Six Fun Educational Finds for Kids

As everyone is getting back into the swing of school work I wanted to share a few fun educational finds that I’ve had good luck with so far. We are honestly not the family who does flash cards or extra worksheets over the summer, and I think that’s totally okay!

But around this time of year I always feel refreshed to start on new skills sets for them.

I hope that having some of these toys and games around is a good way to sneak in learning. If your kids are anything like mine they can sniff out an educational iPad game in an instant, and then all the sudden they don’t want to play that one.

Here are my top six fun educational finds for math and reading:

An abacus – This is such a simple thing. I purchased at the start of kindergarten to have on hand at the table when doing math homework. Turns out it was most helpful when learning to count by 10’s. Eventually it made it’s way into the playroom and now my 4 year old goes for it often. He recently showed me how high he could count by ones, totally unprompted, moving a little bead over each time. Anything like willingly gravitate to like that is a win!

Sight Word Flash Cards – This is such a nice thorough set with differing levels and a sturdy box. What, flash cards aren’t a toy, you say? I agree and I really don’t like using them like flash cards because my kids groan about it. I recommend these cards because they are so sturdy and perfect for playing “sight word the floor is lava” which is a fun! Kids can’t jump to the next word until they read it out loud, and somehow that works for us.

Counting Cubes – These are a great tool for laying out on the table when it’s time for a math worksheet. Maybe it’s not a stand-alone toy or game, but it brings a hands-on activity to a worksheet. These really help my son conceptualize basic math problems. The next thing you know they may be building houses or towers but I think that’s a good thing. It keeps homework time from being dreaded.

Reading Blocks – A fun, hands on way to read simple words and understand rhyme. One way to make it a game is to see how many words you can come up with-bonus if you write them all down. You can have siblings work together to see if they can come up with more words than mom or dad. We keep these in the play room and also pack for church now and then.

Shut the Box – Would be such a fun game to play outside, I’m adding that to my to do for fall activities. To my kids there is no education in disguise here, just a fun game that has them doing plenty of math without them even realizing it! Highly recommend for ages 4 – adult.

Magnetic Sentence Builder – The key for making this fun at my house is to encourage them to build the most outlandish silly sentences possible. It’s just like those word magnets people leave up on their refrigerators and spell out random things. Even I flock to this. Great for rainy days or quiet time.

I’d love to hear about any other sneakily educational things that have worked well for your family—leave me a comment letting me know!