Introduction

The Everything ® Kids’ Learning Activities Book is a complete guide for keeping kids entertained with fun things to do that also promotes important learning concepts in the key areas of reading, writing, math,  science, and social studies. The games and activities in this book help you and your child practice storytelling skills, creative writing, money sense, backyard science, and eco- friendly play, as well as teaching your  child about earth and outer space,diversity, and more. The activities are geared for a wide age range (five to twelve), and within each section, activities for older children build on skill sets learned in the  activities for younger children. This guide is all you need to get kids up and learning.
There’s almost nothing more frustrating than sitting down to do an activity with your child only to discover that the directions are hard to follow, the project is mostly adult-led, or that you don’t have all the materials  you need to complete the activity. Learning activities shouldn’t be a burden or cost a fortune, nor should they be so tedious that your child loses interest. 
With that in mind, the activities in The Everything ® Kids’ Learning Activities Book are a mix of games and projects that aim to use materials you already have around the house, and activities that don’t require any  materials at all. Whether they require materials or not, the activities are designed to encourage children to be active learners, using their brains and bodies as tools for learning. 
Though each section’s activities build upon the skills of previous activities,there is no right order in which to do the activities. While in school, math,reading, writing, science, and social studies can be divided into  separate subjects, in your child’s daily life all of these subjects co-mingle. In fact, it makes perfect sense to combine Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt activities from Chapter 6 with the Grocery Store Math found in  Chapter 12, or to pair the Backyard Nature Journal in Chapter 18 with the nature walk you’ll be taking for the Story Stone Soup activity in Chapter 8.
Secondly, The Everything ® Kids’ Learning Activities Book aims to help your child become a more active learner, not make you a better teacher. By letting your child get involved with the preparation and execution  of each activity,you’re helping him discover he can learn through doing, not just by listening or watching. It may be hard to step back and watch him do things differently than you might, but even your child’s mistakes  and messes offer learning opportunities. If nothing else, he’ll learn how to ask for your help in fixing mistakes, and learn that when he makes a mess, he’s responsible for cleaning it up!
Lastly, know that this book is only a starting point to engage your child’s interest. Each game and activity can open a discussion, lead you on a hunt to find more information, and give you the opportunity to share  learning with your child in ways that are new and fun to both of you.