Getting young kids engaged with learning typically involves using all of their senses — including touch! When kids can employ hands-on learning through puzzles, mats, and easels, it makes learning essential skills more fun and memorable.
Hands-on learning also promotes problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as children manipulate physical items (say, by moving around game pieces or rewriting letters on a giant mat) to achieve a goal. It’s also a fantastic way to get kids moving as they learn, especially if they’re bored easily by activities that require sitting still.
As your child engages in these activities, ask them questions, encourage them to talk about what they’re doing, and celebrate their achievements. It can be incredibly rewarding for a child to see the result of something they’ve done — whether it’s the alphabet traced on a learning mat or a magnetic easel filled with words.
These six hands-on activities teach fundamental skills important for early academic success, including beginning sounds, letters, numbers, time and money, and more. Use them to keep your kids learning at home.
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