When it comes to the enrichment of a student, the most important thing to keep in mind is it has to be an activity that engages the kid’s attention. There are at least twenty awesome activities ideas designed to win over the kids. This also teaches them important skills as they continue to grow as human beings. They are the key to mankind’s future.

Children Learn What They Live is the infamous poem Dorothy Nolte wrote that laid out the ultimate how-to guide on enriching children’s lives so they live up to their full potential. In fact, one excellent enrichment idea to share with the kids would have them read the poem out loud so everyone can hear. In a way, this allows the child to act as a teacher instead of a student, perhaps reminding adults that they can learn a thing or two about the poem’s message.

1. Baking

Kids love their treats, especially if they’re baked. Teaching students how to follow a recipe so they can bake it in the oven is a great activity to teach them how to read, how to measure, and how to exercise some patience. This also leaves an opportunity for the students in the classroom to perhaps set up a bake sale to sell what they’ve made. Going there also teaches some social skills as a good salesperson won’t be able to sell much of anything if there isn’t enough customer service put into it.

2. Book Club

Book clubs have been used by schools for years and for good reason. Setting up a book club with kids, especially in a classroom environment, enables each student to explore various books according to interest as they learn different facts about whatever it is that wins their attention span. Speaking from experience of what was my favorite classroom, we had a teacher that asked each student what was their favorite animal.

After we each answered, she set up a book club where our first book was about the animal we each chose as a favorite. The coolest part about the experience was each child took turns reading the book out loud with the assistance of the teacher. This method was only meant for one book per kid but it was so popular that our little book club expanded beyond the classroom. The entire school joined in, as well as neighboring schools once they learned about it. Those book clubs are still running today.

3. Computers

Kids of all ages love computers. The visual appeal of a bright screen, accompanied by the use of a device to control what goes on before them is one of the main reasons why so many people are addicted to various computer activities that can sometimes compromise the quality of a person’s life. However, when used for educational purposes to learn how to operate a computer beyond a casual level, this teaches kids how to go beyond the stages of a gaming addict that wastes too much time playing something that children can otherwise learn how to code and design themselves.

4. Cooking

Kids love food. They’re also kinda fussy when it comes to what they like to eat. Teaching kids how to cook, even in a classroom environment, is easy enough to do without anybody getting burned. The first step can be as simple as going over an easy recipe for a food item most kids enjoy. How about pancakes? Kids usually love pancakes.

Whether the recipe is something from a box where it’s simply about adding water or if it’s something from scratch, this is an activity that has students learn a series of skills that are an essential part of everyday living. If there are stoves you can all access, great. With adult supervision, working with a kid from putting the pancake batter together, then going through the actual cooking process, is an activity that should keep them engaged. Clearly, after the pancakes are cooked, they’ll want to eat it. So, the motivation is also there for each kid to finish a project properly so they can reap the tasty benefits.

5. Field Trips

One of the biggest reasons why so many kids hate school is because they hate to be confined behind a desk in a classroom. They get bored easily, which allows distractions to set in as a means to pass the time. They’ll tune out the teacher as they go into their own world they consider more entertaining. One good way to deal with this problem is to go on a field trip. Y

ou can take them to a kid-friendly place such as a zoo where they can learn while on the go. Even if they don’t fully grasp everything they’re taught while on the field trip, this gets them out and about. They love to explore, so going to a place where they can do this with enough supervision to make sure everyone is safe is a great way to tap into their adventuring skills.

6. Gardening

Community gardens have become an increasingly popular method to teach students how to grow their own food. This is a vital life enrichment activity every kid should learn. Even in the classroom, setting up a garden where each student is responsible for their own plant can really go a long way to teach important life skills they need to learn, as well as the value of patience. Visit sites like the Natural Garden Bureau for some great ideas on how to engage in easy kids’ gardening activities and you shouldn’t be disappointed.

7. LEGO

You can either use the LEGO Inspiration online videos that are shared there to teach kids how to learn cognitive reasoning and problem-solving skills through building or come up with easy assignments for each student to complete while in the classroom. Such assignments can include using simple LEGO pieces to make a house or a solid cube. Perhaps challenge them to come up with their own creation before class time is over.

8. Let’s Get Musical

It’s been established people tend to perform better when there’s music involved. This also holds true with kids. Kids love music, plain and simple. Why not use this to your favor when teaching the students about something they need to learn more about? It’s even better when the music comes from scratch as the student may learn how to play an instrument, or take up singing. This method does two things. The first is helping the student learn more about a certain subject. The second is teaching the student how to exercise their own creativity to do it.

9. Math Games

Arithmetic, for many students, is not a fun subject. Many kids seem to hate it and yet math is the most important subject they need to learn. Already, there are too many adults who can barely perform simple math and there is far too much reliance on calculators that literally take away a person’s mathematical skills.

One way to make math fun for the kids is to turn it into a game. Kids love games. They also tend to learn much faster when they’re entertained with something that pushes their natural instinct to win. When visiting the PBS Kids website, the list of different math games a teacher can use to enrich their students is enough to keep a good math class going, as well as the need to teach and entertain the children at the same time.

10. National Geographic Kids

On the National Geographic Kids site, there are a number of games, lessons, and quizzes students can engage in as they expand their knowledge of science. It will also teach some facts that include geography and history, which are essential subjects every student should learn more about. It has been stated, along with documented proof to back it up, that failure to learn from history only serves as a recipe for trouble that could have otherwise been avoided.

11. Photography

Hand a camera to a kid, along with an assignment, and watch what happens. Want some fun with this that will encourage each student to learn? List off ten things as part of a student’s homework to take pictures of and have them return the camera either the next day or whatever time you’ve appointed. From there, work with the students to have the pics developed and share their photos. This taps into their desire to be creative. From there, you can upgrade their photographic potential to further understand how the camera works and perhaps engage in picture-taking opportunities that could inspire a child to either become a professional photographer or a freelancing photojournalist.

12. Puzzles

Puzzles are a great way for children to learn how to develop and exercise problem-solving skills. It also teaches patience. Puzzles have been an all-time favorite activity that still has a loyal fan following of hobbyists of all ages. Between jigsaw puzzles and 3D puzzles, there’s more than enough content to work with to find something that would win a kid’s attention. You can even take it a step further by having the completed puzzle become a mounted work of art as a means to show off the child’s achievement. Doing so acts like a prized trophy as kids do like to show off their hard work. When it’s appreciated as if it were part of an art gallery, this is even better.

13. Scrapbooking

Why should scrapbooking simply be a hobby? Scrapbooking is a fantastic way to enrich a child’s life. It teaches the importance of preservation, especially when it comes to protecting artwork, photographs, and printed articles that are near and dear to the child’s heart. The opportunity to personalize a scrapbook also taps into the child’s creativity level that goes beyond filling in the pages of what often serves as a valuable keepsake as they grow older. When looking back as an adult, the connection to whatever lies within the pages of the scrapbook also serves as a good way to keep that kid within us still alive.

14. Second Language

The world seems to become smaller than ever as people immigrate from other countries with the hope the new one they call home will accommodate their new lifestyle choice. Because of this, people with different cultures and languages share the same community which makes it a good idea to learn a second language as a means to eliminate communication barriers. Teaching a second language in a manner that’s easy enough for students to learn will help them out in the long run as they will learn how to exercise non-linear thinking, as well as patience.

15. Show and Tell

Encouraging students to show off a part of themselves they’re proud of before other kids is a great way to tap into public speaking skills. This also teaches the power of communication, a trait that is absolutely vital in order to properly function in a society that still seems to be lacking in this department.

Miscommunication is the leading cause of social misunderstandings that keep people divided, along with all the deception that comes with it. Encouraging a child to show something cool, like a favorite toy or a pic of someone close to them, has a profound psychological impact on the kid. Opening up and sharing stimulate mental and emotional growth. For the rest of the students listening, this should teach them how to sit, listen, and respect what they’re being told. If there’s as good of an activity as any to teach the importance of psychology, this is it.

16. Sports

Usually, kids are very active creatures and tend to be competitive. An active kid that regularly engages in exercise is a healthy kid, destined to become a healthy adult. Whether performing as an individual athlete or as part of a team, kids typically enjoy a good game, especially if it’s a personal favorite.

17. Storytime

Everybody loves a good story. Why not encourage the kids to come up with their own stories they can share with the classroom? Doing so allows them to be creative, honing in on a skill that is essential. It also taps into their reading and writing skills. This method also taps into the Book Club suggestion made earlier. If the stories are being typed into a computer, this taps into a kid’s computer skills and typing skills.

Should this be done by computer, maybe finding images that are perfect to enhance the story will add to the excitement. If images can’t be found, encourage the student to either draw one or take one. This now taps into artistry skills, whether it be by drawing or photography. Storytime also allows children to open up, sharing something that came from themselves instead of other sources. It also teaches individuality, which is really the most important lesson of all.

18. The Sight Word Dance Video

On YouTube, there is a video stream called Sight Words for Kindergarten. This is a video encouraging each kid to repeat the word shown and spoken, along with opportunities to dance. This is fun for kids and it teaches them language skills. It may also teach them how to dance as well since that’s part of the game’s rules.

19. Typing Club

Computers are a part of daily life among most households, as well as schools. Teaching kids how to type on a keyboard is essential as this has now become a life skill that will dictate how their adult lives will pan out. A typing club is an excellent way to enrich a student’s life and keep them entertained. A site called Typing Club offers free typing lessons every student can access. Kids typing can access from home or school.

20. Volunteering

Volunteering for a good cause is one of the best activities anybody can engage in, regardless of age. As an ideal student enrichment activity, encouraging kids to give back to the community teaches them the importance of selflessness. We live in an age now where people seem more self-absorbed than ever and that’s toxic.

Volunteering for good causes where kids can work with others shapes a kid’s sense of morality. A student volunteering to spend time with a senior citizen is one good way to do this. Each student buddies up with a senior to exchange stories.