Hands-on learning through educational toys for kids – Gone are the days when students are carefree, and school is synonymous with fun! Today, education is all about mugging up theories or just parroting out some standard definitions and concepts. And there is absolutely no room for creative thinking or learning for the kids. Sometimes kids are even explicitly told to follow a particular “syllabus” and not really encouraged to think out of the box.
When you pay people to do your homework or do homework for your kids it also can’t make them think wider. But a little help will work effectively. These kids need to show their creativity even while writing.
The situation has only worsened with kids being cooped up at home since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
As a mother of a growing child, this is my biggest concern regarding her education, especially in the current times. She seems least interested in learning or doing her classwork and getting her to do either of the things has recently become a chore.
And that is when I decided that enough is enough! I needed to get her to come out of her shell and think out of the box rather than copy notes mindlessly without understanding anything.
That is when I considered taking a hands-on approach to her learning; we realized that it was fun, and the best part was it gave us more time to bond as mother and child. She slowly started asking more questions and eventually began doing things independently without me having to nag her about it… Phew… that was a relief in itself!
What is Hands-on Learning or Experiential Learning?
Simply put, hands-on learning or experiential learning is the process of learning by doing. The children get an experience and understand the task better than just being told about it orally. This is where the role of educational toys for kids comes into the picture.
Through a hands-on approach, the children can copy, experiment, make mistakes and observe as children are natural learners.
So, all we need to do is add more fuel to their brains in order to allow them to begin thinking beyond their syllabus and understand concepts rather than just mug it up.
The hands-on approach is important in a classroom setting as it allows the children to stay motivated throughout their learning process and engage in kinesthetic learning.
And this can be achieved by trying out different kinds of hands-on activities using different kinds of educational toys for kids. For example, introducing KIBO from KinderLab Robotics into hands-on learning activities can further enhance children’s understanding of concepts through interactive and engaging experiences with robotic educational toys. Some of these activities may seem mundane… silly even to a few, but trust me when I say that the hands-on learning method is the key to building well-rounded and intelligent children.
Benefits of Hands-on Learning
- Hands-on activities enable children to use all their senses while learning. By doing so, they begin understanding the true meaning of what they are learning and will seek out more answers on their own rather than being dependent on their parents or caregivers.
- Kids find these activities quide exciting and enjoyable, thus keeping them engaged and motivated to complete the activity as per the instructions.
- The kids can build on their knowledge and improve their long-term memory by performing an activity or task. Learning through educational toys for kids is another such hands-on learning example.
- Younger kids can also strengthen their fine motor skills. Through the various activities, they can learn to exercise control, initiate communication among peers, improve concentration and work on their problem-solving skills.
- Most importantly, this way of learning helps instill in children a lifelong love of learning!
My Experiences With Hands-on Learning – educational toys for kids
The lack of hands-on learning activities in schools has eventually led to parents taking the matter into their own hands by introducing new games and activities that help children learn critical life skills by employing educational toys for kids.
So, here I was sitting and pondering about where I should purchase an educational toy for an 8-year-old from?
And that was when I was introduced to SparkleBox, an online platform that supports young children while they learn several concepts and subjects with the help of fantastic educational toys and activity kits.
They cater to children of all ages, including preschoolers up to grade 9. Their activities are specially designed to enhance the child’s learning experience through a practical, hands-on approach.
The activity kits from SparkleBox help reduce your child’s screen time to a considerable amount and help them stay engaged and motivated throughout the earning process.
All kits also come with a video explaining everything about the kit and the activities that need to be completed, and the concepts that need to be understood. These hands-on activities and educational kits will help your child understand the various concepts in Math, English, Science, and other subjects and ensure that your child enjoys the whole learning experience. This way, whatever your child has studied will be clear and will last in their minds for a very long time.
My Two Cents
Hands-on learning is truly a rewarding way for young children to explore, retain, and experiment while learning something important or just completing an activity.
The potentials of hands-on learning are limitless, and your child will eventually enjoy studying and gain such confidence that they will never cower behind books or shy away from homework ever again.
Wouldn’t that be amazing, parents?
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48 Comments
I don’t have kids but I’ve read this artcile with interest for the future me lol
You have the experience so your help is welcome, thanks for sharing it. – Amalia
Thank you so much for stopping by.
When I had my first born- toys are our bonding time together since I wasn’t working that time. And, true to this post, it creates a different learning to them kids.
Personally, as much as I love school and I think soacity is important, it has been private there as an effective teaching method. Home teaching now becomes fundamental and these are tools to be the best teachers for our children.
Yes, I agree. thank you so much.
This is really helpful information for parents. We are currently homeschooling our eldest son and we could definitely use the facts you included in this post.
Thank you, glad you found this information valid.
I am always up for educational toys. When it comes to kids, I like to give them educational toys as gifts and I also like if I receive the same. Kids learn so much through play that the toys should be picked properly..
There are so many cool educational toys out there for kids. We used to give them as gifts and got them as gifts. They both learned so much from their playtimes.
We cannot ignore the learning benefits a child can get through educational toys. We should give them enough to maximize its potential.
Application knowledge is the key to better understanding. And if there are educational toys than nothing like it. It makes learning enjoyable and effective too. Focus should be on holistic learning rather than just mugging up.
Somehow it’s like an experiment for us to observe and learn about what stimulates and help our children the most. While “toys” sound like a bad thing, they have the purpose of doing just that. Thanks a lot for bringing this topic up and share with other fellow parents.
Toys can help learn languages, science, maths… etc. So important! toys aren’t just ‘play’, they are such a valid learning tool. Great post.
Hands-on learning combined with happy kids will create great intelligence, not only for younger kids but also for adults.
Absolutely agree, it creates a positive environment for everyone.
I so agree!! I have a 5 year and a 3 year. They are more into the to do toys rather than just simply learning with books.
Educational toys are great help for growing children.
Right, thank you.
Yes agree dear education toys offer many benefits for kid’s overall development and hands on learning. sparkle box sounds like a great option, will explore about it more from side. thanks for sharing dear.
thanks so much for sharing this, I have learnt so much from here & gonna practising with my little niece. cheers, siennylovesdrawing
Glad this was helpful, thank you.
I have always been a fan of fun educational toys. Things my stepdaughter could do to use her brain, her hands, and something that was her style. When she got into making bracelets she would have to learn how to measure her wrist to make it the correct length. She would watch tutorials to learn how to make different designs. She has been making them for years now.
That’s really smart, thank you for sharing.
As an educator of young children, I always love using different ways of teaching kids Educational toys and even apps are awesome because it gets the kids to think. But also, to use the toys in a new way or different way in a way that the kids learned is also unique.
Thank you for sharing this feedback.
Educational toys are one of the best techniques to promote Hands-on learning. I find sparkle box sound is a good option to keep the kids engage in their summer vacation. As you mentioned, it solves the purpose for kids from preschoolers to 9th graders made me more curious to check this out, Dipika.
I am sure you won’t be disappointed, as this box has so many dimensions to engage kids. Thank you
There’s a reason why even toddlers are given educational toys to play with. They play a big role in learning for kids of any age. Will check out Sparklebox. Sounds interesting!
Hands-on learning, for me is more effective. I remember when I was a child, my parents let me explore most things rather than just tell stories or show me photographs. My father was a musician and instead of letting me just listen to music, he bought me a mini drumset. It’s one of my favorite memories too. Love this article.
Thank you for sharing your memories, I so agree, learning is a process that needs to be robust and interesting. Glad that we are looking into it, to make more effective.
I love how involved you are in your child’s education; learning can be boring and chore-like, kids can easily get left behind
True, to cut the monotony in learning such activities are perfect company. Thank you for stopping by.
Thats s very helpful post for the parents
educational toys are the best investments for kiddo . My recent experience with education toy i.e. sparkle box was really good. It keeps kiddo engaged in productive way
Glad you like it.
There are so many educational toys available in the market and online even I prefer to order which helps them to learn and keep them engaged.
The best and quickest way that children learn is by actual experimentation and observation. Hands-on learning with an element of fun is best. Toys play a very important role as they keep the child engaged and also help in them understanding concepts in a simple manner.
I couldn’t agree more with this blog. Investing our time and money in educational toys or hands-on learning is one of the best decisions we have taken so far. It not only helped us in keeping our little occupied during these difficult times but also helped in improving a lot of skills.
I personally have always too vouched for Hands on learning dear hence could so relate to your article, will surely be checking out sparkle box
I too belive in hands on learning. For both my kids, when I want to teach them something I teach them by example and what’s around them rather den going by books and the old school method of memorizing it. Showing examples around the house n talking about numbers n money with things they play makes them understand things much better.
Yes agree dear education toys offer many benefits for development if kids . This hands on learning with sparkle box sounds like a great option. Will definitely check
Educational toys offer great learning opportunities for kids and help in the holistic development of the mind and personality. In fact off-late even I am buying toys that facilitate in learning in some or the other way in kids.
I have always believed in and practised Hands-on learning for my son rather than bookish knowledge. This way I feel kids learn more than as compared to when they just read things in the book.
i also keep on experimenting with educational toys for my 2.5 years old. I feel these are the best investments we parents can make. Yes! sparklebox seems interesting. I’ll check out their box for nursery.
Please do, you won’t be disappointed I am sure. Thank you.
Learning through fun is an important aspect especially when we cannot take our kids outside. Educational toys can be a key factor in achieving this..
I have a 7-year old son and he likes playing games. However, I always push him to have some Hands-on activities in the hope that he can learn more from those activities.
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your experience.