Teaching Your Kids Through Play - How They Can Love Learning

As a parent and caregiver, you’re responsible for taking care of your child’s physical and emotional needs. But that’s not all. Even if your child is in formal education like school, their education still comes down to you. It’s also your job to teach them before they go to school, so you can make sure they’re ready.

This all sounds like a lot of work, and it is. But one of the secrets of teaching is that it can be fun. Learning through play is a legitimate strategy, and it can continue as your child grows up. This way, your child gets a well-rounded education and they might not even realize they’re learning.

Start When They’re Young

Education doesn’t begin when your child goes to school. You want your child to get the best headstart in life and in education, so it’s up to you to teach them. Parents at the very least should teach their children very basic skills like how to walk, talk, and use a potty or toilet. Toddlers should start learning these skills as soon as possible. While not every child will hit every milestone at the same time, it helps to encourage your child to learn.

But it’s also a good idea to teach your child basic social skills, as well as how to read and count. Believe it or not, play and other fun activities are what help with this.

Playdates with other children encourage your child to play together. Make sure you allow them to explore a variety of playstyles. Some play is better for socializing, while other forms of play encourage motor control, coordination, and creativity. Your child might naturally lean towards certain playstyles as they develop a personality and preferences.

Reading with your child helps them to learn how to read and speak. You can also play with them to teach them how to count and use basic logic. This sets them up for preschool and then formal education.

Toys For Learning

Specific toys are designed to help children learn, and they can have a lot of fun doing so. Different toys might be more appropriate for different age groups, and you should always supervise young children when they play with toys that have small parts as they could be a choking hazard.

Building blocks like Lego are one of the most popular toys for learning, and even adults enjoy building with them. Your child can learn how to construct something that supports itself. They might engage their creative minds when designing something, and they learn fine motor skills when using the blocks.

You can even get more complicated Lego sets and other building toys that teach basic engineering skills for older children and adults.

Make sure you find the right toys for your child’s age and interests. You can also download edutainment apps that teach all kinds of things, such as spelling, math, and even history and coding. Some television programs are also designed to teach as well as entertain. Of course, it’s best to be balanced with screen time.

Practical Skills

As well as educational activities and play that set your children up for school, you should also think about practical skills to set them up for life. Have them join you with your chores.

Even though it might take longer, it can be helpful to gamify chores. Chore charts with scores and rewards are a good motivating factor, and you still teach your children the necessary skills for life.

You can also make chores fun by turning it into a race or dancing while cleaning.

Young children love to spend time with their parents, so involve them in cooking and cleaning. You can also teach them other skills, such as gardening, DIY, and financial literacy. True, you might struggle to make all of this fun, but it’s a necessary part of parenting and making sure your children will grow up to be responsible and self-sufficient adults.

Sports Games

If you look back at games, one of the best things to involve your child in is sports. It’s important that everyone has an active lifestyle, whether you’re old or young. Team sports are especially helpful for keeping your child fit and helping them learn social skills.

Team sports require strategy and the ability to work together as a team. Your child will learn how to get along with others and to use their strengths along with other children. Besides, sports are a lot of fun, and a bit of healthy competition can be just that - healthy.

But what if your child doesn’t like sports?

You shouldn’t push your kids into something they won’t enjoy. Not everyone is a natural sportsperson. However, it’s still helpful to find an active hobby that they do enjoy. Time and finances obviously play into how many things you’re able to try out but encourage your child to find something that keeps them moving.

It’s also important to not always push your child to be the best. Some kids enjoy a sport, but they aren’t natural athletes. It’s okay for them to play casually as well. You can find a more casual, fun team. In some cases, you can even play sports with your kids.

Video Games

We said earlier that screen time needs to be balanced. While there are benefits to technology and some screen-focused activities, too much screen time can be harmful to anyone, children and adults alike. Some parents find a parental lock can help them set limits on how long their kids spend on their screens.

However, let’s look at some of the benefits of screen time and video games.

Some video games, especially those aimed at younger children, have clear educational benefits. But what about other video games?

Well, they can also help your children to learn certain skills, depending on the games they play.

Racing games and other games that require quick reflexes teach children how to be observant and can improve their reaction time. Strategy and puzzle games help your children to think outside the box and use logic to solve problems. Some games involve teamwork, while others foster a creative attitude. Management games often involve creating a production line, which means using math and logic to solve problems and succeed. Or maybe you want to be embroiled in a story in another world.

Video games can be played alone or with other people, but you learn all the time.

You can also play video games with your child. If you’re unfamiliar with their favorite games, ask them to teach you. This has the double benefit of allowing you to bond with your child, while also allowing them to learn how to teach with patience and clarity.

Puzzles and Simple Games

Some games are best when you just have a few minutes and want to entertain yourself while keeping your mind active. Simple games like crossword puzzles or sudoku only need some pen and paper, an app, or an internet connection, and you’re ready to go. They teach you how to use logic to solve problems. Simple card games can also be a lot of fun and educational. Teach your children these basic games and they’ll be able to entertain themselves with just a pack of cards.

Learning doesn’t have to be boring. It can be fun, and even better, it doesn’t stop in childhood. You continue to learn while playing even after you finish formal education. It refreshes you and keeps your mind working hard.

Nanny to Mommy