Fun Learning

A big part of 1st grade learning is mathematics.  In school she is working on single/double digit arithmetic & subtraction, fractions, money, graphs & time.  Math is one thing that Aubrey isn't real fond of practicing...so, we have to get creative make math time FUN!!! 
The girls have gone to 'The Mommyshop' with me a few times over the past weeks.  One afternoon Aubrey came downstairs after playing very quietly in her room.  She informed me that she had made her own "Mommyshop".  I kind of brushed it off and merely mentioned "That sounds fun".  She begged me to come "shopping" and after rattling off about 3 things I had to get done first (I know that is terrible) I headed to the "shop".  I opened the door and immediately thought..."UGH!!!  Look at all of this stuff that we are going to have to put away".  She had all of her things off of her dresser and shelves, out of her closet and off her bookshelf.  It was arranged all over the floor with price tags on each item. 

And, then it dawned on me...she is making learning fun!  She had her cash register set up, 'The Mommyshop' bags in there place and she was open for business. 

So, we used this time as a prime opportunity to work on adding up the price, figuring out what coins were needed to pay for the item and giving back change.  It was a lot of fun (even for this Mama who kept thinking of how much of a struggle it was going to be to get them to clean it all up).  In fact, Aubrey begged and pleaded to leave the shop open for the weekend...which we did and we learned lots!!!