Looking for ways to make learning more engaging without spending hours clicking around in tech tools or laminating printables? Canva AI interactive activities for teachers are changing the game, literally. With Canva’s AI-powered design tools, you can transform static classroom materials into dynamic, gamified learning experiences that students actually want to engage with—think interactive Tic-Tac-Toe boards, digital “I Spy” missions, and choose-your-own-adventure style activities.
The best part? You don’t need to be a tech wizard or a graphic designer. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome guest blogger Kelly Lucero to the LindyHoc blog to show you exactly how to make this happen.
Meet Kelly: Primary literacy coach turned professional learning specialist, Kelly Lucero is a wealth of knowledge helping learners succeed and bridge the gap of early literacy. With a background in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Reading & Literacy, she loves working with students, teachers and the education family. Throughout her 20+ years teaching she worked as a classroom teacher and Instructional Support Facilitator. Currently she is working as a consultant for a variety of companies all with a focus on professional learning, a private literacy tutor and she’s also a children’s book author. Connect with Kelly on her website and LinkedIn.
Canva has revolutionized design, making it accessible to everyone. But what if you could take your Canva designs a step further, transforming your classroom learning activities into interactive tools?
Imagine a world where your presentations aren’t just a series of slides, but interactive guides. Or where your students’ homework becomes mini-games or decision-making tools. This is the exciting realm of interactive design within Canva. The key to this process lies in your imagination, prompt generation and the iterative journey of refining your designs until they are just right. Let me give you a tour!
Canva AI Interactive Activity Example: AI Differentiation Tic-Tac-Toe
Developing my slides for an upcoming AI exploration in education, I recalled Lindy Hockenbary’s AI Literacy TECH-Tac-Toe board of AI literacy exploration. I thought BINGO might be a fun extension idea so I grabbed my go-to AI generator, ChatGPT, to type in a prompt. As it rapidly extended my idea bank, it gave me one additional option that sparked my creativity, “Do you want to create this in Canva?”. It was a choose your own adventure moment for me, so of course, I said yes.
I logged into my Canva account and proceeded to toggle on Canva AI. The result is AI Differentiation Tic-Tac-Toe! Take a look at the example to get an idea of the instructional possibilities of Canva AI interactive activities for teachers.
The Spark: Prompt Generation as a Pedagogical Tool
Once you toggle on Canva AI, it asks for a prompt: “Describe your idea, and I’ll bring it to life.” As educators, we know that every effective instructional tool begins with a clear learning objective. Prompt generation is just as essential which helps us define the purpose, audience, and learning outcome of your interactive design. Your prompt is the blueprint for your instructional content.
Let’s look at these example prompts. What type of generation do you think Canva AI will create from these prompts?
“Act a third-grade teacher, create an interactive ‘I Spy’ mission. The game should be a single, colorful HTML file titled ‘Story Detectives’. Students must solve clues to determine the main idea, setting, and character of a story about a magical talking fox. The game should include buttons or a text box for students to input their answers and receive immediate feedback.”
“Act as a third-grade teacher and create a conversational, text-based ‘I Spy’ mission. The game should be about a story set in a pirate ship sailing the high seas. Guide me with clues to help me figure out the main idea, setting, and character. We will solve each part one at a time, and you will give me hints if I get stuck.”
“Assume the role of a third grade teacher. Create an interactive, student-led game that guides learners through the story building process. Each step should be a clickable element that reveals more detailed instructions or examples, allowing students to navigate at their own pace.”
What do the prompts all have in common? First, these prompts provide the role: a third grade teacher. Then, it specifies the pedagogical method (student-led navigation), the content (design thinking process), and the visual requirements. These details in the prompt provide a solid foundation for a successful instructional tool. Let’s see what Canva AI cooks up for us.
Here are the first drafts from each of the above prompts: Canva AI Interactive Activities for Teachers Examples
“Act a third-grade teacher, create an interactive ‘I Spy’ mission. The game should be a single, colorful HTML file titled ‘Story Detectives’. Students must solve clues to determine the main idea, setting, and character of a story about a magical talking fox. The game should include buttons or a text box for students to input their answers and receive immediate feedback.”
“Act as a third-grade teacher and create a conversational, text-based ‘I Spy’ mission. The game should be about a story set in a pirate ship sailing the high seas. Guide me with clues to help me figure out the main idea, setting, and character. We will solve each part one at a time, and you will give me hints if I get stuck.”
“Assume the role of a third grade teacher. Create an interactive, student-led game that guides learners through the story building process. Each step should be a clickable element that reveals more detailed instructions or examples, allowing students to navigate at their own pace.”The Evolution: Iteration for Instructional Effectiveness
The first draft of an instructional tool in Canva AI is rarely the final version. Iteration is a critical part of the design process, allowing you to refine the user experience and ensure the tool is pedagogically sound. By creating and testing multiple versions, you can identify what works and what needs improvement.
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Clarity of Flow: Is the path from one step to the next intuitive for the learner?
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Engagement: Do the interactive elements, like buttons or clickable text, encourage participation?
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Accessibility: Is the color contrast high enough? Is the font legible? Does the design work well on different devices?
This back-and-forth process of design and refinement ensures that the final product is not just visually appealing, but also an effective teaching and learning tool.
The Power of “Just Right” When Creating Canva AI Interactive Activities
Reaching the “just right” stage in instructional design means the tool is not only aesthetically pleasing but also fully serves its educational purpose. Creating Canva AI interactive activities, through prompt generation and iteration, empowers you to create resources that are more than just content delivery systems. You can design interactive tools—like quizzes, decision-making guides, or even digital board games such as BINGO—that actively involve the learner, making the educational journey more engaging, memorable, and effective.
What version number do you think this Story Builder Adventure is?
Version 7?
Version 9?
Version 15?
⚠️ Spoiler alert!
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If you guessed version 15, you are correct! In fact, it took me 15 tries to get AI Differentiation Tic-Tac-Toe exactly how I wanted it! Still, I saved tons of time as this interactive board would have taken me hours to create from scratch.
For a glimpse into the iterative process of prompting, below is the first prompt to the final prompt for the “I Spy” activity:
- First Prompt: “Assume the role of a third grade teacher. Create an interactive, student-led game that guides learners through the story building process. Each step should be a clickable element that reveals more detailed instructions or examples, allowing students to navigate at their own pace.”
- Final Prompt: “Create an interactive ‘I Spy’ game page for children. The scene should be colorful and busy, set in a playful environment such as a park, classroom, or fantasy land. Include a variety of objects, animals, and characters hidden throughout the scene. Add a list or sidebar with 8-10 items for players to find, using simple icons or images. Make sure the design is engaging, child-friendly, and easy to navigate for young users.”
These Canva AI interactive activities for teachers show how powerful intentional design can be. By combining the power of intentional design with educational goals and reworking the plan until you get it just right, you can unlock a new level of creativity and gamify learning.
Unlock the magic of interactive activities for teachers with Canva AI. Give it a try: Canva for Education is free to schools!
Refer to the video below for step-by-step instructions for using Canva AI code feature:
