Hold Kids’ Attention with Vacation Stations
Hats off to teachers…it’s time for Mid-Week Focus to shine some light on end-of-school term activities.
Weekdays just ahead of the end of a school term can seem like they last forever, especially for K – 5 teachers and students who are counting the hours until vacation.
What’s under and in the magic hat? End-of-term tricks to hold kids’ attention!
The name – Vacation Stations – may sound like all play and no work. Not so. It’s learning and fun, fun, fun, in an indoor sun. Who says learning can’t be fun; any smart K – 5 teacher knows that education and entertainment both begin with the letter “e” for a reason.
Depending on how much you want to do, turning your classroom into Vacation Stations will take a little extra time (and maybe money). Mid-Week Focus offers ideas that you can scale up or down .
Check out these creative options:
Form Beach Readers’ Island – Bring in a beach umbrella and some beach towels. Hang a cardboard cut-out sun above the umbrella and make a sign that reads “Beach Readers’ Island.” Post it in your Reading Center or on a table in one corner of the classroom. When you announce that it’s Vacation Station Time, invite students to choose a book and towel and find a spot to read for a while. You may need to set a time limit on Beach Readers’ Island and have kids take turns there. Afterall, it’s not good to be in the sun too long anyway! Give this activity some extra science curriculum punch by selecting books that relate to the beach. For example, fifth graders may study beach erosion while they stretch out on Beach Readers’ Island.
Prepare Poetry Paradise – Set out paper and pencils on a table labeled “Poetry Paradise” and make this center part of Vacation Station Time in your classroom. Offer a title like “Summer Song” for students to use for personal wordplay. Following is a short poem I wrote with this title:
Summer Song
Carolina days grow longer,
Birds sing the season’s song.
New wings have taken flight.
Listen, summer is knocking
At Nature’s blossoming door,
Picnics promise to delight!
Find other nooks in your classroom to set up other vacation stations, like… (more…)
Barbara Cleary has been serving as a resource to hundreds of educators for more than 25 years.
An award-winning writer, producer, teacher, and trainer, Barbara’s focus is on offering easy, fun tools and tricks that support K-5 curricula and assist teachers with classroom management.
