What are some fun learning activities for kids?

Question

I'm looking for some fun activities or projects for kids ages 0-3 years. Something that is educational, or helps them built skills like cutting, writing, etc.

Answer 1

Children that age learn best through play and (hands on) observation.

Speak to them about everything-I am washing the dishes, I am putting the dishes in the cabinet, I am cutting the vegetables, I am stirring the stew.  

Let them help when possible, such as you wash and they dry (a three year old and even younger can do this) or helping you by gathering ingredients from the refrigerator.

Explore your yard, walk around your neighborhood, visit various sites in your community-let him/her take the time to explore leaves, rocks, caterpillars, etc.  

My children just love sitting outside quietly, watching the various animals-put up a bird house, bird bath, and/or bird feeder.  Plant flowers that attract butterflies.  Of course let your child help with these activities.

For writing skills, give him/her a pencil or crayons, and paper.  Scribbling IS early writing skills.  As they get better, you can have him/her make shapes.  An older toddler can practice cutting paper, and then could practice cutting straight lines, zig zag lines, curvy lines-although even first graders sometimes lack the motor skills to do that.

Buy cookie cutters-you can get 100 or so of them for ten bucks at Wal Mart.  Use them to make cookies, cut sandwhiches into shapes, etc.  You can practice spelling the child's name with cookies, and learning the alphabet that way.  Let him/her help with making the cookies as well!

Refrigerator magnets is another way to teach the alphabet, and the child can play with them while you cook or what not.  It will keep the younger ones safely occupied.

Sidewalk chalk!  Bathtub paint!  etc. are good mediums for art and they can practice drawing pictures, forming shapes and/or letters.  

Bubbles, balls, balloons are all educational...as are slinkies, blocks, etc.  Learning/education need not be boring, nor is it all about learning to read and write.  At an early age, everything is educational for a child.

Visit a local children's museum or a regular museum.  Look at everything, and go in depth with the things your child is interested in.  Never force learning though-if they are not interested, do not carry on.  You do not want him/her to develop a dislike for learning.

Libraries often have story time for infants/toddlers, as do a lot of book stores.

A lot of arts and craft supply stores have projects on Saturdays for children to learn.

Home supply stores do as well (projects on weekends for children), but I think it might be for older children.

Visit the aquarium or zoo.

Visit the beach-the waves, sand and water, tidal pool, fish, shells, etc. are all an opportunity for exploration and learning.

Play Simon Says-it can be educational.  Simon says take four steps forward.  Simon says take two steps back.  Simon says turn in a circle-you are teaching counting among other objectives.

Play Hokey Pokey-teaches left/right as well as various body parts.

With younger children, pat a cake and peek a boo, etc. teach gross motor skills as does itsy bitsy spider (the hand movements as they start to mimic them).

Play Memory.  Play Chutes and Ladders and Candyland.  Play hop scotch and jump rope and slide and seesaw and swing.  It is ALL educational.

Some television-in moderation-is educational.  Of course choose things such as Sesame Street as opposed to Spongebob.

The library and book store has many educational CDs and DVDs, from learning a different language to just learning different skills.

There is a book I recommend called Ready for Kindergarten by, I believe, Susan Wilcox.  It is available from Amazon and I highly recommend it.  It is intended for preschool age children, but can easily be done with younger children-it has all sorts of fun, hands on learning activities.

I hope this helps, and I wish you the best!

Answer 2

finger painting

get a bucket of water and put toys in it

dress up

give them a piece of paper and scissors and let them do anything with them

let them drive(kidding)

drawing

thats it

Answer 3

We always count things. If she is eating, we count the peas or whatever she is eating.

Simon Says is a good game

Scavenger Hunts, this helps them to be independent and to solve mysteries.

reading, reading, reading...

Singing and dancing - motivates them to move around and burn some energy.

cloud watching, bird watching,etc.

We also have another game that we play outside - "Name that Animal". We list the type of animal (bird, cat, dog, etc.) and then describe it. We then count to see how many red bird, blue birds, brown dogs, you get my point. I have done this with all of my kids and it has helped them tremendously. It helped with identifying different colors, animals, and shapes.

We also practice writing names starting at age 2. I know this sounds extreme, and I don't expect it to be perfect, it is just something to do. My older kids knew how to write in cursive by the time they started 1st grade. My youngest is 2 and I have several nieces and nephews between the ages of 0-8 yrs old.