Parents have made some pretty big adjustments as their children stay home and learn virtually during COVID-19. Christa Craats, coordinator of our innovative Open Minds programme, has designed some fun, Open Minds-inspired activities you can do at home with your kids to help keep them busy and still enjoy the love of  learning. 

Activity 1: Pattern hunt
Ask your child to find as many patterns as they can around your house or garden. Get them to record the patterns by taking pictures or drawing sketches. Then inspire them to design a new item (such as a dress, a pair of shoes or a couch) using these patterns. 

Activity 2: Let’s get interviewing!
Get your child to choose an object from your home or garden to interview. It could be their shoes, a plant or Dad’s smelly socks….. Ask them to write down what questions they would ask their chosen object and how they think it would then reply.  

Activity 3: Alter your reality
Give your child a pair of glasses and get them to pretend it changes what they see through them. How would the glasses change the way they see the world and the things in it? For example, what happens when they put on a pair of glasses that changes everyday objects into music DJs? Perhaps their bedroom light will  play “You light up my life” or the map on their wall “I’ve Got the Whole World in my hands”. 

Activity 4: 100 things
Have you ever looked long enough at something to notice 100 things about it? Ask your child to choose an object in your house or garden and then make a list of 100 things they can see. This should keep them busy for quite a while. 

About CIS’ Open Minds Programme:
Designed for students in grades 1 to 6, the programme is unique amongst schools in Singapore. We use innovative and authentic learning experiences in settings outside the classroom to teach children about the world around them. Children can learn by reading textbooks or watching videos, but personal experience makes abstract concepts more concrete. Plus, learning this way slows down the learning, allowing for deeper observation and questioning. It also encourages creativity and imagination and connects childrens' knowledge learnt in the classroom to the outside world. Ultimately, children learn to develop observation skills, look at things from a different perspective, think critically and solve problems in open minded ways. 

Why students love the programme:
Children enjoy the challenge that comes with thinking outside the box and answering critical-thinking questions. They also like being able to engage in environments that connect directly to their learning, as well as the time and space to observe a topic in depth. In addition, it is also completely different to a normal day in class. 

For more information about our innovative Open Minds Programme, check out the video below or contact our Admissions Team here.