One of the things I’m constantly learning as a mum is finding the right balance between stepping back and stepping in. With education, this is the difference between letting my girls just get on with the job of playing on their own, doing what they want (pretending to be a world famous YouTuber, in the case of my 5 year old) and setting up directed activities that have a specific goal.
The ideal scenario is always to make education fun, turning it into a game rather than some laborious learning by rote thing. This is a constant challenge, especially as Frog gets older and starts to bring more school work home with her.
I’ve always been a words and pictures person and remember many happy hours creating my own magazines complete with illustrated front covers and lengthy articles inside, all held together with lashings of sellotape. Looking back, I can see how this was all educational stuff, but it was also fun (for me) and didn’t feel like learning.
I never struggled with spellings tests or writing skills, but the same can’t be said of numbers. When it came to maths I had zero confidence and often felt frustrated that it didn’t come easily. In fact, my confidence in maths was so low that my parents paid for me to have private tuition to help me get through my GCSE, something which made a huge difference at the time. If either of my girls struggle in the same way I certainly wouldn’t rule out investing in tuition with a company like Fleet Tutors.
In the meantime, I know that at home it’s all about making education as fun as possible, and remembering my girls are learning new skills and ideas all the time – even if it’s not instantly obvious.
Here are some tips from other parents for ways to make education fun:
Play shopping
Emma from Emma and 3 recommends play shopping with children. “It’s a great way to encourage writing and maths,” says Emma. “You can write lists of things you need to buy and then use real money to do some maths and give change.”
Use technology
Cass from Frugal Family reminds us not to rule out technology when it comes to learning. “There are some great apps and games out there that make learning fun. My two didn’t even know they were learning half the time when they were younger!”
Engage the senses
Polly from Enchanted Pixie says engaging the senses is a sure fire way to make something more interesting. “For example, when learning spellings, mine might draw them on sand, make the words out of scented play dough or paint them with water on a chalk board. It keeps it fun and interesting rather than just writing on paper over and over again.”
Get your kids involved in planning
Adele at Circus Queen explains how important it can be to get children involved in the planning stages of learning, rather than just deciding on an activity and setting it up for them. “Brainstorm ideas together on how you might learn more about a topic. Kids will often surprise you with their ideas. Working together helps them to take ownership of what they’re learning.”
Turn it into a game
Jess at Along Came Cherry recommends turning any learning activity into a game, where possible. “I was talking about earthquakes with Iyla the other day and she told me about how my dad had taught her about them while they were playing a game in a café. Apparently he moved two tables so her straw could fall though. It was months ago but she remembers everything he told her!
Sing it
Eleanor at The Bristol Parent says songs are a great way to help children and teens learn things. “I can still remember the grammar and punctuation songs and rhymes my private tutor taught me! ‘A preposition shows relation: in the church or at the station‘!”
How about you – how do you make learning fun at home?
Leave a Reply