As a parent, seeing your child struggle in school can be difficult. This is especially true if your little one has been diagnosed with a developmental disability. You might find yourself feeling powerless or out of control. Rest assured, there are steps parents can take to help little ones learn—and sometimes, that learning is best done outside of the classroom. Here are some ideas to inspire your innovative at-home education.
Create an outdoor treasure hunt
An outdoor scavenger hunt is a great way to teach children about nature. You can have kids look for birds, bugs, and plants in your area. If your backyard doesn't offer enough opportunities, try a local park. Once kids find the treasure hunt items, take the opportunity to learn about them together. Good Housekeeping offers a roundup of scavenger hunt ideas that can inspire you, including an insect scavenger hunt and an autumn leaf scavenger hunt.
Plant a garden
Gardening is another outdoor activity that kids and adults alike can enjoy—and that will teach your kids a lot. You can talk about photosynthesis, for example, or teach them about composting. Follow best practices for creating a garden that will thrive, including starting with a well-situated plot of land that gets sufficient sun and picking crops that will grow easily. As a bonus, you can enjoy eating the fruits and vegetables you grow together.
A boy with down syndrome plays guitar with his mother in the family living room.
Create music together
If the weather isn't great, outdoor activities like scavenger hunts and gardening aren't ideal. In this case, move the educational fun indoors and make some music together. Kids can learn a lot from playing musical instruments, such as rhythm. Research even shows that kids who practice music can improve their math skills. For example, learning the concept of 3/4 time helps teach fractions.
Dance and sing
Take your music-making to the next level and get active with dancing and singing. Dancing is a great way to get some exercise and encourage kids with short attention spans to expend some energy so that they can focus later. Meanwhile, singing can be a great way to learn a new language. Experts recommend choosing songs that encourage movement, which keeps kids active and engaged.
Get busy in the kitchen
The kitchen can be another great place for learning, especially for nontraditional students dealing with developmental hurdles. Cooking is a great way to learn about topics like chemistry and nutrition. Plus, your little ones will be learning a valuable life skill—preparing their own healthy food. Taste of Home offers a list of recipes that are so easy children can learn to make them solo.
A mother helps her son use a microscope for the first time.
Explore at-home science experiments
Teach your kids about science with some DIY experiments. There are plenty of options beyond the traditional make-your-own volcano. Examples include amplifying a smartphone, racing balloon-powered cars, and crystallizing your own rock candy. Make a to-do list of experiments that you want to try and tick them off, keeping a record as you complete each one. You can look back at photos of each experiment to reiterate the lesson learned.
Fine tune your education skills
If you want to do even more to help your little one learn, consider finetuning your teaching skills. A degree in education is a great option. You'll gain a better understanding of the unique challenges your child faces, improve knowledge of certain subject matter, and enhance your instructional abilities. Online degree programs are especially great for busy parents. Research the possibilities online. This may help you explore your options.
You want to do all you can to see your child succeed. From taking classes in education to exploring at-home activities like those described above, there are plenty of ways to help. Try these tips to get your little one excited about learning again.
Get more pointers on raising happy and healthy kids from California Advocacy Group.
