5 Ways To Learn When Life Won’t Quit

For those moments when my brain wants to guilt trip me into thinking my children aren’t learning because we haven’t so much as glanced at a book on any given day, there’s this. 5 Activities for when life doesn’t quit and learning won’t either. I made these games up to play with my children while we task master our lives.

1. Spy and Spell

We usually play this one while I’m driving but you can do it anywhere. I say,”I spy with my little eye something black” let’s say. Anyone can guess. One person says the answer but everyone participates. In this example, the answer is truck. Based on age each person is required to give me a different answer. They’ll either tell me the beginning sound for truck (t), the beginning and ending sound (t and k), or spell out the whole word.

Age 4-5 beginning sounds

Age 5-6 beginning and ending sound

Age 7+ spell entire word

2.I Spy Colors in Hebrew

This game is similar to the first. It can be played anywhere. Instead of spotting a thing, however,I spot a color which I say in Hebrew. So I’ll say,”I spy something lavan” and they have to guess it. If they are unsure of the color I give a gentle reminder and we continue to play.

3. Grocery Store Math

This game works for number recognition and to sharpen mental math skills. Have them take turns because otherwise they’ll be shouting out numbers all at the same time. And do allow for a little extra time at the grocery store. There are different requirements based on age as listed below.

Age 4-5 find numbers all around 1-10

Age 5-6 find numbers up to 100

Age 7+ add prices (3.98= 3+9+8)

4. Laundry Sort

My kids like sorting laundry so hey. It teaches classification skills. And it’s very practical! Explain every step. Go beyond the classification and show them how to load the machine, select water temperature etc. Then watch it spin! For your more inquisitive children you can even explain how the machines work. YouTube has some videos on this as well to round out your lesson.

5. Context Clues

This is a vocabulary game. The idea is to use uncommon words like “elated”. Use the words in a sentence and see if your children can grasp the meaning from listening to the context. So you’re not at a loss for words (no pun intended), it’s good to keep a list of words on your phone so much thought isn’t required.

Let me know what you think of these. Also feel free to share any clever ways you keep the learning train moving.

Be blessed and Shalom