How to Make Learning Fun

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This article was written by Emily Listmann, MA. Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She worked as a social studies teacher, curriculum coordinator, and SAT prep teacher. She received her master’s degree in education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. This article has been viewed 93,529 times.

As a teacher or parent, it is often a challenge to make learning fun for your students and children. If traditional learning methods don’t appeal to you, it’s time to think outside the box. Capture their attention with individualized, creative, and technology-based learning methods.

1. 

   Include the specific interests of your students. When you engage your students’ interests, it’s easier to engage them in the lesson and get them excited about the concepts.

   • As a teacher, take the time to ask your students about their hobbies and interests. If possible, find a way to incorporate these interests into your lesson plans. Also, allow your students to suggest topics and/or bring materials, such as books, games, or apps, that they enjoy and want to share with the class.
   • As a parent, find ways to match your child’s interests with educational content. If they are interested in trucks, look for educational books and games about trucks. If they are interested in music, use sheet music to explore fractions.

2. 

   Structure your students’ study time to meet their needs. It is irresponsible to assume that all children learn in the same way and at the same speed. As parents and educators, assess the specific needs of each child. Determine if he has trouble staying still. Examine how they learn best: do they learn auditorily, visually, or physically? Use this knowledge to structure your lesson plans and home lessons.

   • If they find it difficult to sit still, give them plenty of breaks to get moving. If they are visual learners, include lots of images in your lessons.
   • If you are unsure about your students’ learning styles, try using a quiz or quick assessment to get an idea. There are several available for free online. If you have the resources, you might even consider hiring an expert.[1]

3. 

   Give your students the opportunity to teach each other. When children are given responsibility for their own learning or the learning of others, they are encouraged to learn the material as thoroughly as possible.

   • As a teacher, give your students the opportunity to teach each other.
     • Assign each student a topic and have them prepare a lesson on their topic; now it is your responsibility to know the subject inside and out. After they have prepared the lesson, have them present the material to a small group or in front of the class.
     • Ask students to work in pairs or small groups. Instead of seeking your help, encourage them to trust each other to solve any problems they encounter. Assign them group projects that allow them to interact with each other and make learning more fun.
     • Pair the student who is struggling with the student who is mastering the topic. Ideally, a struggling student will ask another student questions.
   • As a parent, give your child the opportunity to teach you what they are learning. If your child is having trouble solving a problem, don’t give him the answer. Instead, ask specific questions about the content, such as “How do you know ____?” or “How would you solve ____?”[2]

4. 

   Get involved in your student’s or child’s learning. When your students or children are learning or participating in an educational activity, join them. By becoming an active participant in their education, you’ll have the study habits, problem-solving skills, and feelings of joy one feels when learning something new. If they suspect you’re not enjoying the activity or content, they’ll assume the activity or content is simply not worth the time.

   • Spend one-on-one time with them. Most children like individual attention because it makes them feel important. When you know your child’s desire for affirmation, he is more likely to accept the lesson.
   • When children sit down to read quietly, take the opportunity to read something yourself.[3]

1. 

   Create opportunities for hands-on learning. Children remember information better when their hands and brain are used or engaged simultaneously. This is accomplished by developing lessons and activities that require students to speak, listen, and move. These types of lessons and activities will benefit active, auditory, and visual learners.

   • Incorporate more arts and crafts projects into your lessons.
   • Have students move to different learning stations.
   • Group students according to their interests or strengths. Provide them with activities that allow them to explore the topic in a way that engages them.[4]

2. 

   Take your students on field trips. Field trips provide students with the opportunity to connect the abstract concepts they learn in the classroom with the real world.

   • As an educator, choose field trips that promote hands-on learning. For example, if you are studying your country’s government, take them to your state capitol building.
   • As a parent, you have the luxury of using your time and resources a little more creatively. He takes his son to an out-of-state art museum to see his favorite painting or to a remote historic site to experience his nation’s history. Enroll your son in an engineering camp or ask him to accompany one of his friends to the office.

3. 

   Let the students use their imagination. Instead of limiting or controlling your imagination, you let your creativity run wild. Encourage their creativity by designing lessons that encourage the use of arts and crafts, role-playing, or a variety of similar activities.

   • When teaching students about the judiciary, have them conduct a mock trial.
   • When younger students study historical figures, have them dress up as subjects for a formal presentation.
   • Give your children freedom of expression through different ways. Allow them to choose how they express their learning by giving them more options for projects. For example, you can let them choose between writing a story, drawing a picture, or doing a re-enactment for history class.

4. 

   Play educational games. After teaching your students a lesson or exploring a concept with your child, let them play an educational game that will test their new knowledge.

   • Find a relevant educational game or download an app to your tablet with a quick internet search.
   • Create a game review based on a popular game or host a trivia tournament.
   • Encourage your students or children to play board games or card games.[5]

5. 

   Make abstract concepts relevant. During their educational career, students are introduced to numerous abstract concepts that seem to have no relevance in their lives. When teaching a new lesson, it’s important to explain how people use concepts every day.

   • To explore math and business principles, have children set up a store or lemonade stand. Encourage them to set prices, track inventory, and count money.
   • Ask students to find recent newspaper articles or TV clips that relate to what they are learning in school.
   • Ask your students to do a role play:
     • Conduct a mock trial.
     • Organize a room and ask each person to come as an important historical figure.
     • Replay the family battle.
     • Organize a UN model mini-session.

1. 

   Assign digital projects. Today’s children are born into the digital age. They love technology and are very adept at using it. Capitalize on your desire to use technology by incorporating it into your tasks.

   • Instead of journaling, ask them to document their experiences with a digital camera.
   • Allow students to use computers and tablets to conduct research.
   • Have students build websites, watch, or develop a podcast.
   • Allow the children to listen to the required literature.

2. 

   Use technology in your classes. As teachers and parents, you can make learning more fun by capitalizing on children’s love of all things digital.

   • In addition to lectures, use digital presentation tools to present lessons.
   • If you are a teacher, include short educational videos in your lectures. If you’re a parent, use short educational videos to explain concepts your child is having trouble understanding.
   • Instead of learning the language of the world, let your kids learn to code.[6]

3. 

   Watch or listen to educational programs. As a teacher and parent, consider supplementing traditional lectures and readings with educational videos, podcasts, and skits. Children who may appear careless during lectures may be captivated by audiovisual materials.[7]

   • Show and listen to materials that are relevant to what children are learning.
   • As a reward for completing a great literary work, take your class or your child to see a stage adaptation.

4. 

   Allow children to play electronic games and educational applications. Educational applications and electronic games have a prominent role in teaching basic concepts and skills to our children. When used to complement traditional learning methods, these educational tools can improve children’s performance in the classroom. Other benefits include:

   • Improve children’s technical skills.
   • Portability and availability
   • Exposure to alternative learning methods.
   • use of free time

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