Being a parent today brings with it a lot of responsibilities and challenges. Not only do you need to teach them right from wrong, prize them away from their devices and keep them safe, but you’ll also want to broaden their minds and help them become well-rounded, curious individuals. Below, we’ve put together some tips to help you do exactly that…
Read
Perhaps one of the best ways to expand your little one’s mind is to encourage them to read regularly. Not only will it boost their mental abilities and equip them with skills for life, but it also boosts their attention span and helps them become more analytical thinkers. Of course, encouraging them to pick up a book in the first place can be tough, especially when you’re competing with iPads and videos, but one of the best ways to do that is to set aside an hour every evening when electronic devices are banned and reading is encouraged. You can read to them or leave them to their own devices; whichever you think would be most effective.
We recommend that you try different categories of books, and show interest in their reading whenever you can. In time, they’ll broaden their horizons and find themselves immersed in whole new worlds where they can be anything they want to be - that’s a skill you can’t teach!
Travel
You don’t need to travel halfway around the world to expand your little one’s imagination: any trip can expose them to different cultures, people, and ideas, and give them food for thought. Take them with you to the grocery store, the coffee shop, and the library and make an effort to answer questions about their surroundings. The more open-minded and curious they are, the more they’ll learn and develop and find themselves feeling comfortable in new situations.
You should also encourage your children to go on school trips, as they offer opportunities to learn something new and put their classroom learning into practice. Better yet, if you know that your child is learning about a particular subject in history or geography, back up their studies by taking them to a museum or a farm where they can further build their knowledge.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune, either. There are lots of free day out ideas in the UK like The Royal Botanical Gardens, Boscombe Pier Beach, National Museum of Scotland, Three Lochs Forest Drive, and Jurassic Coast, Devon and Dorset. In the United States, you can also take advantage of free museums and tourist attractions.
Play
Finally, use playtime to expand your child’s imagination and help them develop new skills. Children love playing games and being active, so finding ways to incorporate some of those activities into their day can be a good way to help them learn. Puzzles, for example, can be a fun way to develop their analytical skills and bond together, whilst mathematics games can develop their numeracy skills. You could build an obstacle course in your garden to boost their visual and motor skills, and play a word game or two to develop their vocabulary. We also recommend role-playing games to help your little ones boost their social skills and choose the right career path - though that’s likely to change a few times before they’re 18!
You can also play kids' cartoons if you’re looking for a relaxed way to spend time together - good cartoons not only entertain your children and offer some escapism, but they can broaden their minds and teach them important social skills and life lessons along the way.
What are you doing to expand your little ones’ minds? We’d love to know! Share your tips on social media and check back to the Everything’s Rosie blog for more of our tips and tricks.