Looking for cool tools to make your virtual counseling lessons fun and engaging for your students? You'll love these 3 digital tools.
In order to boost virtual classroom participation and reduce achievement gaps, it is essential that teachers explore different strategies to see which ones motivate their students to learn.
Games are a tried and true way to engage students. Whether teaching in-person or remotely via a live session like Zoom or Google Meets, teachers know that games, brain breaks, and icebreakers are an awesome way to get students actively involved in learning. With the ever-changing landscape of education, I thought it might be nice to compile some versatile activities that challenge students in really fun ways. Best part? These activities are very low prep and work in a variety of settings. These activities encourage students to listen, solve problems, be creative, and practice critical skills. They're designed to be easy to do with little to no prep. You can easily add one of these games to any lesson as a warm-up, closure, community building activity, or lesson extender. GAMES & ACTIVITIES ⭐How Many? Give students a category and then challenge students to see how many different things they can fit within that classification. At first students will respond with obvious ideas. However, as they brainstorm, their ideas will stretch and their creativity will grow. Students can jot their ideas down on scrap paper and earn points for each unique response when they share out. Here are some categories to get started: occupations, things that are slimy, things that roll, animal noises, articles of clothing ⭐Listen Carefully: Read a short passage out loud to students. Then, have them answer questions based on what they can remember. Make it especially fun by awarding points for every answer that students get right. You can change up this activity by reading two versions of the same story. Mix up some of the details in the second version for students to listen for. Give this activity a try with the passages in this set of FREE Brain Bursts. Add your information below and then check your inbox! ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ ⭐Silly Silent Spelling: Practice spelling words in a super silly way. Explain to students that you are going to be giving them a practice spelling test (definitely NOT the real thing). Just like a typical practice test, they'll listen for the word and write it down. However, here's the catch: you're only going to silently mouth the words. Students will need to read your lips to figure out what word they will need to write down. Of course, figuring out a word from a silent cue is not easy. That's what makes this fun. Students will write down some wild guesses as they spell their way through this game. ⭐One Word: Pose a fun question to the class and have them all think of a one-word answer. Then, give every student a chance to share their responses as you call on each of them. Here are some questions to get started: --- If you were a type of dessert, what would you be? --- Where do you feel happiest? --- How would a soccer ball describe its day? --- Where is somewhere that you would like to visit? --- What would be the perfect gift for you? ⭐Mystery Item: This activity is quick and easy to play. To prepare, write 5 or 6 clues about an object. Make the clues gradually increase in their specificity. Then, read the clues to students as they jot down their guesses for the mystery item until you reveal the answer. ⭐Punchline: Start telling a joke to students, and then have them guess the punchline. Find a ton of jokes for kids here. ⭐Strike a Pose: Explain to students that they are going to pretend that they are in a photograph. They will need to imagine that the photo was taken at the height of the event. All they have to do is strike a pose after you give them a situation. For instance, you might say, "haunted house," and then students would freeze in a pose that shows them frightened or terrified. Here are a few situations to try: Dentist Office, Roller Coaster, Last Day of School, Scary Movie, Food Fight, Race ⭐Timed Writing Activities: Engage students with a creative writing prompt. Then, "amp up" the fun factor by adding a timed element. Challenge students to race the clock as they write as much as they can in a fixed time period. Find my favorite prompts here. ⭐And Then...: This is a listening game for the entire class. Students will need to listen to and add to a growing story. You'll start the story with an opener like, "At the zoo, I decided to open the lion's cage, and then..." Next, you'll call on a student to explain what happened next. That student will add one line and the phrase "and then" before selecting another student to add to the story. ⭐Listen and Draw: Students love this activity! To prepare, create a simple illustration filled with shapes and designs. Then, write out the directions for students. Have students complete the activity on a piece of paper. Read each direction to students and challenge them to replicate the illustration you instructed them to draw. (These are included in the exclusive freebie below.) ⭐Class Pet: Pretend that you have a new class pet. Explain to students that they will need to guess the type of animal. Students will need to ask questions and write their guesses on a piece of paper when they think they have figured out the new class pet. ⭐Add the Ending: Engage students as they practice writing and storytelling skills with this activity. First, students will listen to the beginning of a story that you read to them. Then, they'll take over the writing and complete the story. The story starters are a fun way to motivate students to write. ⭐Alien, Tiger, and Cat: Here's an improvisational theatre game that works in the classroom. Explain to students that they can be one of three things: an alien, a cat, or a tiger. If they choose to be an alien, they need to hold their pointer fingers next to their head (like antennae) and say "bleeb, bleeb." To be a cat, they need to rub their wrist along their face (like a cat cleaning itself) and say "meow." Finally, to be a tiger they need to push their hand forward with a claw stance and roar. On your cue, every student will choose and act like an animal. The goal is to get everyone to choose the same animal (which is nearly impossible, but fun to try). ⭐Rapid Recall: Create a list of random words. Then, read the list of words to students. As you read the words, you might have students put their hands on their heads so that you know for sure that they aren't taking notes. Once you've read the words to students once or twice, wait about a minute before letting students write down every word that they remember. (Find ready-made lists in this complete resource.) ⭐Finish the Fact: Share the beginning of a fact with students. Then, challenge them to complete the fact. Have them share their guesses before revealing the complete fact. Find a collection of random facts here. Want a free set of virtual classroom activities designed to be NO PREP and NO COPIES? Just add your name and email below. ⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟⮟ BONUS: Here's one more idea: ⭐Paper Airplanes: Help students practice following directions by challenging them to fold a paper airplane by following your directions. To get started, choose a paper airplane design to have students fold. Then, have students take out a piece of paper. They'll need to listen carefully to each of your directions to make their paper airplane. Wishing you tons of fun in your (virtual) classroom, Mary Beth P.S. Find a TON of ready-made activities HERE.
25 creative, NO PREP google meet & zoom ideas for distance learning activities. These virtual games & ideas keep kids engaged & make teaching a breeze.
Back to school activities for middle or high school classrooms. These engaging activities will build relationships and community from the first day of school.
Here's a list of some fun and easy ideas for virtual activities that can be used during a virtual classroom meeting. There are 25 ideas listed and a brief description of each is included. I also provided some helpful links that will help you complete the virtual activities. Don't forget to leave feedback! :) TPT offers credits that can be applied to future purchases! To earn credits, simply rate and comment on the product. Follow my TPT store to get notified of new products! I offer 50% off for the first 48 hours - Follow Me Here You can also follow me on social media --> @atrailblazingteacher This product is for personal use in a single classroom only. No part of this download may be copied, sold, distributed, or edited without the permission of the author. Additional licenses may be purchased from my TPT store. Please do not post this document online; however, feel free to blog or post on social media about the use of this product as long as you credit back to my TPT store with a link. Enjoy!
25 creative, NO PREP google meet & zoom ideas for distance learning activities. These virtual games & ideas keep kids engaged & make teaching a breeze.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to counselors searching for free games and tools for virtual counseling sessions. Although the pandemic has led to many challenges, one positive aspect is that counselors have been expanding their skillsets as they learn to navigate the virtual counseling world. Whether you are a school counselor meeting with children through
Finding the balance in virtual teaching.
Work on letter formation and writing the alphabet with kids based on child development. Includes the best order to teach letters.
Zoom Games With Students During Distance Learning shares a variety of games, many familiar from the classroom, that you can play with students virtually.
Looking for fun and engaging preschool digital learning activities? These self-checking digital task cards are all the rage!
Wondering how to use that cute virtual classroom background that you created? Here are 10 ideas that will get even your "Avatar" excited!
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to counselors searching for free games and tools for virtual counseling sessions. Although the pandemic has led to many challenges, one positive aspect is that counselors have been expanding their skillsets as they learn to navigate the virtual counseling world. Whether you are a school counselor meeting with children through
Many teachers are now using platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet to reach their students. While many teachers use this platform to teach or review standards with their students, many are also using it for socialization during these times and there are lots of great distance learning activities you can use to engage your
Shape identification is very important for young learners. It is focused on early in education and with good reason! Students will love learning shapes in this interactive slide presentation. 2D Shapes Kindergarten Activity for Google Slides and Seesaw will help your kindergartener use visual discrimination skills to identify 2d shapes' names and they will also
Stumped on how to get to know your students during virtual or distance learning? Try out these fun and easy-to-implement ice breakers created specifically for Zoom, GoogleMeets, WebEx, or any other video chat platform. ...
I. am. obsessed! To say the least. I was introduced to Seesaw this year during one of our "Wonderful Wednesday" optional professional development sessions. An amazing teacher in our school who knows all the new happenings in the technology/education world was holding an info session on Seesaw - an interactive learning journal that you can use in your classroom. "It even works for kindergarten!" Is it just me, or do we hear that ALL. THE. TIME. and it never actually works for us. Let's face it. Kindergarten is different *in the best way possible*. So I went. And I told myself I would walk on out if I didn't think it would work for my kids. Not all apps are good for 5 and 6 year olds who can't quite read yet. Well, I stayed, the whole time. Trust me. This app works with Kinders! It is super easy to use. There are endless ways to use it. It is just FABULOUS! (By the way, you can get a free month of Seesaw plus right here! It has some really awesome features to help you communicate with parents, prepare for conferences, and track student progress!) Here is a list of ways to use Seesaw with your kindergarten students: (V = video P = photo D = draw) I often have my students record over any drawings & photos so that they can explain what is going on. Math: Write numbers! (D) Draw a picture to represent a number (D) Compare two sets of objects & orally explain which is more or less (P) Demonstrate 1 to 1 counting & state the number counted (V) Count from 1 - 100 by 1's and 10's (V) Represent & explain teen numbers by using a group of ten and some ones (P) Draw 2-D shapes and record what they are (D) Find 2-D and 3-D shapes in the classroom. Name the shape! (P) (V) Compare two different shapes & orally explain how they are alike and how they are different (P) Place an object somewhere and use positional words to describe where it is (P) Solve an equation in a variety of ways (D) Explain how they solved an equation (V) Show partners of any given number (P) ELA: Finish a sentence. Give them a starter & have them expand it (V) Retell a book (V) Draw the characters in a story (D) Draw the setting of a story (D) Explain how two books are alike and different (V) Answer a question by showing evidence from the book (P) Read a piece of writing (P) Practice writing & reading sight words (D) Read a book (V) Practice fluency (V) Other: Give weather reports (V) Send a message to parents on Valentine's Day (V) Tell parents something new they learned that week (V) I am sure there are 100's of other ways! How have you used SeeSaw in your classroom?
Transitioning to online teaching has been a challenge to say the least. And while I’m not teaching content “live”, I am meeting with my students weekly via Zoom. I wanted to make sure I had fun, fresh resources to review skills and continue building our classroom community in engaging ways. I know not everyone can ... Read more
With one simple Chrome Extension, you can easily turn any website into an interactive virtual lesson- in minutes! It is like a miracle, and I am hooked.
This end of the year blog post gathers up ideas for teachers to use during distance learning. Learn more ideas about virtual end of the year celebrations.
FREE What Do Scientists Do? activities and first week of science lesson plans ideal for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms and distance learning.
Back to school activities for middle or high school classrooms. These engaging activities will build relationships and community from the first day of school.
Visual Motor activities that work well in online virtual teletherapy occupational therapy sessions!
These games will help liven things up in your virtual lessons - perfect for middle school, high school, or even Adult ESL classes!
Have a competition in class. Students must find three words within specific definitions! It is good fun and students really want to be the first to complete the task. - ESL worksheets
Using Google Slides and Seesaw activities for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten and 1st grade is a great way to integrate technology into education. Not to mention it's perfect when you don't want to or CAN'T print a bunch of papers. Google Slides activities and Seesaw activities are easy to send to your students and you can
Distance Teaching…Remote Learning…Virtual Teaching…Online Teaching …are a few of the terms you are using to describe how you are reaching a classroom full of students—from home. This is new territory for a lot of us teachers so I am going to jump right into this post. I have used a drawing tablet
These choice boards you can send home with kindergarteners during a break, holiday or as homework. Includes 6 different free example choice boards.
If you're looking for ideas to build personal connections and boost morale and productivity, these virtual team building activities will inspire you!
Mix fun and learning with these digital winter activities for Spanish class! If you are looking for great ideas for winter in your virtual classroom or distance learning, click to read more!
Virtual rewards for students are essential for distance learning. How we can motivate and encourage student success looks different in online learning. Dist ...
Discover engaging morning meeting activities for kindergarten, (+ ideas for virtual learning). Have fun building your classroom community!
Virtual icebreakers are perfect for getting students introduced to one another. They help encourage students to get to know one another better.
Ease the transition to online teaching by checking out these 6 tips on how to create an appealing and useful online teaching space!
Learn how to create digital choice boards & learning menus on Genially plus how they can be used remotely for engaging, interactive, & meaningful distance learning activities or student-centered lessons in the classroom. This post is sponsored by Genially but the thoughts and opinions are my own. For many schools and teachers, remote learning is becoming the new normal, and we’re being asked to adapt our classroom materials to an eLearning environment. The pressure to give high-quality, engaging lessons can feel overwhelming. There’s so much to learn and so little time. At the same time, it’s harder than ever to
Teach your students how to create a virtual classrooms using Google Slides, it's a great way to introduce them to Google Slides and is so engaging!
5 Reasons to Use Digital Choice Boards in the Classroom: Personalize learning with digital choice boards and activities. Great way to integrate technology into the classroom while providing a rich learning experience for a variety of learners. Digital differentiation! Think of it like a hyperdoc or hyperslide :)
Today I wanted to share some of my favorite resources for teletherapy. These are perfect for keeping young children engaged! When we made the switch to teletherapy back in March, I had to completel…
Free Google Slides and Seesaw activities for students in kindergarten through second grade. These digital math and literacy activities are lots of fun!
The spring semester usually brings out our best loved units and field trips. With school closures, those field trips had to be cancelled, BUT, just because we aren't riding on a bus and physically going to those places, doesn't mean we can't still take a field trip while doing distance learning! Get your class together and visit one of these amazing locations on a Virtual Field Trip.
Zoom Games With Students During Distance Learning shares a variety of games, many familiar from the classroom, that you can play with students virtually.
Nearpod is a phenomenal student engagement platform that adds endless engagement and digital learning into your classroom!
