Photo Scavenger Hunt
After being cooped up at their desks or assigned play stations, it's fun to allow your students to let loose from time to time. This activity takes a little extra preparation, but the results are certainly worth the trouble!
To begin, think up a fun 'treasure' for your students to find. This can be a sweet treat, an award coupon (e.g. free homework pass, extra credit points, etc.), or an element that goes along with the lesson. Because you will have each student, or a group of students, looking for the same treasure, be sure to provide multiple tokens that represent the prize. For example, you may choose to stick 'gold' coins at the end of the hunt with instructions for each student or team to collect one and turn it in to you for their 'treasure'. If you're fairly certain of the weather cooperating, you can choose to complete this activity outside for some fresh air and sunshine, or set up clues inside the classroom. Take pictures of specific objects around the playing area and paste them onto clue cards. If you want to be especially tricky, give each team of students a separate set of clues to follow that end up in the same destination. Students will have a blast following directions, working as a team, and claiming their final prize!
A more difficult variation for older children might include the use of riddles for clues instead of pictures or having to answer a specific question about the current unit in order to receive their next clue.