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Technology can be a force for good in your child’s development. Below are 10 ways in which you can use modern tech to teach kids knowledge and important skills.
Teach letters and numbers with interactive toys
There are many battery-operated toys you can buy for young kids that teach the alphabet and numbers. Such toys have buttons corresponding to letters and numbers that play a voice that tells you what the number or letter is. Others incorporate songs or encourage kids to spell out words by pressing certain buttons. These toys can be valuable to teaching early literacy and numeracy skills.
Download educational video games
Not all video games are bad for your kids. Many kids’ games are educational and can teach kids how to spell out words, how to spot patterns or teach knowledge about the world. Check out this guide to some of the best educational game apps for young kids.
Explore web-based educational games and quizzes
You can also introduce kids to web-based games and quizzes aimed at kids. The likes of National Geographic for kids, CoolMath 4 kids and Make Me Genius all have lots of fun interactive educational tools. These can prevent you having to download another game and can be played from any device.
Watch educational YouTube videos
YouTube has plenty of educational videos aimed at kids too. Consider queuing up a playlist of these videos to help educate your kids on history, science and the world. Make sure to use the YouTube Kids app to limit content to videos that are age appropriate.
Go on virtual reality (VR) tours
Virtual reality technology allows kids to take virtual tours of places around the world. There are sites online that allow you to virtually explore museums, landmarks and even natural parks. There are also a number of VR tours aimed at kids that explore historical locations, different planets and fictional worlds. By using a VR headset, you can make this experience all the more immersive.
Use augmented reality (AR) identification apps
Augmented reality (AR) involves using a blend of virtual reality and live-action camerawork. Such apps can be used to visualize different animals in your living room or identify wild plants with information on the screen. Check out a few incredible augmented reality apps for kids here.
Buy a smart globe
A smart globe looks like a regular globe, but has interactive features that allow you to learn more about the world. Such globes come with a stylus that you can use to point at different places around the world. When you touch the stylus on part of the globe, it then provides audio information about that location. Some of these globes also have screens that provide video information and interactive touchscreen quizzes to test your knowledge of the world. They’re a fun alternative to a regular globe.
Create digital custom storybooks
Reading stories is a great way to improve children’s literacy, build vocabulary and teach morals. While there are plenty of stories out there to choose from, it’s also possible to create your own custom digital storybooks online. This allows you to create stories containing characters in your everyday life or stories around situations that are relatable to your child. By encouraging early literacy with personalized books, you can help foster a lifelong love of reading and storytelling.
Play Monopoly With Electronic Banking
Monopoly is a fantastic classic board game for teaching kids money management and maths. There are many versions of this game that you can try out including Monopoly With Electronic Banking, which replaces cash with card and card machines. This teaches kids to digitally budget money by not having all their cash laid out. The same also incorporates many other modern twists.
Visit museums with your kids
Many modern museums are full of interactive exhibits for kids that incorporate technology such as touchscreens, videos and audio. This can make them a fun learning environment for kids. Museums dedicated to science and technology are particularly likely to use modern tech to educate visitors, while also helping kids to understand how such technology works. Consider planning a trip to a museum as your next day out.
Conclusion
Incorporating gadgets and screens into your child’s life as an educational tool can help to make learning more fun. Of course, it’s healthy to still take a break from tech now and again – even if it is for educational purposes. Other resources like books, role play and spending time in nature can also help your kids to learn about the world and how it works. A balance is always key.
