Making Learning Fun in the Classroom

When you watch tv and see the old one-room classrooms, like on Little House on the Prairie, you can definitely see that things have changed over time. The changes that have taken place over the last 30 years, starting with Brain-Based Learning and then moving into technology have given us permission and encouragement to make learning more fun and engaging. I absolutely love this. It doesn’t only make learning easier, it makes teaching easier as well. 

Teachers sometimes shy away from this type of interactive learning because they are afraid that student behavior will be contrary to the behavior they expect from their students, which is students sitting quietly in their seats and being on task. While good classroom management is key, teachers should know that students can be on task and learn as they talk and interact with others, sometimes even more so. 

Think about how you learn. Which way do you enjoy learning? Which ways do you learn best? I know for me, I learn in two ways. One is to sit and study on my own as I read, take notes, and repeat. The whole time I am kicking and screaming. The other way is a hands-on approach in which I am learning while I am doing, not even paying attention to the fact that I am learning.

Now, think about activities that you do in your classroom. Which ones not only encourage student learning but are actively engaging as well. You are probably doing more of these activities than you realize, which is great. For those teachers who aren’t doing much of this kind of teaching, or for those who are looking for some new ideas, I’ll share some ways that I like to incorporate fun and engaging activities in the classroom.

Games - Games are definitely on the top of my list of favorite activities. They are fun, interactive, engaging, and provide support as students practice and learn skills. Students can play a game over and over until they have mastered the skill. Besides being fun, games also make the teacher’s job easier. Rather than thinking of a new activity, teachers can reuse a game until students tire of it or until it is no longer needed. 

Center Activities – As a general rule, centers or small group activities have that interactive component structure, so this really doesn’t take much thought. Games, of course, are a common activity for centers, which is perfect. But, the main idea is to provide students with hands-on activities that allow them to think, talk, manipulate objects, test their ideas, and learn. I’ve already mentioned games, but there are also manipulatives, reusable practice pages, reading strips, retell puppet sticks, investigation activities, writing (salt, shaving cream, playdough, etc.), and thematic centers. I love thematic centers. An example would be an ocean center with a small creature (fish, turtle, crab), shells, books, cards, puzzles, writing clipboards, etc.

Computers/iPads - When I first began teaching, computers in the classroom were a new thing. Even then, they were just used for basic learning programs, if at all. I used computers as much as possible and made them part of my center rotations. I was able to do more with them as our school got Chrome books and iPads. Using technology in the classroom really took off at that point. Students are now definitely able to do more and become more engaged with assignments and interactive activities as technology has continued to improve. The plus side is that they enjoy this way of learning. 

Hands-on/STEM - Anything that allows students a hands-on approach to learning is awesome. Most of us learn by doing, so it makes sense that by allowing students to handle and manipulate objects they will develop a better understanding of how things work. 

They can practice spelling by using clay to form letters, writing letters in shaving cream or salt, and using letter cards to spell out a word help students to build a mental picture of the word. 

STEM activities are a great way to get students thinking, designing, and creating while using math, reading, writing, and science skills. It is a lot more fun for students to explore and try things as they learn. Their natural abilities and intuition come to the forefront as they complete the STEM activities.

27 STEM Activities - MEGA Bundle

Partner Share - I know that partner shares are not a unique idea, so I’m sure that this is something you are already doing, but there are a couple ways to change this activity up. Rather than just having your students turn to a partner and share their thoughts or share an answer, you can get them up and moving. 

Stop the Music and Share – Stop the Music is so fun, but students will get a bit silly, so you definitely have to set some ground rules (stay on task, no running, different partners, etc.) Before you start this activity you will want to have something for students to share such as question cards, clipboards with written information/words/pictures, books, etc., or the teacher can just ask a question each round and then the students share the answer. 

For this activity, it is helpful to have a good CD. I have found Kids Bop to be a good choice. Once students are set up with the information they are going to share you can start the music. Students move around the classroom having fun, but once the music stops they stop and find a partner. Then they share whatever it is that you want them to share. Super fun!

Partner cards are another great way to have students share. Students are given a card and then asked to get up and find their partner, which is the person with the matching card. They sit together somewhere in the classroom and then work on a given assignment (a simple task, answer questions, partner activity, etc.). This limits the number of people that they are interacting with, but it also allows for students to work with different people.

Outer Space Partner Up Cards

Music - Using kid songs in the classroom is a great way for students to practice their reading. Karaoke-style videos or songbooks work well. As students listen to the songs and follow along, they begin to learn the words, soon they are reading the words on their own. This is really a sight word way of teaching reading, but it definitely strengthens students' confidence and some learners do better with this way of learning. 

Learning to Read with Kids' Songs

Yes/No Cards - There is nothing I hated more during my own education than having to sit and wait as a teacher called on students to answer questions. There was also the worry that I would be called on and not know the answer. Yes and No cards or paddles are a nice way to get all students involved while making it fun with them having really very little concern of being embarrassed by their answer.

Ok, so you are probably thinking that students are still going to be embarrassed if they get the wrong answer, but two things happen, either no one is paying attention to how others are responding or they will notice how others have responded and they change their answer. Either way, they learn and are engaged as students indicate whether a statement is correct or not, you could also use true or false cards.

Readers Theater - If you have never used a Readers Theater script in your classroom I recommend you give it a try. There are scripts for all different levels of readers and they are super fun as students build their reading skills they can be a little silly and change their voices as they get into character. 

Story retelling sticks work in much the same way. Students can use pre-made story sticks (pictures of characters/parts of the story) to retell the beginning, middle, and end of the story to build comprehension skills.

There are many different ways to make learning fun and engage students. These are just some of my favorites. I hope that you find these ideas helpful, or maybe they just serve as a reminder. I know that students definitely benefit from this type of learning, so I hope that you make it part of your daily routine, or more of your daily routine, if you aren’t already doing this.