Virtual school activities are a great way to engage students in learning.
However, virtual activities do not always have to be reserved for homeschooled students only. These activities can be used as an effective form of teaching at any time during the school year or as part of professional development courses.
You’ll find that the best virtual school activities aren’t academic, but instead focus on building community or include some form of social-emotional learning.
The best virtual school activities involve students learning from each other and learning from their teachers. There are several advantages of virtual school programs. These programs often include social emotional learning (SEL) components that teach children how important it is for them to maintain healthy relationships with others outside of the school setting, such as at home.
As a teacher, or on behalf of a teacher you know, what has pleasantly surprised you about online/distance learning?
This type of interaction helps students develop social skills and improves self-confidence while giving them the opportunity to practice creativity without pressure. Here are 13 virtual school activities.
1. Guided group meditation sessions
Meditation can be a great way to relax, reduce stress, and focus on the present moment. You can help students become more mindful in their daily lives by learning to control their thoughts and emotions.
Meditation sessions are also a great opportunity for educators to have meaningful conversations with their students that can help them cope with anxiety or stress at school or at home.
2. Book Review Game Show
This activity is a fun way for students to give each other feedback on the books they have read. Students can also share their book reviews with their classmates and learn more about each other’s interests.
This is a creative way for students to practice reading, writing, and speaking skills. They can read books and then share their reviews with their classmates online.
3. Theme Days
Theme days are a fresh and compelling way to get your students excited about online classes.
It’s extremely easy to plan and implement, which means less stress and more structured, fun learning. Also, because it doesn’t require students to be physically present together at the same time, it makes for a fun virtual activity.
Teachers can plan specific topics on certain days of the week or during seasonal occasions. The students can then dress accordingly and say a few words on the subject. They can even present something related to the topic.
This can contribute to their development in many ways, including helping them express themselves, build stronger connections, and share their knowledge.
4. Student Talent Showcase Videos
This is an amazing way to get students to show off their talents. Other than that, this is also a great way to learn about different cultures and traditions.
Students can learn how to make videos and edit them using a smartphone. It can be exciting to see what students come up with to reveal their hidden talents!
5. Online treasure hunt
A treasure hunt is a game that students can play virtually. It’s a fun way to get them interested in learning more about each other and their community.
The game involves everyone in the group with different roles and can be interesting for hours!
The ‘Scavenger’ has all the answers and knows where everything is (for example, he may have a map). Players team up and work together to find items on the map or solve puzzles together, which is fun and a great team building activity for the class!
This helps build community among peers who may not yet know each other because they are working together toward common goals while learning more about topics outside of classwork!
6. Virtual tour
Virtual tours are a great way to show off your school. You can use this tool to show different classrooms and other places.
Virtual tours are also valuable for educators who want to create a more personal connection with their potential students.
This can be especially helpful when it’s time for parents or community members who aren’t yet familiar with the school environment or curriculum: virtual tours allow them to not only see first-hand what kind of facilities are out there, but also how well it all fits together. your child’s learning style.
7. Game-based learning
Role playing is an effective way for students to practice social skills. It can be used to teach a variety of subjects and content areas, including math, science, history, and the arts.
For example, students may need help understanding how numbers are related or how fractions work together. They can interact with each other through the use of role-playing games (RPGs) where each student has their own character and can communicate with other players through text chat or voice chat.
This allows them to practice effective communication while learning about different types of math concepts at the same time!
8. Online Creative Drawing Challenge
Drawing is a great way to express yourself, connect with others, and explore your artistic side. It’s also a great way to have students work together in teams or individually on the same project. If you are looking for something that will challenge your students’ creativity and make them think outside the box, then this activity is for you!
For a start:
- Ask each student what they think about when they draw.
- Talk a bit about famous artists like Picasso or Michelangelo, or even more contemporary artists like Banksy or Jeff Koons!
9. Charades
Charades are a fun and powerful team building activity, and can be played in teams or individually. The best part of this game is that it can even be played virtually. Students will practice their communication skills while having fun with this classic game!
Charades are also a great way to get students to learn about cultures from around the world. You can find great resources online on how to play charades with different themes and customs.
10. Danger!
Let’s face it: many are not good at memorizing facts. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give your students a fun way to learn! Jeopardy is a fun and friendly game to test the knowledge of students and their peers.
In this game, teams of students can be made to compete against each other in a quiz show format, answering questions using their phones or laptops.
11. Quiz Game
Trivia games can easily help engage students in their learning while also teaching them something new. They can be played as part of a lesson plan or just as an after school activity in your free time.
The best part is that there are many different types of trivia games that you can play with your virtual school class! Here are some examples:
- General knowledge – This game requires students to form teams and interact by answering questions on a general variety of topics. (for example, “What country did Shakespeare come from?”). The answers will appear on the screen so everyone knows who won each round before moving on to the next one.
- name that melody Everybody loves music! You won’t have a problem getting the kids involved in this one because it involves just listening carefully enough until someone guesses correctly without any clues from others around you. That’s what makes it fun after all!
12. Storytelling session
Storytelling is a fantastic way to build community and empathy. It can also be used to teach students about themselves as well as their peers. Here are some storytelling tips:
- Start with an open mic: Or if you don’t have space for this, start by asking your students what kinds of stories they like. This will help them narrow down their ideas about what kind of stories they would like to tell next time!
- Give each student a time limit – This is to ensure that everyone has a chance to tell their story within the class duration stipulation.
13. Crafting master classes
Each student has a unique talent that they can share with the rest of the world! Children and young adults enjoy exploring interesting skills and learning new skills from their peers. It excites them and helps unite them and form strong bonds, which is extremely important for their personal growth and development.
Hosting craft tutorials is a great way to bring the whole class together and learn something new! It gives students an opportunity and a platform to introduce themselves and share their knowledge.
This could be origami, painting, clay modeling or many more possible crafts, students can organize master classes that the rest of the class can follow virtually. Even if all your classmates are not in the same room, you can still effectively teach and learn from each other with this virtual activity.
Conclusion
Virtual school activities can not only be refreshing and exciting, but can also be great for overall personal development.
The best virtual activities are those that not only provide value to students in terms of education, but also allow them to connect and build a strong community.
For more information on creating virtual teams, check out this comprehensive virtual time doctor team building guide. These activities have proven successful in helping students develop their social skills by teaching them how to communicate effectively, collaborate, listen, and respect others.
