Simple ways to inject fun into your children's learning days

1. Set up a table with a puzzle that they can work on between lessons.

2. Create a snack ritual, such as an afternoon tea, a morning elevenses, etc.

3. Surprise them with a learning station... or basket. Example: Hang an artist's print. Choose some age-appropriate texts about the artist and keep them near the poster. Put out some colored pencils and paper and leave a note that you look forward to seeing the kids' versions of their favorite painting.

4. Write them letters. My two youngest received reading-level-appropriate letters from me every morning when they were little. (Once a week works fine now.) They were encouraged to reply... in a letter, an illustration, a journal entry, etc. I wrote about the day, a story we had read, an interesting fact, anything.

5. Gather some learning toys in a small trunk or basket and leave it near your work area. The Hobermann ball, the prism, the Jacob's ladder, etc. How does this work, anyway?

6. Dance! Put on your favorite music -- or theirs -- and invite them to move.

7. Play! Teach them chess, checkers, mancala, Yahtzee, Othello, Uno... whatever. Play after math. During lunch. Whenever works for your schedule. With something like Uno, you can even keep a running score. Give "This Week's Champ" a treat.

8. When the girls were younger, we played alphabet Bingo and letter-sound Go Fish! We marched around the flat, each with an instrument (drum, tambourine, triangle, whatever) practicing skip counting to the the marching beat. I set out learning baskets. What else? Dance breaks. Painting in the tub. "Real water" play. A makeshift sand table. Long explores through the neighborhood. (We still do this.) The letters I wrote about above. A photo-a-day journal for the grandparents. A newsletter for Dad, which they wrote and illustrated. Second breakfast. Cocoa Cuddle after studies. (This has become Coffee Cuddle.) Nothing too involved or over-planned. I kept it simple because I like it simple.

(Apparently, so do the kids.)

9. Have the children teach. Ours do so at least twice a week. They become versed in a subject or topic (sometimes assigned, sometimes not) and present it to us over the weekend. Handouts. Posters. The whole shebang. Cool stuff.

10. Let the kids take turns with reading aloud. Use Reader's Theater techniques with familiar stories.

One woman's idea of fun may not work for another, I know. So, for example, I'm not one for donning a costume and strutting and fretting about the classroom or house. Once in a while, if it suits the subject or occasion? Sure. But on a regular basis? Not my cuppa. I like to keep it simple, so for me, injecting some fun into the day need not involve (much) mess, hassle, or planning.

The following was originally submitted as a reply to a post in another forum.

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Added (much) later: It's likely that if you arrived at this post, you're here for a Carnival of Homeschooling. I've compiled a list of other Mental multivitamin posts that may also interest you. Thank you for visiting.

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