332 mind-stretchers results | sort by:

Math Starter of the Day - Transum Software
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): addition (129), decimals (85), division (98), fractions (159), money (114), multiplication (122), subtraction (110), vision (45)
In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to share this website to start your math class. The activities are sure to clear the cobwebs in your students' minds. There is something for everyone.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Logic and Reasoning Games - Math Playground
Grades
K to 12tag(s): gifted (66), logic (161), problem solving (228), puzzles (144), substitutes (25)
In the Classroom
Use one of these on an interactive whiteboard as a brain warm-up at the beginning of class or as student enter the room. If you have a difficult group in a study hall, this site could keep them busy in a positive way. Substitutes will also love it! Include this link in your class's newsletter, classroom computer, or teacher web page for extra challenges and enrichment. Teachers of gifted can challenge their students to write "how to" directions for how to solve these puzzles, once they have figured them out!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lateral Puzzles - WebRing
Grades
3 to 12Not sure what a Lateral Puzzle is? Read the FAQ section!
tag(s): gifted (66), puzzles (144), thinking skills (15)
In the Classroom
Challenge your class with a "lateral puzzle of the day". This site would be perfect for your gifted students or to get everyone thinking at the start of class. Be sure to include the link on your web page! For an extra challenge when students have mastered the puzzles, ask them to analyze how they work and write some of their own.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Math Contest - Ole' Miss
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Include this link on your teacher web page or start class with it each week on a projector, giving extra credit to those whose names appear on the web page by the weekend!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What's Wrong With These Pictures? - NIEHS Kids
Grades
K to 1In the Classroom
Include this as a link for children to try at home or use it on an interactive whiteboard with your children. It would also make a good center activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion - Annette Whipple
Grades
K to 6In the Classroom
Use an interactive whiteboard or projector to introduce your students to the lovely Laura Ingalls Wilder. After introducing the site, ask students to read parts of the blog in pairs or small groups. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students replace pen and paper and create their own blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Weebly, reviewed here. If you are teaching younger students and looking for an easy way to integrate technology and check for understanding challenge your students to replace pencil and paper and create a blog using Seesaw, reviewed here. Take this a step further with older students and enhance student learning by asking them to use their blog entries to create an interactive timeline of Laura's life using Knightlab's multimedia timeline creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Analytical Problems And Puzzles - folj.com
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
If you don't have time to spend on these in class as often as you would like, print out a single lateral thinking or logic problem each week for your bulletin board and let the students argue about it all week. Or include this link on your teacher website for the students to access outside of class. This site is a life-saver for your study hall the day before a vacation!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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World Geography Quizzes - Sheppard Software
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): capitals (16), continents (32), countries (72), maps (215)
In the Classroom
Be sure to put a link for these online games and quizzes on your teacher web page for the summer and throughout the school year. Students can use them to practice for your geography quizzes or as extra challenges. The different levels of dificulty will allow you to differentiate your instruction easily.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Matchstick Puzzles - zefrank.com
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): puzzles (144)
In the Classroom
This is a great find for gifted students. Share the site on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and allow students to work on the puzzles in teams. Have the teams compete to see who can solve the puzzles the fastest, or complete the most. This site is tricky, but is an excellent enrichment activity for a unit on logic or geometry.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Random Sudoku
Grades
7 to 12Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scrabble
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): spelling (98), vocabulary (238)
In the Classroom
This "just for fun" activity can be utilized as a meaningful reward for completing class work early. Channel students to this site for some vocabulary building during down-time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kids Soup - Ear Twiggles Productions
Grades
K to 3In the Classroom
You might want to pass this on to parents anxious for at-home "snow day" activities. SHare it with parent volunteers who will be helping plan class parties, as well.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mankala - Roger E. Critchlow, Jr.
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
Add this mind-stretching game of strategy to a unit on African history and culture. A nice activity to add to a celebration of Black History Month.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Brain Food - Rinkworks
Grades
5 to 8In the Classroom
Use these activities as enrichment options in your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Ultimate Puzzle Site
Grades
4 to 12Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): harry potter (9)
In the Classroom
Share the link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Challenge students to design similar activities to accompany other Harry Potter (or other favorite) books.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Activities: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): harry potter (9), reading strategies (96)
In the Classroom
Share the link on your teacher web page or in a parent newsletter, if you don't have time to do all the activities at school. Ask students to design similar activities to accompany other Harry Potter (or other favorite) books.Comments
Very good way of planning.kel, GA, Grades: 3 - 5
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Jig Zone - jigzone.com
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): puzzles (144)
In the Classroom
Combine a brain-warming activity with a bit of review, and create your own jig-saws for students to solve! First, access the section entitled "Turn your photos into puzzles," and select an image pertinent to a specific unit and upload it to the site. Once the jigsaw puzzle has been created, have students open the puzzle on individual computers and compete to see who can get the best time putting the image back together! The best images to use would be diagrams, or model images of a particular object. This site works amazingly well for science classes were students need to be familiar with specific images. An example would be have anatomy students re-construct skeletal images, etc. A clever way to get their minds thinking!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Half - PBS Kids
Grades
2 to 4tag(s): fractions (159), problem solving (228)
In the Classroom
Include this activity as part of a math computer learning center. This interactive serves as an excellent opportunity to introduce fractions in a holistic way before delivering lessons or a complete unit on fractions. After completing the activity, ask students to draw different ways to create a half using Google Drawings, reviewed here. Save students drawings and add them to a collaborative class book using Book Creator, reviewed here. In addition to student digital drawings, include audio of student explanations of how to create a half, videos, and images taken by students to demonstrate how to create a half of different items.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Word Morph - WordPlays.com
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): thesaurus (22), vocabulary (238), word choice (14)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a learning station for students who may finish work early, and need something productive to do to avoid bothering other students. To make it competitive, keep a record board near the computer where students can log their high scores. Competing against each other may make students more interested to play for a new minutes at a time, and less likely to disturb others in testing situations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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