educational activities for middle school students

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100+ Awesome Hands-On Activities for Middle School and High School

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Engage your teens with this list of more than 100 hands-on activities for middle school and high school students!

Hands-on learning is the best kind of learning. There are limitless ideas for hands-on activities for preschool and elementary-aged students. Unfortunately, as kids get older, the ideas for hands-on projects seem to dwindle in favor of more traditional textbook-style learning.

However, teens learn just as much from hands-on activities as young kids do, and almost anything can be educational: acting in a play , running a lawn-care business , creating pieces of art , cooking, baking , and even babysitting ! Because it helps to start with a list to get your own ideas flowing, I’m sharing more than 100 hands-on activities for middle school and high school students ! 

How to Modify Hands-on Activities for Teens

I do want to include one caveat – not all of these activities are specifically geared toward older students. But activities for younger kids are beneficial to older students with some modifications .

To make hands-on activities more challenging for older students:

• Turn all the planning and execution of the project over to the student.
• Require more detail. (Simplified example: a young student might label only the basic parts of a flower such as stem, petal, and leaves, while an older student would be expected to include anthers, stamen, ovaries, etc.)
• Use more complex materials. (For example: a younger student might make a cardboard rainstick while an older student would use bamboo and nails.)
• Ask your teens to explain what they did, how they did it, why it works, and what it represents. (Younger kids should be able to do this, too, but older kids should be more detailed in their narrative.)

I hope you find this list helpful! Be sure to bookmark it so you can return to it later when you need more ideas and inspiration! Please leave  a comment if you have more ideas for me to add to this article. 

This post contains affiliate links. See full disclosure policy for more details.

Hands-On Activities for Middle School and High School Students

Andy Warhol Art Project – A Warhol-inspired project using a template or your own photo.

Mary Cassatt Hats – Make paper mache hats as you learn about American artist, Mary Cassatt.

Zentangle Dragonfly – Stretch the imagination and create Zentangle Dragonfly Art.

Marbled Clay Ring Dish – Beautiful clay dishes you can make at home.

Shibori Dyeing Technique – Create art you can wear with this Japanese tie-dyeing technique using indigo dye .

Aluminum Foil Stained Glass Art – Recreate any picture using aluminum foil and Sharpie markers.

Free Art Lessons and Tutorials – An entire Pinterest page of art tutorials.

Paper Jungle – A paper art project inspired by the works of Henri Rousseau.

Self-Portrait Collage – Some art projects should require endurance. This one will have to be completed in several steps over time.

Getting Started in Chalk Pastel – A free e-book full of art tutorials using chalk pastels.

Jackson Pollock Inspired Abstract Art – Experiment with splatter and drip painting.

How to Make an Edible Cell Mode l – This was probably one of the most fun projects we’ve ever done. It’s definitely one of the most popular on the blog. We did an animal cell, but it could easily be adapted to a plant cell.

Hands-on Genetics Study for Kids – An excellent resource for studying Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics. This site includes a free, printable download and activity and resource suggestions.

Build a DNA Model – Use Twizzlers and gumdrops for a tasty, hands-on experiment with DNA.

Candy Math and Science – Create bar graphs and practice taxonomy with candy.

Human Body Systems – Hands-on activities for studying human anatomy.

Bean Classification – Who says taxonomy has to be boring?

Edible Skin Layers Cake – Make a model of human skin using some sweet treats.

Articulated Hand – Make a model of the hand that actually moves like a human hand.

Functioning Heart Mode l – This is a cool project that uses household items to make a functioning heart model.

Anatomy of the Eye – Study the anatomy of the eyeball with a cake pop.

Another Edible Cell – Prefer cookies over cake? Try this edible cell!

Extracting DNA From Strawberries Experiment – This one looks almost as much fun as the time the kids and I extracted our own DNA.

Project-Based Learning: Microbes – Bacteria – I love this tutorial for building a model of a bacteria cell.

The Lab Report – Flower Dissection – Includes video, resource links, and a free download.

Earth Science

Ocean Zones in a Jar – Learn about ocean zones and liquid density by making these hands-on activities for middle school and high school students.

Metamorphic Edible Rocks – This hands-on metamorphic rock activity will have you learning about earth science with food.

Make a Lava Lamp – A simple tutorial for making a lava lamp with information on why it works.

The Lab Report – Enzyme Experiment – See enzymes in action and discover an experiment challenge for you to do on your own.

Let’s Make A Mold Terrarium! – Because, really, who doesn’t want to grow mold?

Learning Summer Constellations – Do you and your kids love constellations as much as I do? Capitalize on that with these great study tips and activity ideas.

Baking Soda Stalactites & Stalagmites – Watch crystals grow each day as engaging hands-on activities for middle school and high school students.

Volcano in a Cup – There are many great hands-on volcano activities other than the traditional baking soda-and-vinegar stand-by. (Although that one never gets old!) So, check out this idea for a change of pace.

Charcoal Water Purifying Experiment – Can charcoal purify water? Experiment and find out!

Using Clouds To Predict The Weather – Turn your kids into weather forecasters! Teach them to recognize the types of clouds and what they tell us about the weather.

Compost Cups Science Projects – Learn about decomposition and composting.

The Lab Report – Air Pressure – Learn about air pressure in this video presented by the student herself.

Acid or Base Experiment – Simple, but effective experiments that illustrate the acidity of household products.

Red Cabbage Litmus Experiment – Use red cabbage to determine which foods and beverages are acids and which are bases.

Periodic Table of Elements Cookies – Learn the elements and their chemical symbols by making and decorating cookies.

Testing The Properties Of Water – Experiments for learning about surface tension and cohesion.

Oxygen and Fire Experiment – Test the relationship between oxygen and fire with this simple, but fun experiment, and learn why the experiment works.

Atomic Cookie Skillet Model – The best hands-on activities for kids are the edible ones and this atom model is no exception!

STEM and More hands-on activities for middle school and high school

Steel Wool and a 9-Volt Battery Experiment – You shouldn’t play with fire – unless, of course, it’s this really cool experiment. Check out the video!

Polishing Pennies Experiment – Learn about oxidation. Includes a free printable.

Squishy Science Experiment With Warblettes – What are Warblettes, you ask? They are nifty little water-absorbing polymers.

BioFilm Experiment – Make the study of microbiology a bit more interesting with this experiment. Includes free printable.

How to Make Plastic – Make your own gelatin bioplastic.

10 Hands-On Science Activities for Kids – These 10 generic hands-on activities for middle school and high school students are easily adaptable for a wide variety of projects and age ranges.

Circuit Bugs – Use circuits and batteries to bring these bugs to life.

5 Easy Beach STEM Activities – Heading to the beach? Try some of these activities with your middle schoolers.

Invisible Ink – Unlock the secrets of invisible ink with this activity.

How to Make a Paper Mache Earth Model – Another one of our all-time favorite hands-on projects, this model is suitable for middle school and easily adaptable for high school.

Pumpkin School – Bookmark this one for fall so you’ll be ready to learn about pumpkin pi. (Do you see what I did there?)

How to Record an Experiment – It’s crucial that middle and high school students know how to properly record science experiments.

Make an Ancient Egyptian dress – Sew an ancient Egyptian dress for an 18″ doll.

How to Mummify a Chicken – Is it possible to study ancient Egypt without mummifying a chicken?

Middle Ages Unit Study for Middle School – Living book suggestions along with resources and activity ideas.

Greek Mythology Character Cubes – Illustrate Greek myths with this 3-D display.

Slavery and Civil War Unit Study – A literature- and project-based unit study.

History Quest: Civil War Uniforms – A tutorial for creating an authentic-looking Civil War uniform.

George Washington’s Camp – Recreate George Washington’s camp out of paper.

Settling the New World: Colonial History Unit Study – A unit study for upper-elementary and middle school ages.

Timeline Accordion Book – Record any time period with this accordion book.

Underground Railroad Quilt Code Game – Learn more about the Underground Railroad with this game.

How to Make Berry Ink – Step back in time and make your own ink.

13 Colonies Map Puzzle Activity – You’ll find the directions for making your own 13 Colonies puzzle map at the end of this post.

Maple Syrup Snow Candy – If you’re studying pioneer life, this is a yummy treat to make in the winter and is one of the best hands-on activities for middle school and high school students for the colder seasons.

Ben Franklin & Electricity – Ben Franklin had many roles that included statesman, writer, scientist, and inventor. Explore static electricity with this experiment. You can also try your hand at replicating some of his inventions with the resource, Amazing Ben Franklin Inventions You Can Build Yourself .

10 Hands-On History and Geography Activities for Kids – A list of generic, versatile ideas for all ages.

Create a Biographical Trailer – Use iMovie or another tool to create a trailer about a historical biography.

Paper Art Landforms – Make learning about landforms fun with this paper art project.

Making an Edible Map – This edible map tutorial uses cookie dough as the base with icing to represent lakes. Adding other candies to represent various landforms and landmarks would expand this project easily for older students.

Making a Paper Mache Map – Tutorial for making a topographical map from paper mache.

How to Make a Salt Dough Map – Salt dough maps are a family favorite and easily adaptable to a wide student age range, which is why they make great hands-on activities for middle school and high school students.

How to Make a Compass – A tutorial for making a homemade compass and determining magnetic north using the completed project.

Plate Tectonics – A tasty way to learn about continental drift and plate tectonics.

Model of the Earth’s Layers in a Jar – A simple, but fun and effective way to represent the layers of the Earth in a colorful spice jar!

Soil Layers with LEGO – Use LEGO brick to build a model representing the soil layers of the Earth.

U.S. Geography Scavenger Hunt – Make learning to use an atlas fun with these ideas. Includes a free printable.

Paper Airplane Math – Practice graphing the fun way – with paper airplanes!

100+ Living Math Activities & Link-Up – Activities are broken down by grade level and include those for middle school and high school.

Graphing Facebook Birthdays – If paper airplanes aren’t your style, try your hand at graphing your Facebook friends’ birthdays instead.

M&M Math – M&Ms are more than just counters for young children learning basic math. Older kids can practice fractions with M&Ms ; mean, median, and mode; and graphing.

Cost of a Pumpkin Algebra Lesson – Bring algebraic equations to life with this activity.

Hands-on Geometry – Math is always more meaningful when kids can see real-life applications, so try these hands-on geometry ideas.

Gumdrop Structures Engineering Challenge – A fantastic STEM activity that can be made more or less difficult based on the parameters you decide to set.

Pythagorean Theorem Lego Proof – Help students visualize the Pythagorean Theorem using LEGO bricks .

Interactive Notebook Entry: Graphing Using Slope-Intercept Form – Templates and instructions for creating an interactive notebooking page for graphing using slope-intercept.

Language Arts

The Phantom Tollbooth Activities – Journey through The Phantom Tollbooth with these hands-on activities for middle school and high school students.

Calpurnia Tate Book Activities – Get hands-on with the popular book, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate , and its sequel, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate .

The Secret Garden Activities – These fun learning activities will help bring The Secret Garden to life.

Around the World in 80 Days Activities – These free printables are geared to younger students, but there are lots of great activities to do with tweens and teens.

5 Ways to Bring Any Book to Life – These are some of our favorite ways to bring books to life for children of all ages.

Shakespeare Activities – Thirty hands-on activities for a variety of the Bard’s works .

Library Scavenger Hunt – Teach your student about literary genres with this scavenger hunt.

Fun Activities for Subject-Verb Agreement in High School Classes – This is intended for a classroom but could be adapted for homeschool use.

A Nature Study Photography Project for Any Age – Photography makes a fantastic high school elective, so use these tips to combine it with nature study.

Home Economics: Budgeting – No homeschooled student should graduate without learning this vital life skill.

Beginner Sewing Projects & Project Resources – This would make a great addition to a home ec course.

Experimenting with Flexibility – Add this resource to your health class notes.

How to Use Current Events in Your Homeschool – Current events can provide a springboard for some great hands-on activities for middle school and high school students.

Stop Action: {Easy} Movie Making with LEGOs – If you’ve got a LEGO lover, stop-action movie making could be a great digital technology course.

We hope these awesome hands-on activities for middle school and high school students will help your children engage more with their lessons and actually enjoy the subject! Learning can be fun!

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Wendy Hilton

Wendy is one of the owners of Hip Homeschool Moms, Only Passionate Curiosity, Homeschool Road Trips, Love These Recipes, and Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She married her high school sweetheart, Scott, 31 years ago, and they live in the South. They have three adult children. Hannah, age 27, has autism and was the first homeschool graduate in the family. Noah, age 25, was the second homeschool graduate and the first to leave the nest. Mary Grace, age 19, was the last homeschool graduate. Wendy loves working out and teaching Training for Warriors classes at her local gym. She also enjoys learning along with her family, educational travel, reading, and writing, and she attempts to grow a garden every summer with limited success. (But she's learning!)

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• Wendy Hilton https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/author/wendy/ 25 Ways to Show Your Teens You Love Them

Trish Corlew

Trish is the owner of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Hip Homeschool Moms, Homeschool Travel Adventures and Only Passionate Curiosity. Trish is from the coast of North Carolina, but they now live in rural West Tennessee on a 40+ acre farm. She has been married to her best friend, David, for 27 years and they have three sons (ages 24, 23 and 19). She has been homeschooling since 2009 and her homeschool style leaned towards a Montessori approach with a heavy emphasis on hands-on learning. Trish’s family is Messianic and they love studying the Scriptures and growing in their faith. In her spare time, Trish loves to travel, work in their garden, work puzzles, and play games with the family.

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19 Comments

What a wonderful resource for middle school and high school students! We love hands-on activities at our house!

Love the roundup!!

For sure we need way more ideas to keep the middle school years fun and hands-on.

Love your list!!

Wow! This is an amazing resource! Thanks so much for assembling this list 🙂

Oh, you don’t know how much I needed this post right now! Thank you!

What a great list of activities! I can’t wait to dig in. Maybe the kids will want to do some with me:)

I liked so much all these activities. Thanks a lot.

Just came across this … exactly what I need to start the new year – thank you!

Great ideas for my stem aftershool middle schoolers!

I think I’ve read this post a bunch of times but I keep coming back to it over and over again. Such great ideas.

Love this roundup! Definitely one of the most helpful blog posts out there on the topic of middle school!

Thank you for the chance to win and for blessing homeschool families! And thanks for sharing these hands-on ideas for older students!

Thank you for this amazing list of middle/high school hands on activities.

I forget to offer hands-on activities for my big children. And they need the time to do these things too. Bookmarking this list.

Looking forward to trying some of these with my junior this year!

Excited to use some of these, even though my kids are 4th and 5th grades this year, but many of these are adaptable, and others I’ll tuck away in my digital “treasure room” for future use! The DIY Berry Ink, Secret Garden activities, salt dough relief maps, and predicting the weather with clouds stand out as ones we’ll definitely investigate and attempt this fall. Thank you!

After 20 years of homeschooling and graduating three students, I am down to just one this year. She will be starting high school and I want it to be fun for her. She still enjoys the fun and simple things mentioned in this post.

Lots of great ideas! I pinned to look at it later more thoroughly.

100+ Hands-On Activities for Middle School and High School is an excellent article! The information is very helpful!

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50 Activities for Middle School

Hands-on ideas to engage digital learners in meeting standards and learning goals.

Using a device to fill out a digital worksheet isn't any more compelling than using a pencil to fill out a paper version. Encourage students to show what they know and capitalize on their interest in technology by creating digital projects on classroom topics using media formats that abound in the world around them.

Explore fifty ideas for using a digital approach to help middle school students meet standards and learning goals, divided into sections for:

Language Arts

Social Studies

• Arts & SEL

Use a digital approach to engage middle school students in reading comprehension and provide authentic opportunities for listening, speaking and writing in narrative, informational and argumentative form.

1. Design a new book cover

Have students create a new cover design for a book they are reading to demonstrate comprehension and explore character, plot, setting, symbolism, and conflict.

Explore a Book Cover Design lesson plan

Small, but mindful, changes can move a task beyond remember and retell. For example, replace a typical character trait cluster assignment with the task of developing a coat of arms for a story's protagonist that represents traits of the main character.

Creating a coat of arms provides students with an opportunity to think about objects, colors, symbols, and mottos that reflect a character's personality, passions, strengths, and experiences.

Wixie has a Coat of Arms template that makes it easy to add color, text, and images to show comprehension.

Explore a Character Scrapbook lesson plan

4. Create a Book Trailer

Much like the movie trailers students are familiar with, ask students to create a short, fast-paced book trailer that shares information about characters and events in a way that would motivate others to read the book.

Share the book trailers with the rest of the class or play them on the morning announcements to encourage others to read the books.

Explore a Book Trailer lesson plan

5. Visual Poetry

Blackout Poems

To write a blackout poem, the author covers up words on a page of text until the leftover words form a poem. Digital tools, like Wixie, include blackout poetry templates that contain a page of text from Tom Sawyer ( template ), Shakespeare ( template ), Lewis Carroll ( template ), and more. 

Students read the text and circle words they find interesting, then read them again to hear the resulting poem. Students can circle additional words to fill out the idea and then blackout the rest of the words and add additional decoration.

Video Poetry

Poetry's purposeful word choice encourages close, careful reading. Have students create visual versions of poems to demonstrate their comprehension of the author's word choice and intent.

Ask students to create a project and then type a poem from their favorite poet or one they have written, adding stanzas to each page. Students can add illustrations and record themselves reading it.

Explore a Visual Poetry lesson plan

6. Modernize a Myth or Legend

Rather than merely retelling stories, ask students to adapt, extend, or create new versions of the stories they are reading. Students can modernize an ancient myth to make it more relevant to their lives today, comparing similarities and differences along the way.

7. Cool Word Vocabulary

Visuals help form connections to words and help students better remember the meaning of the word.

Digital tools make it easy to combine words and pictures and publish flash cards and posters you can use to improve vocabulary.

Explore a Cool Word Vocabulary lesson plan

8. Publish a personification story

Have students personify an object, and then use a digital tool like Wixie to write, illustrate and publish it as an eBook.

Students should brainstorm feelings the object would have to develop the conflict that will drive their story and begin writing. Scaffold their work further by asking them to identify character traits, determine setting, and codify the plot diagram or at a minimum the beginning, middle, and end.

Explore a Personification Stories lesson plan

9. Product: Fictitious Interviews

Creating a digital story in the form of an interview helps you engage students in writing and makes work with informational text come alive. Ask students to craft fictitious interviews between characters in a novel they are reading to demonstrate comprehension of the traits and behaviors.

Fictitious interviews are great ways to summarize and deepen comprehension for informational texts as well, making them perfect for science and social studies classrooms. For example, you can ask students to interview a figure from history, an animal, or even an artifact.

More ideas for conducting interviews

10. Product: Wanted posters

Creating a Wanted poster is a great way to get students thinking about the traits, experiences, and motivations of the characters in the stories they are reading.

It is often the antagonist that makes a story interesting or gives a plot direction. Have students create wanted posters for villains in the stories they are reading to evaluate comprehension and help them consider how they might craft a villain to add impact to their own writing.

Creating Wanted posters can also help students clarify their thinking about definitions related to math , atomic elements and molecules , and figures from history .

Digital tools can provide a platform for middle school students to apply mathematical thinking and engage in standards of mathematical practice as they practice procedures, create visual models, and solve problems.

11. Work with Ratio and Rate

Use word problems ( ratio and rate ) to give students a sense of the ways that ratio and rate connect to the world around them.

Ask students to extend their understanding by writing their own word problems and challenging peers to solve them using strategies like a double-number line .

12. Putt Putt Polygons

Measuring the perimeter and area of polygons requires knowing and applying formulas like the Pythagorean Theorem. Give students a fun context for practicing by asking them to design a hole for miniature golf!

13. Math Backgrounds

Math can be frustrating for some students, especially when erasing mistakes makes equations or coordinate planes unreadable. This problem only adds to the challenge of tackling complex equations and data.

Use backgrounds like grids , plots , or coordinate planes , and have students use paint tools to write equations, fill areas, or plot lines.

14. Design a Dream Home

Ratio and rate also apply to scale in architectural drawings. Even if they don't want to be an architect, most students would love to dream up a bedroom, a tiny house, or even a mansion design.

Have students use a grid to create architectural designs to scale.

15. Play with Probability

You can teach students the rule of probability, but they will retain the information more if they come up with the mathematical rules on their own.

Have students calculate experimental probability by using dice or a specific spinner to do a task 40 times. Have students tally their results and use the data to calculate the experimental probability.

After establishing experimental probability, challenge students to come up with the theoretical probability for other toys. Bonus if they can generate a mathematical model for predicting probability.

16. Collect, analyze, and showcase data

Using data to make predictions, analyze and communicate information is becoming an essential skill for future success. While there are other steps in the data science process, students need to know how to collect and display data in ways that make it easy to visualize and understand.

Wixie makes this process easy with its design tools and templates, whether students are creating bar graphs (categorical), histograms (numerical), or other data displays.

17. Explore Geometric Transformations Through Tessellations

Tessellations are geometric patterns that repeat forever with no gaps or overlaps. Squares can tessellate easily. The word tessellate comes from the Greek word tesseres, which means four.

Inspire students with the work of M.C. Escher or Islamic tiling, and then have them create their own rotation or reflection tessellations.

Explore a Tessellation lesson plan

18. Online Math Academy

Showcase student expertise by asking them to create tutorials to teach others how to calculate, measure, solve and more.

19. Product: Explainer Video

What can your students teach others? Procedural writing is an excellent way for students to become experts in a topic and feel confident about their ability to share the information with others. This process of deconstructing and reorganizing information helps students cement concepts and provides an opportunity for you to pinpoint misconceptions.

So whether students are sharing content, a process they struggled to understand, or something they are passionate about, a how-to assignment is the perfect task to cement learning and inspire others. 

20. Inform with Infographics

Have students research information, conduct surveys, or collect data on a topic. Then, students can create charts and graphs, analyze the information, and develop an infographic to display their findings.  

Explore a Creating Infographics lesson plan

Digital tools provide a fun way for students to share ideas and explain scientific understandings for Life, Physical, Earth and Space and Engineering concepts.

21. Body System Beats

Ask students to create a music video to inform others about how a body system works, its functions, and how it interacts with other systems for optimal health.

Explore an It's My Body lesson plan

22. Cell Function Similes

Evaluate student understanding of animal cells by asking them to compare how various cell parts, including the nucleus, cell wall, cell membrane, chloroplast, and mitochondria, function like elements on a farm or parts of a school .

By illustrating these comparisons, students not only gain a deeper understanding of cellular structures and their functions but also develop their ability to make meaningful connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.

23. Model Scientific Processes

Actively engage students in scientific exploration by creating simulations and visual representations that model chemical reactions and scientific processes.

By encouraging them to create visual representations, students can deepen their understanding of complex concepts.

24. Expert Interviews

Students can create expert interview videos that delve into scientific concepts and discoveries. By conducting interviews with scientists or experts in the field, students can explore complex ideas and present their findings in an engaging and accessible format; fostering a deeper understanding of science among their peers.

Don't have access to an expert? Craft a fictitious interview!

25. Write Informational Texts

Ask students to create informational science texts to inform or share learning with others. Through these books, students can convey their understanding of various concepts.

26. Terminology Journals

Students benefit from explicit vocabulary instruction, especially terminology linked to a specific discipline or topic. Collecting, defining and refining are easy with digital terminology journals.

27. Animate a Scientific Process

Labeling and diagramming are great, but modeling a process through animation can help students better understand the macro- and micro- scopic processes. For example, ask students to animate a chemical process or geologic cycle, illustrating the stages and processes involved.

Read more about Animating in Secondary Math and Science

28. Connect Physics to Fun

Help students see physics as more than rules and equations by connecting it to a favorite sport or physical activity.

Explore a Fastballs, Free Throws, and Physics lesson plan

29. Publish Informational Comics

The limited amount of space in a comic's panels requires students to choose key points in a process or important factors in chemical reactions as they work to design and illustrate them.

30. Raise Awareness of Environmental and Health Issues

Students in middle school are starting to have the capabilities and passions to change the world. Have students produce public service announcements (PSAs) to raise awareness, inform, and change behavior.

When developing a public service announcement (PSA), students have a chance to practice and apply persuasive writing skills in a real-world, authentic context. A short PSA targeted at a particular audience also encourages students to focus on writing organization, as well as voice and word choice.

Explore a Here's to Your Health lesson plan

Engaging middle school students in deep thinking about history and community helps to develop citizens who have powerful inquiry and critical thinking skills.

31. Biographies

Using a digital storytelling approach to biographies helps prevent their writing from becoming a list of unrelated facts. Having students combine their research results with imagery, sound, and other media can help them better combine aspects of narrative and informational writing for a more compelling script.

Biographies aren't always books, either. There are even entire cable television channels devoted to biographies. Consider having your students create video biographies, too.

Explore a Video Biography lesson plan

32. Historical Journal

To help students think deeply about how events, circumstances, culture, and leaders in the past affect the lives of human beings, ask students to create a series of fictional journal entries that indicate how events in the past might have affected the life and perspective of a specific person living during that time. ( template )

Explore a Historical Journal lesson plan

33. Make a Map

Have students use paint tools and text labels to create maps to show the geographic features, regions, and/or economy of an area, country, or civilization.

34. Produce the News

Our students have grown up watching shows, but not necessarily the news. Challenge your students to develop a news report they would actually want to watch based on the content they are learning.

Writing a news report requires students to organize and summarize information and use new vocabulary and terminology in context.

Explore a News Broadcast lesson plan

35. Interview a Community Leader

Ask students to interview a community member to expand their knowledge and experience, as well as encourage listening, curiosity, and empathy skills.

Encourage students to change the order of questions or the order of the answers shared so that the story " unfolds a lesson learned ." In other words, what is the moral of this person's story, or what can it teach the rest of us?

36. Explore the Issues

Students in middle school are idealistic and often passionate about current issues. While they may simply want to proclaim their ideas on a billboard , use this opportunity to ask them to back up their opinions with claims and evidence .

37. Develop a Virtual Museum

Have students design an online museum, displaying artifacts and stories to engage others in the heritage of their community or a specific region.

Explore a Virtual Museum lesson plan

38. Host a Tourism (Geography) Trade Show

To help students better understand the unique features of a place, have them develop materials for a virtual tourism trade show where students promote and pitch that location to attract visitors.

Explore a Tourism Tradeshow lesson plan

39. Publish a Historical Newspaper

Have students create a newsletter or newspaper to show what they have learned about the events, politics, and cultures of a different time in history.

Newspaper creation helps students better understand the perspectives of those in different times and cultures.

Explore a Day in the Life lesson plan  

40. It's a Postcard Point of View

After learning something new, have students tell someone else using a postcard! They could write a postcard from a specific time in history or a unique geographic or cultural destination.

Arts and Social-Emotional Learning

Wixie provides a canvas for students to set goals, explore emotions, and express themselves through art and music.

41. Set SMART goals

The simple act of writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them, so have students take some time to set personal goals to accomplish this school or calendar year. Developing goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) can help even more.

Have students use the goals as a home screen on their devices so they see a daily reminder of what they are working to achieve.

Explore a SMART Goals lesson plan

42. Design a Vision Board

A vision board provides inspiration and motivation to reach dreams and goals. Students can choose a goal and add pictures of what they think achieving them looks and feels like.

Digital tools, like Wixie, make it easy to combine images. When vision boards are complete, print or export an image so you can post to a place you are everyday, like on a desk or phone lock screen, for a daily motivator.

Explore a Vision Boarding lesson plan

43. Create an Arcimboldo-inspired self-portrait

Giuseppe Arcimboldo is an Italian Renaissance painter known for his portraits of people that use objects like fruit and books. Challenge students to create Arcimboldo-style self-portraits by combining clip art images in an imaging tool.

Explore an Arcimboldo-Inspired Self-Portraits lesson plan

44. Play Music

While you may not be teaching music theory, expressing one's feelings and emotions through music is both fun and therapeutic. You can try the online keyboard below or give students options like:

• a xylophone
• percussion tubes

45. Write a Classroom Constitution

Involving students in creating a class constitution makes them part of the process of government, giving them a vested interest and responsibility in following and upholding the laws they have determined.

Explore a Classroom Constitution lesson plan

Inform students about surrealism. You might inspire them by reading a book like Pish, Posh, Hieronymus Bosch .

Have students use paint tools to illustrate bizarre creatures juxtaposed around a normal self-portrait and then write a poem about the way the surrealism makes them feel.

This example takes advantage of the mirror symmetry options for the paint brush in Wixie .

Explore a Surreal Symmetry lesson plan

47. Explore Collaboration Skills

In All in the Same Boat by Wilkie Martin, a greedy rat is shown how no one wins when success is achieved at the expense of others.

Discuss what makes a great teammate and then ask students to create their own Team Member ID Card to let future group members know a bit about how they work collaboratively.

48. Send a virtual compliment

Show your appreciation for a classmate, family member, or friend with a compliment card. This is a great idea for a random acts of kindness promotion.

Tools like Wixie let you print multiple copies or pages onto a single sheet of paper, making it easy to print, fold, and then drop in a classmate's lunch box or backpack.

49. Make a playlist for your future

Students likely already have playlists for their favorite songs, and many have playlists for different moods. Use this as a jumping-off point to ask them to "audiolize" what their future sounds like by creating a playlist .

Students can add songs they know or create new artists and bands and write descriptions for them.

50. Compose a melody

Use music production or notation software to have students compose their own music.

Have students record themselves singing their melody or playing their compositions on a recorder or keyboard.

Once they have experience with digital projects, let students choose the product or way they will demonstrate understanding… simply make them argue their case before they begin. No matter what you or they choose, transfer as much responsibility as possible to students to motivate and empower them to control their own learning.

by Melinda Kolk

Melinda Kolk ( @melindak ) is the Editor of Creative Educator and the author of Teaching with Clay Animation . She has been helping educators implement project-based learning and creative technologies like clay animation into classroom teaching and learning for the past 15 years.

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10 Super Fun Classroom Games For Middle School Students

If you’re teaching teenagers at middle school you know how easily they can lose interest if they’re not having fun in class. A great way to keep middle school students engaged is to use fun and engaging classroom games. Below we have put together 10 of our favorite classroom games for middle school students . These games are not only great for ESL middle school students but can also be used as a fun classroom activity in any class teaching teenagers.

10 Classroom Games For Middle School Students

1: the 20 questions game.

The 20 questions game is a great ESL speaking activity for middle school students. If you’re not familiar with this game, the rules are simple. One student thinks of a secret object and doesn’t tell anyone. The only thing they tell the other students is the kind of thing it is. For example, they might tell them it’s an animal, a type of food, a famous person, etc.

2: Top Five Quiz Game

Next on our list of fun classroom games for middle school students is the ‘Top Five Quiz’ game. Teenagers absolutely love this game, especially when they get the top answer. To play, students will need a pencil and paper to write down their answers and points. Students can play individually, in pairs, or in small teams.

1 = 10 Points 2 = 7 Points 3 = 5 Points 4 = 3 Points 5 = 2 Points

If the students’ answers are not in the ‘Top Five’ answers, they get zero points. At the end of the quiz, the student/team with the most points is the winner. For a ready-made quiz and a template to add your own questions to, check out our Top Five Quiz PowerPoint Game page .

3: The Forehead Game

This next game is often played at parties, but it can also be easily adapted to play in the classroom with middle school students. To play, one student (or the teacher) must write down keywords from the lesson on pieces or paper/post-it notes. Next, the students in the class would choose one of the pieces of paper at random and, without looking at it, stick it to their forehead so everyone else in the class can see.

Next, players take turns asking yes/no questions to find out the word stuck to their head. For example, if you were teaching students about jobs and occupations vocabulary , students might ask “ Do I work in a hospital?”, “Do I wear a uniform to work? , etc. The student who guesses their word with the fewest questions is the winner.

4: Describe And Draw Game

5: what am i quizzes.

Quizzes like our ‘What Am I?’ quizzes are fantastic activities to play with middle school students in class. If you’re not familiar with these kinds of quizzes, the concept is simple. Students will read two or three clues describing something and then must guess ‘What Am I?’. For example, “I have 2 hands but no arms. I have a face but no eyes. What Am I?”, with the answer being ‘A Clock’. Here are 40 ‘What Am I?’ Quiz Questions And Answers you can use in your class.

6: Would You Rather Game

7: scattergories, scategories example categories.

Riddles help middle school students to develop their thinking ability, creativity, and can even improve their reading comprehension skills. Not only that, students really have fun deciphering cryptic clues and working out the answer. However, if the riddles are too hard, rather than having fun, students will just be frustrated. So, if you’re planning on using riddles in class, be sure to choose some easy riddles. The Above video has 10 easy riddles for ESL students that you can show in class.

9: Mystery Box Game

So, if a team decides to keep the box, they could win points but they risk losing points. And if a team chooses to give the box, they might make the other team lose points but they risk giving them points, too. At the end of the game, the team with the most points is the winner.

10: Hot Seat

Thanks for reading. I hope your students enjoy these activities. Before you go, don’t forget to check out our other free classroom games, including Activity Videos , PowerPoint Games , and Online Quizzes .

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24 Fun Classroom Activities for Middle School Students

• Middle School Education

Introduction:

Engaging middle school students can sometimes be challenging. To keep their attention and spark their interest in learning, teachers must come up with creative classroom activities. Here are 24 fun and educational activities that will make your middle school classroom an exciting and dynamic environment.

1. Silent Ball: In this activity, students pass a soft ball around the room without speaking. To add a challenge, set a timer to encourage faster reaction times and teamwork.

2. Four Corners: Designate each corner of the room for a different opinion or preference. Ask questions, and have students move to the corner that best represents their stance.

3. Speed Debates: Organize short, timed debates on various topics to challenge students’ critical thinking and encourage them to articulate their viewpoints quickly.

4. Blindfolded Drawing: Pair up students and blindfold one partner. The other partner must describe a subject or image that the blindfolded student must then attempt to draw.

5. Kahoot!: Utilize the online quiz platform Kahoot! to create engaging quizzes tailored to your current lesson plan.

6. Escape Room: Set up a classroom escape room experience that involves solving riddles, puzzles, and challenges related to your curriculum content.

7. Trivia Contest: Organize a trivia contest on various subjects to test general knowledge and foster friendly competition.

8. Scavenger Hunt: Arrange a scavenger hunt around the classroom or school campus using clues related to your lesson material.

9. Reader’s Theater: Assign or create short plays based on literary works you are studying as a class, having students perform them in groups.

10. Memory Chain: Test memory skills by having students take turns adding items to a list until someone repeats an item or cannot think of anything new.

11. Vocabulary Pictionary: Improve vocabulary by having students draw out vocabulary words while their classmates guess what they are drawing.

12. Photo Analysis : Display a series of images and have students analyze and discuss the pictures’ content or theme.

13. Current Events Discussion: Hold a classroom debate on current events, encouraging students to research and form their opinions on the topics at hand.

14. Brain Dump: Allow students to stand up and “dump” knowledge on a subject for 60 seconds straight without stopping.

15. Class Quiz Show: Set up a classroom quiz show, complete with buzzers, to bring excitement to trivia and review sessions.

16. Problem-Solving Challenges: Present students with real-world problems that encourage critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity in developing solutions.

17. DIY Board Games: Have students create their own educational board games based on the material they’re learning.

18. Group Poster Projects: Assign groups of students a topic to research and have them collaborate on creating informational posters about their assigned subject.

19. Skits & Role Plays: Create memorable lessons by having students act out scenarios related to the curriculum in skits or role plays.

20. Gallery Walks: Use wall space in your classroom to display student work or set up stations relating to different topics. Have students walk around the room and discuss what they see.

21. Mind Maps: Encourage brainstorming by having students create mind maps, focusing on connections between concepts and ideas.

22. Virtual Field Trips: Utilize technology to take your class on virtual field trips to museums, historic sites, or other relevant locations around the world.

23. Musical Chairs Writing: Similar to musical chairs, when the music stops, have students switch seats and add to the writing prompt left by the person who was sitting there before them.

24. STEM Challenges: Engage students with hands-on STEM activities that incorporate math, science, engineering, and technology concepts.

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12 interactive middle school stem activities & challenges.

The middle school years are a crucial time for students to develop their academic skills in all subjects, including the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. For students to fully develop a strong STEM identity, they need to participate in hands-on activities and projects that help them comprehensively understand key concepts.

By working on interactive STEM activities, students are more likely to understand how STEM is applicable to the real world. Hands-on activities are also great for students who struggle with traditional learning methods or students who have difficulty staying focused during standard lessons, as these STEM activities can provide an exciting break from typical classroom projects.

In this article, we break down the importance of STEM in middle school education and curate a list of great hands-on STEM activities for these middle grades.

For a dedicated STEM classroom kit, explore the STEM labs from Kid Spark Education , which include detailed curricula and all the ingredients you need to implement hands-on activities.

Importance of STEM in Middle School Education

In middle school, students begin to really embrace their strengths and passions, allowing them to envision what their potential academic and career paths could look like. Thus, it’s important for students at this age to get comprehensive exposure to STEM subjects and how those subjects connect to real-world problems, jobs, and opportunities.

Additionally, middle school STEM lessons can help students develop a scientific mind and thinking process, which they can then apply to other subjects and their own lives. Learning STEM has become as important as learning how to read, as basic STEM fluency is necessary for students to interact with the ever-evolving world around them. STEM-minded students can confidently approach the tech-driven future with ingenuity and passion.

12 Hands-On STEM Activities for Middle Schoolers

Not sure where to get started when it comes to bringing STEM to your classroom? Check out these twelve hands-on STEM activities for middle school students.

1. DIY Fidget Spinner

Fidget spinners are great examples of how physics works—and after learning about those key STEM concepts, your middle school students can put those ideas into practice by making their own DIY fidget spinners.

These fidget spinners can be created with any range of standard household materials, like cardboard, pennies, and toothpicks. Utilize fidget spinners to help students identify the key parts of the design and ask them to envision how they would make the item from scratch, keeping the physics concepts you taught them in mind.

For more thorough instructions, consider this lesson plan from Teachers Pay Teachers .

2. Magnetic Slime

Slime is a popular toy for middle school students, providing a fun sensory experience, but did you know that slime can actually be part of a great STEM lesson? Help your students create their own slime with a twist—it’s magnetic!

To do this, you’ll need the following supplies:

• Liquid starch
• Elmer’s glue
• Iron oxide powder
• Neodymium magnet

Mix ¼ cup of Elmer’s glue with 2 tablespoons of iron oxide powder, and blend thoroughly. Next, add ⅛ cup of liquid starch and stir. With a bit of kneading, your slime will rise and can be magnetized with your neodymium magnet. It’s important to note that you will need a strong magnet to see the effects.

This STEM project can be used to teach about principles of magnetism and how magnets are a part of the world around us, from the earth’s magnetic field to magnets as a part of engineering and technology. This project is also a great opportunity to practice safe STEM and lab practices. Students will likely have to regularly partake in labs in their future high school classes, so it’s highly beneficial for them to learn how to be safe now.

3. Water Filter Challenge

We all rely on water everyday, but we rarely think about the systems that keep that water clean and healthy for us. Challenge your middle school students to think about this, considering all the ways we use water and how that interacts with the water cycle.

Provide your students with different materials to choose from in order to filter dirty water that you create with dirt and other additives. The students will create their filters within empty plastic water bottles, cut in half and fit into each other.

Review the activity details from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and tailor the project to the needs of your classroom.

4. STEM Scavenger Hunt

A STEM scavenger hunt is a great way to get students used to identifying different STEM concepts and applications in the real world around them. This can be done throughout the school, as a take-home activity, or as a project over a period of time.

After teaching about essential elements of STEM, have your students look for them in settings outside of the classroom. Create a list of STEM-related items to look, such as:

• Something that will float
• A repeating pattern
• Item powered by batteries
• Something that uses gears
• Something that uses a lever

A STEM scavenger hunt is a wonderful way to expose students to a range of STEM concepts, and the earlier students are shown these concepts, the more likely they are to develop a strong STEM identity. For example, when students find a repeating pattern during this activity, they can then be taught about spatial skills and symmetry. Recognizing and understanding symmetry is a spatial skill as it requires perceiving and analyzing spatial patterns and relationships, and spatial skills have a strong link with performance in STEM fields.

Some scavenger hunt finds can be expanded into a later lesson. For example, once students find something that uses a lever, they can later link that experience to the Kid Spark Education Simple Machines lesson . During the lesson, students will build three different types of levers and consider the mechanical advantage of each. Whether you’re a Kid Spark educator or not, you can download the curriculum for free by creating an account and logging on here .

After the scavenger hunt, be sure to have the students share what they found with one another so they can see the full expanse of where STEM occurs.

5. Math Escape Room

With the right prep and planning, teachers can create a math escape room as a fun STEM challenge for middle school students. This “escape room” will utilize math problems as the primary clues, which need to be solved in the correct order to find a final answer.

For example, students may need to complete a worksheet of math problems and then use the numbers they get in their answers to correspond with a key, revealing a hidden message.

This hands-on activity can be completed in groups and does not require any additional materials to do. 

6. Popsicle Stick Catapult

Challenge students with this hands-on STEM project! Using simple objects like popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons, your students will build their own mini catapult. Then, they’ll see how effective their catapults are at launching different objects, such as marshmallows, erasers, and paper balls.

Invite students to make adjustments to their catapults to see how that changes its performance. For example, adjust where the rubber bands are sitting and how many stacked popsicle sticks form the base of the catapult.

This activity can work well with lessons on physics, like when teaching Newton’s Laws of Motion and how energy is transferred. 

7. Straw Buildings

Create some healthy competition while incorporating key engineering concepts with this middle school STEM activity! Give each student or group a set number of plastic straws plus tape or glue to connect the straws, and challenge them to build the tallest tower possible.

You can tie this lesson into various engineering processes and principles. Ask the students to examine what worked well and what didn’t, and then consider how those principles can be applied to the buildings, bridges, and other structures that surround them everyday.

8. Mini Coding Camp

Put a spin on coding lessons by making it a summer camp theme! This activity can work with any coding program, adding in competitions for different groups of students or overall goals. It can also be supplemented by offline coding activities.

There are many free coding activities available online developed for students, making this STEM lesson easy to implement with minimal work for the educator. Those free online coding programs include offerings from:

• Girls Who Code
• Hour of Code
• Kid Spark Education - Robotics & Coding 101  

Be sure to research extracurricular coding camps in your area and online to share with students who particularly enjoy this aspect of learning STEM.

9. Lemon Battery

A lemon battery is a classic science experience for good reason! This hands-on STEM activity can help students better understand engineering principles as well as the basics of energy.

This project takes a few different supplies, including lemons, a copper coin, zinc electrodes, copper electrodes, lead wires with alligator clips, and a simple LED component. This project can also be done by using a multimeter. Follow the instructions from Science-U to get started.

Did you know that this battery can be recreated with other fruits and vegetables, too? Take the STEM challenge to the next level by bringing in oranges, limes, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, or bananas, and then seeing how those power sources stack up against the lemon.

10. Archimedes Screw

For this STEM project, we go way back into the past, which is perfect for students who love history or to teach alongside a history lesson about Ancient Greece. Be sure to spend time explaining how the Archimedes screw and similar devices still can be used today for tasks like wastewater removal.

The Archimedes screw is a positive-displacement pump that can seemingly defy gravity to move water. You can complete this STEM activity with a few simple materials, including a PVC pipe, vinyl tubing which you will wrap around the pipe, duct tape, two different height surfaces, and water. 

Follow the project steps from Scientific American to implement this cool STEM challenge in your classroom.

11. Nature Walk

Similar to the STEM scavenger hunt, this STEM activity can be done in a few different formats, including as a summer activity or on a nice day where you want to get your middle school students out of the classroom. You don’t need to be near a park or large open space to do this, either, as nature crops up all over the place, including in the cracks of sidewalks.

You can set goals to look for on your nature walk, or you can let the students take the lead. The latter can be particularly useful when students are feeling burnt out or after standardized testing, allowing for a bit of a mental break while still focusing on STEM concepts. Most of all, this middle school STEM activity allows students to connect what they learn inside the classroom to the real world.

If you want to look for specific science elements, though, you can provide students with a list, including items like:

• Something with symmetry
• A part of the water cycle
• Certain weather conditions
• An animal’s home (e.g. bird’s nest, beehive)
• A wind measurement from a hand-made anemometer

You can also take this opportunity to clean up any litter and trash in the area, emphasizing the importance of doing our part when it comes to pollution and the environment.

12. Describe Rocks Like a NASA Scientist

No matter where you and your students are based, you’ve definitely had a rock or two dragged into your classroom from the playground or elsewhere. With this STEM activity, your students will look at those rocks and more while envisioning what it could be like to pursue a career in STEM as a scientist.

This lesson comes from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory . You can start by focusing on the basics of geology and why it matters, and then teaching students how to use the correct scientific terms for the features of different rocks. Those terms include luster, cleavage, vesicles, inclusions, blebs, homogenous, and friable. The NASA lesson also includes two fun quizzes about identifying real rocks and “edible” rocks (images of candy bars to represent the different rock types).

Discover a Complete Middle School STEM Program with Kid Spark Education

While the above middle school STEM lessons are great supplements, a complete STEM education requires a thorough strategy and curriculum, like that provided by Kid Spark Education. Our middle school STEM labs are designed for grades six to eight, with different units focused on different principles.

Our middle school STEM program includes the following units:

• Kid Spark Basics
• Simple Machines
• Compound Machines
• Rapid Prototyping and 3D Printing
• Robotics and Coding 101
• Exploring Sensors
• Loops and Variables
• Integrated Engineering Challenges

A great STEM education is the key to a brighter future for students of all backgrounds, and, at Kid Spark Education, we’re committed to making that education a reality. Our middle school STEM kits include a science-backed curriculum that meets NGSS requirements, reusable engineering and robotic tools, complete lesson plans, and educator tools such as online training, grading rubrics, and step-by-step instructions.

To get started, explore our curriculum library , or contact our team today to learn more about our programs.

Topics: STEM Activities , middle school stem , middle school

Written By Kitty Taylor

Would you like to receive more information about starting a kid spark stem program for your students , go beyond the buzzword with kid spark..

At Kid Spark Education, STEM isn't a buzzword: it's a powerful way to nurture students' natural curiosity; build confidence and skills in science, technology, engineering, and math; and foster abilities in collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. You, their teachers, are our most important partner in achieving our mission of preparing all children for a lifetime of learning about science and technology. The Kid Spark Blog is written by educators, for educators to be a resource in your toolbox so you can feel confident and capable in teaching STEM to your elementary students. 

8 Super Cool Classroom Activities For Middle School Students

Categories Education/School

If you teach any students in middle school, then you know all too well how fast these kids can lose interest in classroom activities if they’re not engaged.

It’s important to remember that, as much as middle school students want to be high schoolers and be treated like mini-adults, they’re still kids.

Kids need fun and engaging activities that pair entertainment with learning rather than just being spoken at for an entire day.

Of course, you’re never going to be able to make every single lesson in a day super fun and interesting; however, you can always try to incorporate a couple of fun activities every so often to keep your kids engaged.

So, let’s get on with it! Here are our eight favorite super cool classroom activities for middle school students.

1. Science Experiments

Getting your kids involved with hands-on learning is one of the best ways to keep them engaged. If they’re able to see and feel their way through an activity, they’re much more likely to keep them interested and on task.

Introduce them to some cool and easy science experiments that they can complete either at their own desks or in groups around larger tables.

This could include Elephant’s Toothpaste (best completed outside), baking soda volcanoes, or making slime if your kids are on the younger side of middle school.

For older kids, you can introduce them to invisible ink and lemon juice or use cabbage as a PH indicator. These kinds of experiments are fantastic for introducing your students to different scientific concepts without boring them.

If you want to make sure that the students have understood the concepts shown to them, you can have them create a fact sheet or poster relating to the experiment you just did.

2. Literary Escape Rooms

If you have the time to come up with several book-related questions and maybe create a few props, then you could delight your students with a book-related escape room that they can work through.

You don’t have to make an actual escape room out of the classroom; in fact, you’ll find it much easier to control if you set up the escape room to be text-based instead.

Create a series of clues and puzzles revolving around whatever book you’re studying, and let your students work their way through it during your lesson. Not only is this a more interesting way for them to test their comprehension, but it also lets you see how much they’ve understood and paid attention to the reading.

3. Debate Clubs

If you’ve spent any time around pre-teens and young teenagers, then you know that they love almost nothing as much as they love arguing and contradicting you. So why not channel that into something productive and engaging?

Incorporating debate sessions into your classroom can be a great way to get kids to discuss certain topics whilst also teaching them the art of debate . They need to engage in reasonable arguments and be able to come up with counter-points and interesting points.

Separate your class into two teams, and give them a topic and a stance. They should be allowed a set amount of time to come up with their arguments and do the research that they think is necessary.

These debates don’t only have to be social studies related but could be utilized during history, geography, English, as well as other classes. If you think that there are two opposing arguments to be made about a topic that you’re studying, then set up a debate session to get your kids involved in it.

4. Creative Writing Workshop

If you know that you have a lot of creative kids in your class, then introducing them to creative writing workshops could be an activity that really engages them.

You could discuss as a class how to get yourself into a creative mindset and different ways that we could use language to create meaning and art.

If you have the opportunity, let your kids create whatever they want to with writing, be it a poem, a short story, a newspaper article, or a blog post. Have them think about what kind of language they should use depending on what medium of writing they are using.

Even if you have kids in the class who abhor the idea of creative writing, you could challenge them to dissect a piece of writing. For example, give them a copy of a text you’ve been studying or encourage them to bring in their favorite book or magazine. Then, provide them with different colored pens to highlight the different sentence structures, word types, metaphors, etc.

This way, you can keep all your students engaged, even if they’re not interested in creative writing.

5. Historical Hot-Seating

Want a way to let your theater kids show off their acting whilst also checking how well your class has been listening to your history lessons? Then you should try some historical hot-seating.

Hot-seating is a theater trick that involves one student sitting on the “hot seat” and pretending to be a certain figure from history. Then, the other students are tasked with asking relevant questions to the historical figure to learn more about them.

Your students can take turns playing different “characters” and even let them interact with each other whilst in character.

6. Coding And Robotics

Coding and robotics have never been more relevant and important to daily life, and introducing these concepts to your students early can be a great step up for their future.

Using super cool software like “Scratch” and “Lego Mindstorms”, you can teach them how to code and show them some real-life applications of these skills.

Not only does this kind of activity teach them more about a very modern skill, but it also boosts their confidence in using computers and teaches them more about how the technology that they use every day works.

7. Class Art Gallery

If you have some budding artists in your class, you could set up your class as an art gallery.

Set your kids off creating some art based around a topic or theme, and see what they come up with. Encourage them to use different materials and think outside the box when developing their art. Then, you can get them to create a description and artist’s statement regarding their work.

Once you have the art and the statements, you can display them around the classroom, have your students explore the different kinds of work that they have all made, and discuss how the art reflects the artist’s statements.

Some kids probably won’t take it seriously, but that doesn’t mean that their work won’t still be worth discussing and celebrating.

8. Getting Outdoors

One fantastic way to get middle schoolers engaged with your lesson is to set it outside. Just being in a new environment can refresh your kids and bring something fun and engaging to them.

You could try having any number of regular classes outside, particularly if it’s a mild day; however, if you can arrange a “great outdoors” session, even better. Encourage your students to explore their surroundings, create scavenger hunts or treasure maps to get them thinking, or even teach basic survival skills like rope-tying or edible plant identification.

Letting your kids blow off steam outside of the classroom can be a great way to re-engage and reset them.

Final Thoughts

Middle school kids can be incredibly difficult to keep interested and engaged in class, which is why it is so important to find tasks and activities that are going to get them paying attention.

Whether you need to create debate clubs, art galleries, or science experiments, hopefully, this list has given you a few ideas of super cool classroom activities that you can arrange to get your middle school students engaged with your lessons.

Further reading: STEM activities for middle school kids .

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you engage middle school students.

One of the sure-fire ways that you can engage most middle school students is by getting them moving. At this age, kids are usually brimming with an energy that likes to come out at inappropriate times. Your best chance is to channel that energy into some physical activities that get them up and moving.

What Are The Five Learning Activities?

In the classroom, a common theory is that there are five different types of learning. These are:

• Content Focus
• Interactivity Focus
• Critical Thinking
• Problem-Solving

If you are able to combine these different types of activities into your classroom and lesson plans, then you’re more likely to be successful in managing your classroom because you’re going to be engaging every part of your student’s brains and challenging them in a healthy way.

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Science Activities for Middle Schoolers

Technology activities for middle schoolers, engineering activities for middle schoolers, math activities for middle schoolers.

• Interactive Learning Stations
• Outdoor Laboratories
• Technology Enhanced Playgrounds
• Innovative Equipment

STEM projects for middle school are an excellent way to engage young minds and spark their curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and math. Research supports that STEM activities positively impact the scientific creativity of middle school students. These exercises give students an enjoyable learning experience and promote critical thinking and problem-solving abilities .

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Additionally, middle school STEM programs help foster interest in these subjects, develop skills, improve future job prospects, encourage creativity and innovation, and promote diversity and inclusivity. However, before delving into the exciting projects, it’s essential to understand why STEM programs in middle school are crucial for a student’s academic journey.

5 Essentials Of Middle School STEM Programs

In the modern work market, STEM education has increased. Students in middle school are at a pivotal point in their development, and exposure to STEM education can greatly impact how they grow academically and professionally. The following justifies the necessity of STEM programs in middle schools.

1. Fostering Interest in STEM

Middle school STEM programs offer an interactive and immersive approach to STEM education by providing hands-on opportunities for students to engage in projects and experiments, which can lead to deeper comprehension and enthusiasm for these subjects. The Journal of Pedagogical Research suggests that a STEM-focused learning environment can positively influence academic achievement in science. Moreover, STEM education provides students with practical applications of these topics in the real world, which fosters a heightened curiosity and drive for learning. 

2. Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Problem-solving and critical thinking abilities are emphasized in STEM education. Students’ minds are still developing throughout middle school. Thus, STEM education can aid in the development of the abilities necessary for success in the real world. 

3. Improving Future Job Prospects

Middle school STEM education can provide students with the essential abilities and skills necessary to pursue high-paying professions in the rapidly-growing STEM sectors of the contemporary economy. 

4. Encouraging Creativity and Innovation

Middle school STEM programs have been known to be a catalyst for fostering creativity and innovation among students. This is because these programs equip students with the necessary skills to design, build, and test their projects, which can be quite perplexing. By undertaking middle school STEM programs, children can develop the courage and aptitude to take risks, think outside the box, and solve problems in novel and unexpected ways.

5. Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity

The benefits of STEM education extend beyond just individual development, as it can also promote diversity and inclusivity among students. Regardless of background, all students have equal opportunities to learn and succeed in STEM. By introducing students to a wide range of STEM occupations and showcasing the achievements of underrepresented groups in these industries, middle school STEM programs can inspire kids from diverse backgrounds to pursue their interests in these disciplines.

What Does STEM Education for Middle Schoolers Look Like?

Middle school STEM education is a way of teaching that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s exciting and interactive, aiming to help students become skilled in these subjects. The main goal is to give students the knowledge and abilities they need to handle the many challenges of our ever-changing technology-driven world.

“STEM education is not just about learning scientific concepts and principles; it’s about developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills that will benefit students throughout their lives.” – Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education.

Students are introduced to the fundamentals of STEM disciplines in middle school through practical, project-based learning . They investigate the scientific method, study the fundamentals of engineering and design, and become aware of the wonders of math and technology.

Middle schoolers can develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and creativity through STEM education. Research suggest that STEM activities effectively develop positive views toward interdisciplinary education and 21st-century skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. By engaging in STEM activities , students can also improve their science process skills, STEM career interests, motivation, and views about STEM education. 

50 Best STEM Activities for Middle School Kids

Engaging in STEM activities for middle school kids, students can gain valuable skills and knowledge that will assist them in success in high school, college, and beyond. So, without further ado, let’s explore these best STEM activities for kids!

“STEM learning is vital for the future success of our students and our country. By engaging students in hands-on projects and encouraging their curiosity, we can inspire the next generation of innovators.” – Mae Jemison, former NASA astronaut and founder of the Jemison Group.

Science is essential to STEM education and can be incredibly engaging and exciting for middle schoolers. Here are some science-related STEM activities for middle school kids that can inspire young minds to discover the world around them.

• Chemical Reactions: Mix baking soda and vinegar to observe the fizzy reaction. Try other combinations like lemon juice and baking soda.
• Solar Oven: Cut a flap in a cardboard box and line it with foil. Place food inside and keep it in the sun to cook.
• Egg Drop Challenge: Gather materials like straws, paper, and tape. Create a protective structure around an egg and drop it from a height.
• Rock Candy Experiment: Dissolve sugar in hot water and grow crystals on a string suspended in the solution.
• Volcano Eruption:  Build a clay volcano around a small bottle. Mix baking soda and vinegar inside the bottle for an eruption.

• Hovercraft: Glue a balloon to a CD, then inflate the balloon and place the CD on a smooth surface to create a hovercraft.
• Slime Making: Mix glue, water, and borax solution to create slime. Explore different ratios for varying consistencies.
• Bottle Rocket Launch: Fill a plastic bottle partially with water, then quickly attach a cork and pump air inside to launch the rocket.
• Sundial Crafting: Place a stick vertically in the ground, and mark the shadow cast by the sun at different times of the day.
• Plant Growth Study:  Plant seeds in pots with varying amounts of sunlight, water, and soil to observe their growth over time.

• Static Electricity: Rub balloons against clothing to create static charge. Test its effect on objects like paper and hair.
• Dissecting Owl Pellets: Purchase owl pellets and use tweezers to carefully dissect them, identifying the bones of small animals.
• Microscope Adventures:  Collect samples from ponds or leaves, place them on slides, and observe under a microscope to discover tiny organisms.

Now that we’ve explored some exciting science-related STEM ideas for middle school kids, let’s look at engaging technology activities to help students develop important coding, programing and digital literacy skills.

Technology activities for middle schoolers are designed to introduce students to coding, programing, and digital design basics. These hands-on activities are a great way to build technical skills while fostering creativity and innovation. Here are a few technology-related STEM activities for middle school kids.

• Coding Basics: Use online platforms like Scratch or Code.org to start learning coding concepts through interactive tutorials and projects.
• Robotics Challenge:  Provide robot kits with instructions and coding software. Students follow the instructions to assemble the robot and write code to make it perform tasks.

• App Design: Utilize app development tools or platforms like MIT App Inventor to design and prototype mobile apps. Students can create simple apps and explore different features.
• 3D Printing: Teach students how to use 3D modeling software to design objects. Then, print the designs using a 3D printer.
• Website Creation: Introduce HTML and CSS coding languages to build a basic website. Students can experiment with customizing their site.
• Video Game Design: Use game development software like GameMaker or Unity to design and create simple video games with characters, levels, and gameplay.
• Augmented Reality (AR) Exploration:  Explore AR technology using AR apps or platforms. Students can create interactive experiences by overlaying virtual objects on the real world.

• Green Screen Projects: Provide a green screen and video editing software. Students can record themselves against the green screen and use the software to replace the background with any image or video.
• Electronic Circuits: Use a circuit kit with components like LEDs, resistors, and wires. Students follow diagrams to build circuits and learn about electronics.
• Digital Storytelling: Use digital tools like PowerPoint or video editing software to create multimedia stories with text, images, and audio narration.
• Internet Research Challenge: Assign specific research topics, and guide students on using search engines and reputable websites to find relevant information.
• Cybersecurity Awareness: Conduct discussions and workshops on online safety, creating strong passwords, and protecting personal information from online threats.
• Virtual Field Trips: Utilize virtual reality headsets or online platforms with virtual tours to take students on immersive journeys to museums, historical sites, or outer space.

Now that we’ve explored some exciting technology-related STEM projects for middle school kids, let’s shift our focus to engineering. These activities are designed to introduce students to engineering and design principles and provide hands-on opportunities to create and build.

Engineering activities are a great way for middle schoolers to explore design principles, problem-solving, and creativity. These activities help develop important skills that benefit students in all aspects of life. Here are a few engineering-related STEM projects for middle school kids that are both fun and educational.

• Popsicle Stick Bridges: Provide popsicle sticks and glue. Instruct students to design and build bridges using the sticks, aiming to make them sturdy enough to hold weight.
• Hydraulic Lifts: Provide syringes, plastic tubes, and water. Students build a hydraulic lift system using syringes and water to lift objects.
• Spaghetti Towers: Offer uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows as building materials. Challenge students to construct tall and stable towers using the two items.
• Water Filtration:  Teach students about water filtration concepts. Provide various materials like sand, gravel, and cotton balls for them to build their filtration systems and test their effectiveness.

• Egg Parachute Drop: Provide materials like plastic bags, strings, and cushioning materials. Have students construct a parachute to safely drop an egg from a height.
• Catapult Challenge: Gather materials like popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons. Instruct students to build a working catapult and launch small objects towards targets.
• Mini Wind Turbines: Provide students with materials like cardboard, straws, and small motors. Guide them in creating miniature wind turbines to generate electricity from wind energy.
• Simple Machines Exploration: Set up stations with different simple machines like pulleys, levers, and inclined planes. Allow students to experiment and learn how these machines work.
• Sustainable Building Designs: Introduce sustainable building practices to students. Let them design and sketch eco-friendly and energy-efficient buildings or houses on paper.
• Bristlebot Robots: Provide toothbrush heads, small vibrating motors, and batteries. Show students how to assemble these components into tiny robots called Bristlebots that move around.
• DIY Waterwheel: Provide materials like popsicle sticks, cups, and a small water source. Students design and build a waterwheel to harness water energy.

While engineering activities focus on design and problem-solving, math activities for middle schoolers aim to build a strong foundation in mathematical concepts and practical applications. Let’s look at some engaging and hands-on math activities that middle schoolers can enjoy and learn from.

Middle school math activities are made to help kids develop a solid mathematical foundation while also exposing them to real-world applications of mathematics. Through these exercises, students can improve their ability to think logically, solve problems, and appreciate the beauty of mathematics. A few math projects and activities are listed below for middle school students to try out.

• Math Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of math-related items or problems for students to find and solve around the school or outdoors.
• Fraction Pizza: Use construction paper to create “pizza slices,” and have students color in fractions to represent different toppings.
• Math Board Games:  Introduce math-based board games like “Math Bingo” or “Math Jeopardy” to reinforce skills in a fun way.

• Math Art: Have students create geometric art using shapes, angles, and symmetry.
• Math Puzzles: Provide various math puzzles like Sudoku, logic puzzles, or tangrams to challenge problem-solving abilities.
• Real-World Budgeting: Assign students a hypothetical budgeting project to plan for expenses like groceries, entertainment, and savings.
• Data Analysis with Graphs: Present students with real data sets and guide them in creating different types of graphs to analyze the information.
• Math Escape Room: Design a math-themed escape room with puzzles and problems that students must solve to “escape.”
• Geometry Construction: Teach students how to use a compass and straightedge to construct geometric shapes and angles.
• Math Relay Race:  Divide students into teams and create a relay race with math problems they must solve to pass the baton.

• Mathematical Storytelling: Have students write stories or scenarios that involve math concepts and solve problems within the narrative.
• Measurement Olympics: Set up a measurement-based competition, like seeing who can estimate and measure the length of various objects most accurately.
• Math in Nature: Take students outside to explore the environment and find examples of math concepts like patterns , symmetry, and angles in nature.

Engaging in hands-on learning through math activities and projects can help middle school students develop a deep understanding and appreciation for mathematics. Having explored a variety of fun STEM activities for middle school, it’s worth considering how we can integrate STEM learning into other aspects of a student’s daily experience, including during recess or on the playground.

4 Ways To Integrate STEM Activities Into Middle School Playgrounds

Middle school is a pivotal developmental period for students, marked by a strong desire for knowledge acquisition and exploration. In this phase, students indulge in both physical activity and cognitive stimulation, and incorporating STEM projects for middle school can substantially enhance their educational experience. Thus, it is imperative to investigate why STEM activities should be included in the middle school playground, and one promising answer is through interactive learning stations.

1. Interactive Learning Stations

These learning stations offer a unique opportunity for students to learn while simultaneously enjoying themselves via experiential education. Specifically, students can engage in hands-on activities such as building miniature wind turbines or constructing solar-powered vehicles, which can enhance their problem-solving skills and deepen their understanding of STEM concepts.

2. Outdoor Laboratories

Students may conduct experiments and gather data in outdoor laboratories because they are situated in a natural setting. Weather stations, gardens, and animal habitats can all be included as part of these laboratories. Kids can develop a passion for science and receive real-world experience by participating in these events.

3. Technology Enhanced Playgrounds

The utilization of technology-enhanced playgrounds represents a novel opportunity to combine fitness and STEM activities, thereby improving student engagement in the form of augmented reality activities, interactive displays, and sensory tools. The resultant learning experience is distinctive and enriching. By integrating technology into gardening , students can augment their digital literacy in a enjoyable and educationally valuable manner.

4. Innovative Equipment

Innovative tools can be utilized to design fun STEM projects for middle school that pushes kids to think creatively. Programable robots, 3D printers, and virtual reality headsets are a few examples of this equipment. With the use of this equipment, kids can enhance their creativity and problem-solving abilities while learning more about STEM principles.

The academic achievement, physical health, and general well-being of children can all be dramatically impacted by including STEM activities in middle school playgrounds. By giving children the chance to participate in practical STEM activities, we can help them acquire crucial abilities that will set them up for future success.

Middle school completion is an indispensable prerequisite for reinforcing students’ aptitude and mastery in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). STEM challenges for middle school students are boundless and varied. We must encourage them to face challenges and in order to ensure that students are equipped for future prosperity, we must proffer them with diverting, interactive, and engaging STEM-related activities. Integration of STEM education within the middle school curricula can be accomplished through various methods such as interactive learning stations, avant-garde tools, and outdoor laboratories.

By providing middle schoolers with the best STEM activities, we can encourage and kindle their passion, empowering them to create a better future. Let us, therefore, take the initiative and encourage our schools to allocate sufficient funding toward STEM education. This will help our children realize their full potential and have a transformative impact on the world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can middle school stem instruction aid pupils with learning disabilities.

STEM instruction can be modified to meet the needs of children with varying learning preferences and aptitudes. All pupils can benefit from the promotion of problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.

At what age can you start STEM?

STEM education can start as early as preschool and continues through elementary, middle, and high school. Introducing STEM concepts early helps foster curiosity and lays the foundation for future learning and exploration in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Does incorporating STEM activities into middle school playgrounds come with any risks?

When incorporating STEM activities into playgrounds, safety should always come first. It’s critical to correctly identify risks, train staff members and teachers, and maintain equipment.

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The Ultimate Guide to Hands-on Learning Activities for Middle School

Using hands-on learning activities  is the best way to get and keep middle school students engaged and to help them learn. My favorite subjects to add projects to are middle school geography , history, and science.

As children move through the middle school years they begin to think more critically and ask many “why” questions.  It is not enough to read a fact in a book, they want to test theories and explore possibilities for themselves and hands-on learning activities help to achieve that goal.

Middle school students are also becoming more independent learners.  Often they can complete hands-on learning activities with little help from adults.  Learning to follow directions and working through a problem in a step-by-step fashion are important skills to develop at this age.

With the help of our friends we have gathered many wonderful hands-on learning activities for middle school students in the areas of Art, Field Trips, History & Geography, Language Arts, Life Skills, Math, and Science.

Hopefully this list will be a resource you can refer back to whenever you’re looking for an interesting project to enhance your learning.

This post contains affiliate links.

Table of Contents

Art Project: Canopic Jars

Art Project: Tomb Walls – Combine Art and History!

A Study of Van Gogh

Celebrating Spring with Chalk Art

Chalk Pastels Art

Cherry Blossoms in Porcelain Vase Art Project – Asian Theme Art Lesson 

Chuck Close Portraits

Create a Stained Glass Rose Window

Everything You Need for a Cezanne Study

Fruit and Veggie Art – Examine positive and negative shapes in a piece of fruit or a veggie 

Independent Art Project: Wassily Kandinsky

Learning About Perspective Part I

Learning Art History With Home School In The Woods

Mix Monochromatic Colors!

Studying Baroque Music with SQUILT

Studying the Masters with Mixed Media  

Field trips

6 Things My Older Kids Enjoy at LEGOLAND Florida

7 Places to Homeschool Away From Home in Central Florida

Bring Science to Life at the Aquarium

Digging Up Some Fun at Dinosaur World

Five Reasons to Visit Bok Tower Gardens

Learning at Epcot’s Behind the Seeds Tour

Learning at Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival

LEGO Store – So Much to Explore

Literature Lessons from Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Meet African Animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Meet the Manatees at Blue Springs State Park

Studying History While Visiting the Magic Kingdom

Sweet, Tart Cranberries

Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea

What Older Kids Can Learn at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

History & Geography

5 Easy Colonial America Map Activities for Kids

6 Covered Wagon Learning Activities

Ben Franklin: Inventions and Hands-on History

Build an Edible Ancient Temple

Building Geography Skills with Topographic Maps

Colonial Games for Children

Discover the 13 Colonies Notebooking and Activities

Do the Preamble (Un)Scramble

Draw Your Own Cartouche: Personalized Hieroglyphics

Duct tape warfare

First Battle of Bull Run

Geography Activities: Atlas Scavenger Hunt

Geography Challenge – Boarders, Countries & Continental Drift

Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself

Have Fun with American Heroes: Activities, Projects, and Fascinating Facts

Historical Cooking: Native American Corn Recipes

How to Use American Girl to Study History

Korean War lesson plan

Latitude and Longitude Scavenger Hunt

Make a Seven Wonders of the World Brochure

Make Civil War Hardtack

Medieval Fashion: Peasant Girl

Mummifying a chicken

North Star Geography

Paper Soldiers and Wargames from  Junior General

Play Minecraft

Re-enact History with Duct Tape

Road to Independence – How far did the American delegates travel to sign the Declaration of Independence

Social Studies Actual Size

Spanish American War

Spice Up Your Geography Lessons With Regional Foods

Study the American Revolution by Combining Art and History

Studying Geography with Regional Foods: Russia

The Civil War For Kids: A History With 21 Activities

Time Travelers History Study Series Review

Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War

Victory in Europe

What caused World War 1

Write Mythological Mad Libs

Language arts

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Poem

Activities & Projects to Honor Hans Christian Andersen

Around the World in 80 Days – Book Study & Activities

Biography Report Form

Cause and Effect Card Game Activity

Compare and Contrast – Diagram a Story

Free Literature Resources for Great Classics!

Fun Family Activities for Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Having Fun With the Penderwicks

The Hobbit – Study While Playing Minecraft

How to Write a Detailed Procedure

Macbeth Poem for Kids

Make a Travel Diary – Practice writing skills on a family vacation

Making a Diorama of Dante’s Inferno

Mary Poppins Book Study and Activities

Ode to the Mona Lisa

Peter Pan – Learning Activities

Play Minecraft and Join Your Favorite Books

Robert Frost Study art, resources, rhyme scheme, poetry notebooks 

Romeo and Juliet Poem for Kids

Shakespeare: facts, resources, trips, cake

The Secret Garden Book Study & Activities

World Study Guides for Classic Literature

Life skills

6 Life Skills for Teens

Bridge Builder Instant Challenge ~ Logic for Kids  

Building Life Skills with FIRST LEGO League (FLL)

Goal Setting for Teens

Make a Sequence Sandwich – Learn to decipher directions and practice sequencing

Setting Fitness Goals

Spring Cleaning Science

State the Pros and Cons by Hosting a Mock Debate

Teaching Kids Life Skills: Food Shopping

Teaching Kids Life Skills: Goal Setting

Teaching Kids Life Skills: How to Tie a Necktie

Teaching Kids Life Skills: Managing Schedules

Teaching Kids Life Skills: Money Management

Teaching Kids Life Skills: Sewing

Teaching Kids Life Skills: Thank You Notes

Teaching Kids to Cook ~ Epcot Food & Wine

Teaching My Kids About Meal Planning Was “Easy as Pie”

Teaching Values through Service and Leadership

Weekly Homeschool Planning Meeting with Multiple Ages  

What Our Kids Can Learn From Famous Inventors – The Benefits of Making Mistakes

50+ Math Games

Hands-On Math: Graphing Fun

Life of Fred Played in Minecraft

Living Math: A Round-up of Resources

Math Projects: 50 Hands-On Projects that Correlate to Specific Math Concepts, Grades 5-8+

Number Rings: A Cool Math Game

Real-Life Math : Grocery Store Challenge

Simple Game for Building Mental Math Skills

Three Games You Can Make in Five Minutes

Amoeba Cake

Build an Atom with Candy

Build a Potato Cannon to learn the principle of Boyle’s Law

Easy Science Projects for Studying Friction

Encouraging Girls in STEM

Engineering Science with the World’s Tallest Buildings Unit Study

Experiment with Magnetism: Make a Hanging Compass

Explore Genetics by Finding Family Traits

Exploring Alternative Energy: Hydroelectric Dams

Extract DNA from Spinach

Food Web Activity

Freezer Bubbles, An Easy Science Experiment

Geology Rocks! Learning about Rocks and Minerals

Groovy Science Activity – Make Your Own Lava Lamp

Groundwater Experiment

Gumdrop Structures Engineering Challenge

Hands-on Activities for Weather

How Do Oil Spills Harm Wildlife?

How to Make a Tornado in a Bottle

How to Make an Edible Cell Model

Lego Bacteria

Make a Molecule

Raising Butterflies

Science Activities to Learn About Levers

Science Logic Curriculum

Simple Science: Catapults and Trajectory

Spin the Bucket: A Centripetal Force Experiment

Spring Scavenger Hunt

Stored Energy

Supercharged Science

The Lab Report – Making A Polymer Ball

You Can Order Live Amoebas!

Blogs, Link-ups & Online Resources

Be sure to check out our favorite online resources for middle school hands-on learning:

Adventures in Mommydom

Blog, She Wrote

Eva Varga (aka Academia Celestia)

Our Journey Westward

Starts At Eight

Susan Evans Hands-on Learning

The Homeschool Scientist

The Usual Mayhem

Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

At Curriculum Choice you will find an Ultimate Guide to Choosing Middle School Curriculum  by the review authors.  The authors at the Curriculum Choice have many, many years of experience teaching middle school between them.  They’ve joined together to help you feel confident teaching middle school, too! The following are some of the many middle school reviews our Curriculum Choice authors have written.  You’ll enjoy learning more about the plethora of resources available to you as you teach 6th-8th graders!

Homeschooling Middle School with Pinterest

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Middle School & High School Online Homeschool Communities

16 Comments

Thank you so much for including a couple of our resource posts. Pinning this guide to our Middle School Homeschool Board. Needing it in the next year or 2!

Thank you Thaleia for your great resources!

WOW, Susan, this is an epic post. I’ll say it’s indeed the Ultimate guide. Thanks for putting it together. Will share around 🙂 Just wonderful!

Thank you Meredith! It was fun to pull this together and my kids are thrilled with all of these new ideas!

Well, I will be coming back to it many times I am sure 🙂

Just hopped over from the linkup. Hooray for this awesome list of resources! Got it pinned 🙂

What a GREAT resource!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing on the after school linky!

Wonder list. I’m knee-deep in homeschooling my third middle schooler, with four more coming behind. I love/dread these years as I’ve found them to be not-little but not-big for both the Momma and the student, which can be a tricky balance! Trying to grab on to the joy and not grit my teeth and wait for the high school fun! Lol

Pinning! Thanks for sharing our art project. 🙂 We just finished another Art From History piece, but it’s not up on the blog yet.

• Pingback: Assessing our School Year and Looking Ahead plus Hearts for Home Blog Hop - Apron Strings & other things

I’m a firm believer in hands-on learning – experience is the best teacher! Love this list of resources and ideas – thank you so much for putting it together. I’m featuring it today on the Hearts for Home Blog Hop:)

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Such a great list!

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Fun Activities For Middle School Students At Home: Art Projects, Games, Experiments, And More

April 15, 2024 //  by  Louise Pieterse

Middle school kids are at that weird age where they want to be too old to play but aren’t quite old enough to put their childhood days behind them. Finding at-home activities that interest them and have some sort of educational value seems like a daunting task most of the time.

Here is a list of 25 excellent activities to try at home with middle schoolers, guaranteed to keep them busy, help them learn, and most importantly: let them have tons of fun!

1. Build A Robot Hand

Bring STEM activities home with this cool robot lesson. Let kids use a sheet of paper and some string to build a robotic hand or exoskeleton. See who’s hand can pick up the heaviest object and brainstorm how to make them stronger.

Learn More: Vivify STEM

2. Jelly Bean Building

How do you make science fun? You make it edible of course! With just some jellybeans and toothpicks, kids can unleash their inner engineer and create some epic structures. This is also a great way to try and recreate the molecular structure of elements.

Learn More: Productive Pete

3. Marble Run

This old-school activity is always a winner. Kids love creating elaborate marble runs that could even span across the whole house. Turn it into a lesson of momentum by using different-sized marbles and increasing or decreasing some of the slopes.

Learn More: Teachers are Terrific

4. Make a Movie

Armed with only a camera, kids can easily create a stop-motion film that is sure to impress their friends. They can collect everyday objects around the house and create a funny narrative for them to follow.

Learn More: Boston Children’s Museum

5. Play Board Games

Board games for middle school students are designed to show them the world, teach them about nature, and expand their minds with a series of creative tasks. This is all wrapped up in a neat little package aimed at letting them have tons of fun.

Learn More: Game Cows

6. Make a Podcast

There is no use in fighting against the new age of entertainment. Embrace it and encourage your kids to explore the world of podcasts by letting them make their own one. They can talk about middle school problems, mindfulness, or their general interests.

Learn More: PDX Parent

7. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt can be as easy or as difficult as you want. Involve some math problems or science clues to make an at-home scavenger hunt a little more challenging for different grade levels.

Learn More: Scaffolded Math

8. Online Escape Rooms

Escape rooms are a way for kids to think in abstract ways and find out-of-the-box solutions. This will also have a positive impact on the way they approach school work and learning.

Learn More: Mama Teachers

9. Start a Journal

Journaling on a daily or weekly basis is a great aid to children’s mental health. Penning down both negative and positive emotions is a way for them to understand what they are feeling and how to channel it in a constructive way. Use fun journaling apps to let them get creative and store their journals safely online.

Learn More: Writing Cooperative 

10. Take a Field Trip

Virtual field trips are an excellent way to get kids in touch with a whole host of fascinating locations. Zoos, aquariums, and museums have gone online to give kids fascinating and interactive tours of their world-class facilities as virtual school activities become the norm.

Learn More: Lifewire

11. World Atlas Scavenger Hunt

Broaden their horizon with this fun and interactive atlas scavenger hunt. Gids will get familiar with how to use an atlas, where countries are located on a map, and learn about different places in each country.

Learn More: Education Possible

12. Ice Cream Science

Work on some science skills while making a delicious treat. Middle school children will love that their science lesson gets rewarded with some ice cream, especially if you can add some fun flavors.

Learn More: OSC

13. Virtual Dissection

Of all the virtual school activities, this is certainly one of the more unexpected ones. But doing a virtual dissection fosters a fascination with the intricacies of nature and the life that exists within it.

Learn More: 3 Boys and a Dog

14. Shadow Tracing

Not all middle school kids can draw equally well but this art project is for everyone. Cast a shadow onto pieces of paper and outline the shadow. Then, color in the shape or use watercolor paint to decorate the abstract masterpiece.

Learn More: The Arty Teacher

15. Pendulum Painting

This might be the messiest of all the fun ideas but the artwork kids create is truly something magical. Place pieces of paper on a ground sheet and let the pendulum full of paint swing and create the art. Kids can layer paint or weigh down their pendulums for different effects. This is also a lesson in science and motion so a great 2-in-1 activity.

Learn More: Jenny Rambles

16. Polymer Clay Craft

Polymer clay is a super fun medium to work with. It is easy to shape and comes in all kinds of fun colors. Kids can craft a handy jewelry bowl or get creative and think of a way their clay creation can solve a problem in the house.

Learn More: Woo Jr.

17. Egg Drop

Egg drop experiments are fun for kids of all ages to do at home as it challenges them to push the limits of what is possible. See who can use the least amount of materials or create the craziest-looking nest for the egg.

Learn More: There’s Just One Mommy

18. Sticky Note Art

This activity is a little more difficult than it looks and quite a lot of planning is needed. Print out a pixel version of the kids’ favorite character and let them figure out how to go about arranging the colors and measuring out the image on the wall. This is the kind of hands-on activity that will keep them busy for hours and leave you with a fun wall decoration as a result!

Learn More: All Women’s Talk

19. Do Tie Dye

Middle school children will go crazy at the prospect of creating a tie-dye clothing item. Breathe some new life into old clothes or create matching outfits for the whole family. Level up the difficulty by creating more intricate patterns or sticking to classic swirls for kids with minimal experience.

Learn More: The Craft Train

20. Code a Video Game

This one is for the computer-loving middle school students. Kids need minimal experience in coding to be able to create fun games on Scratch. This activity introduces kids to the world of coding and basic game design, an invaluable skill that could develop into a career later in life.

Learn More: Medium

21. Make Crystals

This is one of the coolest science projects middle school students can get up to at home. Although kids can’t see the chemical reaction happening in front of their eyes, they will still love creating the pipe-cleaner shapes and eagerly waiting for the colorful crystals to emerge in the morning.

Learn More: Team Cartwright

22. Mindfullnes Gardening

Let middle schoolers get their hands dirty in the garden by turning it into a mindful exercise. They should feel the dirt in their hands, smell the soil, and listen to the sounds outside. Outside activities for kids are essential to their overall development and gardening is an excellent way to keep kids busy outside.

Learn More: Confident Counselors

23. Make a Collage

This trend was big in the heyday of magazines but is quickly picking up speed again as it tears kids away from computers and gives them an excellent creative outlet. It could also be used as a mindfulness exercise as kids take time to focus and carefully cut out images.

Learn More: Artsy Fartsy Life

24. Make Edible Biology

Use candy to construct a variety of middle school-appropriate biology structures. Everyone knows the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, but that is way more exciting if it is made from edible marshmallows! Twizzlers and gum drops also make the perfect DNA spiral.

Learn More: Hessun Acadamy

25. Paper Mache

You simply can’t go wrong with a creative paper mache craft. Create a model of the earth, showing all its layers, or make a pinata filled with candy to smash later to help kids get rid of some strong emotions. This is probably the most fun paper art project of them all and will have kids begging for repeat craft sessions soon before long.

Learn More: Red Ted Art

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10 Great Free Games for Middle School Students

Whether they're built for the classroom or more focused on entertainment, there's learning to be found in any game. These 10 free games for middle school weren't all designed for learning, and yet they make history, math, science, language, and coding come alive. They all also make use of what's great about games, by giving students agency and interesting problems to tackle. Use them to pique students' interest in a new topic, help them acquire new skills, or provide real-world context. 

Sanford Harmony Game Room

Low- to no-prep activities for community-building SEL

Bottom Line : Simple SEL integration with conversation starters and team building.

Spaceteam ESL

Chaotic game offers silly yet novel way to practice English vocab

Bottom Line : An irresistibly fun way for ELLs to practice high-frequency English vocabulary, but as an app it's a bit rough around the edges.

GooseChase EDU

Digital scavenger hunts provide dynamic, fresh learning experiences

Bottom Line : Students and teachers will enjoy the powerful learning of a modern scavenger hunt.

GameUp by BrainPop

Grab bag of game goodies creatively explores a variety of subjects

Bottom Line : A really nice variety of subject matter and a unique approach get kids actively involved in the learning process.

Addicting gameplay jazzes up geography

Bottom Line : Game-based platform can get kids interested in world geography and expose them to different cultures on a surface level.

Terminal Two

Engaging games teach programming concepts from blocks to code

Bottom Line : These varied games are great for introducing the fundamentals and practicing but aren't sufficient as a complete curriculum.

Slick ethics game teaches students to make tough decisions

Bottom Line : This versatile game that can teach ethics, argumentation, and civics is light on interactivity but will come alive through discussion.

Well-designed games, lessons can spice up your civics curriculum

Bottom Line : This game-based curriculum would be an excellent addition to any secondary social studies.

Little Alchemy 2

Flex alchemical muscles in amusing, discovery-based puzzler

Bottom Line : This amusing puzzle game encourages creativity, perseverance, and systems thinking, and with creative integration it can build interest in math, science, history, and literature.

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16 Team Building Activities For Middle School (With Video Examples)

Middle school can be a tough time for children.

At this stage in a student’s life, they are more interested in connecting with peers and making friends than anything else.

This is why team-building activities are a great way to start the school year out right or to help reconnect an existing class that needs a little help.

Also, team building allows students to develop stronger relationships and trust among each other.

As well, team building activities are a great way to help students learn how to communicate with each other effectively which is one of the most important skills a middle school student can learn.

In this article, we have found 16 of the best team building activities for middle school students and we have also included video examples so it is much easier for you to implement them at your school.

Feel free to change and mold the activities to what works best for your students.

If you are not a teacher, these activities still work great in any situation where team building is necessary.

Before we get into the more intricate team building games I wanted to remind everyone that just some good ol’ outside time on the court or play area is one of the best ways to get kids to work together.

Whether it is just traditional recess or a more structured game getting kids to work together through physical activities is one of the best ways to create a team both inside and outside the classroom.

Here is some good quality equipment to get you started:

Click on the picture or link below for more information and pricing.

Easy Play Sports and Outdoor Equipment

The effort you put into getting kids to work together, in the beginning, will pay dividends thought the whole school year.

1. Group Paper Tower

In this great team building activity, students will be tasked with building the tallest tower possible with 20 sheets of plain computer paper.

Students are timed but feel free to make a time limit that best fits your students and schedule.

This game is excellent at helping students be creative and really encourages problem-solving.

At the end of the time, each group’s tower is measured to see which one is the tallest.

The activity is also great at helping students learn from their mistakes and learn from how other’s solved a problem.

This activity is not only a great team building activity for middle school but it is a lot of fun.

A very important part of any team building activity is the student’s ability to listen to both peers and teachers alike.

To get more information about how parents and teachers can help children listen go to our article How To Get A Child To Listen In School .

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2. Centipede Ski Challenge

The Centipede or Group Ski Challenge is most likely an outdoor activity.

Although, you could do the activity in the hallway or large space in the school.

In this activity, a group of students will step on the group skis and hold onto the handles.

In order for the students to move, they have to move in un

ison with each step or the ski will not move.

The students will race and move together to see who can get to the finish line first.

The activity does a great job of teaching students about cooperation and how without the help of others it can hard to accomplish a goal.

This activity will not only get the student’s heart racing but it will also be a class favorite.

4 Legged Race Bands is designed to spice up team-building and any outdoor activities as long as 4 players are involved! Work together as a team to walk faster and farther to win the competition.

Click on the picture or link above for pricing and information!

3. Magic Carpet

The Magic Carpet or Tarp Flip is a great way to get kids moving and problem-solving at the same time.

This is a great activity that can be done inside or outside depending on the size of each group.

If you would like to make the number of students smaller in each group you could use a towel rather than a “carpet”.

A group of students stand on a “carpet”, tarp or blanket and try to flip it over while all the students are standing on it.

If a student steps off the “carpet” then the group has to start over.

The students that are able to flip over the “carpet” first (without stepping off of it) are the winners.

This activity does an excellent job of encouraging students to communicate efficiently in order to complete a goal.

Artoflifer Hole Tarp Team Building Game The aim of the challenge is for the tennis ball to travel around the tarp for the longest time possible without falling through the holes or coming off the tarp.

Click on the picture or the link above more more information and pricing

4. Team Pen

Team Pen is a perfect in classroom team building activity.

The teacher will need to tape strings to a large pen before the activity begins.

Students will be placed into teams and each student will hold on to one of the strings connected to the pen.

The teacher will give each group a word to write on a piece of blank paper.

The students within the group will have to navigate the pen together to write the word.

Start out with easy and short words at first but eventually once the kids get better at it this can be a great way to help students practice for their spelling tests or phonics work.

The best part of this activity is seeing what the word ends up looking like once the students are done.

This is such a fun activity I can hear the laughter from here!

Laughter makes everything better! For more laughs please read our article T eacher Jokes (One For Each Day Of The School Year)

Cooperative Stretchy Band 

Made with soft, elastic latex tube and multi-colored fleece fabric that is both strong and stretchy. When children run to different directions, it will not hurt them, making it very safe to use.

Cooperative band adopts soft latex tube that covered with soft multi-colored fabric that encourages group cooperation, interaction and creative movement.

Click on the picture or link above for more information and pricing

5. Pipe Line

Pipe Line can be an indoor or outdoor activity.

Students will each get half of a PVC pipe or long “U” shaped item.

If you do not have a half-pipe piece you can have students create a “U” shape out of a piece of paper or even better a piece of card stock.

This does work well but does increase the difficulty as it is hard to keep the paper stable enough to create the “U” shape and in enough time to let the ball pass through it.

Once you have your “U” shaped item for each of the students they will be put into groups.

The teacher will place a ping pong ball or golf ball at the beginning of their half-pipe and they must tilt it until the ball starts to roll down it.

Once the ball gets to the end another student will have to catch the ball with their half-pipe to continue the ball rolling down the track.

The student who just had a turn and the ball is off their half-pipe will run to the end of the line to help continue the game.

The team that gets to the finish line without their ball falling off the track will win.

6. Knee Relay Race

This is a classic relay race with a twist.

Students will be split into teams and each team will have a medium size ball.

Each team will have to put the ball between their knees and run knock-kneed to a hola-hoop or bucket at the end of the relay.

Once they get to the hula-hoop or bucket they must drop the ball from their knees into the hula-hoop or bucket.

Depending on how difficult you want the game to be you can make a rule that if the student drops the ball outside of the hula-hoop or bucket they have to start over.

Which ever team gets all their balls to their target and back wins.

This game will help create a sense of comradery as it can be a difficult challenge.

7. Cross The Lava Challenge

Cross The Lava is both a great indoor or outdoor team building activity depending on the sizes of the teams.

In this activity, students are put into teams and each student on the team will get a ” Magic Lava Stone” otherwise known as a carpet square, piece of fabric or piece of paper (card stock will work better than regular paper).

The students in each team will stand in a line and the first person will start laying the “Lava Stone” down for them and other students to stand on.

Each student in the team will step forward on the stones until there are no more stones to put down.

At this time the last person in the team will have one empty stone and they will pass the stone up to the front of the line so they can use it to continue the path.

This will continue until one of the teams crosses the finish line or the end of the “Lava”.

This team building activity for middle school students is extremely fun and it fosters critical thinking and teamwork.

This activity really gets kids moving. To learn more about keeping kids healthy please read our article A Complete List Of The Best Exercises For Kids

8. Caterpillar Race

The Caterpillar Race is a fun team building activity for middle school students that promotes teamwork and communication.

Before this activity, the teacher must tape together strong pieces of paper or sew together a long piece of fabric in order to make the “Caterpillar”.

Students will be placed in teams and each team will step into the paper or cloth caterpillar.

They will have to move their feet and their hands to help move it in the direction of the finish line.

Students will have to keep pace with the students in front of them and behind them to be successful.

The students that are able to navigate their caterpillar to the finish line first are the winners.

To make the activity more difficult, use paper to make the caterpillar so that the students have to be very careful not to tear it before they finish which could be quite difficult depending on the materials used.

Learning and having fun is the best way to teach and the Caterpillar Race is a perfect example of that.

Run Mat for Kids is a roll mat race. A racing game that requires team work and coordination, in order to keep tour team running and your mat rolling

For Field Day, Active Play, Balance and Flexibility Team Building & Collaboration, Obstacle Course, Training Tool, Kids Grown-Ups, Group Work, etc.

Group activity for 3-4 adults or 5-7 children

Click on the picture and link above for information and pricing

9. Hula Hoop Pass

One of the best parts about team building is that it helps students understand both their strengths and weaknesses.

It also helps them by seeing how other students handle problems and how they handle the stress associated with those problems.

the Hula Hoop pass seems like an easy task until you try it yourself.

Students will get into teams, make a circle and link hands.

Two people will start the game by putting their hands through the middle of the hula hoop and then linking hands with their partners.

Once the game has started each team will have to move the hula hoop across and over their body to the next student where they will do the same.

The team that is able to move the hula hoop around the entire circle ending with the students who started the game are the winners.

While this game seems simple it does take some coordination.

This game is the perfect opportunity to help teach your students constructive praise techniques.

10. Quadropus Cup Stacking

The Quadropus Cup Stacking game is one of the coolest on our list but it does take a little “crafting” to get started.

Before the game, the teacher or the students will need to make the “cup mover” by fastening a certain number (depending on the size of the teams) of pipe cleaners to a rubber band to create a contraption that will allow the students to pull the pipe cleaners to expand the rubber band and relax the pipe cleaners to contract the rubber band.

The cup mover contraption will allow the students to grasp the cups only if they work cooperatively.

Once the cup mover has been made then students are given different tasks to move and stack the cups in certain patterns.

The best part of this game is that the students must work together in order to move the cup.

If even one student is not working with the team the cup mover will not be effective.

The game is the perfect example of how teamwork is only accomplished when everyone works together.

11. The Human Knot

The Human Knot is similar to the Hula Hoop pass but now there is no hula hoop but you still need to maneuver your body and work together to win the challenge.

The students will be placed into teams and will need to make a circle.

Each student will hold out their right hand and grasp the student’s hand cross from them.

They will do the same with their left hand.

Now it is time for the students to try to maneuver themselves so that they are back in a similar position as they started and “untied”.

This game is a great game to teach direction skills and to help students problem-solve when things don’t go quite right (and they will!).

While this game can get complicated it sets up so many teachable moments that you will have to try it.

12. Marshmellow Tower Challenge

The Marshmallow Tower Challenge is the pinnacle of problem-solving and critical thinking challenges.

Students must use all their team building strategies to complete this task.

Students will be given a certain number of materials and one marshmallow to build a structure the best they can.

While the materials are helpful, there is only a limited amount which makes using them efficiently important and encourages strategy.

Students are encouraged to plan and strategize before making their structure which is a great lesson in itself.

When students are given the opportunity to work together and communicate regardless of how the tower turns out the activity will be successful.

13. Escape Classroom

The Escape Room or Escape Classroom is one of the most engaging and exciting team building activities ever but it takes a lot of planning.

The idea behind this team building activity is that the students are locked in the classroom and have to get out by finding all of the clues left by their capture. ( This is all pretend of course)

The students are split up into teams and must find clues (activities) to move on to the next clue.

The Teacher sets up a group of activities that the students must do in order to get to the next clue which leads them closer to solving the main problem which is escaping from the classroom.

The theme of this team building activity can be anything from a book theme to having students solve certain math problems to escape and win the game.

The first team that can “escape” (by solving all the clues) from the classroom is the winner.

If the teacher can pull off this activity, it will be talked about all school year long.

14. Blind Minefield

The Blind Minefield game is not only a great team-building activity but it is an amazing game for building trust within the teams as the students are blindfolded and they have to rely on their teammates to be successful.

The teacher will set up obstacles either outside or inside the classroom and the students have to navigate through the obstacle course while blindfolded.

Students will be put into teams and each person is selected one at a time to go through the course blindfolded.

The other team members have to call out directions to help the blindfolded person get through the course without touching any of the obstacles.

If the blindfolded person from a team touches an obstacle they lose their turn and another team member gets a turn.

The team with the most people that can get through the obstacle course without touching anything wins.

Everyone will love this one!

15. Pencil Grab

The great part of the team building activity is that it is super simple and it uses one of the most abundant school supplies in the classroom…

The teacher will place pencils on a table or a desk in four or five groups with the number of pencils ranging from smallest to largest. (Group 1- two pencils, Group 2- 4 pencils…)

The students will start the game off with small increments of pencils such as one or two in the first pile.

Students get into teams and they race to see who can grab the most pencils by placing them on the back of their hand.

Once the pencils are placed on the back of the student’s hand they will pop up the pencils in the air and try to grab them with the palm of their hand.

If they can grab all of the first group of pencils they will go to the next group of pencils until they complete all of them or they can not grab them all at the same time and they lose their turn.

The team that can grab the most pencils is the winner!

16. Balloon Pyramid Relay Race

The Balloon Pyramid Relay Race is a great cooperative team building activity.

In this game, each student has to help stack the cups into a pyramid by inflating and deflating a balloon.

Only one student is allowed to work at a time.

Once they are finished with their task they stop and go to the end of the line.

Then it is the next student’s turn to continue the next step of the pyramid.

If a student knocks down a cup they must set the cup up where they found it, go to the end of the line and let another student try. (You can come up with your own rule here that best fits your class).

The team that creates the pyramid first wins.

For more information about why team building is so important please read Michigan State’s article Why is team building so important?

Please Comment Below!

If you have any comments or you have another team building activity that you would like to add to the list, we would love to hear from you!

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10 thoughts on “ 16 team building activities for middle school (with video examples) ”.

This is really a great and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

Awesome games! I’m looking for fun games for our 8th grade retreat and these are great examples.

Thank you so much!

These are great! Thanks for sharing!

Loved these easy and affordable ideas for games!

These are very useful, thanks for sharing. Definitely will use them!

So happy to help! Middle school can be a tough time but with the right activities and help they grown into amazing people!

Fantastic team-building activities! thank you for sharing!

I’m so glad that you found them helpful. Middle school friends need all the help they can get! =)

Thank you for sharing these activities! These will really be enjoyed by students. I think it would be good to try these at the start of the school year and also at the end to see how much they have grown with each other.

We agree wholeheartedly!

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12 Engaging First Day of School Activities for Middle School

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: September 7, 2024

Continuing with our back to school series. In today’s post, I am sharing this handy selection of first day of school activities for middle school students. These exercises and games are meant to turn the first day of school into a fun and exciting learning experience setting the tone for a school year full of discovery, learning, and growth.

First Year of School Activities for Middle School

Here are some practical first day of school activities to use with your middle school students:

1. Icebreaker Games

• Two Truths and a Lie : Each student shares three statements about themselves – two truths and one lie. The rest of the class then tries to guess which statement is the lie. This encourages students to share something about themselves and fosters communication among the class.
• Human Bingo : Create a bingo card with different characteristics or experiences in each square (like “has a pet,” “has been to Europe,” “loves to read”). Students then mingle, trying to find classmates who match the descriptions on their bingo card. This not only helps students get to know each other but also encourages conversation and interaction.
• Scavenger Hunt : This can be particularly useful if you have things in your classroom that you want to familiarize students with. You could list various items or features around the classroom or school, and students need to find and document (maybe even with a selfie!) each item on the list.

2. Goal Setting

Starting the year with a goal-setting activity can be very motivating for students. Provide a template or let them design their own vision boards. You can ask students to list down their academic goals (like “Improve my math grade by one level,” “Read five books this semester”) and personal goals (such as “Join the school’s drama club,” “Learn to play a new instrument”). Encourage them to be specific with their goals. Vision boards can be a more creative approach to this. Let students cut out images and words from old magazines or print from the computer, which represents their goals. They can then glue these onto a poster board, creating a visual representation of their goals for the year.

2. Classroom Rules Discussion

Instead of just giving the students a list of rules, engage them in the process of creating them using a student-centered approach. Ask students what kind of environment they think would be most conducive to learning. What behaviors should be encouraged? Which ones should be discouraged? As a class, work together to turn these ideas into a list of “class norms” or rules. This gives students a sense of ownership and responsibility for their classroom culture.

Related: First Day of School Activities for High School Students

3. Personalized Name Tags

Giving students the opportunity to create their own name tags can be a fun and creative first-day activity. Provide each student with a cardstock rectangle for their name tag. Provide markers, colored pencils, stickers, or other art supplies. Instruct students to include their name prominently on the tag, and to fill the rest of the space with drawings or symbols that represent them, their hobbies, favorite books, favorite subject in school, etc. Once everyone has finished, you can have a sharing session where each student presents their name tag to the class and explains their chosen symbols. This not only makes them feel a part of the classroom, but also helps their classmates (and you) get to know them better.

4. “Get to Know Me” Presentation

This activity encourages students to share a bit about themselves and their lives outside of school. Students prepare a short presentation (maybe 3-5 slides) about themselves. They can include information about their family, their hobbies, their favorite books or movies, what they did over the summer, etc. Encourage them to include pictures or other visual elements in their presentation. Depending on your class size and schedule, students can present on the first day, or you can spread the presentations out over the first week of school.

5. Interview Each Other

Pairing students up for interviews can be a fun and interactive way for students to get to know each other. First, provide a list of questions that students can ask their partners. These could include questions about hobbies, favorite and least favorite school subjects, favorite books or movies, interesting experiences, etc. Have students pair up, and give them a set amount of time (5-10 minutes per person) to interview each other. After the interviews, you can have a few pairs share what they learned about their partner with the class. This not only encourages active listening but also allows the entire class to get to know each other better. This activity also sets a precedent for students working in pairs, which can be a common setup for future class activities.

6. Interactive Quizzes

Using tools like Kahoot or Quizizz can be a fun, interactive way to get students engaged and also assess their prior knowledge. You can create a quiz related to the subject you will be teaching, which can help you understand what students already know, and where gaps might be. For instance, if you’re a history teacher, you could have a quiz on historical events or figures. Alternatively, a general knowledge or fun facts quiz can be a light-hearted way to ease into the school year, particularly if students are feeling nervous. These tools also allow for competitiveness, as students can see their names on the leaderboard. This can be motivating and engaging for many students.

7. Group Project

Group projects are a great way to encourage cooperation and teamwork . For a subject-related project, you might divide students into small groups and have them create a poster or a presentation on a specific topic. For instance, in a science class, each group could be assigned a different aspect of the solar system to research and present. Alternatively, a more creative, fun group project might be creating a class mural or designing a dream school. This can help students bond over shared creativity and problem-solving. Remember to establish group norms and expectations to ensure that all students participate and collaborate effectively.

8. “A Letter to My Future Self”

This introspective activity allows students to reflect on their present state and their hopes for the future. Instruct students to write a letter to their future selves, reflecting on their current feelings, goals, and expectations. They might write about their hopes for the school year, what they’re nervous about, or what they’re looking forward to. Seal the letters in envelopes, and store them away until the end of the school year. Reopening and reading the letters at the end of the year can be a powerful experience for students. It allows them to see their growth over the year and reflect on how they’ve met or adjusted their goals and expectations.

9. Syllabus Quiz Game

To make the review of the syllabus more interactive and engaging, consider turning it into a game. After going over the syllabus and class policies, divide students into teams and ask questions based on the syllabus. Each team gets a point for a correct answer. You could use a tool like Kahoot or Quizizz to create a digital quiz, or simply ask questions aloud and have teams write down their answers. This approach encourages students to pay attention to important details in the syllabus and ask any questions they may have.

10. Classroom Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt can be a fun and active way to familiarize students with the classroom and the school. Create a list of items or locations for students to find. These could be things in the classroom (like a certain book or supply), or locations around the school (like the library or the nurse’s office). If appropriate, students could take pictures of each item/location with a phone or digital camera. You could also turn this into a team competition, with the first team to find all items winning a small prize.

11. Reading and Discussing a Short Story or Article

Using a text relevant to your subject on the first day can set the tone for the kind of work you’ll be doing in class. Choose a short story or article related to the subject you’re teaching. Try to select something engaging but not too challenging, as this activity is more about sparking discussion and less about testing comprehension skills. After reading, lead a class discussion on the text. Ask students about their thoughts, their reactions, and any questions they may have. You could also ask more specific comprehension or analysis questions. This activity not only gets students immediately involved in academic work, but also gives you a chance to assess their reading and discussion skills.

12. Student Surveys

A student survey can be a great way to learn more about your students and their learning preferences. You can include questions about their favorite and least favorite subjects, their hobbies and interests outside of school, their learning style preferences (like visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learning), and any past experiences they’ve had with the subject you’re teaching. Make sure to review these surveys early in the year, as they can provide valuable insight into how to best teach and motivate each student. There are many online tools you can use to create and distribute these surveys, such as Google Forms or SurveyMonkey. However, a simple paper survey can work just as well.

Final thoughts

I’ve shared a collection of first-day activities for middle school, from ice-breakers and goal setting to more involved projects and discussions. No matter where you are in your teaching journey, I hope you find something in this list that you can adapt to your unique teaching style and classroom culture.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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ESL Activities

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More

in Listening · Speaking · Writing

Fun Activities for Middle School Students: Games & Lesson Ideas

If you’re looking for some fun games for middle school students, you’re definitely in the right place. Keep on reading for all the classroom games for middle school that you could possibly need!

Fun activities for middle schoolers

Fun Games and Activities for Middle School Students

Let’s get into the games for middle schoolers to try out. They are challenging, engaging, interactive and can be used for variety of topics and situations.

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#1: Charades

I’m sure everyone has played charades before. You have to act out some words or phrases for your team who has to get what that word or phrase is. My middle school students really enjoy this game and I’m sure yours will as well!

#2: Apples to Apples With Middle Schoolers

Check out this fun vocabulary game. You can make your own deck, or have a look for the actual game. It’s easy to find in any store, or on a place like Amazon . Either way, it makes a really nice activity and the best part is that it’s at least partly educational!

#3: The Line-Up Game

This is a fun game for middle school that is a serious test of teamwork. Have a look here for all the details:

Line-Up Game .

#4: Would You Rather Questions for Middle School Students

Have some fun with this middle school life activity:

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 81 Pages - 12/19/2022 (Publication Date)

#5: Concentration

Try out this fun game that is a serious test of memory!

Concentration Game .

#6: Two Truths and a Lie

#7: riddles.

Who doesn’t love a good riddle, right? Here are some of the best ones (with answers!).

Riddles for Kids .

#8: Triva for Middle School Students

A nice option for middle schoolers is to do some trivia. Here are a few options:

Country Trivia

Human Body Trivia

Language Trivia

#9: 20 Questions

This game is a nice option if you have a few spare minutes at the end of class and need to kill some time. Choose a secret thing and students can ask yes/no questions to figure out what it is. My rule is that a guess counts as a question as well to prevent random guessing.

#10: A to Z Game For Middle School Students

Try out this quick game for a nice warm-up activity:

#11: Pictionary

Pictionary is very similar to charades, except that you have to draw the word or phrase, instead of acting it out. It makes a really nice activity for this age group. Try it out!

#12: Name 5

This is a simple race game. Put students into pairs and tell them to, “Name 5 _____.”  (sweet breakfast foods, sports that use a stick, popular vacation destinations, etc.). The first team to write down 5 things can put up their hand and the teacher can check.

#13: Password

Have some fun with vocabulary. This game requires students to work in teams and give hints about secret words. Try it out:

Password Game .

Fun middle schooler activities and games

#14: What Am I? Middle School Game

You may have played this game at a party before. Write down some famous people, animals, things, etc. on Post-it notes. Then, put one one each student’s back. They have to circulate around the class, asking yes/no questions to their classmates to try to figure out who or what they are.

#15: Have a Debate with Middle School Students

Middle school students have strong opinions about almost everything! Have a look here at some of the best things to talk about:

Simple Debate Topics .

#16: The Memory Circle Game

Check out this challenging memory game that can be used for a variety of topics.

#17: Math Riddles

If you want to have some fun with middle school math, have a look at some of these riddles:

Math Riddles with Answers .

#18: Word Origins

• 108 Pages - 01/18/2023 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)

My students love learning about the origins of common idioms and phrases. Try it out with yours!

#19: Draw This! for Middle School

Try out this simple activity that focuses on communication skills. Put students into pairs and find a picture of something. One student faces the picture and has to describe it to their partner who can’t see it. Compare the end results with the original version.

#20: Sports Vocabulary Quiz

If you have a sporty class, check out this fun vocabulary quiz. It’s challenging, interactive and a nice way to have some fun with your students.

#21: Scattergories

Give students a list of categories (e.g., animals, food, countries) and a letter of the alphabet. They have a limited time to write down words that fit each category starting with that letter. The goal is to come up with unique answers that others may not have thought of.

#22: Kahoot

Create interactive quizzes using the Kahoot platform or other similar quiz-making tools. Students can compete individually or in teams, answering questions on various subjects. It’s engaging and provides opportunities for learning and friendly competition.

Give students a word, and they must describe it to their classmates without using certain “taboo” words. It helps develop vocabulary, communication skills, and critical thinking.

#24: Balloon Pop Relay

Divide students into teams. Each team must race to pop balloons by sitting on them or using other creative methods. It’s a high-energy game that encourages teamwork, coordination, and friendly competition.

#25: Spelling Bee

Organize a spelling competition where students take turns spelling words aloud. Start with easier words and gradually increase the difficulty. It’s a fun way to improve spelling skills and build confidence.

#26: Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of items or clues that students must find within a designated area. It can be done indoors or outdoors. Scavenger hunts promote problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking.

#27: Minute to Win It Challenges

Set up a series of short, timed challenges using everyday objects. For example, students must stack cups into a pyramid, transfer objects with chopsticks, or complete other fun tasks within one minute. It’s fast-paced and encourages creativity, dexterity, and quick thinking.

FAQs for Fun Middle School Games

There are a number of common questions that teachers have about making class fun for middle schoolers. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What are some fun activities for middle school students to do in class?

• Team-based trivia games, where students compete in groups to answer questions.
• Hands-on science experiments or demonstrations to make learning interactive.
• Creative writing exercises, such as storytelling or creating their own comic strips.
• Role-playing activities or simulations to engage students in real-life scenarios.
• Collaborative art projects, such as mural painting or creating a class collage.

How can I make math class more enjoyable for middle school students?

• Incorporate math games and puzzles to make learning more interactive and engaging.
• Use real-life examples and applications of math concepts to show their relevance.
• Provide opportunities for group work and collaborative problem-solving.
• Introduce hands-on activities that involve measuring, constructing shapes, or using manipulatives.
• Gamify math lessons by using online math platforms or creating a points/rewards system.

What are some fun physical education activities for middle school students?

Organize team sports like basketball, soccer, or volleyball tournaments. You can also set up obstacle courses or relay races to promote physical fitness and teamwork. Consider offering dance or Zumba classes to make exercise enjoyable and enhance coordination.

How can I make history class more engaging for middle school students?

You can make history class more interesting by conducting debates or doing mock trials to encourage critical thinking and understanding of historical events. You might also ceate interactive timelines or historical dioramas to visualize historical periods.

What are some fun activities for middle school students to do during breaks or downtime?

• Set up a board game corner with a variety of games for students to play.
• Create a reading nook with a selection of age-appropriate books and magazines.
• Provide art supplies for drawing, coloring, or crafting activities.
• Encourage students to engage in physical activities, such as jumping rope or playing with a soft ball.
• Have a designated “brain break” area with puzzles, brain teasers, or Sudoku for mental stimulation.

Fun Activities for 8th Graders

There are many fun activities for 8th graders that can be both fun and educational. Here are some ideas:

STEM Challenges : Designing and building structures, creating simple machines, or conducting science experiments.

Creative Writing : Writing short stories, poems, or scripts for skits.

Debates : Discussing and debating current events or ethical issues.

Art Projects : Painting, drawing, or sculpting.

Historical Role-Playing : Acting out scenes from history or famous literature.

Team Sports : Organizing games like soccer, basketball, or volleyball.

Community Service : Volunteering for local organizations or participating in clean-up projects.

Math Games : Playing math-related games to reinforce concepts.

Book Clubs : Reading and discussing books as a group.

Science Fair : Conducting experiments and presenting findings.

These activities can help students develop various skills while having fun and interacting with their peers.

Middle School Activities: Join the Conversation

Do you have any fun middle school activities that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 20 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder , 67 ESL Conversation Topics ,and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook Instagram

Top Selling ESL Activity Book

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Best-selling author and English teacher Jackie Bolen has been talking ESL activities and games since 2015. The goal is to bring you the best ideas, lesson plans, and activity recommendations for your TEFL classes.

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NextLesson Blog

Connect learning to the real world, 100+ project-based learning ideas for every age.

This blog series was authored by our own A.J. Juliani, Head of Learning & Growth.

“Everything begins with an idea.” – Earl Nightingale

When I started on my Project-Based Learning journey, I always wondered what other teachers were already doing with PBL in classrooms around the country and world. I remember joining Ning sites and finding other teachers who were doing PBL, it was like a dream come true to chat and discuss and learn.

With the growth of Twitter, blogging, and conference I was able to meet educators from around the world who have inspired me to go deeper into Project-Based Learning. Their ideas were what got me started documenting projects and step-by-step practices that would enhance any PBL experience.

PBL is growing because it engages and empowers students to learn experientially and share that learning in new and unique ways that go well beyond the classroom. Yet, many teachers are asking: How do we plan and implement PBL? How do we “fit it in” our current curriculum? How do we assess it using our current grading guidelines? How do we manage this type of learning?

These are all real concerns and questions that cannot be dismissed. PBL takes time to plan, implement, manage, and assess. Then it takes time to tweak, improve, and highlight.

If you asked any teacher, administrator, parent, school board member, student, or community member to list their top goals for an academic program, you would see achievement, 21st-century competencies, equity, and motivation all at the top.

Project-based learning is shown to work in all kinds of schools, in all different grade levels, with students of varying backgrounds and abilities.

So, if this is what the research says about PBL, then why do we still have so many schools falling into the test prep trap? Why do some many teachers feel like they cannot make the jump into PBL? Why haven’t we seen a nationwide movement towards PBL as a best and effective practice for all students?

It comes back to HOW to do PBL in the midst of standards and curriculum. I’ve put together a free workshop to show you the 5-step process to do just that.

I’m holding three workshops this week (for K-5, 6-12, and school leaders):

• For Elementary Teachers (K-5 Workshop)
• For Middle School and High School Teachers (6-12 Workshop)
• For School Leaders (Admin and Central Office Workshop)

Ideas to Get You Started

Grades 6-8 ela, grades 6-8 social studies, grades 6-8 science, grades 6-8 math, grades 9-12 ela, grades 9-12 math, grades 9-12 science, grades 9-12 social studies.

It comes back to HOW to do PBL in the midst of standards and curriculum. I’ve put together a free workshop to show you the 5-step process to do just that. You don’t need to start from scratch, instead, you can get a jumpstart on the process.

You can sign-up to be a part of the training right here! If you can’t make the time, please sign-up so you can get the recording.

Are you ready to hit the ground running? Let’s get started!

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Know Where Your Food Comes From! 5 Free Nutrition Education Video Lessons for Your Classroom

Meet educational standards for science, social studies, language arts, and more using these engaging programs.

The Educated Choices Program is a nonprofit providing free food-related education programs to schools. They empower students to make informed decisions about their food, building a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone. Learn more about their free programs, lessons, and video library right here.

Food has an incredible way of bringing people together and generating good conversations, and it can have that same positive impact in the classroom. The food choices we make on a daily basis have education opportunities that go much deeper than general nutrition education. From food waste and sustainability to new technology and planning for the future, there are many ways learning where your food comes from can fuel lessons in all sorts of subject areas. 

We recently learned about the Educated Choices Program, a nonprofit that provides free food-related nutrition education to schools. The materials are available in multiple languages and include videos, lesson plans, and student activities for more than a dozen topics. We pulled out five of our favorites, featured below. We love programs that really are free and clearly prioritize teacher and student interests. Check them out to see how they might fit into your needs this school year. 

Learn about the personal impacts of your food choices with Healthful Eating

This nutrition education video focuses on learning about how the foods we eat every day can impact our health. It takes a look at how the right types of fiber, carbohydrates, protein, calcium, and other nutrients can prevent and reverse cancers and diseases. 

How it meets standards

It aligns with 83 different academic objectives, so you can feel good using it across the board. It’s especially great for health and wellness, nutrition, and physiology. 

Why we love it

This lesson does a great job of breaking down the food we see in our everyday lives. It does so in a friendly and visual way, helping students make the connection between food choices and overall health. 

Discover the connection between the environment and modern agriculture 

How are dietary choices connected to challenges like deforestation, excessive resource usage, and water and air pollution? This video lesson answers these questions and others by looking at sustainability as a whole.

The video taps into 70 different educational standards, including those in career development, ethical and social responsibility, and design and biotechnology. 

It tackles animal-based and plant-based foods in factual and thoughtful ways. It shares the information, encourages discussion, and suggests incremental and accessible dietary changes.

Examine food supply in Rethinking Food Waste 

As a whole, the USDA estimates we waste between 30% and 40% of food—more than a billion tons per year. This video really takes a closer look at the food supply chain to break up the four stages: production, processing, distribution, and consumption. 

It aligns with 64 standards, especially when it comes to scientific inquiry and problem-solving. 

It takes something really familiar to most people—a slice of pizza—and looks at how easy it can be to create food waste. This relatable, simple example is perfect for engaging students. 

See the impact of Our Carbon Foodprint 

This video takes a much deeper look at animal-based foods and the overall environmental impact when it comes to climate change. From food waste to greenhouse gas emissions, it examines the day-to-day impact of food production.

It can be used to fulfill 73 different standards, and we especially like it for standards like global issues, cultural awareness, and environmental health. 

It presents the information in a direct, non-judgmental way. Plus, it offers up solutions for smart sustainable swaps. 

Look at technology and the Future of Food 

How can technology play a role in improving food sustainability in the future? This nutrition education video takes a look at our past, present, and future to gain a better understanding of what needs to be done to really make a difference. 

It applies to 91 different educational standards, including environmental health, technology, and the tie between society and the environment. 

It feels like this is just the beginning when it comes to conversations about food technology, and this is a great tool to help teachers have these conversations with students. 

You can feel good about using the video lessons in your day-to-day curriculum because the team at the Educated Choices Program has developed dozens of educational guidelines based on academic standards throughout the United States, Canada, and several other countries. We highlighted the number of standards that align with each of these, which you can use with their handy guide tied to these key categories: 

• Family and Consumer Science 
• Health, Wellness, and Physical Education 
• Environmental and Earth Sciences 
• Engineering, Technology, and IT 
• Biology and Life Sciences 
• Physics and Chemistry 
• Language Arts and Literacy 
• Philosophy, Ethics, and Religion 
• Social Studies 
• Economics, Business, and Finance 
• Mathematics 
• Foreign Language 

Food really can be a great launchpad for teaching about biology, social studies, mathematics, and many other subjects. To see even more free video programs and lessons, check out the Educated Choices Program Library . These ready-made nutrition education lessons might be just what you need to get conversations going in your classroom.

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Home » Blog Posts » Teaching Middle Schoolers: Insights and Tips for a Successful School Year

Teaching Middle Schoolers: Insights and Tips for a Successful School Year

• Blog Posts , Teacher Tips

Are you ready to take on the challenge of teaching middle schoolers? 🤔 Middle school is a unique and transformative time for students , and as teachers, it’s crucial to start the school year off on the right foot. This post will guide you through essential tips and strategies to help you succeed in teaching middle schoolers , with a special focus on 6th grade. Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or new to this age group, these insights will help you create a successful and engaging learning environment .

This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which do not cost any extra for you. Please see the   full disclosure here .

How is Teaching Middle Schoolers Different?

Teaching middle schoolers is a whole new ball game compared to elementary school. At this stage, students are going through significant physical and emotional developmental changes. They’re navigating the tricky waters of adolescence, so their social lives, self-awareness, and academic responsibilities are all intensifying. 📚

In 6th grade, students are expected to take on more complex tasks and develop critical thinking skills . This is also the time when they start to crave independence, yet they still need structure and guidance. Understanding this balance between independence and support is key to being an effective middle school teacher.

Middle schoolers also thrive on relevance and engagement. They’re not just learning for the sake of it anymore— they want to know why they’re learning something and how it applies to their lives . This shift requires you to connect lessons to real-world scenarios and find ways to make learning meaningful.

For more on easing the transition to middle school, check out my post on How to Help Elementary Students Transition to Middle School .

How to Succeed as a Middle School Teacher

Surviving and thriving as a middle school teacher requires a mix of resilience, creativity, and adaptability. Here’s how you can set yourself up for success:

Embrace the Chaos

Middle school is a whirlwind of energy and emotions. Embrace the unpredictability and understand that each day might bring new challenges. Stay flexible and be prepared to adjust your plans as needed. Remember, it’s okay if things don’t always go according to plan—what matters is how you handle those moments.

Build a Strong Classroom Culture

A positive classroom culture is the foundation for a successful school year. Create an environment where students feel safe, respected, and valued. Establish clear expectations, but also make room for fun and creativity. Building relationships with your students will go a long way in fostering a sense of community and belonging.

Stay Organized

Organization is key when juggling the demands of teaching middle school. From lesson planning to grading, staying on top of your tasks will help reduce stress and prevent burnout. Utilize planners, digital tools, and time management strategies to keep everything in order.

Find Your Support System

Teaching can be tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. Lean on your colleagues for support and collaboration. Whether it’s sharing lesson ideas, discussing challenges, or simply venting after a tough day, having a strong support system can make all the difference.

Keep Learning and Growing

The best teachers are always learning. Stay curious and open to new teaching strategies, tools, and resources. Professional development, networking with other educators, and reflecting on your practice will help you continue to grow as a teacher.

Take Care of Yourself

Self-care isn’t just a buzzword—it’s essential for your well-being. Make time for activities that recharge you, whether it’s exercise, hobbies, or simply relaxing with a good book. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so take care of yourself so you can be at your best for your students.

By embracing these strategies, you’ll not only survive but thrive as a middle school teacher. It’s a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey, and with the right mindset and tools, you’ll make a lasting impact on your students’ lives.

For a comprehensive guide on planning your school year, check out my post on 5 Easy Steps to Plan Your Entire School Year in Advance .

Insights and Tips for Teaching Middle Schoolers

Teaching middle schoolers can be incredibly rewarding when you approach it with the right mindset and tools. Here are 8 tips to ensure a successful school year:

1. Build Strong Relationships

Understanding each student as an individual is key. Use icebreakers, one-on-one conversations, and regular check-ins to build rapport. Show genuine interest in their lives outside of school—whether it’s their hobbies or favorite sports team, this connection will make a huge difference. One fun way to get to know your students and help them connect with each other is through Scavenger Hunts . These activities break the ice and encourage teamwork and communication, making them an excellent tool for building strong relationships right from the start.

2. Set Clear Expectations and Procedures

“Middle schoolers thrive on consistency. Set clear rules and procedures from day one and involve students in the rule-making process to give them a sense of ownership. This helps them understand the boundaries while feeling respected and valued.

To reinforce these expectations and celebrate students’ efforts, consider using these Inspirational and Motivational Stickers . These stickers are a great way to provide positive reinforcement and keep students motivated throughout the school year.

3. Engage Them with Relevant Content

Make lessons relevant by connecting them to real-life scenarios. Discuss current events, popular culture, or issues that resonate with their age group. Incorporating technology, like educational apps or interactive whiteboards, can also keep them engaged and eager to learn.

With the rise of AI, your middle schoolers are bound to be curious about it. Dive into my blog post on using ChatGPT in the Classroom for some cutting-edge tips to keep your students engaged and ahead of the curve.

4. Be Flexible and Patient

Remember that middle schoolers are still developing. Be flexible with your teaching methods, adapting to their needs as they grow. Reinforce the idea that learning is a journey and that it’s okay not to have all the answers right away to encourage a growth mindset.

In the meantime, hang up these Mindset Posters in your classroom to inspire and motivate your students every day. These visual reminders can reinforce the growth mindset message and create a positive learning environment.

5. Focus on Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is crucial. Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior, and address disruptions calmly to prevent escalation. Establishing a well-managed environment helps students feel secure and ready to learn.

For more strategies on keeping your classroom buzzing with engagement, check out this book: Classroom Engagement Games: From Boring to Buzzing . It’s packed with ideas to keep your students engaged and your classroom running smoothly.

6. Encourage Collaboration and Group Work

“Teamwork makes the dream work! Middle schoolers benefit greatly from structured group activities that promote collaboration. These activities help them develop social skills and learn to work effectively with others, which are essential skills for their future. One effective way to foster collaboration is through Novel Studies . Using novel studies in your classroom engages middle schoolers and encourages them to discuss, analyze, and connect with the material, enhancing their collaborative learning experience.

7. Support Their Emotional and Social Development

Creating a safe space in your classroom is essential. Teach emotional intelligence by incorporating lessons on empathy, self-awareness, and communication. This will support students’ academic and personal growth.

One way to reinforce these concepts is through literature. Consider incorporating books like Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lai into your curriculum. These stories offer powerful lessons on empathy, kindness, and cultural awareness, helping students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others.

8. Make Learning Fun and Engaging

Variety is the spice of life, especially in the classroom! Mix up your teaching methods with games, hands-on activities, and creative projects to keep students engaged. When learning is fun, it becomes more effective and memorable. For some great ideas, check out my post on 6th Grade Literacy Centers , which offers plenty of ways to make ELA lessons interactive and enjoyable. If you’re looking for ready-to-use resources, don’t miss my 6th Grade Literacy Centers Bundle —perfect for boosting engagement and helping your students thrive!

For more engaging classroom ideas, check out my YouTube videos: Middle School Classroom Management Strategies and Fun Activities to Engage 6th Graders . Don’t forget to grab these Free 6th Grade ELA Activities to get started right away!

If you’re looking for more tips and resources on teaching middle schoolers, check out these posts:

• How to Help Elementary Students Transition to Middle School
• Homeschooling Middle Schoolers

Teaching middle schoolers may come with its challenges, but with the right strategies and a positive mindset, it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences. Remember, every day is an opportunity to make a difference in your students’ lives. Start the school year strong, keep these tips in mind, and enjoy the journey of teaching middle schoolers! 😊

Happy Teaching! 🎉

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