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Empowering Children through Play: The Importance of Nurturing Young Minds through Hands-On Learning



Hands-on learning is an active form of learning, where children learn by doing and interacting with tangible materials. This differs from the traditional method of learning through passive listening and memorisation that we are all accustomed to in school.


While most of us may have been brought up with the traditional way of learning, children need hands-on learning experiences to enhance their cognitive, social and emotional development. In this blog post, we will explore 3 key benefits of hands-on learning for your little ones.


1. Active Engagement Encourages Curiosity and a Love for Learning 


Hands-on learning allows children to interact with the learning materials actively, which taps onto their innate curiosity and encourages active knowledge intake. By engaging various senses such as touch and movement, we can further motivate children to learn new things and explore the unknown. Hence, hands-on learning experiences encourage children to learn continuously, developing curiosity and a love for learning. Examples of hands-on learning activities include executing simple science experiments — like making a volcano out of baking soda and vinegar, or participating in terrarium-making workshops, where children can learn how to build their own terrarium, and learn how to care for them after the workshop. Not only can it be carried out as a post-exam enrichment activity, such workshops can also be used as an educational tool to teach basic science concepts like the water cycle, reinforcing what children are learning in the classroom.

2. Nurtures Motor Skills 


As hands-on activities often involve actions such as moulding and sticking, they help children to develop crucial motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination and precision needed for daily tasks. This helps children to strengthen their muscles and improve their functional skills that will be useful as they grow up. For example, finger painting activities allow children to express themselves through art as they play around with colours and shapes, while balloon sculpting workshops can teach children to mould balloons into basic shapes and unleash their creativity by creating their own balloon masterpiece! 


3. Develops Cognitive Abilities and Increases Attention Span


Children love to play, and hands-on activities engage them deeply and allow them to develop their ability to focus on tasks. This is especially important in today’s age where mobile games, social media and YouTube are popular entertainment options for children, and have been shown to shorten attention spans, and negatively affect cognitive abilities and memory retention. Investing in children’s growth through hands-on learning activities can thus support them in their cognitive development and enable them to stay focused for longer time periods. Activities such as GroupAID’s bear-brick acrylic pour workshop require children to focus their attention on the colours, patterns and techniques of acrylic pouring as they create their own bear-brick pieces, which teaches children to be fully present and focus on the task at hand. What’s more, children are encouraged to bring home their creations as a reminder of their exciting experience. Does any of the above mentioned activities excite or interest you? Contact us today to unlock the joy of learning for your child or students by signing up or enquiring more about GroupAID’s workshops!


References: 

  1. Main, P. (2023, July 19). Structural Learning. https://www.structural-learning.com/post/hands-on-learning 

  2. Sharma, P. (2023, May 31). The Attention Span Conundrum: How Social Media Has Transformed and Challenged Our Focus. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/attention-span-conundrum-how-social-media-has-our-focus-palak-sharma/ 


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