Use crafts as hands-on projects to teach children a variety of topics. Crafts provide a tangible visual for students to reference after the lesson unit is complete. They highlight a topic and provide children with a memorable and tangible reference for the topic. Some examples of using crafts as hands-on projects are puppets to retell a piece of literature, or to instruct kids to decorate a journal where they can write about a vacation or other adventure.
Science projects are important hands-on activities that help students learn to test theories and draw their own conclusions. Engage children in science projects such as observing and recording the changes of a caterpillar as it turns into a butterfly, or testing various toothpastes to see which pastes gets food stains out of white ceramic tiles the most successfully.
Engage children in community enrichment projects to teach them to be helpful and give them a sense of community. Consider a beauification project for a school yard or a local charity. Other community enrichment projects include a coat or toy drive for needy children, or writing a letter of thanks to a veteran or active serviceman. Community projects help children look beyond themselves to realize their role in a global community.
Other hands-on projects include providing musical instruments for children to touch and play, field trips to a farm or petting zoo where kids can view animals and pet animals, and games that couple learning with fun. Other hands-on projects include cooking meals with an adult and traveling. Use a variety of projects to help students learn more about a particular topic and the world around them.