Every mom wants the best for their kids, especially when it comes to education. After all, the skills and knowledge children learn in school can help prepare them for the challenges of adulthood and improve their chances of securing a bright future.
However, while lessons in the classroom and homework activities are intended to teach, not every kid wants to spend all afternoon answering worksheets. Just like adults, every child is unique and has their own learning style.
What kids do have in common, regardless of their learning preferences, is that they find it easier to remember things when they’re having fun. For moms looking for ways to inject some fun into learning, here are things you can do with your school-age kids to grab their attention and make lessons enjoyable at home:
Gamify Learning
It’s no secret that kids love to play games. Most kids even tend to have more energy for playtime than studying. However, you shouldn’t view this as a negative or unwelcome response to learning. Rather, you can take this opportunity to combine playtime with studies when you gamify learning.
Here are some games and activities you can consider doing with your child so they can learn as they play:
Use learning apps
Thanks to technology, there are numerous apps designed to teach kids while playing a game. Solving simple math problems, learning about animals, becoming familiar with words, and even coding are just some of the skills they can gain from using apps for child education. Consider your child’s age and interests when gamifying learning through apps.
Play board games
If you prefer that your kids play physical games than digital ones, board games are also a good place to start. Many child-friendly board games can teach them to follow instructions, use critical thinking, and strategy. They’re also fun and creative, which might encourage your kids to play — and learn — all afternoon.
Play listening games
Car games like “I Spy” or rhyming games will teach your child to listen actively and expand their vocabulary in a quick, simple, and fun way.
Use flashcards
Flashcards are old but gold when it comes to helping kids retain information. For flashcards to become more effective, use interesting, colorful visuals that will grab their attention.
Go on a Backyard Field Trip
Field trips are a great way to teach kids about the natural world and how things work and function. However, you don’t have to go on a long trip to make this happen. Just roaming your backyard and telling them about the objects, plants, and animals found there is a step toward satisfying their curiosity.
You can even take it up a notch by organizing a simple backyard scavenger hunt. Some enjoyable child-friendly themes include colors, flowers, nature, or shapes. After the hunt, ask your child about the objects they’ve ticked off from their list to get a discussion going.
Encourage Their Creativity
Kids have a rich imagination during the early stages of child education. Giving them the freedom and outlet to express this creativity can train their brain to look at the world from different perspectives. Not only will they learn how to appreciate what’s beautiful around them, but exploring artistic pursuits coupled with lessons can help them absorb information in an enjoyable way.
Consider the following:
Do arts and crafts:
Paper crafts, painting, and other art activities can teach kids a lot about color combinations, mixing colors, shapes, lines, and so on. There’s so much more they can learn when the subject of their arts and crafts projects are nature, animals, inanimate objects, and even the people around them.
Learn with Music
Like rhyming games, songs can help kids remember complex topics when there’s a simple tune they can follow. One great example is how toddlers can remember the 26 letters of the alphabet because of the ABC song. Songs and music are great for memorization so, for instance, if your kid is having trouble with the multiplication table, a great way to approach this is to turn lessons into songs.
Storify lessons
Every mom can agree that kids love to tell stories. Help them gain more knowledge by also making storytelling an integral part of learning. Fables, simple myths, anecdotes, and the like will capture your child’s attention and prepare them for more in-depth reading comprehension in the future.
Remember that learning happens everywhere!
These are just a handful of ways you can make child education activities fun, interesting, and effective. More than anything, it’s important to recognize that learning happens everywhere and what makes it fun for your kids is if they can feel that you’re having fun teaching them.
