|
Experiential learning resources for the innovative educator
YES! Winter break is upon many of us, the holidays are in full effect, and you want to spend this break, well, taking a break! So planning a New Years activity for your experiential learners when you all return is not even something you can wrap your mind around right now. Your goal is to get a break! I completely get it.
Right now is a great time to spend time with family and friends, reflecting, and practicing self-care, so that you can head back to teaching with renewed energy and spirit!
Don't spend this break planning learning activities. Take that badly needed rest, and when you have a second, browse this blog post. Get inspired by these low-prep, self-directed New Years activity ideas for when you return to reality. They're all a great way to ease back into things upon return. You can also, rather than do exactly as I suggest, use the New Year activity ideas listed here as inspiration. Modify these activities and develop your experiential learning activities with this FREE experiential learning playbook. It walks you through exactly how to develop experiential learning activities for the classroom and includes a workbook to help you plan. Each of the New Years activity ideas included here could be implemented on your own; you can organize the experiences yourself rather than purchase the resources. But if you're looking for guidance and ease with ready-made resources, click on the activity links included under each activity description. Note: The resources are geared toward high school students. But the New Years activity ideas listed here can certainly be adapted for younger experiential students. Use the ideas for inspiration! 
Each of the New Years activity ideas included in this blog post could be implemented on your own; you can organize the experiences yourself rather than purchase the resources. But if you're looking for guidance and ease with ready-made resources, click on the activity links included under each activity description.
Note: The resources are geared toward high school students. But the New Years activity ideas listed here can certainly be adapted for younger experiential students. Use the ideas for inspiration! 
10 New Years Activity Ideas for Experiential Learners
1) Set Goals Through Artistic Expression
My students are hands-on learners. That is often why they end up with me, an educator with an experiential philosophy because they thrive in an experiential learning environment. (Psssst - everyone is an experiential learner - the trick is nurturing and supporting that in the classroom or your homeschool).
One of the first New Years activities I give my students after the break is a hands-on way to set goals for the new year. PBL Maker Challenge: Goals Through Artistic Expression asks students to set goals and illustrate those goals artistically. They create an art piece with visuals that symbolize or represent their goals. This design thinking activity mixes things up a bit and really gets learners thinking about what they want and where they're headed this year. The final product can be displayed in a place that provides a consistent reminder of their goals for the year. 
2) Community Action Projects
A popular New Year's resolution or goal for the new year is giving back or acting on a personally meaningful community issue.
What is a community action project? Students play an active role in directly acting on solutions to essential community issues. Students choose an issue that they are passionate about, explore ways to make an impact, design an action plan, and take action. These learning experiences can be entirely student-designed and -led, where students choose ANY community issue of interest as their focus. That's my approach and recommendation. My students use a community action projects tool kit as a guide for these open-ended experiences. Another option is to do more of a themed community action experience where you give students some direction or structure on the topic and process. For example, I do a trending issues community action project experience with my high school students around the New Year. Students conduct trend analysis to choose an issue for their community action project that is current, relevant, and statistically high need as we move into the new year. Community action projects are powerful experiences! Give your students the opportunity to dedicate themselves to something important. 
3) New Years-Themed Inquiry Bingo Activity
My inquiry bingo resource is a game best suited for middle and high schoolers that encourages inquiry. Students investigate a series of questions that cannot be answered with one simple Google Search or a lecture.
Finding the answer to each question requires research skills, teamwork, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and more. This activity helps learners practice finding credible and accurate information through a variety of avenues. This particular inquiry bingo is New Year's themed. 
4) Dinner Party on a Budget
Although the holiday season is wrapping up, "planning" a New Year's themed dinner party on a budget (hypothetical) is not only a fun activity to do after a long break but is an important learning experience.
One of the most common New Year's resolutions centers around personal finance. This activity is a great way for students to learn some important math lessons, specifically as they relate to saving and budgeting. 
5) Personal Learning Plans
Experiential learning is personalized, so, at the beginning of the school year, my students build personal learning plans using a ready-made digital personal learning plan template.
Their personal learning plans help students develop intrapersonal awareness and make goals and take actions that reflect their personal needs, challenges, strengths, interests, and more. If students haven't already built a personal learning plan, I have them do so when they return from break. Students revisit their personal learning plans regularly throughout the year. I have my students glance at their PLPs daily. I also meet with each student once per month to review their PLPs with them and make adjustments to goals as needed. 
6) New Year’s Global Traditions Project-Based Learning
I work at a project-based school, so self-led project-based learning is the main focus.
Project-based learning experiences are driven by a central question. In the case of this New Years Global Traditions PBL, the question students answer is: "How can I create a Global New Year's Celebration Guide to showcase and compare diverse New Year's Eve traditions, highlighting the cultural significance behind rituals, foods, and actions across five different countries?" This project-based learning (PBL) activity invites students to explore and share the cultural diversity of New Year’s Eve celebrations worldwide. They develop research and tech skills while gaining a global perspective. In summary, students choose 5 countries to study, focusing on unique New Year’s Eve traditions, including foods, rituals, and their cultural significance. They research these traditions, connect with community experts, and develop a digital guide that is published and shared with a relevant audience. In addition to the guide, students also create an interactive map and a showcase item. A fun way to wrp up this experience is to put all of this on display at a New Years Traditions exhibition event. This engaging PBL is a meaningful way to celebrate the season and inspire cultural appreciation! 
7) Year-End Reflection Slideshow
Reflection is an important part of any experiential learning experience.
I have my students reflect after every learning experience but I also have my students reflect on significant spans of time such as at the end of a quarter or at the end of the year. At the end of a year I like to have my students put together a digital Google Slides reflection slideshow before making plans and setting goals for the new year. They go through each slide answering the reflection prompt included and adding visuals to enhance their written reflections. Then they present their reflections to the class. This is a great way to wrap up the year before heading off on winter break! 
8) Service-Learning
I love having students design and lead their own service-learning projects around the new year.
It's a great time of year for students to give back. Service-learning is always a great learning activity, regardless of the time of year, but my students' goals or resolutions for the new year often involve making a positive impact or contributing to their communities. I like my students to lead their own service-learning projects. This entails getting out into the neighborhood to determine the community's most pressing needs, brainstorming ways to meet those needs, develop a service plan, and serve! Service-learning experiences help students develop valuable skills that will serve them well as they transition to the next chapter of their lives. Service-learning projects are similar to my community action projects, but my students focus specifically on local community needs. My service-learning tool kit walks learners through this experience from start to finish. 
9) Current Events Project-Based Learning
Incorporating current events into your curriculum is fantastic, particularly if the experiences are project-based. A current events project-based learning experience is an excellent "after break" way to get into project-based learning if you've been meaning to.
There are a variety of ways to approach this PBL. I like to have my students choose one current event to develop a project-based learning experience around. At the start of the New Year, I encourage my students to focus on current events that either occurred on New Year’s Day or are expected to have a significant impact in the year ahead. Once students have honed in on a current event of interest, they can design their student-led PBL projects, which include a driving question, community experts, innovative final products, authentic learning experiences, and an authentic presentation. Click on Project-Based Learning: Current Events for a guiding resource from Experiential Learning Depot. 
10) 21st-Century Skill-Building Portfolio
21st-century skill-building is important and this particular experience is the essence of Experiential Learning Depot.
Students gain content knowledge, 21st-century skills, and social-emotional skills with this activity. They also build their resumes. At the beginning of the new year I like to focus on and hammer in the importance of 21st-century skills. Students organize and carry out experiences that help them build elemental 21st-century skills, such as creative problem-solving, critical thinking, tech literacy, teamwork, and more. After students have completed their skill-building experience, they reflect on it, and document the experience in a portfolio that can be shared with employers, college admissions counselors, and more. Post-New Year's is a great time for students to start building a 21st-century skills portfolio. Students will be thinking about the past year and the year ahead. 
11) New: Vision Board Calendar Project
This is a brand new activity that I started with students last year and it has been a big hit!
The Vision Board Calendar Project, is a hands-on way for students to set personal goals and create a 12-month calendar focused on growth. Each month has a theme like health, adventure, or resilience, allowing students to set goals, choose affirmations, and select visuals that inspire them. This project not only helps students stay motivated and focused throughout the year but also strengthens classroom dynamics by fostering personal reflection and shared goals. The completed calendar serves as a daily reminder of their vision, making it a powerful tool for growth. 
Thanks for stopping by. Have a GREAT winter break, and remember to take care of yourself! Recuperate! You deserve it. Happy New Year!
Join our experiential learning Facebook group!
Did you know there is an experiential learning Facebook group? Check that out - Experiential Learning Community for K12 Teachers - and join in the discussion about experiential learning ideas!
Find us on social media!
Follow Experiential Learning Depot on Pinterest, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram for more on experiential education, and check out my shop for experiential learning resources. Looking for relevant blog posts? Look no further! 
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Blog IntentTo provide innovative educational resources for educators, parents, and students, that go beyond lecture and worksheets. AuthorSara Segar, experiential life-science educator and advisor, curriculum writer, and mother of two. 
Categories
All
Archives
July 2025
|
RSS Feed