Hands-on activities for 2nd graders provide a fantastic way to engage their natural curiosity and make learning fun and memorable. We’ve put together a list of 50 fun and educational activities that are perfect for curious minds. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
- Science And Nature Activities for 2nd Graders
- Math Activities for 2nd Graders
- Language Arts Activities for 2nd Graders
- Culture Activities for 2nd Graders
- Art Activities for 2nd Graders
Science and Nature Activities for 2nd Graders
1) Plant Seeds
Plant seeds in pots or the garden and learn about photosynthesis, soil, fertilizer, and plant anatomy.
2) Build a Bird Feeder
Build a bird feeder out of whatever materials you have on hand (scrap wood, milk jugs, even LEGO®
bricks) or buy a kit that has everything ready to assemble.
3) Explore Magnets
Experiment with different shapes, sizes, and strengths of magnets to see what objects they attract and repel.
4) Make a Volcano
Among the hands-on activities for 2nd graders, the vinegar and baking soda volcano has become a staple to teach basic geography, chemistry, and even physics.
5) Assemble a Simple Weather Station
Arrange a variety of weather instruments—thermometer, barometer, rain gauge, wind flag, etc.—and learn about temperature, pressure, humidity, rainfall, and wind direction/strength.
6) Conduct a Sink-or-Float Experiment
Test different objects around the house to see if they sink or float and learn why.
7) Observe Insects
Take a field trip to your local park—or your own backyard—and observe the flying and crawling insects you find there.
8) Create a Terrarium
Build a miniature ecosystem by placing soil, water, and foliage in a jar or sturdy container.
9) Learn About the Water Cycle
Create a model of the water cycle to understand evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
10) Build a Simple Machine
Construct various simple machines—e.g., a lever, pulley, or inclined plane—out of toys or other household items and explore how they work.
Math Activities for 2nd Graders
11) Measure with Non-Standard Units
Use objects like blocks, paper clips, pencils, markers, or books to measure the length, height, and width of different items and learn about the three basic dimensions.
12) Build with Different Shapes
Use blocks, LEGO® bricks, Lincoln Logs®, or other construction toys to build different shapes and structures.
13) Play the Match Game with Money
Pull out your wallet and change jar and challenge your child to match bills and coins to their corresponding values (e.g., one, five, 10, and 20).
For an extra bit of fun, ask your child to match the coin to the dollar of the same value (e.g., both the penny and the dollar have a value of one).
14) Construct a Simple Clock to Tell Time
Construct a paper plate clock to learn how to tell time and how seconds, minutes, and hours accumulate to make a full day.
15) Graph with Candy
Gather candies of different shapes, sizes, and colors and then sort and graph them to learn about data representation. Eat the candy when you’re finished for an extra bit of fun!
16) Visualize Fractions with Play Dough
Form play dough into a snake, ball, or cube and then divide it into equal parts to help your child learn about fractions.
17) Practice Skip Counting with Beads
Use beads (or even beans, LEGO® bricks, or jelly beans) to practice skip counting by twos, threes, fives, or 10s.
18) Run a Math Scavenger Hunt
Hide math problems around the room, house, or garden and challenge your child to find and solve those problems to receive a fun reward.
19) Practice Math with Dominoes
Pull out dominoes to practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
20) Build a Fort
Use boxes, cushions, and other materials to build a fort or city and learn about spatial reasoning.
Language Arts Activities for 2nd Graders
21) Reassemble a Story
Copy the text from a favorite story, cut it into sentences or paragraphs, mix them up, and have your child put the story back in the correct order.
22) Create Character Masks
Create masks of characters from your child’s favorite books and then act out scenes from that story.
23) Build Words with Blocks
Use letter blocks to build words and explore different spelling and sound combinations.
24) Construct a Sensory Writing Tray
Fill a tray with sand, salt, sugar, or rice, and have your child practice writing letters, words, numbers, and simple sentences with their fingers.
25) Draw and Color a Comic Strip
Draw and color a comic strip with speech bubbles and illustrations to tell a funny or adventurous story from your child’s imagination.
26) Play Word Games
Play word games, like Scrabble® Junior and age-appropriate crossword puzzles, with your child in order to improve spelling, vocabulary, and word comprehension.
27) Write Funny Sentences with Magnetic Poetry
Explore the concepts of rhyme, sentence structure, and word combinations with magnetic fridge poetry.
28) Play Book in a Bag
Fill a paper bag with items representing a favorite book and challenge your child to guess which book the bag represents.
29) Read Aloud
Demonstrate reading aloud with expression. Then, have your child read with expression back to you.
30) Cut and Paste Words and Images
Cut out words and images from magazines and have your child create a collage that expresses a thought, story, or poem.
Social Studies Activities for 2nd Graders
31) Make a Time Capsule
Have your child assemble items that represent the current time, place them in a plastic container, and bury them in the yard as a time capsule. Create a fun sign to mark the spot.
32) Draw a Map of the Room
Help your child draw a map of their room, their home, or their classroom. Label important features in that space.
33) Explore Different Cultures
Learn about different cultures through food, music, and art.
34) Create a Family Tree
Research and create a family tree to learn about ancestry and where your child’s family members came from.
35) Draw a Timeline
Pick a period of time (e.g., a week, a month, a year) and draw a timeline that illustrates important events in your child’s life during that time.
36) Examine a Globe or Map
Help your child develop spatial reasoning and geography skills by examining a globe or maps of your city, state, country, or the world.
37) Visit a Museum
Experience history firsthand by visiting a museum and learning about different cultures, ecosystems, and time periods.
38) Discuss Current Events
Help your child develop critical thinking and awareness of the world around them by discussing age-appropriate current events.
39) Role-Play Different Professions
Investigate the world of work by role-playing different professions. Dress up like a doctor, a firefighter, a pilot, a train conductor, or other professions that might interest your child.
40) Learn About Government
Learn about the different roles in your local government (e.g., mayor, member of the city council, etc.) or focus on learning about the different types of government that exist around the world.
Art Activities for 2nd Graders
41) Create Nature Art
Gather sticks, twigs, leaves, grass, and other natural elements to make an art project.
42) Make a Musical Instrument
Create simple musical instruments from recycled materials or other items in your living space.
43) Learn About Different Artists
Study the work of famous artists and try to recreate their style.
44) Play with Clay
Mold and shape clay into different forms and objects.
45) Make Homemade Play Dough
Find a recipe for homemade play dough online. Mix the ingredients with your child and play with the results.
46) Make Shadow Puppets
Show your child how to make shadow puppets with their fingers and hands and then put on a play or puppet show.
47) Paint with Different Tools
Experiment with painting or drawing using different tools, such as sponges, cotton balls, brushes, fingers, chalk, markers, etc.
48) Learn Origami
Check out an origami book from the library (or look up some designs online) and practice making different shapes and animals out of paper with your child.
49) Build a Diorama
Create a three-dimensional scene with common household items, like different shapes of pasta, play dough, blocks, etc.
50) Learn a Simple Dance
Learn a simple dance and teach it to your child. Play music and perform the dance with your child for family and friends!
Hands-On Activities for the Win!
Hands-on activities are great for encouraging curiosity and Critical Thinking as well as helping children build fine and gross motor skills. Best of all, they reach kids through the power of play.
At Begin, we support parents and empower kids on their educational journey through Homer and codeSpark digital products and Little Passports hands-on activity kits, all designed by learning experts and backed by research.
These resources redefine learning through the essential skill areas for school and life success. We call those skills the 6Cs—Collaboration, Communication, Content, Critical Thinking, Creativity &
Curiosity, and Confidence.
We believe every child deserves the best path forward, so we’ve made the Begin Approach easy, doable, and accessible for all. With free expert advice and resources, we empower families, educators, caregivers—everyone, everywhere—to build the 6Cs in everyday life.
Visit us at BeginLearning.com to find out how we can help support your child’s learning journey.
