Why can't education be fun?
It can be and it should be!
Our little ones are growing up fast and they are continuously learning each and every day - their education should be as fun as possible to allow them to want to learn, explore and grow.
There are a number of ways that we can help our little ones to improve their skills and make learning fun - here are 5 ideas to get you started
1) Drawing and painting
Kids love being creative - set them down with a piece of paper and a few colouring pencils and away they go. With this in mind, use drawing and painting to let them explore their creative ideas while making it a great bonding exercise for you and your children.
A great paint activity is finger painting - this allowing the youngest of children to start exploring colours, shapes, coordination and patterns. It's fun, easy and can be developed into a more complex exercise as they begin to develop their skills - they'll be a great little artist before you know it!
2) Blocks, jigsaws, and shape sorters
These are great for young children and often come in a huge selection of colours and designs so your child can have fun with the colours, patterns and characters they love!
These not only help your little ones with their coordination, colours and shapes but also allow your children to learn numbers and letters following on to words and sentences - for example jigsaw puzzles asking them to match pictures to words or numbers to pictures; a great tool to encourage your little one's first words.
3) Imaginative play
Kids love to develop stories and they love to be a part of them; they constantly want to mimic their parents and often role play amongst each other pretending to be doctors, nurses, shopkeepers or playing with pretend kitchen and cleaning items to help around the house. They want to be adults!
It's a great opportunity for parents to encourage them to use their imagination whether it's through song and dance, or performing plays or taking their toys and creating a real life Toy Story in your living room. It really helps them to develop their creativity and allows parents to teach them important lessons in a fun interactive way.
4) Outdoor play (Running, jumping, climbing and swinging)
Outdoor play is great, whether it's exploring the back garden, taking a trip to the park or an adventure at a beach or in a forest.
Outdoor play allows your children to develop their knowledge on the environment, it helps them learn how to keep safe and how to behave and also develops their fitness and helps release all the energy they have; a good run around outdoors will definitely lead to a peaceful nights sleep!
Taking a trip together with other children will also allow them the opportunity to develop their communication and teamwork.
5) Cooking and pretend cooking
Cooking is a great way to bond with the little ones while teaching them key knowledge and skills. They have an opportunity to discover their favourite foods and learn how to cook them and it's also a great opportunity to teach them about healthy eating.
Pretend cooking using cutting puzzles or toy kitchen units is also a great way to teach young kids about food and table manners without worrying about having to supervise them in the kitchen.
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There are a wide range of other ideas on how to make learning fun for your little ones but why not try one of the above to help you on your way!
