Whether you are a homeschool parent or are just looking for productive ways to keep your kids engaged, you have come to the right place. In this article we will discuss projects for three of the foundational school subjects: reading, math, and science. These projects are so fun you and your kids will not even notice how much work and growth is actually happening.
Reading
There are essentially two different kinds of students. Those who love to read and those who hate to read. It could be argued that those who dislike reading just have not read the right books or do not feel confident in their reading skills. This project can help with both of those issues to hopefully increase your child’s love of reading.
If this is not a required school project, it could be fun to let your child choose a book on any topic that interests them. This format will work with any novel! If they struggle with reading, let them choose a book that is easy for them to read and at their appropriate level. The first step to this project is going to be to read the book and have a solid understanding of it. If you have the time it might be nice to read the book together with your child. That way, you could help explain plot points, identify character development, etc. If your child is a reading connoisseur they can still have a lot of fun with this. For this project, you will need one file folder, scissors, glue, crayons or colored pencils, paper, and at least one piece of heavy-duty colored paper such as construction or cardstock. At this site, you will find detailed and pictured step-by-step instructions on how to make a lap book. This project allows for a creative outlet, and a test of reading comprehension.
Math
Many children are intimidated by mathematics. Engaging in a hands-on activity can make the subject more enjoyable and less scary for kids. Doing a hands-on activity can also make math seem more doable and if your child can get the answer on their own they will feel more confident in their ability to learn math and solve even the most challenging problems.
Consider the age and skill level of your child. Practice will be good regardless, but you may need to add a more difficult element to help your child learn new skills. This particular activity has options for all different skill levels. Children in late elementary school years are fascinated with money. A project involving real money is sure to grab their interest. Start by obtaining a copy of a local grocery store weekly ad. Challenge your child to plan to make three meals on a specific budget using store items from the ad. Addition will be used to add the price of multiple items. Subtraction can be used to determine how much change they should be given when paying with cash. Multiplication will be needed if purchasing more than one of the same item. An example of division could be splitting the bill with another person. Percentages could include tax or discounts. If you truly make this a hands-on project it will be done in real life, not just a sit down at the table hypothetical situation. I think you will be surprised how much your kid will enjoy this, and how independent it will make them feel!
Science
Science is one of those subjects that children are generally interested in because it is naturally full of fun experiments. However, just because they are fascinated by an experiment does not necessarily mean they understand the science behind it. Science is a naturally hands-on subject, but it is important to solidify the “why” behind how the experiment works.
Money may be enticing to kids, but let’s be honest, candy is even more exciting. The candy bar experiment is a prediction of whether or not a certain candy bar will sink or float when placed in a glass of water. For this you will need a variety of fun-size candy bars that include a three musketeers and a kit kat because these are the ones that will float. Most other candy bars will sink unless they are filled with marshmallow, nougat or wafer more than the other ingredients. You will also need a glass with water and also recommended would be a plate and a knife. If you choose, you could draw a chart on a piece of paper and have your child predict which candy will sink and which will float before trying the experiment. Either way, make sure that you cut the candy bars open after the trial to see what the composition of the candy bar is and why it float/sank. If you have a three musketeers bar try puncturing a hole through the chocolate and placing it in the water to see if air bubbles can be seen. The lesson here is about density and the mass that makes up objects as well as the volume of that mass. It is about how closely together the molecules are packed in a particular material.
Many kids are also drawn to tech projects rather than the good old Science experiments. Let them explore their interests with technology kits that allow them to build hardware or software without prior knowledge and experience. Apart from the materials, these kits usually include educational videos, guides, and all information that your child (and yourself) will need to complete the project successfully and understand the concept behind it.
If you have had a positive experience with any of these projects, we want to hear about it! If you have any other great project ideas that your kids love we encourage you to share that as well.
