As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many new adaptions must happen in order for students to learn and thrive, without raising the chance of spreading the virus.
The goal of getting children to attend school in person--which is how they learn best--is only safe when a community has the virus under control. Schools must now balance the academic, social, and emotional needs of their students and staff, alongside their health and safety within the midst of the evolving pandemic.
In this article, we have come up with some tips and creative ideas to keep learning fun and keep students motivated and healthy.
Crafts Involving the Whole Class/School
Humans often have a robust desire to re-connect. Although students may have stayed digitally connected with one another, they might have missed the connection of being a part of a bigger class, year group, and/or the whole school community – as may have teachers and staff.
These are some ideas from Place2Be to use with an entire class or group – differentiate according to year group, age and ability/interest.
- Create together: Ask children what they missed most about being apart from each other and what they like most about being together again in class (if some children are overwhelmed by being together again, then acknowledge that this is ok, too). Write these down on paper gingerbread shapes and display them, with hands connected.
Get each member of the school community to create something individually. For instance, paint on a pebble or tile, stitch a pattern on a small piece of fabric, draw on a piece of paper, paint, use clay, etc. Then, combine individual efforts to create an entire class, year group, or a whole school display. - Postcard: Ask children to interview a classmate about the things they are grateful for, and also the different ways they and their family show gratitude. If possible, ask children to interview someone in their family about the things they are thankful for, and also the ways they wish to show their thanks.
Send a "thankful" postcard to someone you are grateful for in class that week. Postcards may be delivered to every class by the end of the week. Tag papers are thicker than regular craft paper, which makes them ideal for making greeting cards and decorative postcards. Give a try to our bright tag papers.
Hygloss supports these activities with a wide variety of products to choose from in the Scissors category & Painting Products category.
Style Your Masks
Unfortunately, we have to use face masks every day, and sometimes, all day long. As a way of keeping good health, as well as providing us with much-needed protection, they have become a new fashion trend. Students love creating a multiple mask looks, which indicate different feelings, emotions, or facial expressions. In the meantime, they will be exercising fine motor skills (using scissors etc.) Let's explore some ways to show our smiles and emotions behind the masks and make them fun.
- Ready-made fabric masks:
Ask kids to style a fabric mask with glitter, paint, pens, etc. -
Bright Paper or Cardstock :
Draw the shape of a face mask on bright colored paper. Draw where the mouth and nose should be. Get creative and draw different facial expressions. Try to draw as many emotions as you can. You can glue the masks to popsicle sticks. Maybe it will be beneficial to allow students to indicate how they're feeling by using their own piece of art.
At Hygloss, we feature a dedicated page to house all the painting products in one location. From Easel sheets to Dippity Dye shapes, find everything you need to complete your artwork.
- Compressed Sponges
- Dot Daubers - 4 Sizes - 40-Pk
- Easy-Grip Paint Brushes - 10 Pack
- Non-Spill Paint Pots with Inner Safety Lid, 10 Pcs...
- Textured Stampers, 6 Pcs
Explore more painting products for kids in the arts and crafts category.
New Cool High-Fives during Covid Times
Keep an emotional connection with students from a safe distance. Create cardboard High-Fives from cardboard and a stick (popsicle, pointer, paint stick, etc.) Each student can trace his/her hand on cardboard and the teacher cuts it out. Allow students to decorate and personalize it.
Allow kids to embellish their cardboard or paper high fives with glitter, pom-poms, markers, etc. Let their creativity shine through!
Set guidelines to let them know when & how to use it. Give instructions to students, not to touch the cardboard, but only the stick!
Sign Language + Hand Signals or Stickers
Signs and symbols are helpful for communication. They are designed to support spoken language. Incorporate fun hand signals and lessons in Sign Language (SL). This gives students a chance to figure out a new form of communication. Additionally, teaching SL also provides students with a newfound awareness and understanding for those that have disabilities and/or a hearing disorder.
Apart from signs, you can use stickers and emojis too. Sweet emoji faces along with their rewarding phrases will encourage children. They can be used as incentives as well. Kids will love these Emotion Stickers 1-Inch and Classroom Stickers.
By giving children the appropriate sticker, you can motivate them for doing a job well done, doing their chores, and/or receiving a good grade. It makes children feel proud of themselves and that their accomplishment (no matter how big or small) was important.
Individual Supply Kits
This is the last tip on our little list, but it's definitely not the least important. In times when a dangerous virus is still out there (this article is written in 2020), we should keep contact at a minimum. Individual supply kits are essential, to keep strict and clean hygiene, and keep everybody safe. With these individual supply kits, that should include personal sanitation products, such as disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer, should also include pens, pencils, markers, etc. With the heightened emphasis on germs being spread, students may additionally be experiencing an increased level of anxiety. Having their very own cleaning products accessible can help alleviate any germ-related stressors.
Here are some more benefits to individual supply kits:
- Kids like to have their own supplies. This way, they won’t have to run up to the supply table to make sure there's enough for them, or that their favorite color remains available.
- Supply kits can help show organizational skills.
- Make certain to inform your students the proper way to share items in a COVID classroom; the way to lend and borrow items in a safe manner and with good etiquette.
- Utilize products that make classroom management easier like Hygloss Borders (Happy Yellow Stars Border and varieties), Classroom Rules Bugs Poster, Classroom Schedule Bugs Poster etc.