10 Outdoor Educational Games to Keep Your Kids Physically and Mentally Active

1. Spelling Races: 

Randomly spread out each letter of the alphabet around your yard, or if you are in a cul-de-sac you could draw them in chalk. The letters should be big to make them easy to find, but should be spread out and in no particular order. You will call out a word, and then the kids have to race to each letter to be the first to correctly spell the word by running to the letters in the right order. However, to make it more entertaining, rather than simply running, give the kids a way in which they have to move: crab walk, one-legged hops, tornado spin jumps, walking backwards, sideways shuffles, carioca, inchworm crawls, bunny hops, skipping, etc.  

2. Math Obstacle Course: 

Label the course obstacles with numbers 1-10. The course obstacles could be anything: running around a tree, doing a cartwheel, dizzy bat spinning, crawling through a tire swing, zig-zagging in-and-out of a line of rocks, walking across a plank of wood, balancing a book on their head as they touch their toes, doing jumping jacks, etc. Once each section of the course is established, give the children a piece of paper with 10 math problems. Each answer corresponds with how many times they must do that obstacle. For example, if the answer to question number two is 5, then they must do the second obstacle 5 times (i.e. do five cartwheels) before advancing to the next obstacle.  

3. Backyard Bananagrams: It’s the same concept of Backyard Scrabble, however, there’s a bit more running involved as kids race to collect letters from the middle when someone calls out “bananas.” You will need 144 pieces of paper (or paper plates, cardboard, pieces of posterboard, etc.), and write a letter on each one. For a breakdown of how many of each letter you’ll need, visit this blogspot; however, if you already have the game bananagrams, you can just use their tiles to save yourself the work of making bigger game pieces. The game is then played similar to regular bananagrams, except the players’ should be spaced a distance away from the pile of letters in the middle in order to make them run anytime someone calls out “Bananas!” 

4. Nature Scavenger Hunt Spelling:

Give the children a word to spell, they must find nature items whose first letter begins with a letter needed for the word. For example if the word is SOAP, they could bring a Stone, Oats (or an Orange-colored flower or water to represent the Ocean to make it simpler for younger kids), Acorn, and a Petal. 

5. War of Numbers: Two teams line up across from each other in a similar fashion to red rover, however, rather than holding hands, their feet should be spread apart and touching the feet of their teammates next to them. Players from each team take turns kicking a ball, trying to make it in between the spread legs of a player from the other team. If the ball goes through a player's legs, that player must then leave their team and join the other team, also like red rover. However, to give it a mathematical twist, before a player kicks the ball, the opposing team gives him a math problem, and each player from the team is assigned a number (or to make it simpler, they are numbered from left to right in ascending order, 1, 2, 3, etc.). The player must then kick it through the legs of the player that would be the right answer. Example: Team 2 gives a math problem like 63 divided by 9, then Team 1’s kicker for that round would try to kick the ball through the 7th player’s legs.

6. Bombs Away: True or False

Whether jumping into a pool, out of a swing, through a slip-n-slide or on a trampoline, this game is more fun with a good jump. A question is asked by the thrower, then the jumper gets ready to jump. When the thrower throws the ball, he says an answer to his own question. The jumper then must decide in air if the answer is true or false. If it is true they must catch the ball, if it is false they must try to avoid the ball.  

7. Exercise SpellingAssign an exercise to each letter of the alphabet. For example: A- Jumping Jacks, B - horizontal line jumps, C - Jump squats,  D - High Knee Running (in place), E- push ups, etc. These will likely need to be written out so kids can easily reference them. Then, choose the difficulty. When you give them a word to do an exercise to, will they do each exercise a certain amount of times (3 times? 5 times? 10 times?) or for a certain amount of time (10 seconds? 15 seconds? 30 seconds?). Once all the rules are in place, have kids take turns resting a round. The player who rests for that round is also the one who announces the word the others have to exercise to; they may try to choose long words in order to give themselves more time to rest (and to make it harder for the other participants). If the player who announced the word recognizes a player is spelling a word wrong (by doing the wrong exercise), they can call out that player and make them start spelling the word over again. 

8. Measurement Treasure Hunting

Clues are hidden across the playing field at certain markers, and then the treasure hunting team is told where their starting post is (a stick, rock, or other item which can be seen from a distance). The team is given a tape measure and a circle (paper or cardboard) which has marked 0°-360° in increments of 15° (or a protractor that is big enough to easily read). Each marker has the distance and angle of where to find the next marker, which will reveal the next set of directions. The 0/360° line on the circle should always point towards the starting post to serve as a reference for when finding the next destination. 

To add more math, you could make the kids solve math problems to find the distance and angle. Or to add more fun, each marker could also contain a letter, which after collecting all the letters from all the markers, they must unscramble to reveal the secret word to get the prize.

9. Memory Dance

All the players get in a circle and choose one who will start. That player does one dance move and then stops. The player to their right must then copy the previous person’s dance and then add one more dance move. It then moves to the next player who must do all the previous dance moves and add then add another. It continues to go around the circle until players get out by not being able to remember all the steps. 

10. (Simplified) King of Clubs: Math Version

In this game, players split into two teams and are both given a base at opposite ends of the playing field; the shape and obstacles of the field do not matter, so long as there is enough space for running. You will need cards with math problems on them, with the answers ranging from 1-12. The winner of the game is whoever has the most points (based on the answers to the math problems) at the end of the game. Each team starts with 3 more cards than there are players on their team, and the two teams should start with cards that equal the answers of the other team (so that both teams start with equal points). Each player than chooses a card from their teams deck. Every player must always carry only one card.  After each team has their cards, the other cards are spread out randomly throughout the playing field face down. Once the game starts, players try to win cards which they can do one of two ways: get a card from another player or pick up the random cards off the ground. This is how to do so: 

To get a card from another player, a player from one team can tag a player from another team, and the player with the higher card gets to keep the opposing players card (it does not matter who tagged who, only who has the higher card). The player who won the card puts it back on the team's deck at their base and then continues to play; the player who lost their card must go take a new card from their team’s deck and continue playing

In order to pick up the cards on the ground, the player's card must be lower than the card on the ground. If it is lower, then the player can pick it up and take it back to his team’s deck. Thus a team’s strategy may be to have a set of taggers who carry higher cards to try to tag the other team and a set of seekers who carry lower cards so that they can pick up the cards on the ground. The team who has more total points at the end of 5 minutes is the winner. 

If a team’s deck runs too low and the team has less cards than players, those players without cards must wait until other players on their team win cards. The out players can then rejoin the game. If a team loses all of its cards before the five minutes is up, then the other team wins.

Bonus 11.) Yarn MazeYarn is strung in a maze all throughout a yard, and at the end is a prize. However, in order for the players to get to the prize, they must follow the right yarn. Every 20 ft (or less depending on your environment) a question is attached to the yarn before the yarn splits off into two separate directions. Each direction has an answer to the question. If they choose the correct answer, the yarn will lead them to the next question, but if they follow the yarn that had the wrong answer attached, then it will lead them to a dead end. Can your players reach the prize?

Remote Learning: Here's What Students Are Saying

Last week we celebrated the end of the school year with our Remote Learners in Uganda. We are so proud of these 8 students who navigated challenges related to WiFi, technology and time zones to successfully complete this school year! Every time they Zoomed into a class they brought joy, thoughtful contributions and a fresh perspective to their classmates. 

Virtual meetings, like the one in this photo, happen on a regular basis between our administration and education facilitators in our international regions to ensure support is extended and prayers are shared for the work being done in the remote learning program.

Academy administration joined all the students on a Zoom call along with their Education Facilitators in Uganda, Lawrence and Josephine Ssemakula. Each student shared a highlight from the year, and then received a superlative related to a characteristic their teachers had noted in them this year. Students were appreciated for qualities like Joy, Initiative, Faithfulness, and Diligence. 

After the call Lawrence Ssemakula noted how special this celebratory moment was. “This is so encouraging because no school here [in Uganda] would do such a thing that is biblically rooted and also teachers caring so much to know students to this degree. It helps them a lot to feel valued and loved.They were very happy and I asked the parents that we should take them out to have a special moment with them.”

8th grader Victor spoke for all the students when he said, "I thank all the teachers that taught us this semester because when we had some difficulties in our assignments they were able to answer our questions and answer those questions through our live classes although our internet was not stable. But they tried to help us."

Thank you LORD for a blessed school year! We so appreciate the hard work of Academy teachers in integrating remote learners, and for the support of our financial donors that helped ensure these precious students could receive a rich year of learning! 

Please enjoy the student highlights below. 

Barnabas (11th grade) - “I enjoyed the classes, they were very good, and the due dates were easy to meet. Another thing is that all the lessons were rooted in the word of God. It was a good thing to put in our minds when doing those classes. It helps motivate people. 
I did a project about solar (energy) and it took me some time researching and finding a store that had the exact supplies and making calculations and adjustments on those specific materials. My interest in such projects increased and I guess I will be making more of these in the mere future. I think it may be the first step in my future job career.”

Rebecca (9th grade) - “For me this semester was like an adventure exploring many things I didn’t know. I loved Historical Biographies class, especially learning how Martin Luther King had a way of using nonviolence to bring peace. I know that I was not actually violent like hitting people but sometimes in my words I was violent to some people even to my siblings. But I think this class has helped me a lot and is going to change me in some ways.”

Genesis (9th grade) - “My most favorite course was the Biology class because we had to do all those different projects which made us really creative and helped us to not just write notes in our books but also have those notes in our projects. So that helped me be more creative even in my life.”

Gideon (9th grade) -  “The class I prioritized a lot was Wisdom Literature. It helped me know how to read more and how to understand the Bible.”

Favour (8th grade) - “I highlighted the Prophets (Bible class) and Historical Biographies because they had the same point. Both of them tell us to be peacemakers. If Israel had tried to be peacemakers like Nelson Mandela many people wouldn’t die. 

Also I liked the course that helped us take photos and create them properly. And Language Arts, I learned to read things and understand them and it helped me to understand things that are taught in the scripture.” 

Victor (8th grade) - "My highlights were mostly from Bible and Language Arts classes. In Bible class we learned about Eli’s sons and how they did not walk in God’s word. For me I thought that God killed Eli’s sons, but our Bible teacher taught us that God did not kill them; they were killed by the world. They went into battle and didn’t go with God so that’s why they were killed. 

And in Language Arts I highlighted the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Some of the lessons I learned was forgiveness because in our daily lives we don’t usually forgive people. But the book helped me to forgive people"

Genevieve (6th grade) - "My favorite course was STEM. I learned math and we learned science. We learned about the environment and they showed us a picture of a lake which has trash around it, and they showed us a lake which is clean, and they taught us that after we use papers and packages we should put them in the trash."

How to Keep Children Busy and Mentally Sharp During Summer

List of Fun Summer Educational Activities for Elementary-aged Kids:

Writing 

Writing comes in many fun forms. Whether it's updating a pen-pal, composing a song, penning a short story, or writing a script for a short play, there’s an array of avenues to pursue when trying to get your kids to write. List blogs are another great way to get kids to write, and because it typically has to do with things they like, they may find it more enjoyable than other forms of writing; this could be as simple as them writing down their top ten favorite movie characters, bible verses, pokemon, etc. and then they must explain why each one is worth liking. Or, if they and some friends share a passion for writing, they could start a writers club. Even if they prefer making videos for their youtube channel, having them practice writing out an outline for their script. Keeping them writing during summer months will help ease the transition from the summer break back to the classroom.  

Reading 

Books are great, and if you have time to make library runs or have reading apps on your digital device, then those are fantastic. Age appropriate reading is beneficial for a growing mind. While there are some bookworms who you may have to pry a book from just to get them to eat, others may run away screaming at the sight of a book. If that’s the case, don’t forget that reading doesn’t have to be limited to books. If you have parental controls on their devices, you could have your kids research topics they are interested in. There are many kid-friendly websites with information on a wide variety of topics, and there are even blogs for kids.  If so, may be difficult to get some kids to sit down and read

Math Projects

While it would be useful to keep their minds sharp, it’ll likely be hard to convince most kids to work on math sheets during the summer. However, there are other ways to get your kids to do math without resorting to worksheets. Having them plan out simple projects that involve numbers can help them show how practical math really is. Whether they help count up the cost of a meal, measure the garden bed to approximate how many stones they’ll need to line it, rework a recipe to feed the entire family, measuring out how much wood is needed to build a doghouse, or start a summer business with something as simple as a lemonade stand. Even having them calculate how long it will take to save their allowance to purchase something they’ve had their eye on could be an activity that gets their mind in the mood for math. 

Presentations

Getting kids used to giving presentations can be a big help for their future in academics, but they don’t have to start practicing in front of strangers. Getting them comfortable performing in front of family and friends can build their confidence and prepare them for the times they must do it in front of peers and teachers. By starting with simple topics like a family night presentations of their summer plans, a bible memory verse competition or joke contest they perform in front of their friends, or standing in front of relatives and explaining all the awesome things they learned and did at school that year. Getting kids familiar with having the spotlight on them, can ease the stress in future years by making it a common activity.

Strategy 

Games are great for children, not only because they are a lot of fun, but also because they teach strategy. Every game has its own unique methods of play which help children learn to think of efficient strategies to win. Whether it is one of the classics like checkers or chess, throwback games like Mastermind or Monopoly, or some modern favorites like Catan or Codenames, there exists a wide variety of games that kids are sure to fall in love with, while at the same time exercising their brain.

Review

There are plenty of educational apps which can keep your kids working with numbers, playing with words, or developing their problem solving skills throughout the summer months. While they may not be your kid’s favorite apps, you could try implementing rules such as before playing their favorite game they must first play the one you pick, or they have to play an educational game for an equal amount of time as their choice of game. Kids are a lot more likely to engage an app than a worksheet, thus if you are trying to get your kids to participate in educational activities during the summer months, check out what the app store has to offer. 

Puzzles and Brain Teasers 

Word searches, crossword puzzles, sudoku, rebus puzzles, and anagrams require brain power while also being fun. Add in a little competition, like word search races, and it can even become addictive. However, you don’t have to stop at just playing the games, challenge your kids to make them. Obviously this will be easier for some than others, but if the kids are familiar with simple typing programs, developing a word search or scrambled letters game can be done rather quickly. Have friends compete against each other by making simple crossword puzzle games to trade with each other or see who can complete a one month sudoku-a-day challenge. 

Sources: 

Shoemaker, John. “8 Types of Word Puzzles to Keep You Sharp.” Bar Games 101. July 31, 2020 (visited 27 May 2022)

https://bargames101.com/types-of-word-puzzles/ 

The Benefits of Summer Break & Retaining Information

How is a break beneficial? Should parents be doing anything so students don’t “lose” what they’ve learned during the school year? Or is that a myth?

With school curriculums often building on top of the knowledge students gained the previous year, it can be worrisome to think your child might forget in a couple months what they’ve spent all year learning. While we all would hope that summer learning loss is nothing but an urban legend, research seems to prove it is a situation which needs addressing. According to the Eric Resource Center, students' test scores and assessments are approximately one month lower upon returning than at the end of the previous school year. Other research published in the American Educational Research Journal revealed students forget anywhere between 17-34% of the information they learned over the previous year. With numbers like those, you definitely don’t want to ignore summer learning loss, but what can we do to prevent it?

Combating Summer Learning Loss

If we want to keep summer learning loss from eating away at the knowledge the students worked hard to gain, we have to be proactive. While year-long learning is a possible solution at the institutional level, we want to focus on practical methods parents can try at home. Continuing to review information they learned over the previous year is one way to help concretize it in their mind, as spaced repetition is an effective way to retain information. 

• Create a list of the topics they covered throughout the year, and then during the summer, have them read books, blogs, or even make presentations regarding those topics. This will re-familiarize them with the material during the summer months, keeping it in their mind when school starts back up.

• Start a summer Gameshow Club. With a group of your kids classmates, start a bi-weekly gameshow styled review quiz focused on a different subject each time. Each subject could be hosted by a different family, allowing for a fun review with friends all throughout the summer.

• Even though they may make your kids groan, getting a workbook full of review worksheets could help keep their mind in the rhythm of learning during the summer months. If you can find age-appropriate activity sheets, it could ensure their minds stay engaged even though they aren’t in the classroom. 

• Find educational apps which cover the material your child learned during the year. This will give them something to reinforce what they learned, without needing to rely on an actual person to teach them. If the educational app is a game-styled one which keeps score, they could compete against other classmates throughout the summer.

• Do some prep work. One way to ensure children are prepared for the next year is to start having them take the next step forward. For example, they could begin reading books aimed at the next grade level, or over the course of a few weeks, have them write a paper the length of which will be required of them the following school year. This way, they don’t feel overwhelmed when they are tasked with more difficult reading and writing assignments. 

• Visiting museums, science centers, or historical sites is another way of helping children keep their academic edge during the summer.
  
  

Also, don’t forget, after ten months of classes, letting children have a break can keep them from mental fatigue. While reviews are helpful during the summer, remember there are other things children can learn during the summer which they won’t learn in school so don’t lose sight of the learning possibilities which exist even outside of academics. 

SOURCES: 

Kuhfeld, Megan. “Summer learning loss: What we know and what we’re learning.”

NWEA.org. June 1, 2021 (visited 16 May 2022).

https://www.nwea.org/blog/2021/summer-learning-loss-what-we-know-what-were-learning/#:~:text=This%20study%20found%20that%20the,lose%20ground%20in%20subsequent%20summers. 

Atteberry, A., & McEachin, A. (in press, 2020). “School's out: The role of summers in understanding achievement disparities. American Educational Research Journal.”

https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/SchoolsOut_AtteberryMcEachin_2020_0520.pdf 

Cooper, Harris. “Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions.” ERIC Digest: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. May 2003 (visited 18 May 2022.)

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED475391 

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED475391.pdf 

Is Online Learning Right For You?

Is Online Learning Right For You? Here are Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning.

Choosing how your child will learn is a big decision, as are all choices that affect their education. Each child is different, and figuring out what is best for them can be difficult. In our current technological age, there are a growing number of opportunities that exist in regards to schooling, one of which is online learning. Here are a few advantages and disadvantages to think about if you are considering enrolling your child in online learning:

A Few Advantages… 

Technological Confidence. One of the obvious advantages is that online learning will boost your child’s familiarity with technology. By spending his school hours on a computer or tablet, your child is likely to increase their confidence and skills with gadgets. With the way of the future relying ever more on this technology, it is important they develop an aptitude for it. 

Online students enjoy learning from any environment as needed. This can be a great option for families needing more flexible learning opportunities for their children.

Flexibility. Another great advantage of online learning is the flexibility. With smartphones, tablets, and laptops, students can attend their classes from anywhere and often typically anytime. This means students could sit down to study at a time of day when it is easiest for them to focus or most convenient for their own daily schedule. 

Never Miss Out. Even if a child is unable to attend a certain time or for a scheduled meeting, classes are recorded, and thus the student does not have to miss out on the lesson. Or, if there is certain content the child is struggling with, it is easy to rewatch lectures to better grasp difficult concepts or to help refine their notes. 

Resources at Your Fingertips. With a simple click of a button, students can be zooming across the internet to search through a picture slideshow, read an article, or watch a video interview on the topics they are learning about. For those who do not have the accessibility of a nearby library, the internet can be a key source of finding the information they need, and they can do so without ever needing to leave the house. 

A Few Disadvantages…

Social Life. If a child is only in a digital classroom, they may not develop certain social skills that they otherwise would if they were in face-to-face classes. If you are considering online-learning, make sure to compensate for this by ensuring your child has time to develop friendships with other children their age in other venues. 

Connecting with a teacher despite learning over the internet, is still a priority for the Academy’s online learning program. Students receive feedback on assignments and have opportunities to interact directly with their course teachers as needed.

Screen Time. While screen time used for educational purposes is better than for pure entertainment, too much screen time can have negative impacts on a child’s mood and can even affect their sleep. It would be important for a parent to not only monitor the time a child spends using gadgets, but to make sure they know what the child is using the gadget for as well. 

Self-Discipline as a Prerequisite. An educational institution will likely have your child in mind when it comes to the workload they expect from your child, but it will be up to your child to have the self-discipline to actually put in the time and effort to get it done. Many children still lack the time-management skills necessary to put in the work needed to excel in their class. 

Attitudes Towards Learning. The techniques a teacher may utilize in a classroom to ensure the students are enjoying the educational experience often loses its effectiveness when applied to a large group video call. Capturing the joy and excitement of learning is difficult when the students are all separated by screens. This can negatively affect their attitudes concerning learning into the future. 

Sources: 

“Screen Time and Children.” American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Updated February 2020 (visited: 14 March 2022). https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx  

Tom. “5 Disadvantages to Consider About Online Education.” Petersons.com 29 November 2017 (visited 14 March 2022)  https://www.petersons.com/blog/5-disadvantages-to-consider-about-online-education/  

“8 Ways Online Learning Really Benefits Kids (and Parents).” Dreambox Learning. 5 November 2008. (visited 14 March 2022). https://www.dreambox.com/resources/blogs/8-ways-online-learning-really-benefits-kids-and-parents