As a parent, how did you start weaving learning into play? Win a £200 voucher

[EllieSmumsnet]

We all know play is such an important part of childhood, but it can also be a brilliant way to build in early learning. From counting blocks, to spotting colours in everyday objects, or even turning a walk to the park into a mini science adventure, there are so many ways to bring learning into play without it feeling like “work.”

How did you first start weaving learning into play with your child? Did you have any go-to games, toys, or activities that made it fun and easy to introduce learning?

Did you find certain toys helped with this too, for example ones that encouraged problem-solving, numbers, letters or imaginative play?

• Post your advice and go to play and learn tips and toy recommendations below in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw.
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 VEX voucher for a store of their choice.
• Don’t forget to vote in our poll below.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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A tablet with lots of fun apps in the morning, playgroup with action songs, messy play, and they love the pop up and peek a boo books.
Counting things and asking colours of things when we are shopping.

From very early I was doing this - I had very high anxiety and wanted to make sure I was doing everything ‘right’ for my child. From pretty much day dot I was doing a bedtime story 😂, nursery rhymes and just ‘investigating’ things - look at the fish in the tank, the pretty ornaments or the flowers in the garden etc etc

All play is learning.

I just saw the title - didn’t see it was about vtech until I clicked on it. Basically, I gave my young children toys which they could figure out for themselves: wooden blocks, cars, dolls. I steered clear of anything electronic and flashy until a bit later on. I read to them and used early mathematics vocabulary, comparing sizes, how many sticks, more, fewer, bigger, smaller, and we talked about shapes. I talked a lot to my children when they were babies and toddlers, so they were exposed to a large range of vocabulary early, which they could contextualise. I keep on driving past adverts for a toy which reads stories to young children, and think it’s the educational equivalent of ‘no added sugar’ infant foods which look healthy but aren’t.

when they were coming up to 3, we did use some electronic toys: torches, remote-controlled cars and I allowed them to use early learning websites with me. One of my dc had a vtech camera which they loved, which was a 3rd birthday present, and another dc had a toy electronic keyboard.

All play is learning. Toys are better than screens, and any play where parents are participating is going to help children learn more about the world.

Wasn't something I started purposefully, it was just organic from day 1 when you talk to your baby. Then as they get older you are talking more about different things, see numbers, shapes, nature etc everywhere. And it never stops, even with teenagers (even when they know "everything"!)

All play is communication and all communication is learning.

The majority of it is natural, from counting the steps as you come down in the morning as a toddler, to exploring senses and emotions.

Somethings need a little more help, so playing "Café" where they are taking orders, as the get older they can write orders down, make menus etc...gets them using those practical skills through play. You can expand it to include all kinds of stuff from numeracy...giving money and getting change etc, all age appropriately of course.

Get them reading a bedtime story to their cuddly toys, and perform a bedtime routine with them.

Just everyday life is weaving with a child - if you are engaged with them - I do worry about the small children I see where a mum gives a toddler or younger a mobile phone or tablet to sit in front of while they are busy with themselves - but that's just my thoughts on how some children massively miss out on parental stimulation.

I have a lot of books, and we count and point out colours, I think eye spy is a really fun game to play whilst on the bus, train or in the garden.

Counting everything and being receptive always to questions.

Counting songs and rhymes, we love browsing though a huge encyclopaedia and opening on a random page and looking and talking about it - yesterday we talked about the arctic - how would you keep warm, what would it feel like, how dark it would become and why, what would you eat ?? were all things I was asked (DC age 5)

I didn't really start - I just always did, I spoke to mine in the womb, and when they were babies and alert spoke and pointed things out, when they could sit unaided we would play, sing clap and count, and so it goes on to toddling around the garden to messy play and learning about water, outdoors, planting seeds, and watching the seasons change and pointing the subtle changes.

From an early age, books, reading spelling out works pointing at pictures, and interacting with them. Counting books, and animal books, and not forgetting the very hungry caterpillar !

I have not heard of this term, but I know I do it, with books, and just being engaged with my child, counting, pointing out things, playing with and reading to my child. We have lots of time outdoors and to parks seeing wildlife and collecting treasures such as leafs, nuts, grasses and wild flowers to stick onto paper and watch the colours change.

Counting conkers, sorting into big and small and chatting about which animals would eat them as food. Painting stones to look like insects so they could know we liked bugs. Pulling weeds and measuring to see who got the biggest one. Growing lettuce and sunflowers to see who could grow fastest. Baking, measuring and choosing shapes for biscuits. Even doing the washing up, counting plates and cups after lunch to make sure we had them all.

I narrated our life from the start. No special toys or techniques just talking about everything around us 💖

Lots of chatting about everything we saw and did together. Counting when we went up steps, spotting and talking about colours and letters and numbers out and about in the world. Lots of reading stories to them and talking about the pictures. Making sure it was always fun!

My daughter is 16 now but I have lovely memories of learning through play, especially out in nature eg treasure hunts for certain leaves etc. I always talked a lot to her about what we were doing when she was little & now she has a very wide vocabulary & is often complimented on how articulate she is.

Lots of reading and counting and having them “help” me with cooking

My children loved imaginative role play, using different scenarios. It encourages language skills and helps to use different words for certain situations. Changing the words in nursery rhymes and songs to make them funny and more interesting, laughter and making things fun keeps their interest going.

Mine is always talking, even mundane tasks like shopping, driving. Reading and sounding out signs, recognising colours, counting cars

We used to do a LOT of playdough and lego. My children (teens) all have very neat handwriting (2 are boys), which people comment on - but we didn't do handwriting at home!

We lived near a gravel carpark, only used on Sat am for football. There were indents in the gravel/ ground which filled with water when it rained so we used to take cars/ monster trucks (toys!) and play in the puddles with wellies on. We called it 'puddling'. Generally came back soaked, I would tip the wellies out and they'd be full of water, strip off and have a nice bath. That lasted for quite a few years! 2-6ish. Very happy memories.

From early counting, reading together, and getting them to read with you as apposed to being read to.
Sensory play with pasta, paint, handprints, foot prints, colouring in, going out to petting zoos and eating out experiencing new environements.

Extending learning through interest.

Child builds with duplo/lego/brio.
Show an interest and ask open questions.
Find out more and provide suggestions/toys/tools.
Give the child time to play with these developing focus and concentration span.

Leave the set up out at the end of the day, so that the child can return where they left off.
Repeat the steps above.

An example would be the child sets up a brio track.
Questioning you find out that the child has made this track about her train journey to the seaside.
She talks about her GP’s being with her
Provide maybe some shells or stones. Add figures.
Ask questions about the seaside. Provide small boxes for the child to create (boats/shops/fairground - child choice).
Share some books and stories about the seaside.
Provide pens and card for her to ‘write’ tickets and road signs.
Look at road signs when next outside.
Provide/draw postcards.
Set problems - the train track needs extending, can we use just these three pieces.
Count the train carriages, use mathematical language for the track pieces (longer, shorter, curved, straight)
Add a cap for the train driver/ticket collector
Provide some scarves to be used (possibly as sea/grass)

I could go on. The child resumes the narrative each day, returning to the set providing lots of opportunities for extending play. A video record or photographs can support the child to remember and recap.

We count steps on the way upstairs, make up rhymes at breakfast, and talk about colours, shapes, and sounds as we go about our day. I use play — from building blocks and pretend games to nature walks — to encourage curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. I also follow my child’s interests, so learning feels joyful and natural

We liked interactive books best, its fun for parent and child, they learn and installs a love of reading hopefully

Children learn through play so in every engagement with them they are learning. Counting things such as blocks in a tower as you build it. Sorting things like cars into colours or types of vehicles. Counting seconds out loud as they run round an obstacle course. As they get older they can help with weighing out baking ingredients, following instructions, colouring in. Everything is a learning opportunity

I had a wonderful childhood, but many kids learn best by playing and trying things. It’s like building with blocks. You don’t just read about a tower — you stack the blocks, see what falls, and try again. That’s learning by doing.

Another fun way my daughter and i learned was through stories. When someone tells a story about a frog who loves math or a rocket going to space, your brain pictures it and remembers it better. Games, songs, and drawing also help, because they make learning feel like fun.