A few decades ago, kindergarten or nursery school was a place to make memories, dominate the playground, gossip with friends and giggle on the monkey bars. In fact, these are some of the fun experiences that many of us reminisce about.
However, nowadays, parents are more focused on teaching kids common core standards and making them ready for university. Well, we cannot blame the parents here completely, given the competition in getting accepted into universities and landing a job in a reputable company is becoming harder day by day.
But, just because the carefree days of Tokyo school are far behind doesn’t mean kids cannot enjoy themselves while maintaining higher learning standards. In fact, as a parent, you can make things easier for your kid at home while he/she maintains a strict routine at school.
9 Ways to Make Learning Fun for School Kids
1. Break Up Their School Lessons
When it comes to school kids, there is always “too much.” Similar to how you provide toddlers food in the right portion, breaking their school lessons into the right portion is crucial, too. This way, you will not only keep your kid engaged but excited, too.
For instance, introduce a chapter, then try an activity. Again, start with talking to your kid and pull out another exercise for him/her. The notion is to give your kid a break up of things and give them an opportunity to grasp the concept in a simpler and uniform way.
2. Give Your Kids Some Choices
Kids don’t necessarily get a lot of choices both at school and at home.
Just because you have the right to make decisions for your kid doesn’t mean he/she shouldn’t be provided with the chance to have a say. By providing the kid with the power to choose, you keep him/her engrossed in wanting to know what happens next.
For instance, let him/her pick the activity or help you with some decision-making at home. Suppose you are throwing a party; let your kid help you choose plates, decorations, etc. This way, you can instill decision-making skills in him/her.
3. Incorporate a Few Games to Make the School Curriculum Fun
While it is your job to take your kid through everything that happens in school on a daily basis to retain the information, it is important that you introduce a few games in those sessions to make learning fun for him/her.
You don’t have to spend a lot of effort or money on prepping for games. You can easily find thousands of free educational games online. You can even create a few on your own by watching the DIY channels.
4. Incorporate Movements
Kids don’t like sitting in one place for longer than a few minutes. They love checking things around them. They like exploring their surroundings because, of course, almost everything is intriguing for them.
Instead of them losing their interest in the learning session and looking around for things on their own, give them deserved breaks upfront. This way, your kid will know that he/she will be rewarded with breaks.
You can either give your kid brain breaks or incorporate movement – anything that results in a few minutes of downtime is great.
5. Encourage Hands-On Learning Patterns
Hands-on activities are used by teachers to make lessons engaging and fun for kids. As a parent, you can apply such activities to almost any type of subject, including Maths and English. Even action-oriented assignments such as crafts and art projects can prove meaningful and highly engaging. Your kid will most likely remember such learning sessions.
6. Organize Field Trips
Field trips don’t have to be limited to schools. As a parent, you can take your kid on field trips, too. You can speak with a few other parents to organize field trips for kids. This way, your kid will not only be surrounded by his/her friends but can spend time with you, too.
Museums, historical places and even local gardens can prove to be the best getaway for kids.
7. Use Technology Wisely
No matter what you do, you simply cannot keep your kid away from the latest technologies. Instead of banning such things from your kid’s life, try introducing them to your kid wisely.
You can easily come across a handful of platforms that provide online educational content. These contents aren’t just informative but engaging, too. Even Netflix has a Kid’s section that is filled with endless streams of both educational and engaging content.
You can award your kid dedicated hours on such platforms for the completion of certain tasks. For instance, did your kid complete an hour reciting a poem? Well, how about awarding him/her with 30 minutes of cartoon shows on Netflix?
Also Read: Importance of Teaching Values to Students
8. Limit Rules
We aren’t telling you to lift up all the set house rules, but that doesn’t mean you should limit your kid from everything.
Kids are little rule breakers. They tend to do things that they are restricted from doing. There will be hardly any fun when the house seems like a boot camp.
Instead, limit certain rules and help them understand what things are expected and what aren’t. Also, ensure the rules and expectations set are attainable.
9. Encourage Outdoor Activities
COVID-19 limited every one of us to our rooms. But that isn’t the case anymore.
Let your kid enjoy outdoor activities in the way he/she should. Set a time for visiting parks or playgrounds and ensure to visit them on time. The idea is to create a routine and let your kid explore things other than studies.
Signing Off
Children, especially those between the ages of 3 and 6, tend to get bored and distracted quite easily. And when it comes to studying and learning new educational concepts, their motivation is next to zero.
However, as a parent, you have full control of making the study session both engaging and fun for your kid by following the tips suggested above. You can also work with his/her school teacher to create an excellent at-home study plan based on his/her performance at school.
