Fun Family Activities For Entertainment and Education
A child's development during their first five years of life directly influences his or her character and personality. Early education results in smarter children with a higher IQ thanks to better study and learning ethics. Less behavior problems and social issues occur since children learn sharing, compassion, patience, focus, good decision making, and common sense at a young age. That is why it is important to encourage a child's early development before entering preschool or kindergarten. There are many fun activities to keep your kids entertained and smart while making them a better person and preparing them for their future.
Interactive toys such as Leapfrog and Leap Pad teach various subjects and prepare children for school. Video games and radio control cars and toys teach coordination and quick thinking. There are also many computer games to choose from that can benefit a child's learning ability.
Board games aimed at children of all ages are fun for parents, too. Classic games such as Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders are simple yet teach counting and patience. Checker and chess tournaments turn any evening into a fun night of competition between family members. Other games such as Life, Monopoly, Scrabble, and backgammon teach strategy, decision making, and finances. Charades and pictionary are fun to play while sparking imagination and expression. Twister has always been a fun family game that teaches coordination, balance, and patience.
Children of all ages enjoy putting together jigsaw puzzles. The number of pieces and size of the puzzles can increase as the child grows, and the entire family can join in on completing the puzzle. Gluing the finished masterpiece together and displaying in a frame is a wonderful way to exhibit the combined family efforts. Another favorite family choice is card games such as go fish, rummy, bridge, war, pinocle, euchre, and Uno.
Reading books together improves a child's reading skills and gives them confidence to read aloud in the presence of others. Writing stories encourages imagination and creativity while sharpening writing and language skills. A fun activity is for a family to write a book together chapter by chapter. The first chapter can be written by a parent then given to a child to write the next chapter. Then it is handed on to the next family member. Another fun activity is a family play. Family members can choose a favorite book, character, or create their own scenario. Family plays can be taped and enjoyed for viewing by family and friends.
Music and art are also very important to share with children of any age, even babies. Introducing varied types of music opens young minds to the different cultures of the world. Singing songs, playing musical instruments, and even making up original songs encourages creativity and imagination. Drawing, painting, sculpting, and making pottery broadens a child's potential to express themselves in numerous ways. The products of a child's efforts are also precious sentimental keepsakes for the future when they are grown and on their own.
Supervised science projects introduce children to the wonders of science. Making an erupting volcano, star and planet gazing with a telescope, or projects consisting of solar energy, electricity, magnets, and robotics open a whole new world to children and may spark a path for future study.
Building various objects teaches planning, patience, cooperation, and how to read and follow instructions. There are pre-packaged items such as building blocks, Lincoln Logs, and Legos to create buildings, vehicles, and more. The local hobby shop or department store carry various kits to build cars, motorcycles, airplanes, helicopters, ships, rockets, doll houses, and dinosaurs. Fathers can also take the time to bond with their sons by building a birdhouse, dog house, or race car.
Mothers can share quality time with their daughters by teaching them craft hobbies such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cross stitch, quilting, and sewing. These relaxing past times teach coordination, patience, and how to follow directions. Preparing dinner together teaches children how to cook for themselves, plan meals, and how to eat healthy.
Outdoor activities such as sports, gardening, and enjoying nature should also be encouraged. Badminton, kickball, soccer, and baseball teach balance, focus, coordination, and sportsmanship. Teaching a child how to grow vegetables or flowers from seed teaches them about life, how to nurture that life, and how to be self sufficient. Every child will feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction upon seeing or eating the products of their hard work. Enjoying nature encompasses taking nature walks to appreciate the world that surrounds them, bird watching, and insect and leaf collecting. Joining neighborhood activities such as keeping the environment clean of rubbish and debris can be a learning experience for all family members and reminds us all not to take advantage of our surroundings.
Children should also be given chores to complete so they understand the duties that need to be performed to take care of a home and family. It is important to teach them how to have fun completing their tasks so they do not resent doing them. Depending on the age of the child, chores could include wiping dishes while mom washes, feeding and watering family pets, taking pets for a walk, taking out the trash and recycling, or simply turning on and off lights that are not in use.
If educational and fun activities are not incorporated to keep your kids entertained and smart on a daily basis, many social and developmental issues may arise. Children may exhibit selfishness while playing with other children, bad sportsmanship, difficulty in learning and retaining information or following directions, impatience, and bad decision making.
