Every day, children absorb the world around them, with a natural desire to learn about and try new things. Children are unique human beings and just like adults, prefer to learn in different ways.
Most people nowadays understand that filling in worksheets and reading books isn’t fun for every child, although some do prefer to learn this way.
However, there are plenty of other ways to learn, and the key to making learning fun for your child is to figure out their learning style and how they enjoy learning best.
Here are some alternatives to reading and workshops that can be effective and fun for young kids.
1- Playing Games:
There are plenty of games that can teach your kids lots of different skills along with being fun to take part in.
Monopoly, Minecraft, and even sports games like basketball can be hugely useful for teaching your kids all kinds of different things, but don’t stop there.
There are plenty of games that are specifically geared towards learning, such as Skillastics games which are fantastic for learning about science and other STEM subjects in a fun and enjoyable way.
2- Writing Stories:
For children who are more verbally minded, writing stories, poems and even essays can be a lot of fun.
For example, if your child is currently learning about a certain historical period at school at the moment, they could get even more involved by writing a story about it.
You could even get the whole family involved in turning it into a drama together.
3- Get Active:
Getting kids on their feet and doing some different exercises can often be highly effective.
Exercise doesn’t just help to keep kids physically fit; it can also be a great way to incorporate some fun learning games.
For example, if they are learning to spell new works, you can write them in chalk on the pavement and get your child to jump to each one when you call it out.
4- Let them Get Hands-On:
Some kids prefer to be completely hands-on and try things for themselves.
Science experiments, DIY projects, and open-ended construction projects are great options for these kids. They might not respond as well to easy-to-predict projects or having too many instructions given to them.
The good news is that there’s a huge amount of resources available online or even in libraries these days to help your child find information and create their own experiments and projects.
For some kids, giving them the freedom to explore their own interests, and offering support when they need it, is the best way to help them learn.
How Do You Learn Best?
When you read the above learning strategies, think about which ones you’d enjoy the most.
What would you have preferred as a child?
Bear in mind that for many kids, learning takes place in many places outside of the classroom, through everyday life and experiences that couldn’t be further away from school if they tried.
Often, learning doesn’t need to be ‘academic’. It can be a huge amount of fun.
The most important thing is to encourage children to explore and learn more about what interests them.
