FamilyHow to make home education amazing
From science experiments to exercise ideas, here’s how to keep your children both educated and entertained
From science experiments to exercise ideas, here’s how to keep your children both educated and entertained
Why, what, when, how? Children are endlessly curious and make sense of the world around them by posing a seemingly endless stream of questions. As a parent, you might not always have all the answers, but you can support their inquisitive nature with a few easy-to-arrange activities and projects. You don’t need lots of equipment, just a few everyday objects and a lot of enthusiasm.
Gazing at the zesty citrus fruits that can be seen from the sun-kissed terrace of Jumeirah Port Soller, we know only too well the feeling of satisfaction that comes from growing your own plants. Armed with a packet of seeds and a few empty yoghurt containers, children can start to get to grips with gardening themselves – with regular watering and a little bit of waiting, their efforts will be rewarded with the sight of green sprouts poking through the soil.
Burning off energy together can be a bonding experience but, when you are not playing games and racing around the garden, how about trying an exercise that can boost children’s concentration levels and promote a feeling of calm? Recreate our parent-and-child yoga programme at Madinat Jumeirah with your kids at home – you might not have the beachside setting to accompany your bending and stretching, but you can play relaxing music and make the most of the morning sun while learning a few stretches and poses.
Learn about aerodynamics while building paper planes, set up a sundial in the garden by placing a stick in the ground and arranging stones in a circle around it to represent each hour, and mix baking soda, vinegar and glitter to create a sparkling volcano. Budding Einsteins can be guided through a variety of online science experiments. Teach children that balloons aren’t just for birthday parties by introducing them to a basic principle of physics – static electricity. Blow up a few balloons and rub them on clothing or the carpet to see what happens when held over their hair, then challenge them to push two positively charged balloons together.