There are a number of different activities you can try to encourage your child to have fun whilst they learn. Some of these are outlined below:
Outdoor activities
Most children love getting outdoors and activities carried out outside can be beneficial for their general health as well as helping them learn.
Treasure hunts can be great fun and can teach children new information as well as encouraging them to work as a team; set up a treasure trail in the garden or playground which involves children answering questions in order to find the next clue; this will help their reading skills as well as testing their knowledge and observational skills. Solving the clues and finding the prize at the end of the hunt will give children a sense of achievement and build their self-esteem.
Nature trails are a great way of teaching children about the environment where they live; try to encourage children to look out for different animals, flowers and trees; this will help them to learn about the natural world and appreciate their surroundings. Try to collect examples of nature during the trail and then turn them into something the children can take home and keep; a collage is a good example of this.
Outings and trips give children the opportunity to experience different surroundings, learn about new environments and develop new knowledge. Common trips for children include visits to the library, the zoo, museums and parks.
Games and PE give children the chance to burn off some energy and have fun outdoors. You can make the games educational by getting the children to count, read or write while they play; a good example of a game children love is ‘what’s the time mr.fox?’; games like this enable children to play outside and learn to count.
Creative activities
Most children love getting messy and creative and this can be a great way to make them learn while they are also having lots of fun.
Painting encourages children to get creative and helps them to develop new skills by copying pictures or painting things from their imagination. Holding a paintbrush also helps children to be able to hold a pencil properly which makes writing easier.
Baking is great fun and an excellent way to get children interested in food. Try to make something that the children can take home as this will enable them to show off what they have done which will boost their self-esteem.
Drawing is both fun and educational; children who learn to draw from an early age are more likely to develop good writing skills. Ask children to draw their favourite animals or use certain colours to teach them new skills.
Play dough and plasticene: using play dough and plasticene enables children to build models of their favourite things and teaches motor skills and coordination.
Other fun activities
Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are a great way of helping your child to learn spatial awareness, as well as a number of other skills including counting, reading and recognising shapes, colours and objects. Try to choose brightly coloured fun looking puzzles and make sure the puzzle is not too easy or too hard as this will frustrate your child.
Games
Games can be a great way of teaching your child news skills as well as helping them to build relationships with others, learn rules and learn how to lose graciously. Games may include board games, card games or practical games such as musical statues for example.
Singing
Singing songs can help your child to gain valuable knowledge and express themselves. Children will also be able to learn skills such as counting and learning days of the week and names of objects by singing songs.