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Parents can help to develop a lasting love of learning by simply encouraging more educational activities at home.
The more supported a child feels at home, the better they will perform academically.
To help you get started, here are some great educational activity ideas from an independent sixth form in London…
1. Cooking
Does your little one like to cook? Cooking is a great opportunity for a fun STEM lesson. In fact, cooking can help to develop your child’s reading, writing, math and science skills. Ask your child to bake a cake with you. During the process they can read the recipe, write your shopping list, weigh and measure ingredients, and watch excitedly as the cake mixture rises in the oven!
2. Creative Writing
If your child likes to read, consider encouraging them to re-write the ending of their favourite book. This shouldn’t be too tricky, as the plot and characters are already established. If they’re not up for the challenge, perhaps a simple book review might be a better option. Encourage your child to explore the different elements of the genre and what they liked or disliked about the story.
3. Gardening
Another option for outdoor lovers is to grow a vegetable patch. This is a great way to teach your child about the different varieties of fruit and vegetables and encourage them to add more of this nutritious food into their diet. It’s a rewarding activity and your child is sure to enjoy watching their vegetables grow.
4. Bug Hunt
There is a lot to learn from the fascinating world of insects. Get online and order your child a magnifying glass and a ‘bug diary’ so that they can study the bugs in closer detail and make some notes. Ask them to research the different species and work on their numeracy skills by asking them to count how many they can find.
5. Experiments
Children are naturally curious and love to ask questions and learn how things work. Help to stimulate this curiosity by setting up safe science experiments at home. You can create fun experiments in minutes with simple household items. For example, you can demonstrate chemical reactions with vinegar and baking soda or even fizzy cola and mints!
