It’s no secret that technology has become a fundamental part of our lives. But sometimes it gets a bad rap when it comes to our children’s use of it.
According to recent reports from YouGov, 85% of 6-year-olds have access to an iPad, while 40% have one of their own.
While we’re well aware that too much screen time isn’t healthy, that’s not to say that technology itself is a bad influence. In fact, there are countless ways in which it can hugely benefit children’s learning, interactively fuelling their education. It also enables many parents to use this as a helpful tool to better understand their children’s interests and hobbies.
In this article, we look at different ways to bond with your child through technology.
Helping with homework
Helping your child with learning is a great way to bring you closer together, as you can support and encourage them on any parts they find tricky. With many classrooms introducing educational platforms found online, parents can now access these from home to aid their children with their learning. Sites such as BBC bitesize are designed to break down different subjects bit by bit, to make information easier to understand and absorb.
Learn to code together
There are numerous benefits of teaching children to code. Coding is classed as a key tool for tapping into STEM subjects. It improves problem-solving ability, teamwork skills, and gives them a chance to apply their logic and imagination simultaneously. If you want to try this out together, the BBC micro:bit is a great beginner-friendly device. It has been designed specifically with children in mind, to make coding fun and easy. Learn how to program toy robots, consoles, and much more.
Make movies together
Let them sit in the director’s seat for a day and make a movie together. You could do this by simply recording video footage on a camera or mobile phone. There are dozens of splicing apps where you can then cut and paste your videos to turn them into a home movie. iMovie is a popular option that is available on iPads and iPhones for you to utilise. This is a brilliant way to get your child’s creativity flowing.
Host a Zoom quiz
The pandemic saw the dawn of video calls becoming a way to keep in touch with our friends and relatives. If you have any friends or family who live further afield, this could be a great opportunity for you and your child to arrange a fun Zoom quiz for everyone to enjoy. You can use your computer to google quiz questions together, discovering interesting facts along the way.
