Here are a few activities to help students stay engaged during our week off. Nothing on this page is required, but we hope it helps to provide some structure, learning, and fun to anyone looking for more of those things!
FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS
Earth Day Activities: Grateful for God’s Creation
Monday 4/20: Cozy up and watch a movie with some of your favorite creatures in it! Say a prayer thanking God for creating this creature and draw a picture of it! Some suggestions:
• The Lorax (recycling/taking care of the Earth theme)– Rated PG
• Secret Life of Pets — Rated PG
• Zootopia — Rated PG
• A Bug’s Life — Rated G
• Ice Age — Rated PG
• Madagascar –Rated PG
Tuesday 4/21: Craft Day! Enjoy making this craft and say a prayer to God that everyone can come together to do their part to take care of the world!
Wednesday 4/22: Happy Earth Day!!
• Try and spend at least 30 minutes outside today! Whether that be playing in your backyard, hanging out and reading a book, riding your bike, WHATEVER it may be! Enjoy this beautiful creation God has made and say a prayer of praise to Him for making the Earth our home!
• Nature Scavenger Hunt: Go on a photo scavenger hunt around your yard to see if you can find some of these beautiful creations that make up our Earth!
1. Bird
2. Flower
3. Butterfly
4. Rocks
5. Green leaves
6. Clouds
7. Water
8. Bug
9. Tree
10. Worm
Thursday 4/23: Recycling Day! Make your own creation or Recycling Robot out of ANYTHING in your home that can be reused!! Some ideas are to use an old cereal box, used plastic water bottles, shoe boxes, milk cartons, etc.…have fun and be creative! Say a prayer thanking God for all the ways we can reuse materials to help save our planet!
Friday 4/24: Chalk Day! Make an Earth Day chalk mural on your driveway today! It can be of anything!!! The Earth, animals, ocean, mountain, recycling, etc.… and say a prayer by writing it or drawing it on your driveway thanking God for His creation.
- Eco-friendly Sidewalk Paint
All you need to DIY your own paints is: 1/4 cup corn starch, 1/4 cold water, and about 8 drops of food coloring, recycled containers (yogurt cups work well) and paint brushes, foam brushes worked well, but I am sure you could use whatever you have.
Directions: Mix the cornstarch and the water thoroughly, and then add the food coloring. Repeat for each color of paint you would like to have.
Additional Ideas
Visit PBS Kids for several resources on earth day https://pbskids.org/earthday/
Make an Earth Day project from the items in your recycling bin. Be sure that items are clean and don’t use anything that causes you to get hurt. Past Earth Day projects included: robots, banks, animal look alikes…Be creative!
Make impression art from nature! Place a piece of paper over pieces of flat wood, grass, and seeds that you find out in the yard. Rub the broad side of a pencil tip or crayon over the paper. Be sure to move it back and forth. The bumps, lines, knots, and outlines of the items will make a design on the paper. Frame it to hang up in your room
FOR OLDER STUDENTS
Complete a Math Scavenger Hunt
Create a math game: It can be a board game family members or classmates can play, or perhaps a game like Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Chutes and Ladders, or Trivial Pursuit!
Make a Budget Make a family grocery budget or plan a vacation from a budget!
Try an SAT Practice Test You might be surprised by how much you can already do!
Keep a Distance Learning Diary. This is a time we are all going to remember. How will you remember it? What experiences have stuck with you that you don’t want to forget? What have you learned about yourself and your world while you have been at home?
Compose a Family History. Conduct interviews with parents and grandparents about their childhood, education, and memorable events, and compile them into a story of your family.
Watch Season 1 of the Spanish Playground series Buena Gente. Turn on the closed captioning to see the Spanish as you hear it!
Research a Country (any country you are interested in and want to learn more about) and do a project about it – all in Spanish. More details here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pwKr2e4XIzIg–LJlkXDMnYwqagUXLMQkZMTt1L5pKg/edit?usp=sharing
FOR ALL STUDENTS
Make an Obstacle Course And then can you complete it? Can you challenge your family to complete it?
Try Your Hand at Cooking Can you bring your math skills into the kitchen to help? Can you pick up other skills that you haven’t practiced before?
Create a Scrapbook for Distance Learning, or for anything else! What do you want to compile memories of?
Make a Gratitude Pinwheel Make a pinwheel and write what you are grateful for on one of the “wings.” Directions here: http://www.leslietryon.com/3dcolorcutout/makepinw/makepinwheel.html
Make a Gratitude Garden Find a rock and paint a message of thanks on it.
Send a letter or drawing or poem to Mrs. Cambio (library@olmschool.org)! She would LOVE to hear from you and she will write back!
Send a message of thanks. Who are you grateful to right now? Your parents? Your teachers? Doctors? Nurses? Grocery store workers? Many people are going above and beyond the call of duty to practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Let them know that you appreciate their effort.