Some of you may be wondering what hands-on learning is. Why is it so important? Why does my preschooler need it? Hands-on learning is a vital aspect of childhood; it’s how your little ones start to learn. Put simply, it’s learning by actions. Many preschools offer this approach to learning.
Multiple areas of their brain are stimulated by practical learning. Hands-on learning activities help your children to develop thinking skills, encourage exploration, and help to stimulate all their senses. Through this, they begin to understand and engage with others and the world around them.
Reasons Why Hands-On Learning Is Necessary
The brain is developing at such a rate during these years that hands-on learning optimizes the stage of brain development where so many connections are being made per second.
Below are some reasons why hands-on learning is important for preschoolers:
- It keeps children engaged in their learning.
- It helps to develop their cognitive function.
- It gives them the chance to actively create knowledge instead of passively consuming it.
- It allows them to work through their mistakes to a successful outcome.
- It makes transfer learning easier as they get older.
Hands-On Learning Examples For Preschoolers
These hands-on activities allow your children to engage the materials with their five senses to solve problems or create various things. This type of learning helps the children to gain knowledge of the concept or topic through experience.
Below are a few examples of hands-on activities:
- Learning to count with objects
Help your child to learn and practice counting out loud while using objects. For example, use buttons, blocks, rocks, flowers, dice, and any concrete item they can touch and move around.
- Plant, care for, and observe seedling changes
You can have your child assist you with digging the holes, planting, and watering their chosen herbs and flowers. They can observe the various changes as the plant grows.
- Creative sand and water play
They can use their imagination to create a world of their own. They can create various shapes using sand in different containers. For water play, include squirting bottles, spoons of various sizes, and measuring jugs for actions like stirring, pouring, and spraying.
- Construction utilizing boxes and other items
Use boxes of various sizes and masking tape to use their creativity to construct structures. Add extra items such as bottle caps, pieces of fabric, and other items for your child to explore their creativity.
- Follow the steps of the baking process
Use easy recipes such as play dough, biscuits, or cupcakes. Help your child to measure, pour, and mix the ingredients. Rolling, shaping, and decorating can all be added for your child to enjoy.
The Benefits Of Hands-On Learning For Preschoolers
There are many benefits to hands-on learning, also known as kinesthetic learning. Preschoolers absorb learning more readily when they’re given the opportunity to discover things for themselves.
Here are some benefits of hands-on learning:
- It increases curiosity because children are free to discover what ignites their interest. Curiosity helps our brains to become more receptive to learning.
- This develops a thrill towards learning. Children get excited when they discover something new, and this leads to them seeking further discovery.
- It helps to develop both fine and gross motor skills. Activities involving the strengthening of their hands, such as molding and cutting, develop the accuracy and precision needed for writing and tying shoelaces.
- This helps them to make connections between what they’re learning and real life. Implementing real-life experiences to learn skills and concepts is quite effective. Boring chores for adults, such as sweeping and folding, can be fun learning experiences for preschoolers.
- It helps them to discover the world around them. Which is important for the way we look and interact with our world.
Hands-On Learning At Parkland Children’s Academy
Hands-on learning is one of the most important and beneficial aspects of a preschooler’s life! At Parkland Children’s Academy, our top priorities are the well-being and educational learning of our preschoolers.
If you would like to learn more about our services and various programs at Parkland Children’s Academy, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 954-688-5877!