Tuesday Tips: How to Sneak Learning into Play

So, it’s no secret that I work at Gymboree, the “Global Leader in Classes for Kids”. I applied to be a teacher there after I’d been taking Shane to classes for six months. I liked it so much, I just had to be a part of it. Hubby, on the other hand, thought it was a glorified playdate that cost us a monthly subscription.

But Gymboree’s philosophy is similar to mine when it comes to play & learning: The two can- and should- coexist. Yes, the kids are having a ton of fun rolling balls down slides, singing silly songs like the Noble Duke of York, and jumping onto giant cushions. But while doing that, they are learning that balls can go from up to down the slide; that the Noble Duke of York went up, down, left & right; and that they can jump down onto a big orange cushion. They are learning while they have fun & as teachers and as parents we are allowing them to explore how they learn best.

So like I said, this is a philosophy that I share with Gymboree. I have been sneaking education into Shane’s playing since he was able to play. I’m sure you do the same with your children, but I wanted to share some of the fun ways that Shane & I do this so that maybe you can pick up a new idea or two.

1.) Bath time. In the bath, Shane has a whole aresenal of toys. He has ducks, which we count when we sing the “Four little ducks” song, he has other squirt animals, which is how he learned to pinch his fingers together like a crab, and he has his favorite- bathtub crayons. We use these to draw animals, numbers, letters, body parts & even the names of our family members. Shane just thinks it’s awesome that he gets to draw on the wall; I think it’s awesome that he can tell that the squiggles I draw are supposed to be monkeys & lions. Or was it squirrels & giraffes? Eh.

2.) Storytime. It started simply enough- we’d read board books that are simple to add lessons in to. His favorite book is “My Nose, My Toes and Me” &it has become a nightly routine that Daddy reads it out loud with Shane on his lap & I act out the body parts being named. Now Shane is capable of pointing to each body part- often even before we say it out loud. The other day I also read him Dumbo- and I asked him questions relevant to the story. He managed to tell me what a mouse, bird and elephant say, showed me where you could find his ears, and did a fake laugh along with me when I imitated the other elephants &kids laughing at Dumbo’s ears. Shane loves reading stories & I love that not only can stories reiterate things he’s learned in other ways but can put a bunch of concepts together and allow us to communicate with each other.

3.) TV time. Yes, I am one of “those moms” that lets her kid watch tv. It’s 2011, it’s not like he’s never going to watch tv. Anyway, when he watches tv, I ask him questions about what he sees {“What is Blue’s Clue? It’s a bird, what does a bird say? What color is that bird?”}.

4.) Music. Shane LOVES music. For awhile he didn’t really care but lately he’s got to have music all.the.time. I don’t mind of course, but I can hardly play Eminem or even Katy Perry for him with a good conscience. I got a CD for him that we play at Gymboree {Kids in Motion}& he is in LOVE with it. In addition to being exposed to the obvious {rhythm, beat, tempo, etc.} he has also learned stop & go from “The Freeze”, different animal songs from “Animal Action” I & II, and even counting from “The Countbounce Countdown” {He shows me the fingers for 1 & 2 during the song, on cue & everything!}

So basically, I try to take anything & everything that Shane & I do and turn it into a learning experience somehow. There’s no need to sacrifice fun to be smart though, and you can sneak a lesson into even the silliest of activities!

What’s a way you’ve snuck learning into a fun activity? Do you need/want ideas for how to add learning into a fun thing you do? Leave a comment!

Susie’s Note: None of the products or activities included in this post are sponsored and I am not affiliated with them in any way. Well, except Gymboree, since I work there, but they have no idea I’m posting about it. I did include affiliate links to the products on amazon, though, in case you want them as well!

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