As a busy working mom, you have no choice but to stick to a daily routine that takes a huge toll on your health and well-being. On top of this is a desire to ensure your child is exposed to the most effective environment where education is not just about homework and tests but a process that sparks and instills a love for learning. Which is why it is critical to put the fun back into learning and lay the foundation for your child to excel and flourish in a rapidly changing world.
But be realistic about this objective. With all the pressure your child faces today, learning inevitably ends up feeling like a drudge, just another chore that needs to be finished. So how can you, as parents, help your child fall in love with learning? How can you help take some of the pressure off and make learning fun? Any change needs a mindset shift. Learning isn’t about cramming for a test or acing every subject. It’s about curiosity, discovery, and joy. The fact is it’s time to put the fun back into learning by integrating creative learning techniques into your usual study routines.
And you know what? By combining attention to detail and a little intention, you can help your child shift from a passive learner into an active thinker and doer—someone who explores, questions, and grows with enthusiasm. You will see the difference this new approach makes. What is more, the new creative learning techniques you adopt will help your child enjoy learning without the stress.
Fun Learning Activities for kids in a Modern world
Children today are growing up in a society that’s more technologically advanced and interconnected than we could’ve imagined when we were their age. Apart from this, the world they live in changes faster – on almost a daily basis. While there are more opportunities for learning now than ever before, it also comes with a set of new challenges. The rapid pace of change subjects your child to more pressure and greater stress. She has less and less time to be just a child.
Playtime is often squeezed between school, after-school activities, and screen time. As a parent, you want the best for your child, and you end up packing her schedule for the day so tight, hoping to give your child every possible advantage. But this can lead to negative outcomes.
Instead of encouraging curiosity and creativity, children get overstimulated and are often overwhelmed. They end up feeling suffocated by having to participate in too many activities and experience too little downtime to explore, think, and play.
Adopting the “curiosity approach” to learning
There’s a solution that’s both simple and incredibly effective: adopting the ‘Curiosity Approach’ to learning. It’s based on child-led learning, which is exactly what it sounds like—allowing children take the lead. When children begin to make their own choices and want to figure things out for themselves, they develop the ability to become active thinkers and problem solvers in real-time. They gain confidence in developing critical thinking skills.
Instead of passively absorbing information, children who follow and practice the ‘Curiosity Approach’ become on-the-go learners. And here’s the magic—active learning is more engaging, more fun, and lasts for a lifetime. Imagine your child choosing activities she is genuinely interested in, not because she has to but because she wants to. This choice puts her in charge of her own development, and this sense of ownership makes all the difference.
Why the Curiosity Approach is important for Fun Learning Activities for Kids
It helps put the fun back into learning. Instead of rushing from one scheduled activity to another, give children the time and space to explore and discover at their own pace. The beauty of this approach is that it helps prevent the negative effects of overstimulation. When children are constantly bombarded with activities and exposed to screens and noise, it’s no wonder they feel overwhelmed. Overstimulation can impact a child’s ability to concentrate and will affect their mental and emotional well-being.
Step back, let a child be a child again. Reap the benefits of outdoor learning. Children need the time to get outdoors, breathe in the fresh air, and explore nature. Think about the last time your child was outside, truly exploring—instead of stuck in a rut of just running from one activity to the next. The curiosity approach encourages children to be in tune with a natural learning environment, discovering the world around them, and learning without the pressure of learning to achieve.
Turn your child Into a thinker and doer
The shift from passive to active learning is one of the biggest benefits of the curiosity approach. Active learning is so much more engaging, and let’s be honest—more fun! Children who are engaged in active learning choose activities that interest them, and because they’re interested, they’re more likely to stick with it, experiment, and learn deeply.
This process turns your child into a thinker and a doer, not just a follower. She begins to play an active part in the learning process instead of remaining a passive participant.
When children feel in control of what they’re learning, they’re more invested in it. And when they’re invested, they get more out of it. It has a simple formula — reduce screen time activities. Just by taking that step, you will begin to notice a massive difference in how children will use the time they now have.
The benefits of using the curiosity approach
The benefits of this approach go beyond just making learning fun. Here are some key reasons why the Curiosity Approach can have a lasting impact on your child:
- Freedom to Explore: When children are allowed to explore freely, they become more creative and confident in their abilities. They feel like they have control over their own learning, which boosts their motivation and self-esteem.
- Less Pressure: This approach reduces the need for constant assessments, grades, and comparisons. Kids can learn at their own pace without the fear of failing or falling behind.
- Less Technology, More Nature: In a world where screens dominate, the Curiosity Approach takes kids back to basics. It encourages them to spend more time outdoors, exploring nature, and engaging with the world around them. It helps them develop social skills by interacting with others face-to-face rather than through a screen.
How Fun Learning Activities for Kids Create a Peaceful Learning Environment
The key factor that will put the fun back into learning is bringing to life a creative environment in which your child can flourish. Please note that overstimulation is a big issue for many children today. Too much noise, too many activities, and constant pressure can negatively impact a child’s concentration, mental health, and overall well-being.
When an environment is peaceful, relaxed and comfortable, a child automatically begins to engage more deeply with what she is learning in the moment. This could be a cosy reading nook in your home, a quiet spot in the balcony garden, or simply limiting the number of activities in her schedule. When children feel safe and comfortable and are left to themselves, they’re more likely to emerge with meaningful learning outcomes.
Embrace Natural Resources and Put the Fun Back into Learning
Most children love gadgets, and even a toddler learns to handle a smartphone faster than some adults can. A word of caution though – when children are allowed to spend more time with electronic devices for their entertainment and learning, you tend to rely on them to keep your child occupied which can hurt the child’s ability to think for herself and turn her into a passive learner. A fact to consider is that some toys and apps do more thinking than the child can as they’re designed to engage a child without requiring them to be active participants in a learning process.
The Curiosity Approach encourages using natural materials—things like wooden blocks, stones, leaves, and other simple objects to help spark creativity and imagination. The idea here is to inspire and stimulate a child to imagine, think outside the box and express herself in a creative way. Children who spend time exploring the world around them—whether it’s a pile of leaves in the yard or a bug crawling across the sidewalk—are engaging in imaginative play. Learning about things without even realizing it!
The key to lifelong learning
One of the most powerful aspects of the Curiosity Approach is its emphasis on imaginative play. When children are given the freedom to use objects with no fixed identity, they can truly engage in imaginative play. This kind of play isn’t about being right or wrong—it’s about exploration. It’s about making decisions, problem-solving, and figuring things out on their own.
The best outcome of this is there are no limits, and anything is possible. By fostering this kind of environment, you’re allowing your child to develop mentally, physically, and emotionally in ways that are vital for her overall growth.
Bringing it all together
Helping a child learn in meaningful ways may put busy moms under undue pressure. But it doesn’t take much to make the curiosity approach work. There is no need for perfection or a need for setting up elaborate learning activities or buying expensive educational toys. It is all about making sure that a child has the freedom to explore freely. Discover the wonders of play and learn about the world at her own pace.
There is no need to fuss either, just encourage your child to use her imagination. It is a gift that will create a lifetime of love for learning. And when fun learning activities become fun, everything else falls into place. So take a deep breath, step back from the pressures of daily living, and watch your child thrive through curiosity. Lead the way, put the fun back into learning.
Fun learning activities for your child
Your child will find it fun to enjoy playing with letters and sounds at home. When combined with other activities, it will help your little one to develop key skills such as listening, speaking and numeracy. Here are a few fun learning activities that will set the ball rolling:
Play rhyming games: Listen together to rhyming stories with your child or sing action rhyme. You can also think of playing funny rhyming jokes. It could be as silly as asking your child a question such as: “What do you call a smelly elephant? (Ans: a ‘Smellyphant’). Or how about coming up with another question: What do you call an elephant who loves watching TV? (Ans: a “Telephant!’) There are many more you can come up with, the only criteria is — the funnier these are the more enjoyable the play gets.
Play memory games: This is an old but effective memory-building game you could try. Collect and spread out a few easy-to-hide items such as a set of keys, an eraser, and a big plastic button on a tray. Ask your child to take a look for a couple of seconds and then cover, hiding the items with a cloth. Ask your child what she can recall.
You could use old photographs of your child and you taken at some event or a picnic. Take a look at these pictures together and check if she can remember the event. Prompt if necessary. Recall and talk about the event. These games can be as simple as memorizing a shopping list and recalling the list together.
Play listening games: Party games such as “Simon Says” will come in handy when you want to practice speaking and listening. You could listen to nursery rhymes or pop songs. Or discuss musical instruments and find pictures of them on the Internet together. Such exercises will help your child learn about things without even noticing that she is learning!
Play action games: Build a stage for a puppet play using old shoe boxes. Use puppets to tell a story. Ask your child to do the same. Or even make up her own story and direct a play. You could have a lot of fun creating puppets together. Giving them names, dressing them up as characters, and creating stories for them to act out their roles.
Play tactile games: The sense of touch is a great way to learn the alphabet. Use magnetic letters to spell names of places or of people. Or create simple words using the refrigerator as a board. Better still, create modelling clay in different colours and use them to write your child’s name or create a simple word like “mom.” Play with puzzles or enjoy putting together a jigsaw puzzle and chat about finding the right pieces.
How My Gym can be of help
The principle of diversity, equality and inclusion reminds us that it is our collective responsibility to uncover and protect every child’s strengths and interests and nurture each child’s approach to learning—helping every child make her learning meaningful and motivating.
As a busy working mom, your time is precious, but so is your focus on your child’s holistic development. By opting for the nurturing environment of your home, you will be setting your child up for a lifetime of learning and positive growth.
At My Gym, we’re committed to supporting your child on this journey. Our age-appropriate enrichment program is designed to build resilience and help your child develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills from an early age.
Our focus on diversity, equality and inclusivity will also help your child navigate the complexities of human connections. Your child will not only learn to be physically active but will be equipped with the social skills needed to be successful in life.
Interested in learning activities more? Swing by any of our My Gym centers at your convenience, and with your little one in tow. Whether she is as young as 6 months or a bustling preschooler, there’s something for every child to learn, assimilate, and grow. Besides, it is never too early to start!
We can’t wait to welcome you and your child to the My Gym family. With fun learning activities for kids, we can help raise a generation of children who are not only aware of the world’s diversity but who also embrace and celebrate it, one meaningful connection at a time.
See you soon, ready to start this joyful journey with fun learning activities for kids!
Please note: My Gym classrooms are thoroughly sanitized every day — the tables, the chairs, the children’s activity stations and everything else the child might touch is made safe and clean. Whenever required, children are encouraged to wear a mask, wash their hands frequently, and practice social distancing as well.
