Make Learning Fun for Your 3rd Grader

Try these tricks to make learning fun for your child.

Age

8

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Knowing what excites kids is the key to helping them master new skills and become successful students. Here's how to tap into their passions by making learning fun:

3rd Graders Love: Games with rules 

How It Makes Learning Fun: "Games with rules help children think in multiple steps," says Ellen Frede, co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and an associate professor at the College of New Jersey. "Discussing and negotiating rules also teaches them about give and take, and how to live in a democracy." 

Motivating Activities to Make Learning Fun:

  • Give your child a new board gameChoose an age-appropriate one that taps your child's interests — whether she's passionate about princesseshorsesbaseball, or outer space. Reading and explaining the instructions and readying the game board for play fosters reading comprehension and problem-solving. Classic games, like Monopoly or Scrabble, are great skill-builders that also make learning fun.
  • Play cards. Teach your child some of your childhood favorites. Kids strengthen fine motor skills by shuffling, cutting, and holding the cards, and boost cognitive abilities too. Each time your child slaps down a card, he's learning about number values and concepts like "greater than" and "less than." Go Fish and Old Maid reinforce your child's ability to categorize.
  • Head outside for active learning fun. Active games like tag, hopscotch, hide and seek, and jump rope are wonderful for groups of friends to play together. These great socializers also promote physical fitness and gross motor skills. Keep balls, chalk, Frisbees, and other sports equipment in a tote bag by the door so it's easy to grab when you head to the park or playground for learning fun.  

One step ahead: Find out what makes learning fun for 4th graders.

Problem Solving
Reading Comprehension
Motivate for School Success
Social Skills
Gross Motor Skills
Math
Age 8
Child Development and Behavior
Board Games
Card Games
Motivation Ideas
Learning and Cognitive Development
Games and Toys