Encourage Imagination in Your Child's Education

Think back to when you were a child. How did you spend your time? Were you the queen of the castle? The fastest astronaut in all the galaxy? Did you stage epic battles with unsuspecting stuffed animals? When it comes to teaching young children and readying them for kindergarten, fostering a vivid imagination and demonstrating that learning is fun is key. In early childhood, care and education go hand in hand, so… roll up your sleeves and get ready to play!

Active, imaginative play with family members and other children can engage your child's mind, but what about screen time?

Whether it’s developing oral language skills, reading and writing, problem-solving, beginning phonics, teaching the letters of the alphabet, or counting, when you engage in any learning activity with your young child, approach it with a fun and playful attitude. Rediscover your own desire to learn and the power of imagination. Do some hands-on learning and spend time with your child, maybe coloring your own adult coloring book while your child finger paints uppercase and lowercase letters. Go on a nature walk and discover what the different types of plants are with your child. Learn numbers together through flash cards. Exercise and march while counting to one hundred! Phew. Now take a break.

Remember, you don’t have to force it! Look for ways to mix learning naturally into family activities, like playing games, getting ready for bed, going to the park, shopping for groceries, simply answering questions and talking with your child, and so on. At a restaurant? Sound out the words on the menu. On the way to school? Name the colors of the road signs along your route. And of course, there is always time for an epic ABC Song sing-along in the car!

The time you spend helping children learn with their imagination in a fun and engaging way will have many benefits. Your child can feel that learning is a fun activity, and that family members provide a supportive learning team. Harnessing his or her creative abilities, combined with your positivity and playfulness, will prepare your child for academic success!

With thousands of Learning Activities that match your child’s interests and abilities, you can let his or her enthusiasm guide the way. He or she can learn to read through his or her favorite stories, play games to master pre-kindergarten or kindergarten math, or watch videos on a wide variety of early childhood subjects. There are more than 850 lessons that focus on language arts, addition and subtraction, fine motor skills, letters of the alphabet, and more! And once your child completes a lesson, he or she is guided to the next one and motivated through tickets and other rewards.