With a little forethought, preparation and tenacity, you can come up with some fantastic activities that will have your kids scrambling back to their parents recounting the events of the day with excitement and joy.

What can be better for a teacher to hear than for a student to exclaim, “Guess what I learned in school today!”

1. Make it Interactive. Kids like things that are interactive. They like activities that
“talk back” to them. This is an important point to keep in mind when you are planning
activities for your classroom.

If you are just standing in front of the class lecturing your heart out, you may not be
making the impact you would like, at least not the impact you could make.

Engage your students. Ask questions, encourage discussion and debate, get them involved in the process and you will see a whole new world of learning opening up.

2. Keep it Hands On. If they can touch it, taste it, smell it and hear it, they are much more likely to learn it. Plan hands on activities that allow children to experience the lessons first hand.

Activities that engage their senses, get them moving and get them involved, will keep
them occupied longer and help them remember the lessons more readily.

3. Be Age Appropriate. Teenagers are probably not going to be interested in climbing all over a fire truck, but they might enjoy visiting a museum where they can handle fossils. Think about the age of the children you are teaching and plan activities that are appropriate for that age group.

Coloring seems to appeal to kids of all ages, so there are some activities that are
universal. When in doubt, talk with your kids and really listen to what they like, what
excites them and what they find intellectually stimulating.

4.Stay Within Your Means. If you have a room full of preschoolers and you are thinking
of going to a museum, you are going to need help! Know what you can and cannot do.
If you are planning an activity that will have your kids moving around, you may have
trouble controlling the situation if you try to go it alone. When in doubt, get some
help.

Ask parents to volunteer. But if you go beyond your means, you will be stressed out and no one is likely to have much fun and there certainly won’t be much learning going on!

5. Have Fun! This is the main thing to remember when you are planning fun activities for kids. Kids like to have fun! Plan activities that they will enjoy, that are interesting and creative.

If you are just standing there yammering away, you won’t make as much of an impact as you would if you created an activity that engaged their senses, involved them interactively and was fun.

Learning can be fun and when you put effort into planning activities for kids in the
classroom, you can teach, have fun and maybe even learn a few things yourself. After
all, even algebra can be fun when you are playing math baseball!

Art activities for toddlers can range from large all day affairs to quick little projects. Whether you need to break that toddler tantrum cycle or you yourself need a creative outlet, art activities for toddlers are a great way to pass the time. Some of the more commonly thought of activities are finger painting, coloring, or playing with play dough. Busy Moms make “art activities” tasks around the house that may have needed to be done anyway such as cooking, baking, or cleaning. Art can be made of dough, suds, or sugar. As long as you don’t mind the clean up, kids can make anything into art!

If you prefer an Eco friendly project, you can go to home depot and make creative art projects out of dirt, flowers, and water. If cleanliness and organization are important to you as a mother, you can find many projects that have all of the parts and pieces included(and most even come with smocks and table covering) in the crayola isle at Target or Wal-mart.

Finger paints are always a smash hit with toddlers. You can place their hands neatly on a keepsake paper and frame the print forever or simply let them go crazy! Most are washable and easy to remove from accidental smudging on furniture, tables, and clothing. Soft clay can be purchased at any craft store. Toddlers can squish it, throw it, or mold it into anything their little hearts desire. Clay is good for developing motor skills and expanding the imagination. You can buy brands that will harden to preserve their creativity or brands that stay mobile for use and reuse.

Art activities for toddlers can be a great way to bond with your children, let them express their creative side, and, as an added bonus, kids often burn quite a bit of energy while doing art activities which can make for a nice, long, happy nap time for kids and parents alike.

Game Time!

Your children have probably got loads of games and toys that they haven’t played with in a while.  You’ll no doubt find classics like Twister, Hungry Hippos, Monopoly, Scrabble and UNO hidden away and there’s hours of fun to be found in simple games!

Kid Friendly Exercise and Fresh Air

Trampolines, skipping ropes, hopscotch and badminton sets are all great for keeping the kids entertained, all while getting some fresh air and exercising.  It won’t cost a lot, and your kids will get hours of enjoyment from playing in the garden.

Swimming is another great option for keeping the kids busy while maintaining a budget. You might find that your local leisure centre or swimming pool has special deals for children during the summer, or that there are other activities available that they’ll enjoy.  Swimming is also a healthy activity (and they won’t even know it’s good for them!)

Picnics are the perfect way to get out of the house and enjoy the summer sun. Just be sure to slip, slop, slap as it’s easy to get burnt even on a day that’s overcast.  Every town or city has a park – take a walk there to play on the swings or simply sit and watch the world go by?

Learning is Fun

Library’s have fantastic holiday programs that are either free or cost next to nothing.  This will encourage your kids to read, and you can even borrow books yourself, so that both you and your children can read together. There are often different activities happening over the school holidays such as arts and crafts and storytelling that your children can join in with.

Movie Time!

Why not invite some other Mum’s and their kids around for a DVD showing.  It will keep the children entertained and you can have healthy snacks ready for everyone throughout the movie like carrot sticks and dips, popcorn and sultanas and nuts.

Family Getaway

Take a family trip.  It’s the perfect opportunity to take a break, enjoy your family’s company and really relax.  Be sure to have up-to-date travel and car insurance though, as your budget could well and truly blow out if you have an unexpected car accident or someone loses the camera or portable DVD player.

With reference to traditional schooling, children have the opportunity to interact with other children of their age, and their teachers. The child lives with his or her parents and attends regular school. The teacher monitors progress of the child from time to time through tests and examinations. The parents in this case although significant, have a very small role to play.

On the other hand, in the case of home schooling, parents play a major role, as most of the students personal and scholastic life is spent with them. These schools could be opted for either philosophical or personal reasons. Based on the regulations of government in different states, parents have the freedom to assign tests and monitor the progress themselves. However, besides the regular syllabus and coursework, the child should also be given extra curricular activities, which would serve as supplementary aids to learning.

The following guidelines could be implemented to enhance home schooling

1. Outdoor trips to forts or historically significant places can be planned. These could serve not only as being educational, but also be a pleasant change from the home enclosure.
2. Trips to parks and visits to the country can help the child to bond with nature, and also help in studying about animals, birds, and insects.
3. To introduce the child to the aquatic world, a fishpond or tank can be made, where aquatic plants and different types of fish can be bred.
4. Art and craft exercises unleash the creativity of the child and develops interest.
5. Teach the child a musical instrument of their choice.
6. Have reading sessions with the child where easily comprehensible historical stories can be told.
7. Teach subjects like math or science formulas giving easy and identifiable examples.
8. Introduce the child to gardening. Activity like sowing, weeding, watering and taking care of plants, gives a sense of responsibility. Besides, various insects and butterflies can be seen in the garden during different seasons.
9. Religious sermons and short stories from the bible could assist in helping the child to get acquainted with religion.
10. A small carpentry exercise like building a birdhouse, or a garden supply box, can teach the child skills like sawing, stenciling and painting.

Since the child is home schooling, he or she should not be overloaded with assignments, or forced to study. The home can heighten the learning abilities of the child, as it is comfortable, and is a familiar environment. This aspect should be taken advantage of, and the parents should make optimal use of the easy availability of personal and educational resources.

Home school is a learning experience both for the child and the parents. Perceiving the areas of interest of the child helps in deciding future college options. For example a child interested in stargazing and planetary movement can decide upon enrolling for a course in astronomy. Moreover, implementing fun filled activities can augment the education of the child, making it interesting and interactive.

A) Martial Arts- You can enroll your children in Karate, Judo, Kung Fu or Taekwondo classes. Martial arts help to improve the health, flexibility, alertness and help to develop a person overall. Your child will be fit for life, think about it. And no one will dare to touch him or her.

B) Arts & Crafts- There are a variety of arts and crafts your child can learn.Many children love creative things. In fact, some have an inborn artistic talent. You can enroll your child in classes for drawing, painting, pottery, crotchet, origami, ikebana or flower decoration, etc. In fact there are so many different types of painting like oil painting, pencil sketching, fabric painting, etc. Your children will love to play with colors and learn something new.

C)Cooking- Yes, it may sound strange, but children would love to try cooking. You can involve them in cooking things where the usage of electrical appliances and fire appliances is minimal. Make sure you are with them. Try to bake a cake together. Or prepare Ice cream or cookies or sandwiches together. Throw a small party for their friends.

D)Computer classes – Get your children enrolled in some computer class which will help them in their school or college ahead. They can learn the different office suites, making presentations, using the Internet, email, etc. You can also get them to learn different designing softwares if they are interested.

E) Outdoor activities – If your children love the outdoors, you have a variety of options available. Swimming, horseback riding, rock climbing, cycling, etc., are very popular among kids. You could also send your child to a camp where they teach baseball, basketball, football, etc. to young kids. Just find out what your children prefer and take a decision.

Do the food pyramid out of a huge piece of card board; make a triangle divide it into 5 food groups, including the fats as well as the sweets section. Label each portion with the recommended daily allowance of foods. Let the kids do the tearing of images from magazines or utilize food stickers and place them on the corresponding food group.

Cereals would do a great art project such as necklace. Find the looped ones and place them together using a yarn and form a necklace. The motor skills of the child would develop through this. You could also use vegetables for stamping. Cut potatoes, apples, radishes or carrots in your desired shapes and sizes. Dip them on your preferred paint and stamp them on paper.

Create a healthy snack using a celery stalk smeared with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins. Simple and yet already an artwork because you made some bugs placed on a log. You can also make a colorful art piece out of bread, milk and some food coloring. Let your child play with the toasted bread and food coloring to create a vivid masterpiece. Don’t make the bread to wet because it will turn soggy.