MommyTeaching.com

Education Games

July 26, 2011

I often find myself playing educational games with my children; games which are not so educational that they are tedious but rather just enjoyable learning.  Activities such as “Go Fish”, “Concentration”, or any matching games really help my kids with memorizational skills. When I was a teacher, I’d use these games with my students and they proved so effective, easy, and fun that they’ve become part of regular play at home. These games, by their very nature, are repetitive. Memorization comes from repetition in seeing and thinking about an association.

Today, instead of using a regular deck of Poker cards, I decided to switch it up a bit to provide variation. I made my own “deck” out of index cards (construction paper or cardboard would work as well), and wrote matching words on them. I thought that showing pairs in words may be more age appropriate for my girls. We played “Go Fish” with these word cards just as we would have with regular cards and the kids caught on instantly. Depending on the age of your children, numbers, words and/or pictures may be great choices.  

Below are some examples of potential categories.

If anyone has any other creative ideas for matching games, I’d love for you to share! 

Activities that Distract Children And Give You A Break

July 28, 2011

All parents can relate to the feeling of needing a break from their children.  I admit that sometimes I hide in the bathroom just to get a few minutes of quiet time.  Here are some suggestions for keeping your children occupied.

• Computer Games: For a complete list go to http://www.mommyteaching.com/blog/entry/website-to-help-develop-technological-inquiry

• Get Out Some Puzzles.  If your children are old enough to do puzzles by themselves, they can stay busy for a while.

• Get children started on an art project that takes a long time to complete. Here is one of those activities. http://www.mommyteaching.com/blog/entry/a-stimulating-activity-that-sharpens-math-skills-drawing-math

• Have them “surprise” you by building something with blocks!  Tell them you can’t look until they are each done with their structure. You are not allowed to participate because it’s a surprise.

• Require your children to have a whole hour of reading time and put the buzzer on to keep track of the time. This post has a list of education books in case you’re interested. http://www.mommyteaching.com/blog/entry/reading-math-and-teacing-fun-books-books-that-motivate-children-to-learn-math-ag

• Play for reality: This one is great for young children age 3 - 7. For a more complete list go to http://www.mommyteaching.com/blog/entry/five-ways-to-play-with-your-child-when-you-are-too-busy-to-play

• Take out toys they haven’t seen in a long while.  I used to have an emergency bin of toys they could only play when I was desperate for a break.  My children would be so excited to reunite with the lost toys and it kept them busy for hours.

When all else fails, call someone for help. 

Share any ideas that work for you and your children.