School may be out, but that doesn’t mean learning should also be put on hold. While you have the option to enroll your child in an expensive summer program, simple activities you can do at home can also be fun and equally beneficial for your kids as well.
10 home activities to develop your child’s skills
According to The Classroom, kids learn best when they are actively involved in activities that help reinforce different skills. These activities, which include pretend play, having concerts and dance parties at home, and even gardening, will not only improve your child’s physical abilities, but also keep the wheels in her brain awake and moving!
Sing and dance together
What child does not enjoy musical parties at home? According to Oxford OWL, singing is actually a great way for children to explore language, learn words and what they mean, as well as listen to the sounds that make up those words. It is also a fun way to develop their skills in speaking and listening.
On the other hand, dancing can allow kids to gain more control over their bodies, and even get a bit of exercise. Finally, it’s just a surefire way to bond with your little one!
Read books
No matter how young your child might be, reading is always a great idea! Studies have found that reading to children can help impact their literacy skills, specifically their comprehension, as well as their sense of intellectual empathy, or the ability to put themselves in others’ shoes and understand them.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWGo on a scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts may seem like a difficult game, but these are actually very good activities for kids, since it allows them to practice how to solve problems in a very tangible way. It might also be a good way to teach a child how to work with a team, especially if she has to finish the hunt with siblings or with friends.
You don’t have to make it very elaborate! You may customize the hunt depending on your child’s age, abilities, and interests — for example, if you want to use this game to teach your child about colors, you can scatter around the house small swatches of specific colors as clues, then instruct her to look for a certain number of objects around her that resemble the color of the swatch she currently has.
Create an indoor obstacle course
Aside from honing a child’s physical skills and strength, an indoor obstacle course also allows them to exercise their mental muscles, because it requires them to think on their feet, in order to figure out how to finish a certain obstacle quickly and efficiently. It will also develop her patience and resilience, since she might encounter tasks she will find difficult.
If you’re not sure how to put together an indoor obstacle course for your child, here are some activities you can use as “obstacles:”
- Throw balled-up socks into a basket set a distance away
- Do simple exercises like jumping jacks and running
- Balance a book while moving from one part of the course to the next
- Transfer small objects from one container to another while blindfolded
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Get creative
Kids, especially during the preschooler years, are very imaginative and creative, and unafraid to be elaborate when they play. These developmental milestones are crucial in helping them cope with their feelings and emotions, and pave the way for them to practice other important skills and values such as literacy, self-esteem, and even logical thinking.
Given this, parents need to give their kids all the room they need to be as creative as they want. This means activities like drawing, coloring, painting, making sculptures out of clay, creating stories, and putting on little theatre shows. Aside from being beneficial to your little one’s development, these are also bound to be incredibly entertaining for parents!
Play dress up
Part of kids’ incredible imagination is that they enjoy imagining themselves as different people. Maybe your child sometimes pretends she is her favorite superhero, Disney character, or someone of a specific profession. Let her enjoy engaging in imaginative play by giving her the opportunity to put on different costumes or even just improvised props you can make from things you find around your home.
Make homemade jewelry
Bring out the string and the uncooked macaroni or the beads! Making quirky jewelry can help develop your child’s fine motor skills, which she will need in a variety of everyday tasks, such as writing, buttoning down clothes, tying shoelaces, and holding utensils while eating.
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Plant a garden
If you have space in your backyard, why not put your green thumb to the test and work on the garden with your little one? This activity will help her see in real life how scientific concepts she may be learning in school actually work, plus it’s a way for you to begin to teach her about nutrition and the benefits of eating veggies. Eventually, when your child’s plants are ready for harvest, it can also give her a sense of accomplishment in herself, since she knows that she contributed in growing that crop.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWCook a meal together
Meal preparation is another way for your child to witness and experience for herself how science and math can be applied in real life — for instance, in cooking, she will have to learn how to measure ingredients, and how the quantity of a specific ingredient can impact the final dish.
Play in the water
Young children are naturally very curious, and they love exploring the things they encounter in their surroundings by using their senses, such as the sense of touch. One way to give your child the opportunity to engage in sensory play is by letting her play in a tub or in an improvised pool for her to explore water. Put in some rubber duckies and tiny cups to amp up the fun factor for your baby!
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