10 ways to learn while out and about

As a mum of two small children, getting out and about is vitally important for my sanity. The bonus is always enjoying five minutes peace when they are worn out and nap when we eventually venture home.

When seeing my instagram posts many people have said, “……hates writing and would never pick up a pen!” Learning definitely doesn’t have to be sitting down with pen and paper and is best incorporated into fun you are already having.

So here are 10 ideas for how to learn while out and about and to keep those little ones entertained along the way.

1. NUMBER PLATE LETTER HUNT: This is a great one for bringing a bit of fun to a boring walk to the shops, school, post box etc. Name a letter, maybe the letter of their name and see who can spot it on number plates. I give Emilia a piece of paper to tick when she finds one. If you have more than one child you could make it a bit of a competition.

2. PICK UP STICKS: When out on woodland walks give your child the challenge of collecting 10 sticks. When they get enough get them to write their name, make as many letters as possible, make different shapes, order them into size etc.

3. SHOPPING LIST: Shopping is boring for kids but a necessity for us mums and dads. Give the little ones a small piece of paper with letters on and they have to find something that starts with each letter. I always give Emilia a reward (she can choose a snack to add to the trolley) when she’s completed the challenge. I also tend to choose letters of things I actually need to buy too.

4. MUD MARK MAKING: What child doesn’t love playing in the mud? Writing with sticks is a great way to encourage reluctant writers.

5. SAND JUMPING: If you are lucky enough to live by the sea, then the beach is like a giant canvas. Write letters in the sand and shout them out and get your child to jump on the letters to rub them out. Then swap over and get them to write letters for you. Trust me, they will love watching you jump around. If you are brave, this can be done in the mud too.

6. NUMBER HUNT: Write out numbers on sticky labels and then, when out for a walk, your little one puts the stickers on once they find them. It’s really motivational for them to get the stickers.

7. NATURE TREASURE HUNT: I wrote a list of things to collect and attached it to a little paper bag. For each item, we had to collect a certain number and this allowed for lots of counting practise and ‘How many more?’ questions . We later used the leaves to make some artwork.

8. MAGIC WAND COUNTING: This was a quick idea to try and win Emilia round when I told her we were going for a walk and she was more than reluctant. I told her we needed to collect 8 things on our walk to make a magic wand. Simple ball of playdoh on a stick to me but a magical nature fairy wand to her.

9. SHAPE DETECTIVES: I made simple shapes on lolly sticks. Emilia loves her magnifying glass so she enjoyed looking through the shapes to find what she was hunting for.

10. MEASURING HANDS: We drew around our hands and cut them out. When on a walk, Emilia had to find something the same size as each of the hands. This was great for using longer/shorter and bigger/smaller words.