During testing week, students often experience stress and feeling overwhelmed.
As a teacher, it’s essential to incorporate fun activities into your daily lesson plan that can be done during testing week.
The following fun activities to do during testing week aim to help students release stress, reduce test anxiety, and relax – ensuring they are mentally prepared for the following day’s tests.
What’s more, these tasks require minimal preparation.
While these fun testing week activities may not be explicitly focused on learning, they still offer valuable opportunities for students to engage and unwind.
By incorporating them, you break the monotony of the regular testing week routine and provide a refreshing change for students.
Fun Activities to Do During Testing Week
Make an Alphabet Book.
An enjoyable activity to do during testing week is to create an alphabet book based on a fun topic.
Provide a template for the alphabet book, or students can use a notebook to write down all the letters of the alphabet.
Keeping it simple, they will assign a letter to each page and choose a topic. Then, for each letter, they brainstorm and write down a word that starts with that letter but is related to the broader topic.
This process continues for every letter of the alphabet.
Once they have gathered all the information, they compile it into a booklet, dedicating a page to each respective letter.
Participate In a Sporting Competition.
Another fantastic activity for testing week is to take students outdoors for a fun sporting competition.
Sporting competitions provide an opportunity for students to exercise, enjoy fresh air, and take a break from sitting indoors.
These activities work best when the class is divided into two groups, but you can also have one-on-one games like tetherball.
Group games that involve two teams, such as relay races or soccer, are great options.
Related Post: 25+ Activities To Do After Standardized Testing
Learn Outside.
Another great option for teachers who want their students to continue learning during testing week is to take the regular lessons outdoors.
Students find a grassy/shady area outside which will provide a refreshing and relaxing atmosphere.
They engage in various activities such as reading, snacking, and socializing with peers.
Play Bingo.
Bingo can be adapted to any subject, grade level, or age group, making it highly flexible and enjoyable for all students.
And you don’t even have to spend time making game boards as students can simply sketch their own in a notebook or on a piece of paper.
To add more fun, choose a bingo theme that resonates with students, such as summer, the end of the school year, or a topic related to a recent read-aloud book.
Consider awarding winners with a small prize or allowing them to enjoy gentle bragging rights.
Take a Virtual Field Trip.
Virtual field trips offer an exciting way to bring the learning experience into the classroom, allowing students to explore places they may not have the opportunity to visit otherwise.
The internet provides a wealth of options for virtual field trips, catering to different interests, age groups, grade levels, and educational goals.
Whether it’s exploring historical landmarks, natural wonders, museums, or cultural sites, there are numerous virtual resources available to create an immersive experience.
By incorporating virtual field trips as one of the fun activities for testing week, you expose students to new knowledge and perspectives.
Do Survey and Graphing Activities.
Another task to consider as one of your fun activities to do during testing week is having students conduct surveys on various topics.
Students may create surveys about any fun topic such as favorite book genres, music interests, or favorite foods.
The possibilities for survey topics are endless.
After conducting the surveys, students use the data to create different types of graphs.
Participate In Classic Childhood Games.
Head outdoors to play classic childhood games such as Red Rover, Duck Duck Goose, Red Light Green Light, and kickball.
These games promote physical activity and encourage social interaction, teamwork, and a sense of camaraderie among students.
Create Bookmarks.
Making bookmarks provides a fun and relaxing activity for students during the week of standardized testing.
It allows them to unleash their creativity and personalize their bookmarks based on themes from their favorite subjects or books they have recently read.
Color or Draw.
Coloring has a multitude of benefits and is not limited by age or grade level. It fosters creativity, enhances fine motor skills, reduces stress, and promotes relaxation.
Incorporating coloring as one of your fun activities for testing week provides students with an opportunity to relax and recharge.
Make an Affirmations Book.
Students create a book filled with positive affirmations and quotes.
Making these books is simple. Provide white paper, and have students staple them together.
On each page, they write a positive affirmation accompanied by an illustration.
Complete Hidden Picture Puzzles.
Purchase a book of Hidden Picture Puzzles, or find some online.
These puzzles are entertaining and foster a sense of fun competition as students strive to be the first to find all the hidden pictures!
Play Charades.
Consider adding charades to your collection of fun activities for testing week.
Charades is an exciting game where students act out words or actions related to a subject.
Other students then guess the word or action based solely on the act.
This nonverbal game is not only loads of fun but also encourages movement, teamwork, laughter, and relaxation.
Play Board Games.
Board games offer a multitude of benefits, including teaching students how to follow instructions, promoting sportsmanship, encouraging collaboration, and enhancing critical thinking skills.
There are numerous fun options to choose from, such as Monopoly, Sorry, Scrabble, and Chess.
Set up different centers within the classroom, each featuring a specific board game, allowing students to rotate and play during designated break periods.
Watch a Movie.
One of the easiest activities to incorporate during the week of standardized testing is to schedule a movie day.
Allow students to sit on the carpet, sit with a friend, and/or munch on snacks.
Final Thoughts About Fun Activities to Do During Testing Week
Testing week can be a stressful time for students.
By incorporating periods of fun and relaxation during testing week, you help students stay motivated, relaxed, and unstressed about testing.
This list of fun activities for testing week serves as a great starting point for ideas.