✍🏾 7 Fun Ways to Sneak Learning Into Everyday Life
Learning is not limited to the classroom! Children can learn in any environment as long as someone is willing to teach them. You can be that “someone” parents by taking opportunities to “sneak a lesson in” with minimal effort outside of the school day.
Not only are you supporting your child’s teacher, you’re also strengthening your child’s learning skills, whether they’re preparing for kindergarten or already attending.
Here are 7 ways to sneak learning in outside of the classroom:
✍🏾 1. Counting
Counting is one of the easiest ways to supplement your child’s learning for kindergarten readiness. The more your child engages in counting, the more confident they’ll be in school. Count everything!
The cars they see while driving
Toys
Shoes
How many French fries did they eat
Food in the grocery cart
Doesn’t matter what it is, just count!
✍🏾 2. Recognizing Environmental Print
Environmental print is the words, pictures, and logos that your child sees daily. Think McDonald's or Target, and you’ve got a good idea of environmental print.
So the next time you drive by a Taco Bell or HEB grocery store, do this:
Ask them to “read” the word, then give them praise: That’s right! It does say Taco Bell! You can read!
Ask them what the beginning letter is in the word
Ask them to make the sound for that beginning letter
Count the syllables in the word (Mc - Don - alds; 3 syllables or parts)
Utilizing environmental print is one of the easiest ways to encourage “reading”.
✍🏾 3. Nature Walks
Going on a walk or outing with your child is always an opportunity to expand on learning. There are so many things you can highlight while simply being outside.
Here are a few:
Identifying objects/animals you see - builds vocabulary
Highlighting the five senses - provide opportunities to see, touch, hear, feel, and taste if safe
Counting objects/animals
This is an awesome way to promote physical activity while learning!
✍🏾 4. Comparing objects
Comparing objects is a skill that children will need for math and scientific reasoning. It can easily be done with objects found at home or on the go!
Sorting objects by size - Big, medium-sized, small
Identifying heavy and light-sized objects - A car is heavier than a bike
Identifying long and short objects - Dad’s shoe is longer than Mom’s shoe
Volume - Which cup do you think holds more juice?
Comparing objects is a fun way to expose your child to science and math!
✍🏾 5. Colors and Shapes
Identifying colors and shapes is one of the first things children learn while in pre-school. Keep the learning going by identifying them in the natural environment as well!
Here’s what to do:
I Spy
Punch buggy
Make shapes with pliable objects: cooked noodles, pipe cleaners
Coloring books
Board games such as Candyland
Find shapes while on an outing
You can also ask questions, such as What color is that? What shape is our TV? Anything to bring attention to the color or shape of an object.
✍🏾 6. Reading books
Reading books to your child is a fun and engaging way to promote learning at home. Here’s what you can do to extend your reading session:
Do a picture walk - talk about the pictures before reading the story
Ask questions - ask clarifying questions about characters and events as you read or after you’re finished reading
Draw a picture
Find letters in the story that they can identify
✍🏾 7. Drawing/Painting pictures
The art center is very popular in the early childhood space, and probably beyond. Not only does it encourage the use of imagination, but it also helps with their fine motor development and hand-eye coordination.
Here are some ideas on how to incorporate learning into drawing:
Free drawing - simply drawing a picture and telling you about it
Drawing pictures to represent letters: A is for apple
Drawing pictures to aid in counting: draw 3 trees
Drawing a favorite character
Allowing children to draw is the first step to writing! Let them draw a picture and tell you about it so that you can write the words for them. That way, you are modeling how words and pictures connect!
🎉 Wrap-Up: Quick and easy learning!
Remember, these activities are meant to be quick, easy, and fun, not requiring much effort on your part. Most can be done through conversation while completing some of your daily activities, such as shopping or during a car ride. Minimal effort plus fun learning is always a plus!
