Summer break is a time for relaxation (especially for you!), but it’s also an opportunity to keep kids engaged and connected with learning. And you don’t need to choose one or the other!
Using interactive experiences, especially through platforms like Goosechase, can make summer learning fun and exciting for students, while remaining easy for you to set up and moderate.
Here are five innovative ways to use interactive experiences to maintain students’ enthusiasm and curiosity over the summer.
What Is an Interactive Experience?
Interactive experiences are those that encourage your students to feel involved by actively engaging with their senses, surroundings, and other people. These experiences are involved, participatory, and often a lot of fun. As a participant, students can affect the outcome through their actions, rather than just passively observing.
Think of it as a conversation rather than a monologue. Instead of just listening to a story or watching a scene unfold, your students are a part of it. As a participant, students can make decisions, solve puzzles, create content, and engage in a wide range of activities. In the classroom (or from home), rather than just sitting and listening to a lesson or reading a text, students actively participate in their own learning.
What Is Goosechase?
Goosechase is an online platform that allows you to create interactive Experiences. These experiences can be customized with various tasks, called “Missions,” that participants complete by submitting photos, videos, text, or GPS check-ins. Teachers can design Experiences that align with their curriculum, encouraging students to explore, create, and collaborate in a fun and educational way. Who wouldn’t like that?
Five Educational Interactive Experiences for the Summer
1. Summer Reading Challenge
One of the best ways to keep kids engaged over the summer is through a Summer Reading Challenge. Using Goosechase, you can create an innovative reading program where students complete Missions related to the books they read. Each Mission can involve tasks like summarizing a chapter, drawing a scene, or acting out a favorite part of the story. This not only keeps students reading but also encourages them to think critically about what they read and share their experiences with their peers. For example, a Mission could ask students to take a picture of a setting described in their book and explain why it’s significant to the story.
Here’s a great reading challenge example you can adapt to your own summer reading program.
2. Nature Exploration
Encouraging kids to get outside and explore nature is another excellent way to keep them engaged. Students can complete Missions that involve discovering and documenting plants, animals, and unique natural features in their local area. Missions can include tasks like identifying different types of leaves, spotting specific birds, or taking photos of interesting rock formations. This keeps students active and helps them learn more about their environment. For instance, a Mission could involve finding a particular type of flower and researching its characteristics and habitat.
Get kids outside with this nature-themed interactive experience, a great way to promote advocacy for the great outdoors.
3. STEM Activities
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities are perfect for keeping students intellectually engaged over the summer. Using Goosechase, you can set up Missions that involve at-home science experiments, engineering challenges, or math puzzles. For example, one Mission could be to build a simple circuit using household items and explain how it works, while another could involve solving a series of math riddles. These activities can be both educational and entertaining, helping students to develop their problem-solving skills and fostering a love for STEM subjects.
This math-themed Experience will have your students seeing shapes, equations, and solutions in everyday things.
4. Community Service Projects
Summer is a great time for students to give back to their communities. Creating an interactive experience focused on community service can help students stay connected and engaged while making a positive impact. Missions can include acts of kindness like picking up litter in a local park, helping a neighbor with yard work, or volunteering at a local food bank. These activities not only teach students the value of community service but also help them develop empathy and social responsibility. For example, a Mission might involve organizing a small community cleanup event and documenting the experience with photos and reflections.
This Community Service Marathon is a great resource for brainstorming ideas!
5. Cultural Exploration and Appreciation
Exploring different cultures can be a fascinating and enriching experience for students. A Cultural Exploration scavenger hunt can include Missions that involve trying new foods, listening to music from different cultures, creating art inspired by different traditions, or taking virtual tours of museums around the world. This helps students gain a broader perspective and appreciation for diversity. For instance, a Mission could involve cooking a dish from another country and sharing a video of the process along with a brief history of the dish.
Here’s a fun and easy example that will get your students to document a cultural culinary adventure!
Interactive experiences, like those facilitated through Goosechase, can make summer learning engaging, fun, and meaningful. Setting up and running these activities is simple and straightforward, ensuring they are easy for teachers to manage. By incorporating reading challenges, nature exploration, STEM activities, community service projects, and cultural exploration, you can help students stay connected to their learning and to each other. These activities not only keep their minds active, but also provide opportunities for personal growth and community involvement. So, this summer, consider using these easy-to-set-up interactive experiences to create a memorable and enriching break for your students – and for yourself!
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If you’re interested in learning more about Goosechase, check out the great information here.
