things Family, Children, Preschoolers, Toddlers and Parenting!

Posted on | April 11, 2012 | No Comments

Learning shouldn?t end when your kids come home from school. As a parent, you can find lessons in every part of life ? and these lessons don?t have to be boring. Here are seven ways to teach your kids valuable life skills
without them even realizing that what they?re doing is educational.

Go camping.

Camping is a great opportunity to learn basic survival skills like building a fire, identifying edible plants, and staying safe in the wild. In addition, you can use this opportunity to practice teamwork as you set up a tent together as a family and learn how to read a compass and follow trails as you hike through the woods. If you don?t feel 100% comfortable in the woods without an RV, learn together as a family! Hire a guide or, if that?s not in the budget, join the scouts so you can learn wilderness skills from experienced campers.

Cook together.

Most kids love to help in the kitchen, and no matter what their age, you can have kids cooking in no time. Younger children can do simple tasks like mixing and dumping pre-measured ingredients into a bowl while older kids can try their hand at cracking eggs and preheating the oven. This is also a great chance to talk about food safety.

Go sailing.

Who doesn?t love a relaxing afternoon on a boat? To turn this into an educational activity, get involved as a family, learning how to sail. Many companies offer family lessons or, if you?re comfortable on the water, consider purchasing your own family boat and teaching your kids about tying knots, using lifejackets for safety, and more.

Go to the gym together.

Kids need exercise too, and going to the gym as a family can help them learn about fitness. Of course, your three year old probably shouldn?t be lifting weights with you, but most gyms have classes for different age groups as well as classes for parents and kids to take together. Try something fun like dancing to get your kids excited about exercise.

Visit your local library.

During the summer, most libraries have programs for children, which could include story time, puppet shoes, craft projects, and more. Even if you can?t make it to the library for these special events, you can still go as a family to choose books to take home. Let your child pick what he or she is interested in reading. Even magazines and comic books get your child away from the television and using their imagination.

Start your own family garden.

It doesn?t cost much to start a small garden in your backyard or even in window boxes if you don?t have a yard available. Pick plants that are easy to grow (like mint or tomatoes) and work on your garden as a family. Teach your child about the lifecycle of a plant, how to get rid of pests, and more.

Take advantage of local museums and zoos.

Lastly, local museums and zoos are often available for free or highly reduced rates for children, so take advantage! Many have tour guides that are happy to show you around (and used to holding kids? attention) and some even have special activities for kids on a daily basis. It?s a fun change of scenery and a great way for you all to learn something new.

Allison writes with?BoatInsurance.org, where you can get an inexpensive policy for any boat your purchase.

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