Make Learning Fun

As February moves along, adults are not the only ones that have a difficult time navigating our way through winter with joy. Our school-aged children may be feeling a bit of that spring fever as well, especially when it comes to getting their school work completed and waking up for another day of learning. If there is one thing I cannot live without in our home, it would be the magic of the dry erase family: white board, markers and erasers. No, I do not get paid to say this.

I have seen the magic work first hand time and time again. Tears tend to well up at the thought of alphabetizing spelling words, diagramming sentences, or performing long division yet again. It is in those moments that I call in the dry-erase reinforcements to assist in our educational journey.

Within seconds, tears dry up, tasks are done more joyfully, and I am able to say, “See, that wasn’t so hard!” The best part is it always, always leads into creative drawing time and that is a win!

In a traditional homework setting, the dry-erase solution may not be feasible for work to be turned back in to the teacher, but for all other assignments, homework practice problems, chore charts, birthday signs, etc., do consider it your new best friend.

Let’s switch gears to how it has saved my sanity for life with toddlers. First off, yes they do have washable dry erase markers AND crayons that are a great option for your peace of mind. I would strategically use dry-erase for my 5 and under crew during meal prep time, read-aloud time, quiet time and time that I need to focus on my older children. Find a dry erase book with activities, tracing lines, letters of the alphabet, and you have yourself a fabulous activity. Don’t want to spend a lot of money and add more books? Print off a free printable from Pinterest and place it inside a page protector. It becomes an instant dry erase sheet, while being fabulous for on-the-go! We trace maps this way, fill in charts this way, you name it!

Second favorite school supply that we could never live without are page protectors. But, I digress.

Our favorite size for dry erase boards are a personal size that can sit easily in front of them at a desk or table or even in their lap. Ours measure 9x12. Did you know that you can go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and buy marker board? Tell them what size you want it cut into, and you could make boards for everyone in your extended family for just a fraction of the price!

Now let’s talk erasers; they come in all shapes and sizes. The traditional erasers all work well, but we like to use Mr. Clean magic erasers to help erase it fully, in addition to the Expo brand, Dry Erase spray if you have some stubborn stains over time (which you can see in the picture above that need to be addressed).

Regarding markers, we keep all sizes on hand, including the wet erase markers. Those are great for the older kids who are working on a checklist or chart, and they don’t want their fist to smudge the writing until it’s been filled out. Simply take a wet paper towel or cloth and wipe it clean. One additional thought, washable markers tend to not be as vibrant in color, however they remain the perfect option for those younger ages. If you have sensory sensitive kids, this is a great activity as well.

Lastly, it’s therapeutic for us as parents, too, while I’m instructing or showing the kids a different way to a solution.

We can choose to live intentionally in all areas of our lives and think of new ways to make learning fun. I hope this has been inspirational to think about how dry erase can assist you day to day with your kiddos. If you don’t already, give it a try and let me know what you think!