How to Help Your Child Review Lessons While Having Fun

When Studying Feels Like a Battle

It’s 5:30 PM. You’ve just finished work, dinner needs prepping, and your 9-year-old is at the kitchen table, staring at math problems like they’re written in another language. You ask them to get started on their homework, and you’re met with a groan and a slouch. Sound familiar?

For many parents, helping their children revise is emotionally and mentally exhausting. You want them to succeed. You want them to feel confident. But when every study session becomes a power struggle, the stress builds—for both of you.

What if reviewing lessons didn’t have to feel like pulling teeth? What if it felt like... play?

Why Fun and Learning Aren’t Opposites

One of the most powerful shifts we can make as parents is to stop thinking of learning as something that only happens at a desk, in silence, with a pencil in hand. Research has shown that children aged 6 to 12 learn best through play, movement, and storytelling. And more importantly—having fun releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that actually helps strengthen memory.

By embracing this idea, you create a new atmosphere at home. Studying becomes something your child can look forward to. It taps into their imagination, curiosity, and sense of adventure.

Create Mini Challenges That Feel Like Games

A game doesn’t have to mean a board with dice or a screen with flashing lights. It can be as simple as inventing quiz battles, mystery hunts, or turning a review session into a timed mission. Here’s an example that worked wonders for a parent I recently spoke with:

Her daughter dreaded reviewing French vocabulary. So together, they created flashcards and set up a “spy academy.” Each correct word earned points, leading up to a pretend promotion to Secret Agent. Suddenly, the same content became exciting.

This idea can work across subjects. Turn multiplication tables into a race against the clock. Create a “boss level” quiz on Friday where the child tries to beat their high score from earlier in the week. And if you're looking for more inspiration, check out these fun educational games adapted specifically for 6 to 12-year-olds.

Make Movement Part of Memory

Many children—especially kinesthetic learners—recall information more easily when they’re moving. Try these approaches:

• Jump for answers: Write answers on post-its placed across the room. Ask your child a question and have them leap to the correct one.
• Fact relay: During revision, turn key facts into games with physical actions. For example, every time they remember a math formula, they do a jumping jack.
• Walk and talk: Review spelling words or science facts while taking a walk together around the block.

For screen-free ways to do this, this guide on screen-free educational activities is full of ideas that involve both body and brain.

Let Their Imagination Drive the Revision

Children enter new worlds easily. They love stories where they’re the main character, the hero, or the explorer. Integrating your child’s real lessons into a fictional scenario can make a world of difference.

Imagine transforming a history chapter about medieval times into an audio story where your child is a knight solving riddles based on real facts. One mom told me her son, who used to tune out completely during French review, now begs to listen to audio stories where he’s the protagonist reciting verbs to complete magical missions.

This kind of immersion is possible using tools that capture your child’s lesson from a textbook or notebook and spin them into personalized adventures—including one app that lets you take a photo of text and automatically generate a story where your child is the hero, using their own name. It’s especially powerful if your child recalls information better through sound. (Bonus: it’s perfect for car rides or winding down before bed.)

Connect Learning to Real Life

Children are natural question-askers. Why do we need math? When will I use this? Tapping into real-world connections helps them see revision as relevant, not tedious.

For example, if your child is learning fractions, try splitting a pizza or baking cookies together. Double a recipe for a fun way to practice multiplication. If they’re studying about animals or plants, head to a park or zoo and connect the textbook drawings to the real thing.

The more learning feels grounded in the world around them, the more they’ll engage with it—and retain it.

Knowing When to Pause

Sometimes, the most helpful thing for a child under stress isn’t another activity—but rest. Don’t underestimate the power of unstructured time, especially after a long school day filled with expectations and demands. Often, when kids are given the space to decompress, they return more refreshed and curious.

If this is something you're exploring, here's a thoughtful read on how to engage your child after school, without pushing them.

Done Together, Not Done For

At the heart of all these strategies is connection. Your child doesn’t just want to get the answers right—they want to feel seen, safe, and supported. When you laugh with them through silly memory games, or when you take their stories seriously during a pretend history quest, you’re not just teaching them to revise. You’re teaching them that learning is a shared adventure.

And remember: you’re not alone in this. There are resources designed to lighten your load and spark enjoyment—like the app I mentioned earlier that turns your child’s lessons into tailored quizzes or audio stories. Tools like this don’t replace your presence. They amplify it.

So the next time your child drags their feet to study, try choosing play over pressure. You might just see their eyes (and yours) light up again.

If you're looking for more ideas, dive into these options for learning through play or explore memory-boosting games ideal for ages 6 to 12.