How kids Can Use Entertainment To Learn
If you have kids and they are in need of something to do, it can be hard to come up some entertainment. You may not know what is on their level or understand why they don't want to participate any more. If your kids are entertained, then they are interested! The article below will help you engage your kids and will discuss how kids can use entertainment to learn.
Learning by doing
The best way to learn is by doing. You can learn from reading books, watching videos, or listening to podcasts but the most effective type of learning is through experiencing it firsthand and having fun in the process!
If you are entertained then you are interested which means that entertainment is meant to help us learn! Learning doesn't have to be boring and tedious so take advantage of all the resources available, both online and offline.
Learning from Online Options
Some online options could included entertaining, educational, websites like Khan Academy (khanacademy.org) or Code Academy (codeacademy.com).
Khan Academy is a nonprofit aimed at providing all children the opportunity to obtain a High School Education (they even offer test prep and AP courses). They believe that education is a human right. There whole platform surrounds that mantra and they are passionate about it.
Code Academy is an online resource to teach children to code. It has so many fun activities like making tic-tac-toe, programming a die, even coding simple games. This fundamental site is a great resource for kids that are interested in programming and the best part, you can start for free.
If you have really young children, PBSKids and BrainPop are some other great resources and typically have minimal cost. PBS Kids has all the shows on PBS on it. More importantly is the games section where kids can participate with some of their favorite characters in learning activities. Brain Pop has become a great place to find out things about interesting science facts for us. They dive into a wide range of information, however. Kids find this resource funny and informative. I have even laughed at some of their presentations.
If you fancy an online head start for your kids prior to them starting school, Waterford|Upstart is another online resource that will get your kids counting and recognizing numbers as early as age 3. They even have helps for kids from Pre-K to 6th grade. Waterford does have a waiting list and registration requirements.
Challenge yourself and your children because if something new is not tried, new interests will never be found.
Learning from offline options
Another way for parents to help kids use entertainment to learn is to do some simple outdoor activities. We encourage parents to come prepared with random facts on these. So plan ahead.
Some offline options are going for hike, getting involved in sports, researching plants in the backyard, take a trip to the library and allow your children to find books that interest them.
Recently, my oldest daughter has been finding a lot of kid engineering project books. She reads them and then does the project.
BetteringDads.com has also come up with some ideas for science experiments that parents can do with their kids. Check out our Activities Page to learn more.
She even found an introduction to Arduino, which is a microprocessor for electronics like robots, remote controlled cars, digital displays on microwaves, ovens and washing machines, and so many other things. I recently got interested in Arduino myself and took on a project way to big for my understanding but am learning to work through the issues.
Learning to make robots and piece things together for a specific function is a great way to combine entertainment with fun and learning. There are many kits available to get kids interested in ScienceTechnologyEngineering,Arts,Math fields. Check out Kidz Labs if you would like a monthly subscription to a science kit. (link is not an affiliate to this site)
We also put together a post on simple activities for parents and kids to get families communicating. We love the idea of getting kids learning, better yet, use entertainment to do so!
Learning from both Offline and Online
Another idea that bridges both online and offline is video games. There is a lot of debate about video games as to whether they are healthy for kids' brain function and development. I am not going to speak to that in this article but I would like to point out that a lot of the kids that have grownup playing video games have gone on to make the video game industry what it is today and are making significant contributions to the development of new technologies around computer programming.
And remember, kids love video games not just for entertainment. Video games have become a fun way to learn a variety of skills, facts and concepts, even history facts thanks to games like Assassin's Creed.
An interesting tidbit about Ubisoft with their Assassin's Creed games is that they meticulously surveyed the Notre Dame Cathedral prior to the release of Assassin's Creed: Unity in 2014. Ubisoft has volunteered to work with the cathedral to complete the restorations after an electrical fire burned the building, severely damaging the majority of it. The restoration efforts are still ongoing.
Learning Brings Communication
Aside from the learning, video games are also a huge boon to how kids communicate in todays society. Kids who often play the same video game daily online meet the same people and they participate and grow relationships together. Some have argued that teens and young adults today have lost the ability to communicate. I think this is false, they just communicate in a different way that is foreign to a lot of people that are in their mid 30's and above.
We are literally on the verge of a huge shift in our society that a lot of older generations do not quite understand. The opportunity to explore online and offline have given us a hybrid of options that most people would never thought possible.
Another aspect to communicating is that children are genuinely curious about new topics and ask a lot of questions if they do not understand how the process works or they need to understand further. As parents and children participate together, children will naturally communicate with their parents, building unity in families. Visit our Ideas to Communicate with Kids Post to learn more.
The Trick: Take a Break from Learning
Children might also be more engaged in learning if they are made to believe they are taking a break from it. The obvious substitute is to have some fun.
A long time ago when I was in chemistry in High School, we had a lesson about oil and how it burns. We were tasked with burning different nuts and to see which burned longest. Using the scientific method, we made a guess of which we thought would burn the longest and then we proceeded to light nuts on fire. I don't remember whet my hypothesis was but I remember burning pecans and having a great time in class.
Learning does not have to always feel like a tedious tasks, but instead we can find ways for children to enjoy themselves while doing something productive! For instance, when kids are given the chance to learn through play - which could involve things as simple as cooking or burning nuts- they will feel the excitement of learning by being entertained. What kid doesn't want to play with fire!
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Have fun while learning! That might sound counterintuitive (or even impossible) but when children are able to learn in an environment where they are excited and engaged, they will remember the topics and material much better.
Making learning engaging and fun tricks children into learning but remember that kids vary in interest and what works for one might not work for another.
There are activities both indoors and outdoors and offline and online. It is important to remember that just because kids want to spend time on electronics, doesn't mean they have to. We wrote a post about the positives and negatives of using electronics to keeps kids entertained here.
Use you best judgement when raising your kids. While we offer suggestions to help parents be parents, a lot of this is just our opinion on what has worked for us. Explore your children's interests and see what works for your team.
Have fun and keep building!