Since it’s back-to-school time, we thought there’s no better time than now to share our top tips for making homework more fun for the children in your life.
Getting back into the swing of doing homework after a long summer is never easy. Children get overwhelmed and feel burdened with school work and homework after weeks of endless freedom. The best way to combat that feeling is to help them as best you can, and make homework seem more fun so they will want to get it done and carry on with their evening.
Check out our top tips for making homework time more fun and enjoyable for your children below:
Have a homework area
Children are so used to working at the same desk all day at school, so why should that change when they’re at home? Set up a space for them so that they can set out their books and pencil case in an area they won’t have to move at another stage.
The kitchen table can be a good idea but if they have to clear everything away because dinner is ready before they’ve finished their homework, it can feel like more of a chore for them to pack away their books and put them all back out again after.
If they had their own desk they can work at in their bedroom or living room, they will automatically get into the routine of going there for homework and know that’s all they have to do once they’re in that space. You can print out free posters and hang them in the designated homework space to make it feel like your child has their own ‘classroom’ to work from at home.
Time them
Children love winning races when competing against others, so set up a timer for them to work against the clock. Depending on their age, you can set up a 15 minute timer for them to complete a maths question or give them 10 minutes to finish a worksheet.
You should also try to set up ‘break time’ timers so you can tell them to keep doing their homework until the timer goes and then they get a 5 minute break. Once the 5 minutes are up, the timer goes off and they head back to work, and just continue the cycle, similar to how they get breaks during the school day between different subjects.
Use rewards
Similar to how we reward children by doing chores in the house, you can try using rewards for completing their homework. This works very well with younger, primary school-aged children if you offer stickers, extra play time or allowing them to choose a movie to watch later for every homework question they complete. Older children may appreciate more time to watch TV or play games online as a reward.
Using an incentive-based system like this can allow for rewards to be taken away if homework isn’t being done or your child complains about having to do it. For example, for every question they do, add a minute to their screen time; if they don’t sit down and start homework when you ask them to, take that away for each minute they won’t do it.
Have snacks
After a long day at school, your little one probably can’t think of anything worse than having to do homework, but if you offer them a snack as they start it, this gives them the energy boost they need to power through their homework. Instead of making them wait until dinnertime, a nibble on a sweet treat or something healthy can make them excited to get homework done as they get used to the routine.
Go outside
We know the weather isn't making the outdoors very inviting right now but a breath of fresh air can help your child release some stress, clear their mind and release some energy before they start their homework. Take this opportunity to ask them what they learnt in school and what part of their homework they’re most looking forward to doing.
