In any classroom, striking a balance between serious learning and fun can be a fantastic way to ensure the kids are kept engaged and interested in what you're teaching them. 

Having fun activities and keeping things light from time to time means pupils don't dread coming to class, and means they're far more likely to listen to you, especially when they've got something to look forward to. 

We take a look at the top ways you can help make it fun in your classroom. 

Start the week right

Monday morning isn't the best time of the week for anyone, let alone kids who have just enjoyed a fantastic weekend with their friends and family, and getting people engaged with work at this time of the week can be hard. Why not let them start their school week with memories of the weekend. 

Have some circle time on a Monday morning and allow kids the chance to tell everyone else what a great time they had. Doing so will mean they feel excited about what they did at the weekend, and you'll start your teaching on a happy note, giving more scope for better Monday learning. 

Fun time

In many schools across the country, fun time or golden time can be a good way to incentivise kids to get everything done and do well in their school work. Once a week, set aside some time to allow those who have worked hard throughout the week have fun. 

It's a good idea to award time to kids throughout the week so they feel like they've earned a little time to do what they want on a Friday afternoon. Let them choose from a range of games, craft activities and other fun things and they'll look forward to it all week. 

Sing along

The rise of movies such as Frozen has given kids a new love for the world of singing along to popular songs, and you can bring this into the classroom with a little singing time as a class to let everyone express themselves. 

Choose one afternoon a week to get everyone together in one place and have a good sing along. It can even be a good idea to let people take turns choosing the songs you'll all sing so that everyone really feels like a part of it. 

Crafts

Everyone loves crafts and being arty, and kids perhaps more so than anyone else. We all loved Art Attack as kids ourselves, so why not bring the spirit of Neil Buchanan back into your adult life by showing kids how they can be creative with things they find at home.

Invite your pupils to bring things from home and then challenge them to turn them into great works of art that can have pride of place as decorations in your classroom. Not only will this be great fun for all involved, it'll be a fantastic way to allow more creativity to flow through your lessons.