You know those students who just can’t sit still during a whole-class mini lesson? The ones who tap their pencils, wiggle in their seats, or need a quick lap around the room to refocus?
Chances are, they’re kinesthetic or tactile learners—students who learn best by doing, touching, building, and moving.
For upper elementary classrooms, movement-based learning isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for many students’ success. And the best part? You don’t have to completely overhaul your lesson plans to make space for it.
In this post, we’ll explore six fun, purposeful, and easy-to-implement activities that support kinesthetic or tactile learners—without sacrificing academic rigor.
1. Kinesthetic Scavenger Hunt
Let’s start with a classroom favorite: the kinesthetic scavenger hunt.
This activity gets students up and moving while reviewing or reinforcing content. Simply:
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Write multiple-choice questions or vocabulary prompts on task cards.
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Assign each answer choice a shape, color, or location around the room.
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Students read the question and move to the spot that matches their answer.
For example, if the correct answer is “B,” students might walk to the red circle taped to the back wall. Bonus: This doubles as a formative assessment and gets in some movement for your kinesthetic or tactile learners at the same time!
Want to go bigger? Take the scavenger hunt outside for science or social studies review!
2. Kinesthetic Memory Game
This activity is part movement, part brain boost, and 100% engaging for kinesthetic or tactile learners. Incorporate this idea into your daily warm-ups or transitions to keep skills fresh in a low-stress way.
Here’s how it works:
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Assign an action or motion to each step in a process (e.g., for the writing process: brainstorm = hands on head, draft = pretend to write).
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One student performs a sequence of steps using the assigned motions.
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The partner watches and repeats the sequence in order.
You can use this to review:
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Scientific method steps: Students could act out each step in order and then their partner would have to remember the order and perform the steps themselves
- Math problem-solving strategies: Assign motions for each step in an algorithm (i.e. divide, multiply, subtract, bring down)
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Grammar rules: If you are practicing editing sentences you can assign motions for each type of punctuation and have students act out the order of punctuation marks or edits needed to fix a sentence. Here is a collection of fix the sentence task cards, perfect for this activity.
3. Kinesthetic “Simon Says” with Content Review
Take the classic game of Simon Says and give it a content twist!
The rules are the same—students only follow the direction if it begins with “Simon says”—but now Simon is sneaking in academic review!
Try these content-rich commands:
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“Simon says touch your subject noun!”
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“Simon says hop three times if 12 is a multiple of 4.”
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“Simon says act out the life cycle of a butterfly.”
This quick game works as a morning warm-up, brain break, or transition between lessons—and it’s especially effective for kinesthetic or tactile learners who need movement to refocus.
4. Human Number Line or Sentence Shuffle
Turn your kinesthetic or tactile learners (and all our other students as well) into parts of a sentence or points on a fraction number line!
Here’s how:
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Give each student a word, phrase, or number written on a card.
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Students work together to arrange themselves in the correct order.
Ideas to try:
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Rearranging sentences with proper syntax
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Ordering decimals or fractions from least to greatest
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Sequencing historical events or steps in a scientific process
It’s hands-on, collaborative, and gets everyone involved—including those who struggle with traditional seatwork.
5. Floor Sorting and Matching Games
Break out the painter’s tape and head to the floor!
Lay down sorting categories on the floor (e.g., “Noun / Verb / Adjective” or “Odd / Even / Prime”) and give students cards or objects they must physically place in the correct spot.
This adds movement, touch, and decision-making—perfect for kinesthetic or tactile learners who benefit from physical interaction with content.
Variation: Use hoops, bins, or labeled stations instead of tape. You can adapt this for literally any subject area!
Final Thoughts: Movement Matters for Kinesthetic or Tactile Learners
Supporting kinesthetic or tactile learners doesn’t require fancy tools or hours of prep. With just a little creativity, you can add movement and hands-on engagement to your everyday lessons—and watch your students’ focus and retention soar.
I’d love to hear how you support kinesthetic and tactile learners in your classroom. Drop your ideas in the comments—let’s build a bank of hands-on learning goodness together!
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Ready for more great ideas for your upper elementary classroom? Check out one of these blog posts:
- 5 Math Games for Decimals that are Right on Point
- All About Peer Editing and Revising: A Guide for Upper Elementary ELA Teachers
- Back to School Novel Studies: 4 Recommendations for a Stellar Start to the Year