Testing, testing, testing. It's such an anxiety-ridden time for students, and our testing window starts this week and continues through mid-May. We've been trying to equip the students with a bag of tricks to help ease some of the anxiety. A weeks ago, the students downloaded several calming apps on their iPads, and they've proven to be very popular! I wanted to share the list with you in case you want to add a few tricks to your bag, too. All of these apps are FREE, and who doesn't love that?
This app helps students practice mindful breathing. Students select an emotion that they are feeling: mad, sad, silly, or worried. They pick the level of emotion that they are feeling. The students shake their iPads to stir up the glitter. The little fish on the right-hand side increases and decreases in size to help students manage their breathing until the glitter is settled.
This app is one of the students' favorites! Students place plants by drawing lines. They touch the stars which fall on the plants, creating songs. Students can choose from a small selection of sounds and determine how fast the stars fall, creating an even more intriguing experience.
This app is another of my students' favorites, in fact, it is the app of choice when they have earned choice time. Students draw slides and buckets with their fingers to guide the sand into the correct colored chutes. The challenge happens as the pace of the game continues to build.
This app mimics particles floating in water. Students are able to move the particles around with their fingers. They can change the color of the particles and draw walls and propellers. Students can be creative, drawing pictures using the draw walls, creating a barrier for the particles to travel around and disperse color.
This app is perfect for stress relief or to use if your students do any type of yoga. Students can create their own relaxing melodies from a selection of 12 free choices, ranging from beach to birds, and cavern to city. (If you chose to purchase the app, your choices multiply.) Students can select more than one sound at a time for the perfect mix of relaxation.
Dropophone is a simple app for students to use. Students make songs by tapping on raindrops that play sound, looping every six seconds. The drops sound like an orchestra of instruments, creating endless possibilities. A metronome button is available to start a beat to help keep time. Want to see how this can work? Check out the video below.
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