Why should we make learning fun for children?

“The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The willingness to learn is a choice.”

— Brian Herbert, American author

Sometimes we forget that the reason we go to school and attend classes is to gain new knowledge and skills. It’s not just about getting full attendance and competing with others to see who got the best grades, it’s about the willingness to learn.

Education is about understanding ourselves and discovering our talents and passions. Everyone can learn—they may not be the best at every subject, but when they find joy in learning, they can all learn something.

As parents or teachers, we can help our children find joy in learning by making it fun for them.

The importance of making learning fun

1) Our brains function better in a positive environment

The human brain responds positively to laughter. It also functions well when it’s in a positive state of mind. This is why when a lesson starts with humour, the brain will decide to pay more attention to the information.

When children learn without any form of humour or laughter, the learning process will be counterproductive. The same goes for how you spend time with your child. When your day to day activities with your child are fun, your child will look forward to spending time with you.

2) It builds a sense of community

The pursuit of excellence unintentionally gives children the “it’s all about me” mentality as they strive to become better than everyone else. And sometimes, we as parents, become too wrapped up in glorifying our children’s successes that we forget about the importance of building a sense of community in our children.

Of course, pursuing excellence is not a bad thing. It’s the way we approach it that matters. The best way to build a sense of community in our children is to include a lot of laughter and out-of-the-box activities to help them have fun while learning together.

3) Better classroom behaviour

When children are put in a classroom to listen to lectures for long periods, learning just doesn’t seem fun for them. Imagine having to sit through a 2-hour mathematics class right after a 2-hour social studies class? They most likely have trouble paying attention to what they’re learning.

Studies have shown that children’s learning suffers when their playtime is taken away. Teachers can help by giving them breaks in between classes and make the learning fun! Imagine how fun it would be if children actually play around with bottle rockets and legos when they learn science?

Tips to make learning fun!

Break up lessons Don’t expect children to sit through long lectures! Add fun activities in between lessons to give them some downtime.	Offer choices Give children a say in how they learn. Let them choose their preferred activity or decide which homework to work on first. This will instil them with decision-making skills.
Incorporate games Games are great ways to add engagement to lessons. Children will be more excited to learn if they have games to look forward to after each lesson.	Have a group time Cooperation helps children develop communication and critical thinking skills. When children work together, they can discuss and absorb information quicker.
Move around Most children don’t like to sit still for a long time. Children need to have breaks in between lessons and move around to recharge themselves.	Use hands-on activities Hands-on activities make learning more fun. For example, when learning geography, children can learn to draw their own maps.
Be creative As much as parents and teachers should be creative themselves, they should also get the children’s creative input. This will help children develop creative thinking and decision making skills.	Plan field trips Bring children to historical places or national parks to have them connect with the real world. When studying in a foreign place, children will learn to work together and become more independent.
Use technology With phones, laptops and tablets, children can now study and find materials online. And there are a plethora of educational applications, games or websites to choose from.	Go outside A change of scenery is good for children to stay interested in their learning materials. This can also help children to be more active and focused in class.

All in all, there are plenty of ways for parents and teachers to make learning more fun for children. These fun methods should be applied not only at school but also at home to increase the child’s willingness to learn.

If you wish to maximise the learning capability of your child, get in touch with us now to find out more about our enrichment programme.