Fun Ways to Review Schoolwork Without the Stress

You’re doing your best—and that’s worth a lot

You come home from work, exhausted. Your child is tired too—maybe because school felt long, maybe because something didn’t make sense today and they’re just... discouraged. And yet, there it is, staring at both of you: homework and the temptation (or expectation) to review schoolwork. Maybe the teacher sent a note about multiplication, or your child is still foggy on the water cycle despite last week’s science test.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Reviewing schoolwork doesn’t have to feel like dragging a boulder uphill at dinnertime. There are genuinely fun, lighthearted ways to help your child revisit concepts—ones that respect their attention spans and your energy levels. Let’s walk through a few stories and strategies that just might change the mood in your home during study time.

Rethinking review: It's all about the experience

One mom I spoke with, Christine, has an 8-year-old son who struggled a lot with spelling. Every time she pulled out the word list, he looked defeated before they even began. So one week, she did something different. She hid the spelling words—literally. She wrote them out, tucked them under couch cushions, in the fridge (behind the milk!), and in his sock drawer and told him he was a detective solving a mystery. To read the clues (words), he had to say and spell them out loud.

"He giggled so much that day," she told me. "And he remembered more words for the quiz than he ever had.”

What Christine tapped into is something we forget as grown-ups: learning shouldn’t feel like punishment. It can—and should—have moments of joy, surprise, connection. In fact, when learning feels like play, knowledge tends to stick. If that resonates, you might enjoy our deeper dive into turning school into an adventure.

Small changes, big shifts: Making review part of real life

Not every child is motivated by treasure hunts. And not every parent has the capacity to create nightly games. That’s okay. What's powerful is integrating small learning moments into everyday life.

Let’s say your third grader is trying to grasp fractions. Instead of opening the textbook after dinner, you might hand them the measuring cups while making pancakes on Saturday morning. Asking, “If we double this recipe, how much flour will we need?” becomes a mini math review—without the dreaded worksheet.

Or maybe your child has a tough time remembering history facts. Long car rides or downtime before bed can be great moments to play short, engaging audio versions of their lessons. Some tools, like the Sculi App, turn lessons into personalized audio adventures where your child becomes the hero, using their first name and favorite settings to make knowledge come alive. For kids who learn best by listening, it’s like storytime and study time rolled into one.

Remember, even tiny connections to academics in the real world can reinforce learning far more than drilling flashcards right before bedtime. If you’ve ever asked yourself whether you should intervene during homework or let your child handle it alone, you might also want to read this gentle reflection: Should You Help Your Child With Homework or Let Them Do It Alone?.

Make it a routine—but not a chore

One reason school review gets stressful is because it often comes at the end of a long day, just when everyone’s patience is fraying. Setting up a simple after-school rhythm can take that pressure off your shoulders.

It doesn’t need to be strict or long. Maybe there’s 10–15 minutes built into the routine after snack time where your child does a self-check: What was confusing today? Is there something I want to make sure I remember for tomorrow?

From there, you can co-create little rituals, like taking a photo of today’s math page and turning it into a playful 20-question quiz using the Sculi app (this takes under a minute). Or having your child record themselves pretending to be the teacher, explaining one thing they learned that day. When kids ‘teach back,’ it helps anchor ideas more firmly in memory. For more support on this, don’t miss our suggestions for effective after-school routines.

Remember: Forgetting doesn’t mean failure

If your child forgets yesterday’s lesson, it’s not because they weren’t paying attention or didn’t try. Forgetting is part of learning. Kids between 6 and 12 are constantly being asked to juggle facts, apply them in different ways, and recall them under pressure. That’s hard!

Knowing how memory works—and doesn’t—can relieve both parent and child. You might find real comfort and practical help in our article Why Your Child Forgets Everything (And What to Do About It).

The heart of learning: Connection

I’ll leave you with this: your relationship with your child is more important than whether they pass the vocab quiz tomorrow. Creating a learning environment that feels calm, safe, and even fun doesn’t happen all at once. It’s a process. You’re allowed to try something, rethink it, and try again. That’s true for your child too.

Whether you choose to use apps, board games, pillow forts, or pancake batter to review schoolwork, what matters most is that your child feels supported and seen. And that you—yes, you—feel less alone in the process. Reviewing schoolwork doesn’t have to be one more stress on your plate. With a little creativity, it might just become a chance to laugh, connect, and understand one another better.