I’m trying to help my kids with their studies but they get bored pretty quickly. Looking for some creative ways to make learning more engaging and fun for them. They’re in elementary school if that helps. What works for your kids?
With my teenagers back in elementary, I turned everything into stories or pretend play. My youngest became a ‘math superhero’ solving problems to save the world. My older kid loved being a ‘word wizard’ casting spelling spells.
We did tons of hands-on stuff that didn’t feel like studying. Building blocks taught geometry way better than worksheets. They learned fractions splitting pizza and cookies with me. Geography clicked when they planned fake trips and looked up states on maps.
What worked for one kid totally bombed with the other. My daughter loved the creative stories, but my son needed to move around. He’d bounce on an exercise ball doing homework or pace the house reciting times tables. 
Biggest lesson? Keep it short. Their attention spans can’t handle long stretches - 15-20 minutes worked way better than grinding through an hour.
My daughter did this exact same thing last year. I turned learning into detective work by hiding math problems around the house like clues and having her find spelling mistakes in my grocery lists. She enjoys using real-world activities, like measuring ingredients when we cook or counting change at stores. It has proven to be much more engaging than just forcing her to sit at a desk.
We do tons of hands-on stuff that doesn’t feel like school at all. My kids picked up multiplication super fast using small toys to make groups, and their reading got way better when we acted out stories with crazy voices. YouTube science experiments are absolute gold. Volcanoes, crystal growing, kitchen chemistry - they remember this stuff forever compared to textbook lessons. Movement is a game-changer. My younger one does jumping jacks while spelling, and my older kid paces the backyard reciting facts. They focus way better when their bodies are moving. Sticker charts work great too - I reward effort, not just right answers. They get excited watching their progress pile up.
My kids love educational apps that feel like games instead of homework. Car rides work great too - we spell out license plates or do quick math with street numbers. Way better than forcing them to sit with workbooks.
Same here with my child! I’ve found that turning stuff into mini competitions really helps - we’ll race to count to 20 or see how many words they can read before a timer buzzes. They also love flipping roles and teaching me what they learned. Which subjects give your kids the most trouble?