# 30-Day creative challenge

Assign a different creative task each day for a month. Creative challenges for students include, for instance:

• Creating stop-motion animation.
• Coming up with innovative solutions to real-world problems, such as designing eco-friendly products, creating awareness campaigns through art and media, etc.
• Researching and reenacting historical events or figures.
• Creating unique characters for stories, games, or artwork.
• Reading a book or a certain number of pages each day for 30 days.
• Conducting a simple science experiment or observation each day.
• Preparing and presenting their own TED talks.

To successfully implement creative challenges be sure to clarify the learning objectives, the desired outcomes of the creative challenge, and the deadline.

Your selected theme or topic needs to be aligned with the curriculum or students’ interests.

It is also important to explain the instructions, use examples, and provide the necessary resources and materials (research and tech tools) to complete the challenge.

As a facilitator, your guidance and support are required while allowing for students’ voices and choices in learning.

Furthermore, to unleash students’ creativity, focus on adapting the challenges to different learning styles and abilities. Encourage students to explore, experiment, collaborate, and reflect on their experiences.

They can also maintain creative journals where they document their observations and experiments.

Showcase their work through presentations and exhibitions, where students display and demonstrate their projects to peers and parents. Encourage them to take pride in their achievements.

#Escape room challenges

Create a DIY escape room challenge where students must solve puzzles, riddles, and clues to “escape” within a time limit. These challenges can be themed around history, science, literature, or any subject.

Here is an example:

Scenario: Students accidentally travel back in time and must find a way to return to the present.

• Clues: Include historical references and anachronistic objects.
• Tasks: Piece together historical facts, solve puzzles related to time travel, and find the “time machine” to return.

Remember to provide clear instructions, clues, and a time limit to add excitement and challenge to the activity.

# Creative podcasts

Encourage students to create and record their educational podcasts. These could be related to a subject they’re studying, a hobby, a social issue, or any area they are passionate about.

You can ask them to create podcasts individually or in pairs (or even small groups).

This depends on your learning objectives (are you focusing on collaboration and teamwork or do you want to assess individual skills and independence?), the time available, class dynamics (do most students like to work individually or in groups?), and the availability of equipment and software.

To create their podcasts, students need to gather information about their selected topics, write their own script, record, and then edit their audio recordings.

Therefore, you should clarify all these steps along with the format and length of the ideal podcast episode.

Also, teach them the editing process using, for instance, software like Audacity (free) or Adobe Audition. Provide access to recording equipment if available and help students choose a podcast hosting platform, such as Anchor, Podbean, or Libsyn.

Promoting their podcasts is a necessary step in the creation process. So, teach students how to share their podcasts via social media profiles, promotional graphics, and online communities.

Consistency helps build an audience. So, encourage students to maintain a consistent release schedule and gather feedback from listeners and their peers to further improve their podcast content and skills.

# Literature Cafés

A Literature Café is a creative and engaging way to promote a love for reading and literary analysis in classrooms.

Transform your classroom into a literature-themed café where students can discuss and share their favorite books. Choose a cozy corner of your classroom or a designated area where students can comfortably sit.

You can decorate the space with book-themed decorations, cozy lighting, and perhaps background instrumental music to set the mood. Arrange chairs and tables to create an inviting and relaxed ambiance.

To decide on the reading materials, you can invite students to contribute to the book selection process, voting or suggesting titles. Yet, be sure to choose books that align with your curriculum and students’ age.

After setting up the Literature Café, create a reading schedule that specifies chapters or sections for each session and encourage students to read beforehand to be ready for subsequent discussions.

Your Literature Café discussions should incorporate a variety of activities: character analysis, symbolism exploration, literary devices, and thematic discussions, where you address open-ended questions and encourage students to take turns and express their ideas.

From time to time, plan Literature Café sessions with themed costumes and book-inspired snacks.

Also, encourage students to maintain reading journals or response notebooks, wherein they can jot down their thoughts, preferred quotes, and reflections on the text. These can help in the discussion process.

To engage students in the Literature Café sessions, assess their active participation, critical thinking, and contributions to the discussions, and reward those who show more motivation to read.

# Creative writing workshops

Encourage students to unleash their inner wordsmiths through creative writing workshops. These sessions can cover various forms of writing, including poetry, short stories, and even screenplays.

You need first to decide on the frequency and duration of the workshop, its format (full class, small groups, or a combination), theme, and rubrics to assess the quality of their work and efforts to progress.

You can use writing prompts (questions, excerpts from well-known authors, pictures, etc.)  to jumpstart creativity and inspiration.

To create a dynamic and enriching creative writing workshop experience for your students, provide tips and techniques for self-editing, and encourage peer editing.

Also, remember to set guidelines for constructive feedback, emphasizing positive comments and specific suggestions.

If possible, invite local authors or teachers to lead these workshops to provide valuable insights and feedback.

Students’ creativity and passion for writing are nurtured when their achievements as writers are acknowledged. So, share their work through class anthologies, school publications, or public readings and celebrate their success.

 

# Craft and DIY projects

Craft and DIY projects are excellent creative activities for middle and high school students as they support hands-on learning and encourage creativity and problem-solving abilities. Here are some craft and DIY project ideas:

Introduce students to screen printing or fabric painting techniques to design and print custom T-shirts. They can also create shirts for personal or school events.

After finishing a unit, ask students to work in groups to create non-linguistic or visual representations of the material you have covered in this unit (D. Burgess, Teach Like a Pirate)

Encourage students to make greeting cards for various occasions using paper, stamps, markers, and other crafting materials.

Integrate STEM concepts into do-it-yourself projects, like crafting rudimentary robots, erecting miniature bridges, or inventing and propelling bottle rockets.

Encourage students to create their graphic novels or comics, combining storytelling with visual art.

Have students create short films or animations. They can write scripts, act, handle cinematography, and edit their projects using video editing software.

Encourage students to personalize their living spaces by creating home decor items like painted canvases, custom photo frames, or decorative mirrors.

Have students create and design costumes or cosplay outfits that are based on their preferred characters or historical figures.

Let students design and build their puppets, then create puppet shows or storytelling performances.

In conclusion, fostering creativity in the classroom is not only achievable but also essential for the growth and development of middle and high school students. By incorporating a diverse range of creative activities, teachers can empower their students to explore, innovate, and express themselves meaningfully.

Through creative challenges, designing podcasts, Literature Cafés, creative writing workshops, craft projects, and other hands-on endeavors, these creative activities not only enrich the educational experience but also equip students with the vital skills they need to thrive in an ever-evolving world.