Activity Guide for Matches

 

 

 

Here are some activity ideas for participants in our In-School Mentoring Program.

In School Mentoring Activities

Creative Activities

• Literacy and Storytelling: Create a book club where you read and discuss books together, or write stories that you can share with the class.
• Science Experiments: Conduct simple, safe science experiments that can be performed within a classroom setting to learn about basic scientific principles.
• Cultural Exploration: Research and present information on different countries’ customs and traditions, creating a mini-exhibition for classmates.
• Math Games: Engage in fun math puzzles and games that promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Multimedia Projects: Create presentations on various topics using digital tools.
• Debate Club: Organize discussions on current events or historical issues.
• Theater and Drama: Write and perform a short play or skit using simple props from around the classroom.
• Music Exploration: Introduce each other to different genres of music, discuss your favorite songs, or try composing simple tunes together.
• Art Projects: Participate in drawing, painting, or sculpting sessions that allow for creative expression. Organize a small class exhibition of the artwork created.
• Crafting: Make friendship bracelets, design custom t-shirts, or create seasonal crafts such as pumpkin carving or holiday decorations.
• Poetry and Writing Workshops: Run workshops focusing on creative writing skills.
• Art and Culture Day: Explore global cultures through art and food.

Physical Activities

• Organized Sports: Teach skills of popular sports like soccer, basketball, or badminton using school facilities.
• Dance Offs: Organize a dance session in the gym where students can teach each other moves or learn a choreographed routine.
• • Learn how to do a dance (chicken dance, line dance, Macarena)
• Fitness Challenges: Set up a series of fitness stations that include activities like jumping jacks, sit-ups, or relay races to encourage physical health.
• Fitness Fun Day: Organize a day of various physical activities.
• Chess Club: Teach strategy and foresight through chess.
• Yoga and Mindfulness: Introduce yoga sessions and mindfulness practices.
• • Hide and seek
  • See how long you can keep a ball in the air (balloon, beach ball, volleyball)
• See who can keep the hula hoop going the longest or try fun tricks.
• Use tape to create a hopscotch grid on the classroom floor.
• Play a game of Simon Says with fitness moves like jumping jacks, lunges, or stretches.
• Use a balloon to play a gentle game of volleyball over a desk or table.
• Practice yoga or stretching with free online videos.
• Create an indoor obstacle course using chairs, tables, and other classroom items.
• Play a game of tag or relay races in the school gym or playground.
• Try juggling with scarves or soft balls to improve coordination.
• Do a short workout together, like a 10-minute fitness challenge.

Cooking, Nutrition and Food

• Healthy Snack Preparation: Make simple, healthy snacks like fruit salads, smoothies, or granola bars that require minimal cooking.
• Cooking Demonstrations: Demonstrate simple recipes that students can replicate at home, focusing on nutritional meals that are easy to prepare.
• Food Education: Discuss the importance of nutrition and balanced diets, possibly creating a food diary that tracks what students eat over a week.
• Draw or cut out toppings to create a paper pizza with favorite ingredients.
• Brainstorm healthy smoothie recipes and write them down to try at home.
• Track what you eat for a week and discuss healthy eating habits.
• Design a menu for a pretend fancy dinner, including appetizers, main course, and dessert.
• Use pictures or drawings to sort foods into the five food groups.
• Create a “food passport” to track foods from different cultures you’d like to try.
• Make a pretend restaurant and take turns being the chef and customer.
• Learn about food waste and brainstorm ways to reduce it.
• Draw or write about your favorite family recipe and its significance.
• Plan a balanced meal for a day, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

Community Engagement

• School Beautification Projects: Engage in activities that improve the school environment, such as planting flowers, decorating classrooms, or organizing clean-up days.
• Community Service: Plan and execute a small community service project that benefits the school, such as a recycling drive or creating thank-you cards for school staff.
• Eco-Club: Start projects focused on sustainability practices.

Building and Engineering

• Lego Construction Challenges: Use Lego or other building blocks to create structures that can withstand certain tests, such as weight-bearing or height challenges.
• Model Building: Construct models of vehicles, buildings, or historical monuments from kits or using recyclable materials.

Technology and Digital Skills

• Computer Basics: Teach each other how to use different software applications that are available in the school’s computer lab.
• Digital Storytelling: Create digital stories or simple animations using school computers, focusing on themes or subjects studied in class.
• Coding Workshops: Introduce basic coding skills.

Nature and Environment

• Indoor Gardening: Start a small indoor garden with herbs or simple plants, teaching responsibility and care for living things.
• Recycling and Sustainability Projects: Initiate a program to help students learn about recycling and sustainability, perhaps starting a compost bin for the school cafeteria.
• Create a simple bird feeder using pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed.
• Place leaves under paper and rub with crayons to reveal their patterns.
• Track the weather for a week and discuss how it changes.
• Use sticks, rocks, and leaves to create a small sculpture or mandala.
• Research and draw pictures of animals native to Vancouver Island.
• Plant seeds in small pots to take home and care for.
• Create a nature journal to sketch and write about plants and animals you observe.
• Learn about the life cycle of a butterfly and draw each stage.
• Make a rain gauge using a plastic bottle and track rainfall over time.
• Build a mini terrarium using a jar, soil, and small plants.

Games

• Play the classic guessing game to practice critical thinking and communication.
• Take turns drawing and guessing pictures based on fun themes.
• Create a memory game using index cards with matching pictures or words.
• Act out movies, animals, or activities without speaking while the other guesses.
• Work together to build the tallest tower using playing cards or index cards.
• Play chess or checkers to practice strategy and problem-solving.
• Create a scavenger hunt with clues hidden around the classroom.
• Play charades with themes like animals, professions, or movies.
• Try a game of “Would You Rather” with fun and thought-provoking questions.
• Play a cooperative board game where you work together to achieve a goal.

 

Learning

• Roll dice and practice addition, subtraction, or multiplication with the numbers rolled.
• Collaborate on a rhyming or free-verse poem about a favorite topic.
• Challenge each other with fun riddles or brain teasers.
• Make a timeline of your lives or a historical event using drawings and captions.
• Practice basic sign language phrases together using online resources.
• Write a short story and illustrate it with drawings or collages.
• Learn about a famous inventor or scientist and create a poster about their work.
• Practice typing skills using free online typing games.
• Solve a crossword puzzle or word search together.
• Create a trivia game about topics you’ve learned in school.

Volunteering

• Create thank-you cards for school staff, firefighters, or healthcare workers.
• Collect gently used books to donate to a local library or shelter.
• Assemble small care packages with snacks and notes for people in need.
• Design a poster to encourage classmates to recycle and care for the environment.
• Brainstorm ideas for a school fundraiser to support a local charity.
• Write letters to seniors in care homes to brighten their day.
• Organize a school supply drive for students in need.
• Create a kindness jar with ideas for acts of kindness to do at school or home.
• Plan a litter cleanup around the school grounds.
• Make birdseed ornaments to hang outside and help local wildlife.