What is and Extension Activity?

An extension activity takes learning deeper. It can include songs, games, puzzles, or creative assignments. Printables are a popular and inexpensive way to create extension activities because they are easy to make and inexpensive to buy if you don’t enjoy creating your own.

Why Use Extension Activities?

• Extra review
• Novelty
• Making connections across subjects
• Encouraging creativity
• Practicing critical thinking
• Combining skills

Why Create Your Own Activities?

You may be wondering why you would want to create your own activities instead of just buying pre-made things. Look, I completely understand if you don’t have the time or energy to make your own projects, but sometimes they can be a lot of fun to create. Here are some reasons you may want to make your own.

• You need something creative to do (Look moms, we need to feed our creative powers as we teach our kids; it inspires them and us.)
• You can’t find the type of printable activity extension you are looking for
• You want to customize the activity to include only the information your child needs extra practice with. (For example, perhaps your child is learning the kindergarten sight words and you just want some activities that focus on the words they have not mastered, not the complete list.)
• You have a tight budget

Take Learning Deeper by Assigning Kids to Create Their Own Extension Activities

For older kids, assigning them to create their own activities takes learning to a deeper level. While they are motivated by the novelty of creating their own learning materials, their brain is also forced to focus on the connections and meaning of the information they are learning.

Look for a .SVG (Scalable Vector Graphic) Image File

Sample .svg Files

This type of file is very versatile, works in many programs, and allows you to use it in different ways.

Use with:

• Inkscape (free and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux)
• Sketsa (free and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux
• Boxy SVG ($10 runs on Chrome browser)
• Inkpad ($7 iPad tool)
• iDesign ($8 iPad/iPhone)
• Adobe Illustrator Draw (free app on iPhone/android)

There are many more programs that you can use this type of file with, some are for professional graphic designers and have a higher price point. For more details check 20 great and free SVG Editors.

You can:

• Change the size without the image getting pixilated and blurry.
• Add animations to the image.
• Edit the image.

Play, Learn, and Create with SVG Files

Have fun playing with these images and seeing what kind of projects you or your kids can create. Relaxed learning means we take the time to play with information and concepts and one way to play is by creating our own review activities, presentations, or just letting ourselves get distracted by creating and coloring a beautiful picture.

Studying elephants, go ahead and make a beautiful coloring page of an elephant to go with your studies, it’s and art extension. Better yet, give your child the tools they need to make their own page and it becomes not only art, but also a creativity and technology extension. That’s all extensions are, just things that let us play with connecting the things we learn with the things we already know and the things we love to make and do.

• Slide presentation
• Printable exercises made pretty, a custom collection of crosswords, word finds, ect.
• Picture based Sudoku puzzle
• Decorate around an original poem the student has written.
• Matching game
• Puzzle
• Make a custom coloring page

You can find lots of SVG images at designbundles.net, including a selection of free images and low-cost bundles.