Are you aware of how each month changes along with the seasonal and environmental changes? As it is important to observe the changes, it is also crucial to understand the reason behind them. Children are happy with the experiences of different seasons but it is necessary to equip them with the knowledge about the months of the year. It helps them understand the number of days in the months, leap year, and other basic concepts.
For this purpose, teachers and parents can use numerous online games and activities. Such games and activities offer a creative learning platform to understand the concept. These creative learning pedagogies can be used by parents, teachers, and adults to get students to learn the crucial time concept. Similarly, different activities can be used in diversified learning environments, be it school or homeschooling.
Online games for teaching months of the year to kids
Have you been looking for innovative ways to teach the concept of months of the year? It can be confusing when choosing the right medium. However, online games ease your task as they are free and easily available on the web. Check out the online games to transform the learning environment with visually engaging illustrations and music.
1. Months of the Year by Turtlediary
This is an interesting online game where kids can learn about different months and their different seasons. Illustrations make it more fun and engaging for the learning process.
- To play this game, click on the start button.
- Here, you will be taken to the main screen of the game.
- On the right side, there is a list of 12 months of the year.
- The left side shows a cycle of different seasons in mini-image formats.
- You need to drag each tab to its right season to complete the game.
- Every wrong answer leads to an incorrect answer.
- The score is displayed on the bottom left of the game.
Such a game enables children to understand the environmental changes as the month’s change. Visually appealing illustrations and music help children stay connected to the game.
2. Adventure Man and Months of the Year by Abcya
The game is about a man who is set to find the treasure in the temple. As the man meets the spirits of the temple, he is required to answer some questions to go ahead.
- To play the game, click on the start button.
- You will now be taken to the main screen of the game.
- Here, temple spirits read the questions about the months of the year.
- You need to answer the questions correctly to help the man reach the treasure.
- Each correct answer makes him a step closer to his final destination.
Such an online game creates interest while solving the mystery through an illustrative theme. Games that tell stories are more likely to grab the attention of students thereby helping them learn the concept thoroughly.
3. The Months of the Year by Tinytap
This is an engaging game that enables children to understand the correct order of the months. Children can often be confused as to which month comes after a certain month. Hence, the game throws light on the correct arrangement.
- To play this game, click on the start button.
- You shall be taken to the main screen of the game.
- Here, different months are arranged in numerous variations.
- You need to play the months as per their correct orders.
- Once a certain variation is done, other variations start and you need to again arrange the months in their correct order.
The game successfully grabs the attention of the players with sound and creative pictures. Since there are numerous variations, kids get an opportunity to understand various seasons, formations, and spellings.
4. Months by Wordwall
The game is designed in an interactive format where children face various questions about the months of the year. Designed in a quiz-like format, children enjoy understanding details about different months.
- To play this game, click on the start button.
- Here, you shall be taken to the main screen of the game.
- Different placards will be placed on the screen.
- Now, tap on any one placard to begin the game.
- As you tap, a question will pop along with 4 options available at the bottom.
- Now, select the right answer to move ahead in the game.
- If you select a wrong answer, that placard will be locked and will be replaced with a new placard.
- Scores about the game are displayed on the top right corner of the screen.
This interesting game is ideal to test the knowledge of children with reference to months and their features. They also understand the difference between the months, the number of days, and the correct order of arrangement.
5. Months of the Year by Roythezebra
The game revolves around the theme of a Zebra named Tom who needs to prepare for his bedtime. Filled with cute graphics, the game gives a child-centric appeal to the players.
- To play the game, click on the start button.
- Now, you will be taken to the main screen of the game.
- There’s a Zebra seated under a tree looking for his bedtime bits.
- Different names for any 3 months are displayed at the bottom.
- On the top left, you need to arrange these months in their correct order.
- Once done, you need to feed the Zebra with the given essentials at the right.
- After this, another set of 3 months has presented that need to be arranged.
- The game continues till all the 12 months are arranged in the correct order.
Such an online game creates intrigue in children to learn about the months and also feed Zebra. The game is filled with colorful visuals and engaging sound to keep children connected to the learning environment.
Unique activities to try
While online games help students engage in the concept, keeping just one resource in hand might not be a good idea. Hence, it is time to involve classroom activities to teach months of the year in a collaborative environment. Children also learn team building and concentration through these activities. Explore helpful activities that do not require heavy preparations and can be played with classmates, friends, or siblings.
1. Let’s Meet Each Other
This is an interesting activity involving fun and laughter in the classroom. The activity requires each student to hold a placard with the respective months.
- To conduct this activity, make a team of 12 players in each team.
- Now, let these players stand in a circle and ask them to have a placard in their hands.
- Each student should write the months as per the order.
- Now, all students shall have months from January to December.
- Start the game by giving quick instructions to the students. You may say the following.
- January goes to shake hands with April.
- December is playing with February.
- June and July are dancing.
- Include all months and let kids run and find the respective month to perform the task.
- Once they are done with the task, ask them to again go back and hold their placard.
Such activity creates interest and engages children to find their correct pairs. Also, these pairs constantly keep changing, it becomes challenging to play.
2. Act like It
As the name suggests, this interesting activity involves acting in teams. The activity helps create a challenging environment while also keeping it a systematic learning process.
- To conduct this activity, divide the class into various teams.
- Each team can have 2 players for the activity.
- Now, call the first team and give them a month. They need to act according to the month.
- Here, the other teams are supposed to guess the correct month.
- For example, if the team gets December, they can act like Santa Claus giving gifts to the other team member.
- Here, all teams get an equal opportunity to play as well as guess the month.
Such activity creates excitement while also trying to make students aware of the different festivals and seasons of the month. Children get to connect with the realistic happenings and also act them out in an accurate manner.
3. Where’s my Pair?
Presenting yet another engaging activity that requires students to move from their places and find their correct pairs. This is a fun activity that also helps develop motor skills.
- To conduct this activity, ask students to stand in a circle.
- Now, give them different placards that depict something unique from that particular month.
- You can plan as per the below examples.
- January can be depicted as a new year.
- December can be depicted with a Santa Claus.
- July can be depicted with the onset of monsoon.
- Here, you need to use creative illustrations to explain the months of the year.
- Each month should have two pairs. That means 2 January cards.
- Now, distribute the cards to students and tell them the month they have. Introduce what each image depicts to the class
- Now play the music and ask them to go rounds in circles.
- As you stop the music, ask students to make a line according to the order of the 12 months.
- Now, students start finding the preceding and succeeding months to complete the order.
This activity is sure to create laughter as students go around and keep finding the right pairs. For added fun, you can choose to set a timer and play the music again. This activity helps them understand the order of months while relating them to the pictures depicted on the placards.
4. Who am I?
Introducing a simple yet unique activity to keep children engaged in the learning process. The activity requires children to play the role of any month but in a creative manner.
- To conduct this activity, give students days of preparation time to be ready.
- Assign different months to all students and ask them to prepare two lines for that month.
- They can also add various elements or materials related to the month.
- On the activity day, each student comes and describes the month.
- Students can use umbrellas and raincoats to depict rain or they may use a warm blanket to show winters.
This is a good activity for students to understand the months of the year as they also get to hear the other students and check how every month is related to a unique element. Such an activity instills knowledge and also creates an environment for a collaborative learning environment.
5. Jump and Clap
This activity tends to boost motor skills while providing a comprehensive learning experience. The activity requires students to remember the correct order of months of the year.
- To conduct this activity, make all students stand in a circle.
- Now, ask students to understand the correct order of the months that come in a year.
- As the activity begins, the first player shall speak aloud the name of the month and jump.
- Now, the second player has to say the name of the succeeding month and clap simultaneously.
- For example, the first player says January and jumps while the next player says February and claps.
- The activity continues till the time all students are out and the last one remains.
Such a creative activity works on sharpening their memory and enhancing focus. Students are likely to remember months and forget the associated action or vice versa. Hence, the activity aims to create coordination between the understanding of the months and the required action (jump or clap).
How to use these activities and games for the best outcome?
As you’re now equipped with various games and activities, they can be used in various ways to inculcate knowledge.
- Online games can be assigned to students as homework. You can ask them to share their experience and score the next day in the class.
- These games and activities are helpful for homeschooling as they’re fun and most of them require less preparation.
- Classroom activities can also be converted to tests to create a serious learning environment where students focus on achieving the best scores.
- These online games and activities are helpful to teach kids with special needs as they’re easy to perform and games are available free on the web. Special students better understand with slow instructions and easy-to-read fonts in the games.
- As students get involved with the activities and games, you can also ask them to prepare notes for any doubts they have regarding the months, seasons, or the number of days in each month. It boosts their note-taking skills too.
Conclusion
As you’ve been through a plethora of online games and activities, introduce them to students and see how the learning environment transforms. These games and activities act as a good source for offering a creative medium for learning. Additionally, teachers and parents can also opt for books related to months of the year, worksheets, and rhymes that help teach the concept.
It is crucial for students to understand the geographical and environmental changes each month brings. Moreover, they learn to accept and embrace the changes with a comprehensive understanding of them. Here’s your opportunity to use these creative activities and games filled with eye-catching illustrations; they’re sure to bring knowledge and excitement to the topic.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,