Teaching kids is hard. Whether you’re a parent, an educator, or someone else in a caregiving role, you know the challenges that come with teaching kids.
They get distracted easily, tire out, get bored, and lose interest if you’re not on top of your game.
That’s why it’s so important to find ways to make learning fun.
It can be hard to make learning fun for kids, but it’s definitely not impossible!
Studies have shown that kids learn better when they are having fun (particularly during early childhood education), so it’s a good idea to try and make learning as enjoyable as possible for them.
The good news is there are many different ways to make learning fun for kids!
From using learning apps like HOMER to going on field trips, there are countless ways to put some fun into your educational activities.
Take a look below at how you can make learning more exciting and interesting for your children.
No matter how young or old they are, the possibilities of how to make learning fun for them are endless!
The Best Ways to Make Learning Fun
There are all sorts of different things you can do to make learning fun. Here are some of our favorites based on our experience.
1. Use educational apps to make learning exciting
These days, there’s an app for just about everything, and that goes for learning too. There are math apps, reading apps, coding apps, science apps…the list goes on and on.
The great thing about the best education apps is they let kids learn while playing games they love. In fact, kids don’t even realize they’re learning a lot of the time — they’re just excited to play.
There are plenty of great educational apps out there that will make learning fun for your kids while keeping them engaged. A couple of our favorites include HOMER ( they offer a free 30-day trial) and codeSpark Academy (check out their free 7-day trial).
Many of these fun learning apps are even free or very cheap. And almost all of them offer free trial periods that let you test out the app before signing up for a subscription.
2. Play games with your kids that teach them things
It’s really important to play educational games with your kids that teach them things.
When you play games together, it becomes a fun learning experience for them. They will learn more quickly and easily when they are enjoying themselves.
There are many different kinds of learning games to engage students that teach different things, such as math, science, and how to be a good person.
Rhyming games, car games (like “I Spy”), and listening games are all fun, engaging activities that don’t require any materials to play.
Of course, there are plenty of fun learning games you can buy as well.
One very popular game is called “Sushi Go”. This card game involves sequencing numbers and matching cards to create sets. It’s also something kids can play with their friends as well as family members.
Another great educational game to check out for your kids is “Sum Swamp”. With “Sum Swamp”, students learn how to add numbers in a fun way. They also have to work together with their friends to win the game, which teaches strategy and how to work as a team.
And of course, there are classic games like checkers, chess, and Jenga that all teach critical thinking skills and other lessons.
Board games actually make great educational games because they teach kids to think about rules and parameters while strategically planning how to win.
3. Encourage your kids to explore their creative side
Another great way to make learning fun for kids is by encouraging their creativity.
There are many different strategies you can use to do this.
For instance, when it comes to how to make learning fun in your home, you can decorate a whole learning area with visuals and posters related to the subjects they’re learning about. In their bedroom, you can hang posters of numbers and vocabulary words they’re learning how to spell.
Painting, writing, and building crafts are just a few creative activities that can be used to help kids learn different things.
Creativity opens the mind to thinking in new ways and can be used to help students learn all sorts of concepts and ideas.
4. Do hands-on activities and experiments
Kids learn best when they’re engaged and active, so it’s a good idea to do hands-on activities and experiments with them.
This will help keep them interested and motivated while they learn.
There are many different kinds of activities and experiments you can do with your kids, depending on their age and interests.
For younger kids, you can do things like fingerprinting experiments, coloring, or making simple crafts.
You can also do science like making slime or learning how to make a rainbow.
Older kids can get more involved in hands-on activities and experiments. They can help make dinner, for example, or bake a cake. They can also do more complicated science experiments or build things using wood.
They can also help you in the yard, garden, or with other outdoor chores.
The possibilities are really endless for how to make learning fun through hands-on activities and experiments at home! There are even some great educational gifts you can give your child that include fun activities for them to do.
With a monthly science subscription box like Kiwico, you can get project kits for experiments sent to your home each month with something new and fun for your kids to do. See our Kiwico pricing guide for more info.
5. Create a fun learning environment
It’s important to make sure that your learning area is visually stimulating and exciting for kids. A boring setting will lead to a bored child.
Put posters around the house or in your classroom of things they’re learning about (like animals) so it’s always there for them when they need it!
You can also put out objects from the topics they’re learning to create a more tangible learning experience.
Adding visuals will help your child to learn how to make learning fun and the information stick in their minds better.
6. Make flashcards together as a family and quiz each other on what you’ve learned
Flashcards are a great tool for remembering important information, but you can take this a step further by getting your kids to create them with you.
There are many benefits of using flashcards for learning.
One of the biggest advantages is that they make learning fun and interesting.
Flashcards are also a great way to help kids learn how to spell words and remember important information. They can be used for any subject, and you can make them as simple or complex as you want.
Another great thing about flashcards is that they can be used anywhere. You can take them with you on trips, to the doctor’s office, or even to bed. This makes it easy for kids to continue learning even when they’re not in school or doing homework.
There are many different ways to make your own custom flashcards.
You can find a template online, design them together on the computer, and print them out.
Or you can get some index cards and make your own by hand.
You can also get creative and use different shapes of cards, such as the alphabet.
The possibilities are endless for how you can make learning fun through flashcards at home with your kids!
7. Make learning fun by incorporating it into their everyday life
One great way to make learning fun for kids is to incorporate it into their everyday life.
There are many different ways to do this, depending on their age and interests.
You can also have them help you with regular tasks around the house, like cooking or cleaning. This will help them learn how to do chores and also give them a sense of responsibility.
Or you can take them with you to the store and have them add up the price of different items as you fill up your cart.
For kids just learning how to read, you can have them read street signs and other important information as you’re out and about running errands.
No matter what it is that you’re doing, there’s an opportunity to turn it into a learning experience.
8. Let your kids work together with others
One of the best ways to make learning fun for kids is to let them work together with others.
This can be in a classroom setting with other students or even at home with a sibling or friend.
There are many different benefits to letting kids collaborate and learn from each other.
One of the biggest advantages is that it helps them learn how to socialize and work together effectively as a team. These kind of communication skills are some they will use throughout their lives.
Collaborating also helps kids learn how to share and take turns, both of which are essential skills for cooperation.
Working with others allows kids to get more out of the learning experience. They can share ideas, ask questions, and help each other understand the material better. This makes learning more fun and interesting for them.
Collaborative learning can be used in almost any setting, including the classroom and online. There are many free collaborative learning programs that you can download to your computer or tablet for easy access. Or you can create your own project with kids using Google Docs or another similar program.
9. Give plenty of breaks
Kids need a regular brain break when learning. Their attention span is only so long, and if you push them too far, they’ll shut down and start to get frustrated.
Their minds will also work better afterward.
Most kids will need a short break every 30-60 minutes.
You can also combine breaks with fun activities, like playing a game, doing some jumping jacks, or going for a walk (getting them moving is very important!). This will help refresh their minds and make learning more enjoyable.
10. Get out on a field trip
Field trips are a great way to make learning fun for kids. They can get out of the classroom or house and explore new places while learning at the same time.
There are many different types of field trips that you can take your kids on.
You can go to a museum, park, or historical site. You can also go on nature walks or hikes, visit a farm, or go to the zoo.
Field trips offer a variety of learning experiences that kids wouldn’t normally get in a classroom setting. They can learn about history, science, nature, and more.
They can also see things in person that they’ve only learned about in school. This helps them make connections between what they’re learning and how it can be applied in the real world.
You can plan a field trip with your kids and their classmates or just go by yourself, taking them on some of those alone time activities that they need every now and then.
11. Keep lessons short
Kids don’t have the patience or interest to sit through an hour-long lecture. It is important to keep your lessons short.
This will help keep your kid’s attention on what you are teaching them.
If the lessons are too long, they might get bored and not learn anything.
That’s why microlearning has become so popular in recent years.
With microlearning, it’s all about how you can fit large amounts of information into several small chunks. This makes learning more digestible for kids, which is important when they are first starting to learn how to read or do math.
This will help kids stay engaged in what they’re learning.
Final Thoughts on How to Make Learning Fun for Kids
Understanding how to make learning fun is a complex process that can be difficult if you don’t have the right experience.
Fortunately, there are many different ways to keep kids engaged and interested in what they’re learning by making it more interactive and interesting for them.
Whether your goal is just to get through school with less frustration or create lifelong learners who will succeed professionally, these tips should give you some ideas on how you can use games and activities as an education tool that makes kids excited to learn.
What are your best tips for making learning fun for kids? Share them with us by leaving a comment below.