It’s the December break again, and time to get into the festivities! However, the learning doesn’t stop here, even as IB schools close for the year end. In fact, the best learning doesn’t feel like learning!
Here are some ways you can incorporate learning through the festive season and activities for your little one!
1. Fun with food
Children can learn many important skills when helping out in the kitchen. They don’t even realise it when they’re cooking as they think they’re just having fun with food. Looking at the recipes, measuring the ingredients, and coming up with their own creations can improve their math, science, and even creativity! You can try this simple gingerbread recipe with your kids at home! You will need:
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
Firstly, sift all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, ginger, baking soda, cocoa powder, and cinnamon) into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add half of the dry mixture into this bowl and mix until combined. Add in the other half of the dry mixture and mix again. Next, leave your mixture to chill for 2 hours. Once the timer is up, roll out the cookie dough on a lightly floured board.
This is where the fun begins! Let your child use cutters of their choice to cut out the dough. Encourage them to be as creative as they can! Now place the cookies on a baking pan and bake for 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. After the cookies have cooled, you can start decorating them with icing or sprinkles!
2. Get crafty with DIY décor
Get into the Christmas spirit by getting crafty with some DIY décor! DIY projects can keep the children entertained as they use their imagination to create decorations. From pretty wreaths to paper-cut snowflakes, there are plenty of DIY projects you can do together with your child. Try and follow this easy paper snowflake guide!
You will need paper and a pair of scissors. It would be best to use medium to heavyweight paper such a butcher paper, card stock, or text-weight poster paper as they are sturdier for decorating. They may be slightly harder to cut, so always have adult supervision when the kids are handling the scissors. Firstly, start with a square piece of paper (preferably 8-by-11-inch) and fold it into half diagonally to make a triangle. Fold the paper triangle into half again so that the pointed corners meet. Next, divide the triangle into three equal sections. Fold in the left section towards the front, and then fold the right section towards the front. Finally, trim the pointed ends of the folded paper. You can cut them with variations of cutouts to get different snowflake designs.
3. Discover the reason for the season
This short holiday is the perfect opportunity to allow your children to discover why we celebrate this season. Take some time to teach them about the history and practices of Christmas and the New Year holidays. It is also a great start to digital literacy and research skills as you can guide them to use online sources. You can try using stuffed toys to stage a mini puppet show with classic Christmas stories like ‘A Christmas Carol’. The little ones will surely be entertained, and they will pay more attention to stories when there are visual cues. All you need is a nice background and some puppets. Remember to have fun!
Conclusion
You can make learning fun by incorporating it into your child’s day-to-day life and even special occasions! For even more learning fun, make sure to enrol your child in a school that knows how to promote learning through play. Find the best international schools in your vicinity for holistic and engaging education.