From Childhood Favorites to Classroom Fun: Engaging Students with Highlights Activities
As a child, my favorite magazine was Highlights for children. I was thrilled to discover as an adult that this beloved magazine also created activity pads for kids, packed with the same fun games I enjoyed growing up. These pads became a go-to for entertaining my own children during travel, waiting for appointments, or dining out. They loved the activities just as much as I did.
Last year, while cleaning out our closets, I stumbled across a few of these activity pads and realized how perfect they would be for my teaching. Now, they’ve found a new life in the classroom, bringing the same joy and engagement to my students that they brought to me and my kids.
We often start our English class with a What’s Silly? or Spot the Difference activity projected on the whiteboard. These activities are fantastic icebreakers, encouraging even the shyest children to share what they notice and take a turn circling their discoveries on the board.
The ever-popular Hidden Pictures worksheets not only spark lively discussions as students collaborate to uncover that last elusive item but also support the development of visual perceptual skills. These skills are essential for tasks like reading and identifying patterns, as they help the brain interpret and make sense of visual information.
These simple but engaging activities not only make learning fun but also promote observation, communication, and teamwork in a way that captivates the entire class.
