School is not the only place for young children to engage in learning activities, meaning that you as a parent will be your child’s teacher while they’re at home. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to set up structured lessons for your child to learn something. In fact, there are several creative activities that you and your child can enjoy together that will help them learn and have fun at the same time.
Use Educational Apps
Technology is here to stay and the sooner young children become comfortable with using it, the better off they will be when the time comes to start school. With several educational apps being available nowadays, it’s essential for parents to choose something that educates their child in ways that are not just age-appropriate, but also fun and engaging.
The First™ app from BabyFirst™ features a number of exciting activities for babies from as young as six months of age, toddlers and preschool-age children to engage in that will teach them aspects such as color and shape identification, learning to count, being able to recognize the alphabet and discovering new things in the world around them.
Instill a Love for Music
Although your child may already be familiar with nursery rhymes like, “The wheels on the bus,” or “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” there are several other musical activities you can play with them that will help teach them to enjoy music from a young age. For example, play different instrument sounds and see if your child can identify them. Alternatively, you can make your own instruments – add some bells to a paper plate to make a tambourine or allow them to bang on one of your old pots with a wooden spoon to create their own drum, for instance.
Set up Basic Science Experiments
Preschool-age children love learning how things work and why stuff happens, so letting them engage in some basic science experiments will allow them to have fun while learning something new. Allowing them to help make a paper-mache volcano, placing a few teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda into the hollowed out center section and pouring a little vinegar over the top of it will help them see how volcanoes erupt and they will also learn how acid and alkaline substances react when combined.
Another fun and easy experiment requires any type of clear soda such as 7-Up or Sprite and small, fresh raisins. Fill a glass with soda and then place a few raisins into the soda. Although the raisins will initially sink, the carbon dioxide in the soda will lift the raisins up towards the top of the glass. As the carbon dioxide depletes in the glass, the raisins will eventually sink down to the bottom again.
Parents who are looking for inspiration or ideas regarding fun and safe science experiments to perform at home with their children can visit the Parents First community on Pinterest. Various printables are available for download here.
Teaching your child at home need not cost a lot – in fact, many lessons can be learned by letting them help with a simple household activity like baking. Spending time together with your child will not only help encourage them to learn; you’ll be enjoying some quality one on one time with them as well.
