Educational Activities You Can Do With Your Child Outside the Classroom
Author Jennifer McGregor
Watching your kids grow up and acquire new skills and knowledge is one of the greatest joys of parenting. However, sometimes your little ones may struggle in school and have trouble mastering certain subjects. When this happens, you can help by implementing educational activities at home. These can be fun and engaging, allowing little ones to learn more easily. Here are some ideas to inspire you
Turn to outside resources for help
If you aren't sure where to start, rest assured that there are plenty of resources to help. You can find learning activities and syllabuses online to inspire you, for example. Programs like Carrie Flower Company can also be useful. Their social and emotional programs teach kids valuable soft skills like empathy and listening. These skills will serve kids well not only in school but also in their personal—and future professional—lives.
Get outside to learn about nature
The great outdoors offers plenty of opportunities for curious kids to learn. Raising Global Kidizens offers suggestions for outdoor learning, like going on a nature scavenger hunt, collecting leaves or flowers, and creating a nature art project. Another idea is to create nature-inspired stories together. You might tell a tale about a certain animal, for example, how it got its home and where it gets food.
Use imagination games to spur creativityFostering your child's imagination will help them nurture a healthy creativity, which may be useful for future school or work projects. There are many imagination games you can play with kids at home. "Playing house" is a traditional example. Other options include pretending to run a business, like a shop or a restaurant, or pretending to be a superhero. Another option is to play a "guess the animal" game and let your little one act out creatures for you.
Use music to practice languages
Kids love to sing and dance to music. As a parent, you can make the most of this by encouraging them to use music to practice foreign languages. Singing song lyrics in another tongue can be a great way to practice. If your child hasn't started foreign-language education in school yet, this can give them a head start when the time comes. Plus, it can be a fun way to bond with your child.
Try dancing to improve math
Music can also be an opportunity to get moving, which is a great way to encourage your little one to engage in physical activity. Dancing can further be a fun way to learn rhythm and even master some basic math skills. Dance On Q reveals that basic activities like clapping and counting are a great way to get some basic mathematical knowledge. As kids get older, rhythmic terms like "three-quarter time" can also help teach fractions.
Get busy in the kitchen to learn sciencThe kitchen is another great place to teach your kid some essential skills. Activities like baking can be a means of learning basic chemistry, for example. As a bonus, you'll get to enjoy whatever sweet treat you cook up after you're done! This list of kitchen-based science experiments for kids offers some more ideas for inspiration. For example, you can make bread in a bag, create edible slime, or make ice cream from snow.
Become a better educator by going back to school
If you enjoy teaching and want to take your skills to the next level, you might consider getting a degree in education. You can get in-depth knowledge of key subject areas and hone your instructional development skills, becoming a better educator for your children. An online program gives you the flexibility you need to care for your kids while you're studying. With a bachelor of education degree like this one, you'll also open up career opportunities.
Accompanying your children on their learning journey can be very rewarding. There are many activities you can prepare for your children outside of the classroom to help them thrive. If you really love teaching, you can even get a degree in education.
For more tips on raising curious kids who love to learn, visit the blog.
