School Projects: How Parents Can Make Learning More Fun

At some point in every parent's life there have been the words they dread hearing the most.

"I have to do a school project."

Many parent's shudder at the idea of the school project not because they are opposed to the extra learning that doing a project can provide, but because they know that at some point their help will be required in order to make the finished project a success.

As the mother of two children, ages 16 and 12, I long ago gave up the idea that my life would go unburdened of helping out with school projects, and decided that instead of dreading that piece of paper showing up in their backpack I would instead try to make it a little more fun.

Here are some suggestions that I've come up with to help make sure that your child's next school project is both a learning experience, and a fun process, for everyone!

Think outside the box
This is excellent advice no matter what the project might be, and will give you a little opportunity to work out that creative muscle that's probably been sitting dormant for far too long! Brainstorm a bit with your child about what they think would make an interesting project, and then take it from there. If your child is stumped for ideas, then offer suggestions - just remember, it's their project. The final decision on the style or type of project that you create should ultimately be left up to them.

Search the internet
It might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many parents forget that they have the world at their fingertips. Whatever project your child is working on, whether they are in the first grade or the tenth, there are suggestions galore on the internet. Not only can you find a wealth of ideas in teacher plans and classroom projects that have been put online, but you can also find a lot of other great information that might spark your interest. For instance, in doing a recent project on the Rain Forest, my daughter and I were able to locate some really exciting puzzles and games to include in her book of information. Not only was this a fun thing to add to the basic material, but it also won her bonus points for being creative!