Learning Through Play: A Surprising Strategy for Kids Who Dislike School
When your child says, “I hate school”
It stings, doesn’t it? When your 8-year-old slams their backpack on the floor and mutters, “I hate school,” you feel a mix of frustration, worry, and helplessness. You try to be understanding, but deep down, you wonder: Why doesn’t my child enjoy learning like other kids? Or more painfully, Is it something I’m doing wrong?
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. Many children between 6 and 12 years old struggle with motivation, school-related stress, and learning difficulties. And parents like you are constantly searching for a door — any door — that can reopen their child's curiosity and confidence. One of those doors might just be play.
Why play is more than just a break
When we think of play, we think of recess, LEGO sets, video games, or make-believe adventures. In contrast, school is often associated with structure, expectations, and rules. But for a child, imaginative play is where they make sense of the world. It’s where they experiment without fear of mistakes, where their brain lights up with engagement, and where learning happens effortlessly.
Imagine your child, who resists multiplication tables, suddenly becoming the commander of a space mission where each successful equation launches a rocket. Or the book-resistant child who becomes the main character in a story that explains photosynthesis through a jungle adventure. By allowing learning to ride piggyback on play, we bypass anxiety and resistance, and instead ignite natural curiosity.
Not all learning has to “look” like learning
Take Julia, a mom of three from Lyon. Her 7-year-old son Thomas dreaded reading time. He’d fidget, make excuses, and sometimes even cry. Julia’s initial instinct was to push harder: more rules, more practice, more discipline. But it backfired. Finally, she tried something else — she recorded herself reading the book aloud, adding silly voices and making it a personalized bedtime performance. Thomas loved it. Eventually, he started following along with the book, laughing at the parts he knew were coming.
Turns out, Thomas wasn’t lazy. He was overwhelmed. He needed reading to feel like a joy, not a test.
Many children with school aversion or learning differences mask their discomfort with phrases like “this is boring” or “I just don’t get it.” If your child avoids reading, writing, or problem-solving, it’s worth exploring whether a deeper challenge is at play.
Using play to sneak learning back in
Reintroducing enjoyment into learning doesn’t mean lowering expectations. It just means removing the pressure cooker effect. If your child resists math drills, try letting them “teach” the concept to a stuffed animal. If they’re exhausted by memorizing their geography lesson, turn it into a scavenger hunt around the house.
And for busy parents who can't always craft these playful moments from scratch — you aren't alone. Today’s tools can do the heavy lifting without losing the magic. For example, one mom I spoke to uses an app where she can take a photo of her daughter’s handwritten class notes and turn them into an interactive quiz. Another feature transforms those same lessons into an audio adventure starring her daughter as the heroine, solving puzzles to save a lost city. The app — Skuli — helps her maintain her child’s academic progress, while keeping it fun and suited to how her child learns best.
Are we underestimating joy?
Sometimes, the shift we need isn’t in our child — it’s in how we measure success. Instead of focusing solely on report cards, what if we tracked things like:
- Is my child curious?
- Are they asking more questions at dinner?
- Did they seek out a book, a video, or a puzzle on their own?
A parent once told me, “I started treating joy as a learning outcome. Suddenly, everything changed.”
When school becomes a battlefield, it’s tempting to play general — to command order and expect results. But your child can’t thrive in terrain where they constantly feel lost or defeated. Bringing back play isn’t a gimmick. It’s a return to how children are wired to learn best: through wonder, story, and engagement.
What if school stress never goes away?
No approach guarantees an eternally motivated child. School pressure, mismatched curricula, or even peer dynamics can weigh heavily. When your child says they’re afraid to go to school, it’s vital to listen before you solve. Many children bottle up feelings of inadequacy, and they need a safe adult to help them carry it.
But alongside emotional support, rebuilding confidence through joyful learning experiences can help a child rediscover internal motivation. Over time, they stop seeing school as the enemy — and start seeing themselves as capable learners again.
Sometimes the answer isn’t more pushing, but a total reset. A leap into the playroom, the forest, or the imagination. As one mom shared after months of school struggles: "I stopped fighting school… and started fighting for my child’s spark."
What to try this week
If you’re not sure where to start, pick just one moment this week to make school-related content playful:
- Turn a vocabulary list into a made-up rap battle.
- Have your child draw a comic strip of a history lesson.
- Try one digital tool that makes lessons feel like games or stories.
And if your child still resists? That’s okay. Keep the door open. Be gently consistent. Celebrate small wins. And remember — joy isn’t just a privilege; it’s a pathway.
You are doing more than enough. You’re showing up, asking the right questions, and meeting your child where they are. And that — even more than knowing multiplication tables — is what truly changes lives in the long term.
To dive deeper, this piece on how to handle homework resistance might give you some additional tools and breathing space.