Thursday, September 2, 2021

Making Learning Fun for Young Children

 Making learning fun for children can aid development and boost wellbeing and contentment, but it’s not always to conjure up new, original ideas. If you have young children, and you’re looking for inspiration, this guide is packed with ideas and tips to ensure that every learning experience is enjoyable and memorable. 


Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-kid-with-multicolored-hand-paint-1148998/


Vary activities

We all get bored of doing the same things over and over again. Many of us remember classes at school that we didn’t enjoy because every session was the same, and there are often jobs we try to avoid at work because they are repetitive or mundane. When educating your child or drawing up plans for home learning or playtime, try to include a diverse range of activities. Switch up your schedule, include different types of activities, and combine classes your kids love with new learning techniques and resources. A variety of activities will help children to maintain high levels of motivation and also make learning and teaching more enjoyable for parents, carers or relatives. From reading, problem-solving and arts and crafts to physical activity, role-play, outdoor pursuits and doing experiments or playing games, it’s an excellent idea to try to introduce a mixture of classes and play and learning-based activities.


Change your surroundings

A change of scenery can have an incredible impact on a child’s appetite for learning. Many kids love to be outdoors and to explore different settings. When you’re encouraging your children to learn, it’s a fantastic idea to try and change the surroundings from time to time. Go outside if it’s a sunny day, visit a park, the beach or a forest or work in the garden. Visit places that are relevant to what you’re learning about and use the environment to enhance the experience. If you’re learning about animals, for example, you could go to the zoo, a wildlife park or a farm. If you’re talking about trees, insects or plants, plan a nature walk or have a look around a garden center. Interactive, sensory experiences are often more memorable. If your kids have had a great day, they will be able to retain and recall information more easily. 


Picture from https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-wearing-orange-shirt-blowing-on-dandelion-1231215/


Introduce a social element

Making friends, spending time with others and forming relationships can have an impact on how we learn and develop. If you’re looking for ways to make learning fun for your kids, have you thought about introducing a social element? From infant daycare facilities and play dates with friends and neighbors to summer schools and camps and local clubs, there are several ways to encourage socialization. Some children are naturally more sociable than others. If your kids tend to be shy around new people, support and reassure them and give them time to adjust to the environment and the dynamic of the group. It can be helpful to stick to the same groups or activities for a period to enable them to become more confident around their new friends. 


Bring learning to life

Most of us will have memories of reading books, writing notes and listening to our teachers talking during our time at school. Reading is incredibly beneficial for children, but it’s not the only way to learn. One of the best ways to make learning more fun and accessible is to bring it to life. Instead of just reading books about the human body, history or animals, or looking at pictures of famous artworks in books or doing sums written down in activity booklets, use visual, interactive, practical learning techniques. Paint your own pictures in the style of well-known artists, take a look at your facial features in the mirror or use models to see where different body parts are, recreate battles or landmark historical moments by creating role-play scenarios and develop counting skills by setting up a store and using a cash register, for example. Explore the great outdoors, be creative and try to include daily physical activity. You can use online resources and get ideas and inspiration from teachers, educators and parents via forums and social media groups. 


Ask for feedback and ideas

All children learn differently and they have preferences in terms of what they like to do and how they want to spend their time. Ask your children for feedback on activities you’ve tried and encourage them to get involved with planning classes or coming up with ideas for weekends or rainy afternoons


Image via https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-friendship-friends-children-2847508/



Every parent wants the best for their child when it comes to learning. If you homeschool your kids, or you’re eager to encourage them to learn through play and spending time together at home, it’s hugely beneficial to try and make learning as fun as possible.


This is a contributed post.


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