A virtual first day of school will look VERY different for primary students this year.\u00a0 It is important to keep distance learning FUN!\u00a0 \u00a0There are many engaging activities\u00a0 that I have used in my classroom for the first few days, including brain breaks, games and virtual field trips. I plan to incorporate these activities into my virtual classroom for the first few days, and maybe even weeks! Today I am sharing a few fun distance learning activities which my first graders love!<\/p>\n
This year, I have created a simple power point sharing some fun facts about myself. My teammate also created a fun rap video to introduce our grade level team. I shared these with students and families a few days before school began.\u00a0 I am hoping that this\u00a0 eased their nerves before our first zoom meeting.\u00a0 \u00a0The kids absolutely loved it!<\/p>\n
Help set the tone for having a great learning space by sharing your virtual teaching space. <\/em>We want kids to feel proud of their learning space and to feel like it\u2019s a comfortable space.\u00a0It is important to model what a good learning environment looks like, sounds like, feels like.\u00a0 This will help guide students as they create their own learning environment.\u00a0 Have students share their learning space, too.\u00a0 T<\/p>\n 4 Corners<\/strong><\/span>\u2013 Have students use a personal dry-erase board or a piece of paper and a marker for this game. Students choose a number (1-4 or 1-6), write it on their board, and hold it up for everyone to see. The teacher then rolls a dice, and the number she rolls is out. If the teacher rolls a 4, every student holding up a number 4 will be considered out of that game. Continue until you only have one player left.<\/p>\n Show & Tell<\/strong><\/span>\u2013 Have students take turns sharing something special to them.\u00a0 My students created an \u201cAll About Me\u201d bag.\u00a0 The kids took turns sharing three special things.\u00a0 This was a great way for the students to get to know each other.\u00a0 They love seeing what they have in common with their friends.<\/p>\n Would You Rather<\/strong><\/span>\u2013 This is another wonderful way for students to get to know each other.\u00a0 The \u201cwould you rather\u201d activity asks students to evaluate choices and explain their thinking These questions are a great way to get a conversation started in a fun and interesting way. You can grab some \u201cWould You Rather\u201d questions online and ask these in your group call. Have students take turns sharing their responses.<\/p>\n Simon Says<\/strong><\/span>– Play this good old-fashioned game!<\/p>\n Scavenger Hunts<\/strong><\/span>\u2013 My students LOVE doing Scavenger Hunts! \u00a0You can play this game live or send your students off to do this overnight. There are many lists for scavenger hunts online.\u00a0 I have played several with my class, including looking for particular shapes, colors, and items that are a certain length.\u00a0 For word study the kids might find things with a certain number of syllables or items that start with a particular sound.<\/p>\n Pet Parade<\/strong><\/span>\u2013 Students can bring their pet (real or stuffed) to your meeting and share some interesting facts about their pet when it is their turn.<\/p>\n LEGO Challenge<\/strong><\/span>\u2013 Instruct your students to build something overnight and bring it to your meeting the next day. Students can take turns showing their models and sharing what they like best about it. Some LEGO challenges I\u2019ve seen include building a house, build a model of your room, build a marble run, a boat (some really float), build a pyramid, etc.<\/p>\n Directed Drawings<\/strong><\/span>\u2013My students LOVE doing directed drawings.\u00a0 My go to resource for directed drawings \u00a0come from\u00a0Art for Kids Hub<\/a> on YouTube.\u00a0 The kids love to share their drawings after we are finished.<\/p>\n Go Noodle<\/strong><\/span>\u2013 Pull up your students\u2019 favorite Go Noodle songs and share your screen. Students can get up and get their wiggles out as they dance and sing.<\/p>\n Teachers all over the country are taking their students on virtual field trips. Use the share-screen feature to share a virtual location with your students. You can visit a zoo, aquariums, museums, national parks, or even a theme park. Check out\u00a0this list for a few ideas:<\/p>\n Georgia Aquarium<\/a><\/p>\n Sea Quest\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n How Chocolate is Made<\/a><\/p>\nPLAY GAMES <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Other Fun Activities<\/span><\/h2>\n
Field Trip Friday<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n