Playful learning makes for joyful parenting

All parents want the best for their children. And there is no shortage of advice on parenting, which has become a multibillion-dollar industry with investors capitalizing on parents’ innate desire to support their children. The notion that there is a “perfect” way to raise children can be found in blogs, TikToks, books, and apps, causing anxiety for many parents. 

With all the demands on parents (and their children), it is easy to lose sight of the joy of parenting and childhood. But focusing on the joy of parenting and incorporating playful learning principles into everyday interactions can relieve stress and help children reach their full potential. Everyday activities like cooking, outdoor exploration, and chores can all be infused with playful learning, giving parents a breather and enriching children’s adventures.

“Children better remember the things they learn through meaningful experiences that connect to what they already know or are interested in.”

The science of playful learning

Playful learning incorporates the features of how children learn best. They are motivated to learn and better able to remember when they are active, or minds-on, and engaged, not distracted. Children better remember the things they learn through meaningful experiences that connect to what they already know or are interested in. When children interact with others, they build deeper knowledge and develop social-emotional skills along the way. Learning is richer when it gradually builds on previous knowledge,and when children test and try out new ideas as they solve problems – for example, trying to build a taller tower. Lastly, children are motivated to learn even more when learning is joyful.

Bringing these playful learning principles together helps children develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed – and this involves much more than just memorizing and regurgitating content. They need to be able to work well with others, communicate ideas clearly, think critically, solve problems creatively, and confidently persist through challenges. Parents need not worry so much about purchasing expensive toys or filling a child’s schedule with extracurricular activities. Instead, how about looking for everyday activities that parents and children can share? These can be rife with opportunities that are not only fun, but can also help prepare children for the challenges of growing up.

“Much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic is required to succeed in today’s rapidly changing world.”

Cooking

When parents and children cook together, the process can be joyful and filled with laughter, singing, and fun. Children use their executive function, critical thinking, and math skills to follow step-by-step recipes. They encounter math as they measure, count, pour, and stir, and they practice creativity and critical thinking when they modify and create recipes and explore the properties of food. Cooking can connect children to their family and culture, and can be sociable and collaborative as everyone works towards a common goal.

Every time is a little bit different, since even the same ingredients don’t always look, taste, and feel the same. Caregivers can change the tasks they give children and vary the difficulty of recipes. Children can feel proud of their creations, and cooking is itself a skill that will help them become self-reliant adults.

Outdoor exploration

The outside world offers many rich learning opportunities free of the distractions found indoors – music, TV, a multitude of toys – that can derail learning. Running in a park, walking around the city, hiking, and gardening are all hands-on activities that can also be “minds-on.” Children can find meaning in the natural environment that surrounds them, and caregivers can guide their exploration by prompting inquiry and joining them in discovering new information online or in books. Vocabularies expand to include a wide variety of new words: sedimentary, maple, luster, foliage.

Children can count and categorize features of rocks, trees, sticks, or blades of grass. They can order sticks by length, group leaves by color, or discover the differences between items they have found outdoors. The outside world is a great place for children to develop hypotheses and discover answers. What happens when we roll items of different weights down the same hill? Does a leaf tell us the kind of tree it comes from? Can we create a human figure out of twigs and leaves? Outdoor activities like these allow children to practice creativity and critical thinking, and to engage in math and science.

“The outside world offers many rich learning opportunities free of the distractions found indoors – music, TV, a multitude of toys – that can derail learning.”

Chores

Children can help with chores from an early age – toddlers often want to sweep, sort, or help tidy up, and older children can wash their own clothes. Tackling these tasks requires prosocial behavior, physical activity, and focused engagement. Cleaning can be a meaningful activity for children, as they see the results in their daily lives. This also builds confidence as their efforts are appreciated by the whole family.

Working as a team makes chores socially interactive and collaborative. Families might strategize together to decide who will do which task and how those tasks can be completed most efficiently. Children learn to express their own intentions and understand those of others, and they can come up with creative new ways to complete tasks. Caregivers might suggest small tasks to begin with, and increase the difficulty over time. Although chores are not commonly seen as joyful, there is joy in completing a task that is appreciated by others. Incorporating games, music, and jokes further enhances the playfulness of helping around the house.

While not all play has to explicitly promote a child’s learning, it is important to remember that the world is bursting with opportunities for learning adventures. Shifting our mindset allows us to discover the joy of parenting in the context of everyday activities. As Mary Poppins says: “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and – snap! – the job’s a game.”

“Shifting our mindset allows us to discover the joy of parenting in the context of everyday activities.”