Learning New Skills While Staying Home

Due to the “no school” policy in force right now, more families are spending every day together. What do you do with all your time? You can teach yourself and your children a new talent or skill. Let’s look at seven new ideas for parents to help kids learn something new.

1. Music

If you have ever thought that you want to start your child in music lessons, now might be the time to start. Online music lessons are a great way to keep kids engaged and learning during this shutdown. If a guitar or keyboard has been sitting around for months, it can be used to help them learn. Learning an instrument can be fun, entertaining, and rewarding. The kids can learn how to practice scales, learn to read sheet music, and more.

2. Sports

Boost your child’s enthusiasm for sports. If your child has shown an aptitude for sports like soccer, tennis, softball, etc., you can set up your backyard or a special room for them to increase their skills. Being cooped up with parents is not exactly what a young child envisions. If they were at school, their minds and body would be in constant flux. Being home every day due to the coronavirus requires keeping your child active in learning a new skill. Parents can play a key role by participating in a sport with the kids. Fun, laughter, and an overall healthy workout will do wonders for everyone in the family.

3. Photography

Children of all ages can easily grasp how to use a camera. Learning how to look through the lens of a camera opens your child’s imagination. They can see people and the environment around them in a whole new light. Their active minds are challenged with delight when they take photos that are revealed in black and white or in color. There are cameras for children that allow them to have instantly developed photos. You never know where a camera in the hands of your child will lead them. They could become the next winner of the National Geographic photo contest.

4. Cooking

Can your child learn how to make cookies? Yes, they can! Starting with simple cookie, brownie, and cake-like desserts can draw your child into a culinary experience. You can teach your child how to take measurements, how to stir, how to blend/fold, and how to respect a hot oven. When your child starts with raw ingredients that turn into eatable delights, it will enhance their curiosity about different types of foods. Baking and cooking is a learning experience that will teach them so much about math and science without their realizing that they are learning. Rewarding them when they have cooked their first batch of cookies is a great encouragement for them to continue learning.

5. Drawing

Little kids love using crayons and water-based paints to draw. Encourage this skill. Drawing and coloring teaches them how to focus on one thing at a time and how to perfect that focus. Simple stick figures or learning how to color within the lines improves a child’s visual-motor skills, as well as their eye and hand coordination. Mom and dad, you too can join in. Encouragement and reward is always a great stimulating emotion for your child.

6. Language

The world is shrinking. More individuals are living nearby who were born in a foreign country. Educational institutions are teaching Chinese, Spanish, French, and even Farsi to our kids. If your family lineage has a foreign language component, help to teach that new language to your child. Along with learning a foreign language comes a history lesson. Educators have learned that a child of nearly any age can learn a different language in a short period of time. Learning a foreign language through TV, CDs, DVDs, and videos are very entertaining for your child. A child’s imagination is widened, their abstract ideas become more focused, and their thoughts are deepened.

7. Household Chores

Teaching your child of any age to pick up after themselves, to take out the trash, to bundle their clothes for washing, are skills that help them grow. Yes, even a little tot can learn how to organize their toys. Kids learn respect, responsibility, and so much more. Remember that your child will not be perfect, but what they do achieve is very rewarding. Older children can be taught to make a fun chore chart that features a star after the chore has been completed. Household chores teach your child independence, time management, healthy habits, and more.