Ways To Bring Fun To School Assignments (All Grades)

There are plenty of ways to bring fun and pique interest in homeschooling, even if the subject is something that you would normally consider less than amusing.

Look for creative ways to present schoolwork. Science experiments, 3D models, hands-on projects, digital animation, movie making, creating slideshows, using gifs and imagery, decorative fonts, story writing, poetry, debates, newspaper articles, letter writing, surveys, quizzes, indoor/outdoor art projects, work experience, internships, volunteering, and entering competitions are some ways to bring out the creativity in even the most mundane class! These resources can be used by students, parents & teachers alike!

ELA Contests:

- Turn your short story of poetry collection into a book using a binding machine

- Experiment writing different things: poetry, story writing, non-fiction, journal writing, narrative writing, critical writing, analytical writing, writing newspaper editorials, book reports, essays, letter writing, resume writing, debate writing, comparison and contrast reports, chart making, poster making, slideshow making, script writing.

- Express your project in new and exciting ways: write it in a document, or write it in a slideshow.

- Insert pictures to make your project more engaging

- Create a chart or a survey for people to take

- Design a website (Wix and Google Sites are good platforms)

- If the book you're reading has a movie that accompanies it, make sure you watch the film (it will give you a better understanding of the book's plot)

- Submit your work to competitions (especially if you're trying to get your foot in the door of book publishing).

Math Projects:

- Watch lots of math videos for understanding the concept

- Download apps that help you understand math concepts (like BuzzMath, Prodigy, CK12, Phet Simulations, PhotoMath, Khan Academy, Geometry Pad, Mathway, Geogebra, Math Games, and *Brainscape flashcards*)

Social Studies Projects:

- Send one of your essays to a political leader if you want to address change in your government

- Send a school article to your local newspaper or community news site and see if they will publish your project

- Create a cartoon out of present day and history political movements

- Write a political essay, debate or speech as if you were going to present it to the House of Commons (I recall writing a few 30 page debates, and submitting them to the leaders of our government.)

Science Contests:

- The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is an annual contest for student's who want to step into their STEM creativity (This year's themes are "build a machine that can shake and pour a box of Nerds candy", and "building a Rube Goldberg machine on Minecraft").

- The Science Art Exchange offers contests for kids of all ages relating to science and art. (I previously competed in, and won honourable mention (2nd place), in the International Humans In Space Youth Art competition by writing a poem about travelling to the Moon). They have all kinds of competitions for all ages, right into university.

- Check for any local Science Fairs being advertised in your community.

Science Projects:

- Mentos & club soda experiment

- Baking soda & vinegar volcano

- Electrical circuits (used to wire a small motor into a remote control car, or control lights on a dollhouse)

- Hydraulic elevator experiment

- Elephant toothpaste

- Tornado in a bottle

- Pasta rocket

- Make DIY Lava lamps

- White flowers in coloured water experiment

- Digital simulations

- 3D rendering software

- (For the more extreme science experiments, there are plenty of great videos on Youtube like Nile Red, Chatzida, The Science Classroom, and Thoisoi 2 Chemical Experiments.)