Schools teach kids so much from reading and writing to mathematics, science and religion. But for them to learn all of the skills they need to become functioning and well-rounded adults, education shouldn’t stop in the classroom.

We can support children in their school subjects and supplement this with music, languages and the arts. This can be done in the comfort of your own home with services such as Tutor Hunt who offer a wide range of learning opportunities. There’s plenty we can do as parents to keep our children exploring everything they enjoy, here are some examples.

Cooking and baking

An understanding of food such as what different ingredients are, where they come from, how to prepare them and which flavours work together is something that everyone can benefit from. Sooner or later we all have to learn how to cook and feed ourselves healthy food. Starting young and getting kids interested in nutrition and food is no bad thing. Baking can be made healthier and can teach kids a lot of skills, from precise measurements to patience. Children get some cooking and nutrition education at school but it’s usually pretty limited, so its something you can build upon and have fun with at home. Start with simple ingredients and recipes and work your way up making it more complex over time.

Housework and chores

No one likes doing housework and chores, but we have to because we have to take responsibility. So assigning certain chores to children teaches them this responsibility, it also gets them used to doing these kinds of tasks. Unfortunately, we all have to do things we don’t want to in life, it’s something we have to learn to get used to. Let kids be kids of course, but introducing them to responsibility from a young age is a good thing. Set an age-appropriate task that you expect them to do each day. It could be putting their toys back in their toy box each evening, laying the table for dinner, making their bed. It teaches all kinds of skills and ownership of their behaviour.

Farms and zoos

There’s plenty to be learned from seeing animals in real life. Kids get to see their size, take in the smells, see how different species behave. It’s far more exciting and interactive than learning through books. Zoos can be expensive but farms are generally cheap, so give your local one a visit. 

Travel

Lots of parents put off travelling with children. They feel it will be too much hassle and not worth it since they won’t remember it later on, but this isn’t the case. Kids might not be able to remember every detail of their trip in years to come, but travelling with children helps to expand their minds. It teaches a number of skills and allows them to see the world in a way that simply can’t be expressed in books or through screens. If you look into vacation homes you can essentially book a ‘home away from home’ which is useful when you have kids. You can keep them in a reasonable routine while taking them out each day and enjoying the destination.

**This is a collaborative post.