Things to Do with Kids at Home & at School

Educators in schools, libraries, museums and parents who home school are expected to do more than ever before and the stress can be demoralizing. Having a resource that contributes ideas and details to incorporate into a lesson plan that makes learning interactive, engaging, fun and memorable can be a treasure. The book, THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL, contains activities in the following areas: Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Games, Mapmaking, Riddles, Scavenger Hunts and Science Experiments. They are adaptable and can be tailored to teach math, English, history or any subject making the task of conveying important or complicated material easier. Research has shown that "...by eighth grade, more than 50% of students have lost interest or they have deemed science irrelevant to their future education and careers plans." (Kate Barrington posted on August 2, 2021 on www.publicschoolreview.com). It is especially important since the Institute For The Future (https://www.iftf.org) predicts that 85% of jobs in 2030 do not now exist and will undoubtedly be in technology or science related fields. This is the reason we need our young students to develop a curiosity and enthusiasm for STEM. Incorporating art in Pre-K through elementary school lessons is essential. An art component is especially important in teaching STEM because a visual image makes difficult concepts easier to understand. The benefits are that teaching then becomes less stressful and test scores go up. (https://www.senecaacademy. org/10-reasons-why-integrating-art-is-important-in-school/). Additionally, everyone learns differently. Some are auditory learners, some need a visual boost. Since most jobs of the future will be in technology, we need to excite our students about math and science and get them engaged before they leave elementary school so they will be prepared for viable careers. Key proficiencies such as problem-solving, teamwork, social skills and many others are developed with the activities included in Things To Do With Kids At Home And At School.