Make learning fun!

 Whether you're drawing the life cycle of a butterfly or building a Lego tower, there's always an opportunity for your child to learn. I am consistently looking for new ways to immerse my kids in the academic world,without boring them to sleep. When I was in college it was easy to get my daughter excited about what I was learning (pre-nursing major and EMT), but since then I've found myself struggling. How do you get a kid excited to learn? I'm not the best teacher, and I definitely don't think I'm a thrill to listen too. So, I began googling fun, educational activities. It took a while for me to realize that learning doesn't mean textbooks and assignments, it means asking questions. Encourage your child to ask questions and they'll never stop learning. Here are a few ways to make anytime learning time.

Smart Play time

 During your child's play time ask questions; what color is this block? How many wings does your butterfly have? This gets a kid thinking. Let them use their imaginations to answer how something works then explain it or use art to help them visualize it. Make sun catchers or ecosystem bottles.

Bath time

 Bath time also is a great time for learning. Teach them about density by putting different toys in the water. First ask what will sink and what will float. Then ask them why. Kids are creative. You might be surprised by their answers. I also like to have my daughter write the alphabet during bath time. Grab some bath crayons and make it a game. See who can write the fastest and maybe let your child win from time to time. 

Engage their interest

 Find your child's interest. My oldest likes to cook so I let her help. Cooking is great for developing math and reading skills. Help them sound out words in a recipe or figure out which measuring cup is the right one. Don't be scared of a little egg shell in your pancakes. If your child likes playing outside, make mud pies and experiment with how more water changes the consistency. Or teach them about the water cycle with a bowl of water in the the sun. Start a garden with your child so they can learn about plants.

Its not bribery

 Use incentives. I found a video by a kindergarten teacher that said, "if you can count it you can keep it." Watch the video here: https://youtube/jYloCGfSoOk

I've used this method for everything. If you can read 5 words you can have 5 crackers. If you can count 8 goldfish you can eat 8 goldfish. By giving them an incentive they may be willing to try a little harder and pay attention longer.

Experiment

 Science is always fun if you make it an experiment. This site has many fun and cheap experiments, like the cardboard boat using soap as a propeller. https://sciencebob.com/category/experiments/ Here's another great site for fun science experiments.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html However, you don't have to experiment just for science. Write letters on blocks and let your kids experiment with making words or mix paints for different shades.

 No matter what you do there is always a chance to learn something new. Don't get frustrated if you feel you aren't a great teacher and don't give up. You'll find your groove. 

Be sure to check out my Pinterest page for more fun!