Sparkling Ideas: 10 Interactive Activities Before Winter Break

Teachers, are you ready for winter break? Your students are, too, so bring some excitement to your classrooms as winter break approaches using your interactive displays. They are excellent tools that can turn any lesson into an engaging adventure. Whether you're teaching language arts, any STEM class, art, history, or any other subject, these activities will “spark” some enjoyment and engage both you and your students in the weeks leading up to winter break. 

Use your whiteboarding application to create templates, insert images, put blank spaces, and allow for student choice in design. You can add text boxes, fill in the blanks, or "Mad Lib" type sentence stems to have students explore and interact with new vocabulary words, forming sentences and stories. This activity not only enhances language skills but also makes learning words a delightful journey. 

Transform your interactive display into a math maze. Pose math problems at various difficulty levels on different slides of the whiteboarding application, PDF, or Google slide you choose to use. As students solve them, they can advance and navigate through the maze. This interactive math challenge not only reinforces mathematical concepts but also adds an element of fun. 

Take your students on a virtual time-travel adventure through history. Use the interactive display to highlight historical events, figures, and places. Students can explore different eras, fostering a deeper understanding of historical concepts. 

Convert your interactive display into a virtual science scavenger hunt. Display images, clues, and questions related to various science topics. Students work individually or in teams to solve the challenges, promoting collaboration and critical thinking. 

Design an interactive STEM expedition where students embark on a journey to explore different STEM concepts. From building virtual structures to solving engineering problems, these activities integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a dynamic way. 

Turn geography lessons into an exciting adventure. Use the interactive display to explore maps, landmarks, and cultures around the world. Engage students in discussions about personal connections or previous learning experiences and what they notice during exploration and conversations, promoting global awareness. 

Bring literature to life with a literary character showdown. Create a virtual arena on the interactive display where characters from different books "compete." Making a bracket template with images inserted from your files or the browser of different book titles or characters allows for students to visually organize the showdown. Also, insert a blank character slide so students can analyze and discuss the traits, motivations, and actions of their favorite characters to help them determine the winning one. Students analyze and discuss the traits, motivations, and actions of their favorite characters. 

Host a virtual poetry jam session using the interactive display. Display poetry prompts or examples and encourage students to create and share their own poems. This activity not only enhances language skills but also allows for creative self-expression. 

Present a collection of math puzzles on the interactive display. From sudoku to logic puzzles, students can choose their challenge level and work on these brain-teasing activities. It's a fantastic way to reinforce math skills in an engaging manner. 

Transform your interactive display into an art gallery where students can showcase their creative work. This activity allows students to share their artistic talents, fostering a sense of pride and community within the classroom. 

As the winter break approaches, help make these weeks "sparkle” for your students. By incorporating these interactive activities across various subjects, enhance and heighten classroom energy, curiosity, and joy. These activities not only align with academic goals but also create a positive and engaging learning environment. Let the countdown begin! 

Love these ideas but don't have an interactive display? Explore your options at www.boxlight.com.

If funding is an issue, Boxlight has a Grants Assistance Program (GAP) to help navigate schools through the process of applying for education money. Click here for more information: Boxlight Grants Assistance Program.