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10 active learning ideas for the primary classroom. 

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10 active learning ideas for the primary classroom. 

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10 active learning ideas for the primary classroom.

Leonard Nungu:

Science Educator, Consultant STEM Teacher Trainer, Virtual Labs, CoL, Vancouver, Canada.

2 april 2024

In my previous post, talked about 10 active learning ideas that can be used in high school classrooms. In this post, I am going to share some of the best ideas you could try out with your students in primary school classrooms.

1.The Great Outdoors Treasure Hunt: Hide clues with math problems, vocabulary word riddles, or historical trivia around a playground or nature area. Students work in teams to solve the clues and discover a special "treasure" (which could be anything from a box of stickers to a small, healthy snack).

2. Edible Science: Designate a day as Edible Science Day where experiments get a delicious twist. Explore density with layered fruit smoothies, build molecule models with marshmallows and toothpicks, or create mini volcanoes out of cupcakes and fizzy drinks.

3. Time Capsule Classroom: Design a time capsule project that students fill with their hopes, predictions for the future, and current classwork samples. Bury or seal it for a set number of years, with a fun 'reveal' ceremony planned with future classes. This makes history come alive for the kids!

4.Shadow Puppet Storytelling: Turn a corner of your classroom into a shadow puppet theatre. Students work together to write simple plays, create puppets from cardstock, and use the shadows to retell a story, act out a historical event, or even demonstrate a scientific process.

5.Reverse Spelling Bee: Students start with a complex word and break it down. The challenge is to identify as many smaller words within the large word as possible. They can create lists on paper and 'find' the words on an enlarged whiteboard version like a word search for even more kinaesthetic participation.

6.Classroom Mission Impossible: Create obstacle courses around the classroom related to a lesson. Students might have to crawl under desks to find missing words in a poem, climb over a chair to reach and solve a math problem on the board, and carefully hop on one foot to grab facts for a science quiz.

7.Build-Your-Own Board Game: Divide the class into teams, and have each team design a board game based on a curriculum unit. Go big with poster board game spaces or create more compact versions. Then everyone gets to test out each other's games for review and pure fun!

8.Classroom Symphony: Embrace the noise with a controlled cacophony project. Provide a variety of "instruments" (pots and pans, homemade shakers, even just rhythmic clapping) to turn a science concept (phases of the moon) or a math problem (fractions represented with time signatures) into sound.

9. Historical Figure Dress Up Day: Forget just reading about history—become it! Assign students historical figures to research and then have them come to school in costumes. It can be a full-dress day, or a "hint" with a single accessory to represent their person (Marie Curie with a beaker, Einstein with crazy hair).

10.Giant Timeline Walk: Take timelines to the next level. Roll out a long sheet of paper across the room and assign each child a date or period based on what you're studying. Have them draw, write, and attach images to represent what was happening at that time in history, creating a visual 'walk through time' that everyone gets to experience.

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“I Got That RHYTHM!” Dance Song 🦊🔥 Stomp Clap Brain Break | Danny Go! Songs for Kids

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The walk can be based on the subject; Math, social studies, science, health etc.

When the students return, they are asked to reflect, write or draw what they saw and or based on the subject request.

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Open Shut Them | Learn Opposites | Super Simple Songs

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Student can act out the opposites with this learning video

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Open Shut Them | Learn Opposites | Super Simple Songs

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students can engage in a more relax form to transition to the next lesson

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TheLearningStation - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes

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Brain Breaks - Action Songs for Children - From Your Seat - Kids Songs by The Learning Station

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Students can do a one minute shake your sillies off, during the lesson change

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TheLearningStation - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes

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Shake Your Sillies Out ♫ Brain Breaks Songs for Kids ♫ Kids Action Songs by The Learning Station

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Students form 2 or 3 groups. The spelling words of the day or week, will be placed into a basket. Each group will choose a word for another group. They will say the word. The other group will have to try spell the word correctly, if the word is not spelled correctly, the turn is lost. If the word is spelled correctly, the team gets the chance to shoot the basket ball in the hoop- or another challenge based on class level and skills.

The team with the most shooting points at the ends, wins the round.

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Teacher Sander has great ideas for both active and digital learning. His website is in Dutch, but he also has many videos on YouTube and Instagram with good examples. Greetings Jacqueline (buro hebe)

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De afgelopen week was het grootste onderwijsevent van het jaar in de jaarbeurs. Na 4 jaar kon eindelijk de Nationale Onderwijstentoonstelling weer doorgaan. Wat een geweldige week was dit. In deze blog lees je alle hoogtepunten en kan ik eindelijk het hele interview met Erik Scherder met je delen. Onderwijsfeestje in de jaarbeurs Elke dag...

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Berichten over Bewegend leren geschreven door sandergordijn

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5-Minute BRAIN BREAK (Movement Break) For KIDS!

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Roll to 100. Students learn to regroup after 10 with the base blocks 100/10/ 1's.

Students roll a die and place the one's on the 100 base block. When 10 is made, they exchange the 10 ones to a 10 base block, until 100 is made.

3 scoop Ice cream:

Students draw an ice cream, cone with 3 scoops. Students roll a die which the write the number in the 1st scoop. student roll the die and add that number to the number in the 1st scoop. The answer goes into the 2nd scoop. students roll the die, the number adds up to the number and writes it into the 3rd scoop.

The student with the highest number in the 3rd scoop is the winner.

challenge for other students: use 2 dice for 2 digit numbers addition, or 3 dices for 3 digit numbers.

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"Brand New Day!" ☀️☁️ Good Morning Wake Up Dance | Danny Go! Songs for Kids

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Red Light, Green Light 🔴🟢 | DJ Raphi | Kids Songs & Brain Breaks

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20250815 Posters good practices Active Learning

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Place the new words for Dutch or English outside the classroom. The children need to walk outside, find a word and run back in order to write down the word.

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Students think individually about a question, pair up to discuss their thoughts, then share with the whole class. This promotes reflection, collaboration, and communication skills while ensuring all students participate actively in learning.

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Set up different learning stations around the classroom where students rotate every 10-15 minutes. Each station focuses on a different skill or concept, encouraging physical movement and hands-on engagement with learning materials.

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During story time, incorporate hand gestures, sound effects, and physical movements that relate to the story. Students become active participants rather than passive listeners, improving comprehension and engagement.

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Students act out historical events, taking on different character roles to understand multiple perspectives. This brings history to life and helps students connect emotionally with learning content.

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Provide opportunities for students to construct, create, and build using various materials like blocks, clay, or recycled items. This hands-on approach helps students understand concepts through physical manipulation and creation.

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Organize age-appropriate debates or structured discussions where students must support their opinions with evidence. This develops critical thinking, listening skills, and respectful communication.

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Post questions or problems around the room and have students walk around with clipboards to write responses. This gets students moving while actively engaging with content and seeing multiple perspectives from classmates.