How to Create a Fun Learning Environment for Children
Whether you are a teacher or a parent trying to teach their child, there is something to be said about the importance of creating an environment that helps children learn. We often don't realize it, but the environment a child is in can have a serious impact on their learning, either positive or negative.
If you want children to actively engage with their learning and enjoy it, the key is to make sure that they have fun while doing so. The easiest way to achieve this is to create a fun learning environment for them, so if you want some tips on how to do this, keep reading.
Have a dedicated teaching space
If you're a teacher or a parent homeschooling their child, the odds are that you will have a classroom. If you're simply a parent wanting to educate your child on certain things, you may not have a classroom, but you should still try to have a space that is dedicated to your child's learning. To make this a positive learning space, you should make sure that there aren't any distractions in this space.
However, children also need to feel happy in their learning space, so you should consider decorating it to make it more fun for them. Have a look at some classroom theme decor to see if anything catches your eye.
Include them
As a parent or teacher, it's natural for you to instinctively want to take a leadership position, but that's not always the most bene for the child. If you do this, they may miss out on important learning opportunities such as being able to think creatively and figure things out for themselves. Of course, you are still in charge, but try to include them where you can.
Ask them how they would approach a certain topic, and try to determine which method of learning works best for them.
Change it up
One thing that most children have in common is that they get bored easily, and if they are bored with what they are learning, the odds are that they won't be having fun. To prevent things from getting repetitive, you should try to change your teaching style regularly.
You can switch between audio and visual learning methods, and also include a variety of interactive learning methods by having children color in, play games, or go on scavenger hunts. You can also include toys in their learning, as long as you understand the impact of toys on children’s development.
This way, they are learning while having fun at the same time. By keeping them on their toes, they won't know what to expect next, which could make them more excited about their learning.
Communicate
Even though many things have changed when it comes to how people view children, some people still have old-fashioned ways of thinking, which could lead to them believing that “children should be seen and not heard”.
However, you should keep in mind that when a child is learning, it should be about them – the way you learn might be different from how they do, so you need to encourage them to speak up if they don't understand something or if one method of learning works better for them than another. Communication is also a valuable skill that they need to learn as soon as possible.
Make it comfortable
No one likes learning when they're feeling uncomfortable, so you need to create a comfortable environment for children if you want to foster a positive learning environment. This firstly refers to their physical comfort – make sure that they aren't sitting on uncomfortable chairs that hurt them, and encourage them to get up and move around now and then to avoid stiffness.
It also refers to their emotional comfort – they should feel safe and comfortable speaking to you, instead of being afraid, so try your best to always be accepting so that they never feel uncomfortable in your presence.
In conclusion
Creating a fun learning environment for children is one of the most important things you can do as an educator or parent. Many children hate learning because they view it as a chore or something boring, but by creating a fun environment, you can ensure that children have a good relationship with learning and actually enjoy it.
While each child is different and will benefit from different things in a learning environment, there are a few things that may help, so hopefully, this post gave you some ideas that you can implement in your classroom or at home.
