OxfordOwl

Fun learning activities for 10-year-olds

Your child will still really benefit from playing games but you may need to be the one who suggests them at this age, as there are often so many other demands on their time.

Here are some that are fun but challenging, and which will help with language, reading, writing and maths skills.

 

Games and activities

1. Word games

  • Encourage your child to make up their own crossword puzzles or word searches for friends and family to develop vocabulary and dictionary skills. there are lots of great words games you can play as a family as well, including Bananagrams.
  • Play the ‘Headline Game’ – use stories to make up headlines and then vote for the best. For example, ‘Girl dressed in Red stalked by Wolf’.
  • Play around with anagrams to help with patterns and spelling. For example, make as many words as you can out of Constantinople (1697 apparently!).

2. Board games

  • Play games that play around with definitions and bluff definitions to encourage interest in word meanings and origins (for example, Absolute Balderdash or Call My Bluff).
  • Play games such as Taboo to encourage clarity, fluency, and expression without ever saying the obvious descriptive words.
  • Scrabble is a classic spelling game – guaranteed to get the family talking – or shouting!

3. Screen games

  • Don’t forget that activities like karaoke require on-screen reading (and performance) which children usually love to play with friends and family. You can even turn on subtitles when songs are playing for their favourite films and enjoy a sing-along!
  • Setting up games, such as on the Wii, involves reading and understanding instructions, so make sure that your child can do this for themselves (although they’ll often pick it up faster than anyone else!).
  • Many downloadable eBooks include end of book activities and quizzes, which will be fun to complete and help with understanding. Take a look at our free eBook library.

4. Writing ideas

  • Encourage book blogging and taking part in readers’ book sites, e.g. adding reviews to Amazon.
  • Children may like to keep a Favourite Book journal which can have lists of titles, quotations, pictures and sketches to encourage them to look back at what they’ve read.
  • Get involved in planning a holiday schedule (making a list of books to read, entering book review competitions, planning day trips and so on).