Learning should never stop, even when school is outâit should even extend beyond homework. But sometimes kids get burnt out on school, and all they want to do is play. Play time is important, too and it presents a wonderful opportunity.
To help your kids continue learning throughout the day, and even on the weekends, here are 6 cool activities that deceptively combine play with education.
Have your kids write a play, then act it out
Childrenâs minds are constantly brimming with creativity just waiting to be tapped. If you encourage your kids to come up with a play, and promise that youâll all act it out together (thatâs right, you should be acting it out, too), youâll be surprised at the wonderful stories they can come up with.
A fun science experiment with cabbage
All youâll need is a head of cabbage, some food coloring, water and some jars to illustrate how plants absorb water. Fill some jars with water and food dye, stick a leaf of cabbage in each jar, and before long the cabbage will absorb the dye and transform into new colors!
Decorate non-perishable food items to donate
One of the most important lessons you can teach your children is the importance of charity and giving. Turn it into a fun activity by having your kids decorate cans of food and other non-perishables. Then go on a road trip to your local food bank. Donât forget to explain how their act of charity is helping feed people who are in need.
Salt art
Itâs easy for children to get excited about art, especially if it involves a new medium. Hereâs a cool idea: get some colorful construction paper and spread salt across it. Have your children âpaintâ images or words in the saltâthe colored paper beneath it creates a cool effect.
Play a game of âsink or floatâ
Teach your children about buoyancy with a simple game of âsink or float.â Basically, you get regular household items, have your kids guess whether the items would sink or float, and then toss them (the objects, not your kids) in a tub of water. This is a very basic form of the scientific methodâyour kids come up with a hypothesis, and then they get to test it out and determine if they were right.
For extra credit, have your kids combine two things and see whether they âsink or float.â
Make paper plate birds that actually fly
Cut a paper plate in half, and then tape a plastic spoon to it, with the ladle of the spoon being the birdâs head. Color and decorate the bird (it could be a majestic eagle, or a colorful parrot), and then test it outâit should soar across the living room with ease.
Take one, or a few of these ideas, and get your children excited about learning at home! One of the best lessons you can give is that learning doesnât only have to take place in a classroomâit can happen anywhere!
