Fun and learning go hand in hand no matter a child’s age but, as children get older, they tend to spend less time on leisure activities and more on traditional study. In fact, child development experts report that 77% of kids aged nine to twelve don’t get enough playtime. It’s important to note that ‘playtime’ can encompass a variety of activities and evolves as children grow older.
This is especially unfortunate, as engaging, fun activities can improve middle schoolers’ planning, problem-solving and reflective skills. A lack of time is the biggest factor holding most kids back from playing more often—but luckily, summer vacation is right around the corner!
This guide will walk you through three engaging activities for middle schoolers that can improve their creativity, critical thinking and collaboration skills. From online design platforms to hands-on narrative-building projects, these educational experiences offer something fun and informative for every young mind to explore this summer.
1 – Traditional Storyboarding
For budding writers, illustrators and other artists, learning to craft traditional storyboards is an effective exercise in creativity and planning. Storyboards are essentially roadmaps that explain how a narrative develops. Novelists, filmmakers, comic book writers and other artistic professionals use them to plot out and guide the creation of their most compelling works.
To begin, have your child think up a broad idea for a story and envision some specifics such as locations, characters and events. Then:
- Create panels – Much like graphic novelists divide their pages into segments, you’ll want to create as many panels as your child will need to express their storyline. To make things easy, consider sticking pieces of paper to a corkboard or whiteboard.
- Add images – Have your child roughly sketch the different characters and actions of their story. If hand-drawing isn’t their forte, kids can use computer-generated images or stock photos to populate their panels.
- Write captions and titles – Add a title to each panel with a basic description of the characters and events that occur. These notes are personal to the project’s creator and can contain as much or as little detail as they need to bring their vision to life.
After their storyboard is complete, your child can transform their idea into a fully-fledged short story, video or other artistic project. Of course, they can also just create storyboards for the fun and creative practice it offers!
2 – Writing and Delivering TED Talks
Studies show that 70% of jobs today require strong communication skills, highlighting the importance of honing these abilities early on.
Having middle schoolers pen and present their own TED talks is a fun and effective way to develop their writing and public speaking skills. TED stands for Technology, Education and Design, and the organization has become synonymous with well-informed, poignantly-delivered presentations covering various subjects.
Your child doesn’t have to be a technological or educational expert to give a TED talk, however. They can simply write a presentation on whatever topic interests them. Some subject areas that have gained popularity across middle school speech competitions in recent years include:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Social media
- Politics
- Military conflicts
- Historical sites
- Natural disasters
- Folklore
- Legends
- Science
- Inventions
- Medicine
- Arts
- Entertainment
- Geography
- Religion
- Transportation
- Fashion
- Trends
Have your child pick a topic that’s close to their heart, then develop an engaging talk on the matter. To enhance their collaborative learning abilities, have other children provide objections, questions and notes on their presentation. Foster a sense of open debate among listeners, and encourage kids to learn more about any subjects that pique their curiosity.
3 – Tinkercad
Computer-aided Design (CAD) is the use of digital platforms to develop, modify and optimize designs. It’s an invaluable skill for engineers, architects, inventors and other design experts to practice and master.
Middle schoolers can experience their first foray into CAD through Tinkercad, an online platform that teaches the basics of design and computer modeling. Using Tinkercad, kids can:
- Create whatever three-dimensional shapes their hearts and imaginations desire
- Combine different components to craft designs for buildings, vehicles and other complex objects
- Develop circuits and learn the essentials of electricity flow
- Practice basic programming skills by writing the code that powers their designs
- Put their skills to the test by running simulations using their codes
Tinkercad gives middle schoolers a taste of what they might experience in a high school computer science or design course. It features beginner’s tutorials for children who are new to CAD and even offers lesson plans for teachers who want to incorporate it into their curriculum.
If your kid is an aspiring engineer or designer, Tinkercad can help them establish the essential skills they’ll need for the future. It’s also important to set the right website controls and access to ensure a safe and productive learning environment for your child.
Send Your Kids to Camp Galileo for More Summer Fun
While these summer activities for middle schoolers are amazing ways to improve your kids’ critical-thinking, creative and collaborative skills, they’re but a shadow of the fun times that await young minds at Camp Galileo.
At Camp Galileo, we combine creative, collaborative play with engaging STEAM-based activities to inspire kids to think critically about the world around them and strive to make it a better place. Fostering kids’ confidence and resilience is central to our summer mission—as is helping them think outside the box when addressing issues and challenges. Fun never takes a back seat, however, and we continually work to deliver an elevated camp experience that blends traditional activities with an engaging atmosphere.
Search for a location near you, and enroll your child at Camp Galileo where a transformative summer experience awaits!
Sources:
- PR Newswire. 75 Percent of Children Are Not Getting Enough Playtime, According to New Research. https://www.prnewswire.com/.
- Association for Middle Level Education. Middle Schoolers Must Play. https://www.amle.org/.
- Canva. How to build a storyboard. https://www.canva.com/.
- Komodo Health. Louder Than Words: Pediatric Speech Disorders Skyrocket Throughout Pandemic. https://www.komodohealth.com/.
- TED. Conferences. https://www.ted.com/.
- Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association. Middle Level Categories/Topics. https://www.wisdaa.org/.
