Playful Learning – fun & educational projects for kids
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Children are natural scientists, artists, mathematicians, authors, and scholars.” To feed this natural curiosity found within all children, Mariah Bruehl put together a wonderful collection of projects that you can easily do at home with your child, in her new book, Playful Learning.
Whether you’re a homeschooling parent or someone who enjoys play-based projects that keep your kids learning beyond the classroom, this book – filled with photographs and lists of additional resources – is a must-have for parents and educators.
“By participating in learning experiences with your child, not only will you be more proactive in his education, it will add a new layer to your relationship.”
“When your child is encouraged to wonder about the world around her and then realizes she is capable of discovering the answers to her questions, it builds a sense of accomplishment, which leads to an independent and confident person.”
“When parents share in different types of learning experiences with their children, they are able to witness firsthand their child’s individual learning style and abilities…I am more of an equal partner with their teachers, rather than a bystander hoping that the girls are getting everything they need.”
When my son was in pre-kindergarten, I was working for a publishing company. The one thing he wanted to do when he started school that year was to “learn now to make books.” He continues to write, draw and design his own books, both at home and school. I was excited to see that Playful Learning further inspires the author in him.
One of the first sections in Playful Learning describes, in detail and with photos, how to make books bound with either twigs, cloth, or rings. Giving your child a choice in how their book will look will further inspire him or her to get even more creative with what will go on the blank pages.
If you have more than one child, their personalities will come through in the type of paper they select and the binding they choose. Each handmade book will be as unique as the child that creates it.
The first project my son and I chose to do was the alphabet photography exercise (page 63). The idea was to take photographs of certain images pertaining to the letters A through Z.
Photo by @Hip_kid
I switched it up a bit for my number-hungry son and while we walked to the Farmers Market one Sunday afternoon, he took the camera and found numbers to photograph as well as images to include. Our plan is to put them all together to make a number book for his baby brother.
And that’s where this book continues to provide endless inspiration for fun, educational projects that you and your child can customize to make them their very own.
Whether you’re working with kids in the classroom or looking for activities to keep your little ones busy around the house, you’ll definitely find something to keep your little scientist or budding artist captivated and using his or her own imagination and creativity to spark some great ideas.
Check out the Playful Learning website for great resources and more brilliant ideas.