To help children learn, it is important to make learning as fun as possible. This can be achieved by combining learning with play, or other interests that your child enjoys. Once children discover that learning can be fun, you will see their engagement increase and their academic abilities improve. 

Bassett House School have put together this useful list of fun activities to help keep your children curious, motivated and excited to learn… 

Outdoor Learning 

Children learn best when they are able to use all of their senses, so getting outdoors is a great way to teach children about the world around them. Exploring nature can provide many fun learning opportunities, so try to encourage your child to observe their surroundings, weather and wildlife.

If your children enjoy the great outdoors, you could try Geocaching. This is a fun outdoor activity where families search for hidden capsules using a GPS app. You’ll be surprised at how many geocaches there are waiting to be found in your local area! 

Cooking 

Cooking is a great way to develop your child’s reading, writing and math skills. Ask your child to read a recipe, write a shopping list and then help you cook a family meal.  They will also be able to practice their maths skills when they are measuring out the ingredients. Cookbooks are an ideal way to explore food from other cultures around the world and you may find that your children are much more likely to eat something new if they have made it themselves. 

Museums 

If your child has an interest in a particular topic, then you could help to explore this interest by planning a trip to a museum. Furthermore, you could create a treasure hunt for your museum visit, by asking your child to find certain exhibits or artifacts around the museum.
Not only will a museum trip make a fun day out for all the family, but it can also help to inspire and enrich your child’s learning experience. 

Games 

Board games are another fun way to incorporate play into learning. Board games will often get kids doing maths without even realizing it. For example, Snakes and Ladders and Monopoly are both great board games, which will help your child to practice various maths skills. 

Water  

There are lots of scientific activities you can do with your child at home. Water play is great for young children. You can experiment with different materials and see which ones sink and which ones float, or what happens to certain materials then they are added to water. 

Science experiments 

Kids are naturally curious and love to experiment, ask questions, and see how things work. Help to stimulate your child’s curiosity by setting up some safe science experiments at home. Don’t worry you don’t need any fancy chemicals, or test tubes and Bunsen burners; you can set up a fun science experiment in minutes, using simple items you have in your kitchen cupboards!