Learn & Play Ideas
Children learn best while playing – or doing what interests them most.
Having decided to homeschool our children, we wanted to give them the opportunity to learn what they want, when they want and how they want. Since they are still quite young, a lot of learning happens just as we go about our life – cooking, gardening, or fixing things around the house. Other times, when the interest seems to persist, we take time and invent more involved projects to explore the topic in depth. Then all of us, including adults, often discover something new.
Some of our favourite ways to learn:
- THROUGH CRAFTS: We craft to visualize things and understand how they work. We also do a lot of art projects because whenever our son sees something that impresses him, he looks for a sketchbook to make a drawing of it. That works best for him.
- THROUGH BOOKS: We read. A lot. We also listen to audiobooks and make our own books for fun.
- THROUGH GAMES: We play games, and we make some of our own.
- and through PLAYING OUTDOORS: For all that summer is short in our part of the world, we love spending time outdoors.
On this page, we would like to share some of the projects and materials we created with other enthusiasts for playful learning.
Literacy
A category of activities related to our love of reading and writing.
- LEARNING TO READ. Teaching alphabet to junior engineers with Magna-Tiles alphabet cards and wooden block cards.
- STORYTELLING. Lots of shadow puppet play!
- WRITING. Since my son loves making books, we have a series of free printable journals.
End of School Year: Printable Journal of Questions for Kids
Another school year is coming to an end. Encourage kids to answer the questions in this free printable end-of-school journal to capture the year's memories forever! When school comes to an end, it is a perfect time to create a little time capsule with children's...
Aesop’s Fables Shadow Puppets: Hare and Tortoise, Fox and Crow + Fox and Crane
Based on Aesop's fables, these printable shadow puppets will let your kids make their version of three fables (Hare and Tortoise, Fox and Crow, and Fox and Crane) and stage a shadow play at home or in the classroom! Aesop's Fables is a fascinating topic to study with...
Three Billy Goats Gruff: Shadow Puppet Play with Printables
Based on the Norwegian fairy-tale, these printable shadow puppets will let your kids make their version of Three Billy Goats Gruff and stage a shadow play at home or in the classroom! Those old fairy-tales with their linear plots are really the best when it comes to...
Social Studies
Geography and history can be a TON of fun when studying in a playful manner.
- HISTORY: Learning about vikings? Build a viking tent in the backyard. Interested in knights? Construct a castle from cardboard tubes.
- GEOGRAPHY: When going on adventures around the world, either imaginary or real, learn flags while playing Flag Bingo or draw national costumes for paper dolls.
- OTHER SOCIAL STUDIES: Learn about emotions with paper dolls or discuss recycling while playing a recycling game.
Recycling Bingo Printable Game for Kids
Practice separating recyclable items from trash by following the bingo cards of this printable Recycling Bingo Game! A fun Earth Day activity for kids that will introduce them to the basic ideas of recycling. Recycling is an important subject these days. Recycling...
Flags of the World Bingo: Printable Game for Kids
Flag Bingo is a printable educational game that challenges children to learn and identify the flags of the world. Featuring the flags of 120 countries and with two ways to play, Flag Bingo is a fun supplement to teaching geography in preschool, kindergarten and grades...
Moon Chinese Legend Shadow Puppet Show for the Mid-Autumn Festival
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by staging a shadow puppet show based on the Chinese Moon legend that explains the origins and traditions of the festival. Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival happens in...
STEM
- SCIENCE: Focusing on nature study at the moment, we love to study animals and plants. Draw the missing half of an insect and sea animals matching game are two of our most popular activities.
- TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING: Many of the engineering activities were actually invented and implemented by my son. Ever since he was a baby, building was his passion, and so he learns by building: foam airplanes, tall towers with wooden blocks and robots with magnets.
- MATH: Board games and Magna-tiles are our best friends when it comes to math right now.
Match a Pair of Birds: Printable Memory Game for Kids
Play this printable memory game by matching male and female birds and making bird pairs! This game would be a great gift for bird enthusiasts of all ages, introducing children to the concept of bird spotting and identification. After playing this bird game, they will...
Robot Math: Printable Game of Art & Geometric Shapes for Kids
Robot Math is a printable game that challenges children to draw while working on simple geometry – shape drawing and recognition. Roll a die and see what kind of robot you will draw. My son loves to draw, but math isn't currently his strong suit. In order for him to...
Monster Math: Printable Game of Art and Numbers for Kids
Monster Math is a printable game that challenges children to draw while working on simple math - counting, number writing and recognition. Roll a die and see what kind of monster you will draw. My son loves to draw. He also enjoys building, crafting and even writing....
Frog Life Cycle Pom Pom Craft for Nature Studies
Illustrate the frog life cycle with pom poms and pipe cleaners by making pom pom frogs, tadpoles and eggs! At first, a pom pom frog was just a simple craft to do with kids, but we were quite impressed with the potential of pipe cleaner articulation and ended up...
Best Board Games for Preschoolers that Adults Will Like Too
Do you like playing board games and wonder which are the best games for preschoolers - that adults would also like? Here is the list of our favourite games to play as a family with three- and four-year-olds. In our life before kids, I was an enthusiastic board game...
How to Make a Windmill Model with a Printable Pattern
Make a windmill model at home and hold an engineering study with children! With a printable template, building your own toy windmill is a quick and easy STEM activity. Windmills are fascinating machines, both aesthetically and technologically. For centuries, they have...
Outdoors
Everything is just a little more fun when it happens outdoors.
Backyard Railroad Engineering: Outdoor STEM Challenge for Kids
Like many kids, my son likes everything on wheels. Cars, construction machinery, emergency vehicles, trains. Especially trains. He also loves playing in the backyard, and for several summer now, I've been thinking how much fun it would be to build a railroad outside....
How to Make a Bean Teepee for Backyard Play
If you're looking for a kids' gardening project this summer, try building a bean teepee. This natural play tent is a fun addition to the backyard and a perfect hideout for little explorers. Last summer was our first as home owners, and we were as excited about our big...
Flower Canning Pretend Play
The end of summer, and it's time for canning. Can my son stay away? Of course not! And while we're still washing fruits and vegetables, he has already canned twenty jars! A lot of the posts in my blog are ideas of what parents can do for kids. This one is not. From...
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates on our projects, printables and promotions!
You have Successfully Subscribed!