Summer may be waning, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to be! Folks using The Walking Classroom in summer camps and other out-of-school time programs continue to hit the trail. What can be done to keep the excitement alive? Pick from among some of this year’s fan favorites (chosen by our own panel of experts — kids!) and get set to stroll.
Watch the Weather
Summer brings its own array of interesting weather phenomena sure to intrigue your legions of listeners. The Walking Classroom presents a good grouping of weather-related topics to investigate. Just take your pick!
- Hurricanes (4-#28, STEM-#13, Combined-#150)
- Water Cycle (4-#30, STEM-#12, Combined-#148)
- Tornadoes (4-#31, STEM-#14, Combined-#149)
- Gabriel Fahrenheit (4-#25, STEM-#6, Combined-#164)
Don’t drop the topic after your walk! Cool off indoors and extend the lesson by sharing one of the many supplemental videos we have gathered. The visuals are sure to hold your kids’ attention and keep the discussion going! If the actual weather is keeping you indoors, there are plenty of weather-related activities to engage your audience! You can even make your own thermometers!
. . . and Other Hot Topics!
While you may tire of the high temperatures outdoors, one “hot” topic kids can’t resist is Volcanoes (4-#76, STEM-#19). Take advantage of their interest and walk, listen, and learn!
Or you can always hit the beach (albeit not literally) with a podcast or two centered around the ocean!
- Currents and Tides (5-#77, STEM-#28, Combined-#141)
- The Ocean Floor (5-#75, STEM-#27, Combined-#143)
- Marine Life (5-#76, STEM-#34, Combined-#142)
Once you’ve piqued their interest, make a real splash by extending the lesson with a book or indoor activity!
Knock One out of the Park
What better focus for your listening than the podcasts celebrating America’s pastime? Program 5 hits a home run, with several podcasts about the game of baseball!
- “Casey at the Bat” (5-#5, Combined-#29)
- “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (5-#6, Combined-#30)
- Negro Baseball League (5-#4, Combined-#121)
- “Who’s on First?” (5-#19, Combined-#122)
Take some extra time and view the clips for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Who’s on First?” These vintage videos will be more than a base hit with your bunch!
Looking for a creative outlet on a rainy day? Give your kids the chance to turn pro and make their own baseball cards. Note: This is a great partner activity, as it provides an opportunity to get to know one another better. You can determine the “statistics” you want them to share and even create a template to guide them.
. . . or Wing it with Wordplay!
While science and sports podcasts are one way to please, you can always head down a different path! Enjoy some verbal voyaging by exploring our two most popular podcasts . . . on figurative expressions.
- Idioms (4-#7, 5-#3, Combined-#4)
- Simile and Metaphor (4-#11, 5-#72, Combined-#4)
These two fan favorites regularly elicit laughter and prompt additional language experimentation, as kids try to one-up each other with funny phrases and creative constructions of their own!
Looking for a follow-up activity? Distribute a stack of index cards and have kids write an idiom on each card. Then use the deck to play your own game of Pictionary, charades, or pick your own entertaining activity!
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