the Philbrook have web-based resources.
posted by dragonplayer at 1:26 PM on October 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
In this way kids can learn to identify the various parts of a story and various character types; they take turns reading aloud in small groups and learn the basics of performance and characterization. The ultimate goal over time is to have each child present a story to the class (whether an original story, or one from a book. Folk-tales are great for this) without any book or paper in their hands.
posted by hermitosis at 11:22 AM on October 7, 2010