Each year, our school systems require students to be taught a standard curriculum. Since there is such a vast amount of topics that are required to be taught, lessons are often rushed and or skimmed over in order to begin next lesson.
Due to this, students are often deprived the proper amount of time that is needed to explore the concepts they are taught. In essence, children miss the opportunity to “play” with those ideas and tasks. Playful learning can help make those lessons more memorable, tactile and enjoyable.
Playful learning does not have to be complicated. It can be as easy as gamifying everyday tasks.
For example, one way to work on math is to have your child help you the kitchen. Not only can those tasks be yummy and enjoyable for you both, but they can also help your child to conceptualize measurement, time, calculation and basic counting.
Another example is to have fun with spring cleaning by having your student race to count how many action figures they have, or have them guess how many toys can fit into a bin. These spatial and counting skills are great assets to develop and finding active ways to include them into daily tasks can be easy and fun.
Geometry and physics are examples that can be difficult for many students. Investing in blocks, engineering toys such as Littlebits, Legos and rector sets help to set a student up with an understanding of the scientific method. Through continued use, students will learn from their mistakes as well as how perseverance pays off.
Take a short afternoon trip to a Lego store and work with your student on not just creating the image on the box, but the infinite other creations that can be built. Another benefical game is to task your student with getting a marble from one end of the room to the other. Student will hone their spatial and engineering mind in order to come up with a solution
Not convinced? Call us for some added tips. Our tutors can help you devise some playful learning opportunities for you and your family.
Indoor/Outdoor Gardening/CultivationSuch activities might include:
- Performing bedtime stories – or any book.
- Exploring Nature - local parks and forest preserves can be an easy way to find learning opportunities.
- Geocaching – “treasure” hunting in the digital world.
- Making games/toys from everyday objects - Bozo Buckets, paper plate masks, building forts, etc.
- Homemade Chemistry - i.e. vinegar and baking soda, food coloring, etc.
- Family poetry and stories.
- Photo Contests - nature or around the house.
- Green Technology - composting, rainwater collection, etc.
There are so many ways to make learning playful and productive. In the end, these types of activities are more beneficial than the common routines of cartoon, video games and social media.Playful learning makes learning simple and even complex concepts more tangible, relatable and fun. Take some time and think about how you can integrate more playful learning into your student’s life.
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