Learning doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, learning should be fun. Educational games are a great way to encourage learning through play and to help kids learn a lot more about the world around them and the skills they’ll need in the future. If you’re looking for fun things to do with your child, take a look at these five educational games for kids and see how you can use them in your home.
Practice Making Shapes
Making shapes out of other objects teaches spatial awareness, how shapes are put together, names of shapes, and more. It also helps kids work on their motor skills, which are crucial when they start learning how to write. Fabric bands like the Bear Paw Creek stretchy band can be used to create a number of different shapes and, when connected together, kids can have a lot of fun making huge shapes and playing more games with them.
Bowling Games
Gross motor skills help kids with balance and coordination. Games like bowling help teach gross motor skills, giving kids the opportunity to learn control over their own body and personal space. Bowling doesn’t need to be done in the bowling alley, though. It can be enjoyed at home. Use plastic soda bottles filled with a light material and anything that can roll and knock them down. This is a game that can be inexpensive to create, be played inside the home on a rainy day, and be a lot of fun for the kids.
Math Games
Counting and adding are basic math skills that kids can start learning from a very young age. Try out some of the basic math games that kids will love, such as a spring math game. Place Play-Doh or clay in a pot, then have the child roll dice to determine how many flowers go in the pot. This is something that can be done again and again, and it’s possible to make the game harder as the child learns. Try adding two numbers together to see how many flowers go in the pot for a little bit more of a challenge.
Matching Games
Matching games help kids learn to recognize objects and determine what looks the same. In the beginning, use all cards facing up to just match different objects. To make the game more challenging, flip the cards over to create a memory game and help the child learn how to remember which objects are where within the game. For more of a challenge, use cards that don’t match, but that go together, like a firefighter and a firetruck.
Bingo
Bingo games can be a lot of fun and can be played on the go. Use premade bingo games to get started or create ones that are perfect for things you might see driving through town and have the kid mark what they see with a bingo dauber, pencil, or stickers. This is perfect for both short and long trips and can be completely customized to meet your child’s needs.
If you’d like to start teaching your child more as they grow, look into different educational games. They’ll get the educational benefits, but have fun while they’re at it. Start with the ideas here and expand as your child learns and grows.
