Learning Through Everyday Experiences

As an educator at heart, I believe that learning can be embraced in every situation.

For infants and toddlers, we are diligent about turning everyday moments into learning experiences.

“Yes, that is a ball. B is for ball”

“Oh look, it is raining outside. What do we need to wear today when we go outside?”

But as our children grow, and life begins to get busier and more complicated, we forget the value of everyday learning.

It is not hard; you just have to be INTENTIONAL.

Sometimes we don’t take the time to teach our children facts about what we are experiencing because we don’t have the answers.

Lucky for us parents, that are losing brain cells quicker than gray hairs, technology is on our side.

One of the my most memorable dinners out to eat, was when my son started to ask questions about the weather based upon the moon phase. I had no idea what answers to give him, but I whipped out my phone and handed it to my son and allowed him to start researching his questions. This prompted more and more questions about the weather and it has now become a fascination with my son.

While, I don’t normally allow electronics of any kind at the dinner table, this was the exception because it was being used in a way to further our CONVERSATIONS together.

Plus, my children are learning to be self-sufficient and problem solvers themselves.

Honestly, as my children are growing, I find that the most of our valuable conversations occur at the dinner table. I love to use that time to model many things for them—manners, nutrition, and just how to navigate the things that happened to them through their days.

My children are learning and do not even realize it!

The makers behind, Dick and Jane Educational Snacks, have the same thought behind learning; that it can happen anywhere and that it can be made FUN!

They have created a line of educational cookies that teach children states and capitals, presidents, and Spanish words. And they are actually a snack you can feel good about giving your children as they contain no hydrogenated oils, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no artificial ingredients. Plus, they are nut-free: a huge relief for so many parents.

Here are some ideas I had for using the cookies:

States and Capitals:

• Review what they have learned. For each state pulled out of the box, ask your child to tell you the capital to win the cookie.
• Have your child use the shape of the state on the cookie to locate where on the map of the United States the state is found.
• Great for road trip snacks. Give your child a bag of cookies. As they pass by license plates from different states, have them check their bag of cookies to see if they have a match for that state. If so, they get to eat it. Now this takes some patience, so for younger children a simpler version would work. Have your child read the state and capital to you. Talk about traveling to that state and what it would be like if you haven’t been there or what your adventures where like when you visited. Talk about the distance that you are from that state’s location and how many hours it would take to get there by car, plane, walking, etc
  

  

Spanish

• Review what they have learned. For each cookie pulled out of the box, ask your child to tell you the Spanish word to win the cookie.

Presidents

• Have your child pick out a cookie randomly from the box. Research together important facts about that president and the time period they were in office. As you enjoy the cookies with a glass of milk, talk about what living in that time would be like.
  

  

So look for Dick and Jane Educational Snacks to provide a golden opportunity for your children to learn and to enjoy a sweet treat.

I have found Dick and Jane Snacks at Kroger by the packaged cookies.