5 Fun Ways to Help Kids Learn at Home
Learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms. Learning is an ongoing process that happens 24/7 (yes, your brain even keeps working when you’re asleep!) and there are tons of fun ways to help children learn when they’re not in school. Evenings, weekends, holidays—they all offer families great opportunities to spend time together, have fun, and continue learning and building skills that will help kids succeed.
Here are 5 fun ways to help kids learn at home:
1. Get Creative – Art helps smarts! Whether it’s crafts or play-doh, playing an instrument or acting, writing poetry or painting, or building model cars or graphic design, art can help kids of all ages tap into their creative side and get their brains working. An artistic extra-curricular hobby can help students’ performance inside the classroom too, as well as helping them build confidence and social skills.
2. Get Cooking – Children love to feel like little helpers, so why not let them help with grocery shopping or cooking meals? The great thing about these activities? They help with an integral (and often difficult) school subject: MATH. Have your child decide which produce is a better bargain or ask them to measure ingredients. Not only will they quickly learn that math IS something useful that they use every day, but you also get to eat what you make!
3. Get Outside – A simple walk around the block can offer opportunities for learning, not to mention fresh air and exercise helps keep brains fit as well as bodies. Name trees and flowers, spot animals, or carry a compass along with you to track your direction. If you’re feeling more adventurous, go on a longer hike or visit a conservation area. You don’t even have to leave the house; plant a vegetable garden together, build a snow fort, or play basketball in the driveway. Regardless of the activity, getting outside means kids spend less time in front of TV and computer screens, and that definitely helps them learn better.
4. Get Tech-y – So you have a kid who just won’t put down the iPad or video game controller. All is not lost; technology CAN lead to learning opportunities. Spend a rainy Saturday afternoon playing vids WITH your kid… get him/her to explain the game to you and teach you how to play. Chat about how the game connects to things in real life. Believe it or not, some teachers are even using video games in classrooms as teaching tools!
5. Get Reading – Reading early and often is one of the best ways for children to succeed in school. Kids who read for pleasure will find their literacy skills soar, helping them in every single subject. Even reluctant readers can turn into bookworms and the most connected kids can find reading in a digital age enjoyable. Being a bookworm yourself can certainly help model the habit for your children, and remember all reading counts! Comic books, blogs, magazines, graphic novels… whatever it is, just get reading!
Perhaps one of the most important things to remember is kids are born curious, so parents should be enthusiastic about helping their children explore whatever it is that piques their interest. There is a huge world out there to explore, so learn together, and learn forever!
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