During summer, most families take a break from the routines and responsibilities of the school year. However, as anyone who has kids or works with kids knows, you never really take a break from early childhood education. Kids are always learning by taking in the world around them, and parents and childcare providers need to help them stay engaged. There are plenty of ways to continue your child’s learning outdoors, but what about the rainy days or when it’s too hot to go out? That’s when it’s time to pull out the learning games.
Learning games keep kids’ brains engaged and extend early childhood education beyond the classroom. Here are three simple ideas for learning games you can play this summer.
Memory Games
Memory games are perfect for supporting learning because you can easily tailor them to your child’s age and developmental stage. They’re also easy to set up with items you find around your house if you don’t have a formal board or card game (although you can buy those at any book or toy store). For example, you can collect pairs of items of matching colors and hide them under cups or bowls. Take turns removing two cups at a time until all the pairs of colors are found. For older children, you can write words on pieces of paper or use ordinary playing cards.
Sorting Games
Sorting games are also easy to play with objects around the house. You can even use them to “gamify” clean-up time. If your child’s toys are all over their room, have them sort the toys into different piles, such as color, size, or type. You can break down those piles into even smaller ones by getting more specific with the categories. Divide them into “toys with wheels,” “animal toys,” or whatever makes putting everything away easier.
Card Games
A standard pack of playing cards has endless possibilities for games. There are games where you have to match numbers or suits (Crazy Eights) or compare higher or lower card values (War). Grab a book of card games from your local bookstore, look up games to play with kids online, or make up your own!
Early Childhood Education at Wollason Child Care Center
Our staff at Wollaston Child Care Center works year-round to encourage early childhood development through exploration of the world around them. Contact us at 617-773-7217 to learn more about our flexible programs.
