Three Ideas for Boosting Learning Through Play

Playtime can have a bad rap as a distraction from learning. Time spent in play does provide fun, relaxation, and a break from intense studying. However, play itself is a necessary part of learning. Taking a break from concentrated reading, writing, and memorizing allows young minds to use the skills, knowledge, and ideas they have been gaining. For example, playing grocery store enables children to work on counting money, adding up a grocery bill, and staying within a budget. Here are three more ideas for boosting learning by including play in your homeschool.

1. Seek Fun Activities to Reinforce Concepts

Our children can learn a lot through books, lectures, and computers. However, nothing beats hands-on activities for reinforcing ideas they have read or heard about. With a bit of creativity, you can plan activities that bring new concepts and ideas to life, no matter the subject. Here are just a few ideas:

• Making a topographical map from cookie dough turns geography into edible learning!
• Setting up a “restaurant” for the family dinner provides many opportunities for learning fun. Creating a menu and taking orders provides writing practice.
  Meanwhile, cooking and baking require skills such as measuring, using fractions, and following directions.
• Making a weather vane or water-cycle-in-a-bag allows children to engage with weather concepts.

2. Provide Opportunities for Your Children to Use Their Imaginations

Studying history can be dry and dull if it is reduced to simply memorizing dates and the names of historical figures. When studying the past, consider planning creative activities to bring that time period to life. Ideas include:

• Hosting a feast with food, decorations, music, and even costumes from the era.
• Visiting a local historical village to experience a glimpse of history—imagine you are living there during that time.
• Reenacting events from history. Your backyard, a campsite, or a local wilderness park can provide a venue for reenacting a battle scene, gathering around a campfire like pioneers, or exploring like early settlers.

3. Use Technology to Enhance Your Curriculum

Our families are living in a digital world. This means our children are likely familiar with using electronic devices.
As parents, we can harness technology to supplement our homeschools. Here are a few of the ways learning through play can include electronics:

• Entertaining educational videos can introduce science, history, math, and grammar through catchy songs and engaging cartoons.
• Educational computer games can reinforce topics such as math, typing, and music.
• Hopping on a video call with grandparents, friends, or relatives provides an opportunity for children to share what they are learning and read a book or play a game with loved ones who are far away.

Learning through play is an essential component of learning. LightSail Homeschool’s World Book Kids and PreK subscriptions contain games and activities to enhance learning. LightSail’s gamification features, such as badges or rewards for meeting goals and milestones, add a fun incentive for learning for older students.