Learning Games for Young Children

In this day and age, it seems impossible, if not futile, to find something to do with young children that meets just a few seemingly innocent enough criteria: simple, fun, educational, & good for them.

I will admit here and now that I am no doctor, no child specialist or degree holder of any sort. But! I have even better, and more valuable (in some ways), qualifications: my mother decided to have my half-sister and guess who became the live in babysitter for a good number of months?

My family has a strange dynamic to start with: TV watching is limited and discouraged, learning is an every day thing, and we only had one small child at the time. This resulted in a lot of time spent with her, since she couldn't find other children regularly to play with.

Below I've outlined some of the games and activities that I've done to entertain my charming, demanding, and all around child-like little sister.

Reading Books

I know that this is such a simple thing, but I find often it is something that parents overlook. There is a game Erika and I would play -- we would pick a rhyming book and after she got to know it a bit, she would help fill in words. We started this early on with Dr. Seuss books, and she still enjoys it. It keeps children entertained, helps them recognize words (if you point at them) and makes them feel like they're 'helping'.

Association Games

Depending on how much your toddler talks, this can be a fun game that's easy to play with them while doing the dishes, folding laundry, or whatever else you happen to be doing (just don't do it while writing an email, because strange words will appear throughout...) Pick a subject that your child(ren) love. Erika really likes fruit, so we'd often do food. You could do animals, characters from a movie/book they adore, things like that. Ask questions like 'What (food,character,animal) is brown?' The sillier it is, the better. For characters of animals, you can ask personality questions. 'Which Cars character is red and shy?' Some kids get a kick out of this game, and I've had other kids ignore me completely. It's worth a try, though!

'Tea' Party

I say 'tea' because sons probably won't appreciate the sentimentality that much, but the idea is the heart of it. Boy or girl, your children would appreciate this little mini-party of their own. For Erika, she decorates with a table cloth, some fake flowers, and invites her stuffed animals. Then we serve 'nibbles' (cut up toast, apple slices, nuts, fruit roll-ups torn up), and she and her animals eat, then I get to 'surprise' her with dessert (a cut up jr. mint, hard candies, small chocolates). Put some kid music on, and at the end, the child 'reads' to their guests, and the adult may even decide to read a story or two.

Hide & Seek

A simple game children can comprehend, but don't always pull off. Our games usually ended with Erika running to find you when she was the one hiding! But kids love it, even if they don't play it 'right'. It's about playing and having fun, anyhow. ;)

Baking!

While not a game, baking counts: it lets children feel comfortable in the kitchen without hot grease flying about, and they get to help you clean up by licking the beaters. I personally think baking is great because it lets kids feel like they can do something that has an impact; many children act as though we treat them like babies, and insist they 'can do it myself' around the 3-4 age. Letting them stir, help you pick out recipes, and do other small things (hand you spices, bowls) helps them feel able. Not to mention the sweet treats they helped make for dessert! Tell them what you're doing, why you're doing it, and they'll grow up to be fantastic baker's who'll bring you treats when you're old and feeble. :)

These are just some of the things I've tried and had success with. Remember the key to these successes are your own dedication, and your child's level of interest in it. Take each suggestion as a grain of salt and change it to you and your child's liking.

Oh, and do remember: the internet, your local library, and other parents are always a fantastic resource. Playdays for children are really just a time for parents to sip coffee and watch them run ragged for their afternoon nap.

Good luck with your quest, take care, and remember: life is supposed to be fun. Let your children show you that, because goodness knows they know best how to have fun in this world.