Adding simple activities to our schedules can go a long way in the development of observational skills in kids. It will demand time and effort but will be worth it.
As kids, we preferred playing games or doing fun activities rather than sitting and rote learning academics. Children love engaging more in learning by doing things rather than learning through lectures or reading books. Games, even the lame ones, are an excellent way through which kids can get their hands on adapting observational skills and situational awareness.
Here are some activities that will help build observational skills in kids:
1. Charades:
A popular and fun game, charades, can help a child observe and describe by being completely focused. Since the person explaining cannot speak a word, the individual who guesses has to make an effort, discern their actions and reactions and decipher the words. It thus helps in refining the observation and description skills.
Read: Ways to Develop Observational Skills and How it helps Children
2. The Card Game:
A deck of cards can also help nurture these skills. Matching the cards as the ace of spades or ace of hearts as quickly as possible is one way to be an objective observer; who is aware of the happening in that particular situation. Thus, it will help build the necessary observational skills in kids.
3. The sensory task:
A simple yet challenging task for children to do at home is the fruit sensory task. In this game, parents can keep 3 or 4 fruits, eg: Apple, Peach, Pear, Mango, on a table. Blindfold the child and ask the child to touch, feel and name the fruit without seeing it. If the child has observed the fruit in the past, they will accurately identify it. It can obligate the child to be attentive to things the next time.
4. The lights off challenge:
Parents can place about 10-25 items on a tray and tell the children to observe them for a few minutes. Then off the lights and take this tray out of the sight of the children. Next, ask the child to write as many items they remember on paper. It will force the child into comprehension and challenge them to observe.
5. Spot the differences:
An intriguing game that almost all of us know about is, spot the differences. Give the child two almost identical scenic pictures. They should be such that one scene must be a little different. It can have some extra elements or some missing ones. It will help a child observe and concentrate fully to find the differences.
Observation skills in kids help them to tune in to the moment. The more solid their observational skills, the better their situational awareness. The small efforts into creating a fun space can help the child develop impeccable skills.
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