As a tutor or teacher for 1st graders, you need more to keep the kids engaged. Normal teaching methods don’t work well for such small kids. Their attention span is shorter. Therefore, teachers and tutors need to get creative. They need fun learning activities that teach the kids to be creative. It will allow them to learn while enjoying the process.
Need ideas? Read below. The following activities are ideal for parents to perform at home. Parents, teachers, and tutors can all use them for their overall growth. So let’s read them about it.
Planet designing
Try this activity as a tutor for 1st grade or parents. First, let the kid get familiar with the solar system. They might not remember each planet’s name, but it will fascinate them. They might also remember some characteristics, colors, or shapes of a few planets. After that, give them supplies and ask them to create a planet. It can be in any shape, color, size, and more. Doing this helps them learn about the solar system while doing something fun. Let their creative juices flow.
Crazy train
For a class of 1st graders, this is a fun learning activity. Take 10 kids and ask them to stand in a line to form a human train. Now, give them commands like turn left, turn right, slow down, walk in slow motion, and more.
It allows the kid to have fun in between serious study sessions. Moreover, it teaches them to follow commands. One of the best ways for them to learn about directions is by respecting commands.
Create a gratitude tree.
It is an activity parents can also do at home with their kids. You need to find a branch with multiple limbs or the kid for this. Get leaves or make paper leaves (this is better). Allow the kid to color the leaves in any color they like. Before you ask or help them stick the leaves on the branch, help them write a gratitude message on it. It can be ‘thank you for food,’ ‘thank you for parents,’ and so on. Ask them what they are thankful for and write it on the leaves. Lastly, stick them on the branch with limbs. It allows the kid to engage in a fun activity. However, the most important thing is that it will help them express gratitude and be positive.
Four corners
Want to keep kids awake during the lunch hour? Try this game. First, find one student who will be calling out corners. His/her name will be it. Now, divide the students into four groups four. Give them a corner while naming the corner A, B, C, D. The role of ‘it’ is to call out corners until one remains. When the last corner remains, the four students will again take one corner each. Then ‘It’ will continue to call out corners until only one student remains. You can also try other fun games.
Five-senses walk
Take the kids on a walk in the school or community garden (at home). Then ask the kids to observe anything they can hear, smell, taste, see, and touch. Once they come home or are in the classroom, give them a sheet. The observation sheet will have smell, taste, see, hearing, and touch written on it. The kids must write what they see, touch, taste, or hear. For instance, they will go to these columns if they see leaves and touch them. It allows them to learn about the five senses.
Pink tic toc
A fun activity that allows first graders to get familiar with colors and body parts. In this, the teacher calls out a student. Then the teacher/tutor will tell them the name of a color and body part. Next, the student has to observe the room to find the color. After finding it, the student needs to use their body part to touch the color. For example, suppose the teacher says pink and thumb. The student will use their thumb to point at the color. It increases their observational skills too.
Using fun ways to teach kids something has better results. Use fun activities, whether it is teaching them math or how to eat properly. At home, too, these activities allow them to learn and stay engaged. Try them now.
