Teaching Ideas Archives - Modern Teaching Blog

Ten Frightfully Good Activities For The Spooky Season

Penny Groen

Halloween is such a fun time of year for spooky crafts and activities, with plenty of opportunities to bring out children’s creativity and imagination. From dressing up in costumes and decorating the classroom or home to scavenger hunts, and arts and crafts, there’s something for everyone to have a wickedly good time! Read on for some

Hex Tray sorting activity featuring magnetic letters in coloured rice and magnetic fishing rods

5 Educational Ways To Use Your Hex Tray In The Classroom

Heidi Overbye

As an early years teacher, I am always looking for resources that will help my students learn through hands-on experiences. When choosing materials for my classroom, I endeavor to find versatile resources that can be used for multiple purposes.

Mother’s Day; Craft Ideas For Kids

Heidi Overbye

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and there are lots of teachers and educators searching for the perfect gift idea for the students in their class to make for the special mother figures in their lives. If you’re looking for fun and cute Mother’s Day craft ideas for kids, then you have come to

Using Electricity As An Art Medium

Olivia Siddaway

Visual art lessons have progressed over time, and art educators have pushed beyond the humble papier-mâché pig and into the realm of endless possibilities. A mixture of new mediums and technologies paired with classic favourites, a well-rounded art program can provide students with the necessary skills and tools, to not only become well-developed artists, but

Loose Parts: An Invitation To Play

Mel Ishkhanian

‘Open-ended’, ‘sustainable’, ‘creativity’ and ‘infinite possibilities’ are just some of the words that come to mind when we think about loose parts in play. Loose parts are becoming increasingly popular in early childhood settings and it’s not surprising to consider why. Here at Explore & Develop Narraweena, we have looked to the principles of Reggio

Sphero Shape Activity birds eye view featuring Sphero Bolt & SPRK robotics and 2 students on carpet.

Sphero Bolt And SPRK+ In The Classroom

Eleni Kyritsis

The way we engage our students and support their learning continues to evolve as we move further into the 21st century. There are now many technological tools, resources and applications that can enhance our students’ learning when used to redefine their learning experiences. The Sphero robot is one such tool that has positively enhanced students’

Peg name activity featuring pegs with letters on clipped to card with name spelt out

10 Name Activities For Early Learners

Heidi Overbye

Most young children are very interested in their name and it is incredibly personal to them. Often, a child’s name is the first word they learn how to read and write, which leads to further interest in reading and writing activities. When a child starts kindergarten or in the lead up to school, this is

Christmas Craft images hanging on string with pegs with Christmas themed background

Spark The Christmas Imagination

Olivia Siddaway

Christmas is such a delightful time of the year. The anticipation of this joyous occasion brings such an amazing atmosphere to the art room as the impending holidays approach. Students of all ages embrace the opportunity to create festive-themed pieces that are treasured on trees and shelves in their family homes. With such a wide

Mirrors And Reflections In The Learning Environment

Penny Groen

We see reflected and mirrored images wherever we go. From our own reflections looking back at us in the bathroom mirror or a shop window to the reflections of nature on a still lake or in our car’s rear-view or side mirrors – we are surrounded by reflections! Mirrors and reflections can bring curiosity, fascination

Catching Up On Maths

Dr Paul Swan

Playing Catch-up Teachers and parents have done an incredible job working together to minimise the disruption to children’s schooling this year. Clearly though, the unique circumstances of this year will have us all playing catch-up for some time. For teachers, this means that getting the most value out of your class time and resources has