Making Education Entertaining For Ages 3 to 7

Everyone wants to have fun when learning. Our kids, well, it seems all they want to do is have fun. Thankfully though, the two can work together. In fact, experts all agree that the more fun learning is for children, the quicker they will develop new skills and the sooner they will be able to apply what they learn.

Making learning fun for kids is not always so easy, however. Sometimes, a child just wants to play all by themselves, maybe by singing a nonsensical song they make up on the fly or just by entertaining themselves with pots and pans. And sure, almost all physical and mental exercise for kids, especially toddlers, can be beneficial. Sometimes though, we just want to insert some real lessons into playtime.

One of the most productive ways to make learning fun for kids is to put lessons into music. Kids music is full of lessons and educational content for growing children and can be made a part of their day in a number of ways. From rides in the car to bath time to bedtime, audio books and CDs can be listened to in just about any environment today. Since children like to mimic what they see and hear from adults, parents should sing along to their kids' music as often as possible, especially when it contains a learning experience, such as information about animals, numbers, colors or language. By actively participating in the lesson, you will encourage your children to remain attentive, as it will become an avenue for ongoing interaction.

Another way to make learning fun for kids is to encourage creativity. Give children blocks and toys that involve physical activity and that require dexterity, both mental and physical. Nothing makes a child more happy than knowing they met a challenge and pleased those who they look up to, like an older sibling or parent. Silly Puddy and Play-doh are great tools for creative expression. Ask your child to create something simple, like a rock or ball, and then move to something a little more complex as they get a bit better, like a small animal or even a person. The point is to combine thinking and physical activity with items they typically associate with play time.

Instead of coloring books with figures and shapes already created, work with your child using a blank pad and markers to draw and color shapes. Spend time focusing on important shape names, like circle, square and triangle. Your child will then be able to recognize these shapes in the world around them when they see a wheel, a house or pictures of the Great Pyramids.

As your child ages past kindergarten, around six or seven, challenge them with riddles and rhymes. Simple word games can do wonders for a growing child's vocabulary and language skills. Audio CDs for kids and a large number of childrens books and stories are full of this type of content. Dr. Seuss stories are true wonders of word play and can demonstrate the characteristics of poems and music.

Young children today will have computer skills that most parents couldn't master until middle-age. Therefore, make sure you are working alongside your child when they are on the Internet. Not only is it the best way to ensure the Web sites they view are safe, it can provide a terrific learning experience. There is a seemingly endless array of Web sites for children, full of kids music and MP3 downloads, as well as interactive games that involve other children who are logged on across the country. And, since the computer is something very young children can't wait to get their curious hands on, allowing them to view a Web site that teaches will not only engage their minds but allow you as the parent to remain involved, which is one of the surest ways to make sure your child has fun when its time to learn.