How to Make Studying More Fun and Engaging for Your Child

Why Studying Feels Like a Chore for So Many Kids

“We just sat down for homework and she's already groaning.” Sound familiar? If you're like many parents of children aged 6 to 12, you probably feel like you're constantly fighting an uphill battle when it's time to review school lessons. Your child might sigh, tantrum, or find every possible excuse to avoid studying. But behind these reactions is often something deeper: schoolwork feels hard, boring, or confusing—and rarely enjoyable.

As adults, we sometimes forget how overwhelming it can be for a young mind to process new information, especially when it's presented in the same rigid format day after day. For a child who might already be struggling to focus, sitting quietly and rereading a textbook doesn’t exactly inspire motivation. The solution? Make revising feel less like homework and more like play.

Turning the Tables: Learning Through Play

Let’s step into Clara’s shoes for a moment. She’s an energetic 9-year-old who loves inventing stories, pretending to be a pirate, and making up fantasy lands with her friends. But when it comes to reviewing her multiplication tables or understanding how a plant grows—her imagination dries up. Her mom, Julie, tries flashcards and workbooks, but nothing sticks.

Then one evening, they turn part of Clara’s science lesson into a story. Clara becomes the brave explorer entering the jungle (also known as their backyard), where each plant she discovers has a secret code (a science fact) she needs in order to find the treasure. It sounds simple, but that small shift—bringing fun and narrative into the lesson—completely changes Clara’s engagement. She’s no longer being taught; she's playing while learning.

This is the power of making learning playful. When done well, it doesn’t just make study time bearable, it makes it memorable.

Small Strategies to Make Big Learning Fun

You don’t need to be a Pinterest-perfect parent or an educational expert. With a bit of creativity and the right mindset, you can transform revision into something your child looks forward to. Here are a few ideas that have worked for real families:

• Turn lessons into games: A vocabulary lesson can become a scavenger hunt where each word leads to the next clue hidden around the house.
• Try reverse teaching: Ask your child to teach you the concept. It empowers them and helps confirm their understanding—plus, they often love “being the teacher.”
• Mix in movement: For kids who struggle with sitting still, combine lessons with physical activity. Practice spelling words by hopping for each letter, or review math flashcards while bouncing a ball.
• Co-create learning materials: Let your child design their own quiz or draw a comic illustrating what they’ve learned. Ownership increases retention.

If your child prefers listening over reading, you might also explore tools that allow you to turn written lessons into engaging audio adventures. Some educational apps even let you upload a photo of the lesson and transform it into a 20-question quiz or a personalized story where your child enters the scene as the main character. One mom recently told me her son, Leo, was reluctant to revise his English lesson—until the material was turned into an audio tale in which he became Leo the Word Wizard, saving his village through grammar bravery. He now begs to “study.” That subtle shift, powered in their case by the Skuli App, made all the difference.

What If My Child Still Struggles to Engage?

Even with play—and perhaps especially then—it's important to remember that all children are wired differently. Some will thrive on stories, others on sound, some on movement. If your child continues to resist, it may not be about fun; it might be about frustration or feeling lost. In that case, it’s worth revisiting some of the underlying academic challenges.

This article on how to help a child who doesn’t understand their lessons offers deeper guidance, especially if you suspect learning difficulties or gaps in foundational knowledge. And if study time has become a source of tension in your household, this reflection on supporting your child without the stress might be just the breath of air you need.

What You're Really Teaching Your Child

When parents find creative ways to make study time more enjoyable, they send an incredible message to their children: “Learning can be joyful.” By showing that facts aren’t just to be memorized but can be lived, played, and explored, you teach them to cultivate curiosity, resilience, and love of learning—skills far more enduring than any single test score.

So next time your child says, “Do we have to study?” you might just be able to say, “No—but do you want to go on today’s adventure?”

And if you want more guidance on how to build lasting motivation in your child, this thoughtful piece on how to truly motivate your child to learn is an excellent place to start.