Playful Techniques to Help Your 5th Grader Review Without Tears

When Homework Feels Like a Battle

It's Tuesday night. Your 10-year-old has a history test tomorrow. You're tired. They're tired. You suggest reviewing the lesson and are immediately met with a dramatic groan, a slumped body, and cries of, “I hate studying!” Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. Many parents of 5th graders feel caught in the tug-of-war between wanting their child to succeed and dreading the stress that schoolwork brings. But what if review time didn’t have to end in tears and arguments? What if the journey to learning could be—wait for it—fun?

Reimagining Revision as Play

Here’s the truth: children don’t avoid learning—they avoid boredom. At around age 10 or 11, kids crave interaction, movement, and meaning. If reviewing lessons feels disconnected from their world, their brains check out before the paper hits the table. That’s why we need to turn traditional revision into something more playful, active, and story-centered.

Bring the Lesson into Their World

One of the simplest shifts is to connect school content to your child’s real interests. Studying ancient Egypt? Don't just reread the notes. Turn your living room into an archaeological dig site. Get a shoebox, bury scraps of information inside with sand or rice, and let them "discover" facts to piece together the story of the pharaohs.

If you're reviewing math, take the problem-solving into the kitchen. Double a recipe together and discuss fractions. Or go on a "decimal hunt" during grocery shopping, comparing prices and calculating savings.

This type of experiential learning anchors abstract concepts in lived moments—and kids remember what they experience. For older children, relating subjects to real-world situations or their personal experiences boosts both engagement and retention. You can read more about making homework come alive here.

Use Their Favorite Mode of Learning

Some children need to hear a lesson repeatedly before it clicks. Others rely on strong visual cues or do best while moving or acting things out. Becoming aware of your child’s learning style can transform review time from struggle to flow.

For auditory learners, try reading lessons aloud together—or better yet, turn lessons into a podcast-style story you record on your phone. Some tools, like the Skuli app, can even convert written lessons into audio adventures where the child is the hero, using their name to personalize the journey. Suddenly, reviewing a science chapter becomes an epic story where Liam the Explorer saves the planet from pollution.

For visual learners, try color-coded mind maps, diagrams, or reviewing lesson pages by taking a photo and turning it into quizzes. These learners thrive on patterns and images. If this sounds like your child, check out our guide on visual learning tools.

Gamify the Review

Games are powerful. They tap into motivation, memory, and focus—but most importantly, they invite joy. Here are a few game-like techniques to swipe into your next review session:

• Treasure Hunt: Hide review questions around the house. Each correct answer earns a “clue” to the next hiding spot, ending with a small reward.
• Ball Toss Q&A: Toss a ball back and forth—whoever catches it has to answer a question. Movement resets attention and diffuses stress.
• Charades or Pictionary: Use terms from vocabulary lists, historical facts, or science concepts and let your child act or draw them out. Laughter is a powerful memory aid.

Adding these elements shifts the brain from “study mode” (often loaded with anxiety) into “play mode” (which encourages curiosity and creativity). Want more ideas like these? Don’t miss our post on learning through play.

Make Memory Stick

So, your child had fun revising on Monday—but by Friday, they’ve forgotten it all. Common? Absolutely. But fixable.

Learning works in layers, and repetition is key. But repetition doesn’t need to be dull. You can vary the way material is revisited over the week. One day, it’s a drawing activity. The next, it’s a five-minute quiz. Another day, it’s listening to an audio version of that same lesson on the car ride to school. This spaced repetition, delivered through diverse formats, has been shown to deepen understanding and improve long-term memory. Learn more about it in our article on how to strengthen your child’s memory.

Learning Together: The Hidden Gift

You might feel like you're just pushing through each assignment, but in truth, every moment spent side-by-side reviewing, asking, laughing, or stretching a concept is a bond-building opportunity. Your involvement tells your child: “I care. I’m with you.” And they won’t only remember what the Roman Empire was—they’ll remember who walked through it with them.

If you're searching for ways to make daily review more manageable, remember that you're not alone. Experiment, be patient with yourself and your child, and lean on the growing world of supportive tools and techniques. You may even find yourself enjoying the process.

For more help in finding simple, effective ways to support your learner, see our resource on helping your child learn more easily.