How do you get your child ready for school?

How do you get your child ready for school? Easy! Just mix learning with play, and you’ll have a little genius in no time! OK, we appreciate that it is not quite that easy but the following tips have been brought together by a qualified teacher, Jo Studholme, who took a look at some of the toys that can enhance getting your child ready for school.

Interests

Our biggest advice is to start with their interests – what do they like doing? Are trains their thing, or do they prefer dinosaurs? Is your little one obsessed with dressing up and imaginative play?

Have you seen the Tender Leaf Mountain View Train Set? It’s a total hit with lots of children and has hidden educational value! Children can count the carriages, learn about velocity, discover the power of magnets, and so much more.

Play & Learn

Learning and playing is a big deal, so make time for it every day. Playing with or alongside your child can help scaffold their development. Toys that offer a multitude of options allow a child endless possibilities. Activity tables are a good option for toddlers, and the learning possibilities are endless.

Check out the Le Toy Van Activity Table. We love the options on this – children can learn cause and effect via the cogs, develop their fine motor skills ready for writing via the abacus, spinning rattle and much more.

Imagination

Supporting your child’s imagination is a fun option and something you can do with them! Encourage creativity and exploration with open-ended activities. Doctors and Nurses has been played by children all over the world for decades, if not centuries.

We love the Little Dutch Doctor’s Bag Play Set – a wooden option to support Dr. and Nurse’s play – a favourite amongst children but also an excellent choice for parents to play with their little ones.

Remember – learning through play isn’t just about preparation for school; it’s about igniting a love of learning that’ll last a lifetime. So, let’s create a fun learning environment at home! 

There are so many games you can play with your child – counting, memory, and alphabet games are the way to go. Learning can be fun for the whole family. Curiosity is the key! Encourage your little one to ask questions about the world around them. In no time, they’ll be little explorers eager to learn more!

So, there’s the secret to success and preparation for school: learning through play! It’s the ultimate combo of fun and skill-building for school and beyond. The great thing is that you don’t really need to think about the educational value – our advice is to just play with your child – the educational elements just happen naturally.