Learning is a lifelong task. An adult can consciously take on such a task, but how do you motivate children to do it?

Formal education has many benefits but informal learning has the upper hand when it comes to kids education and not only.

If we take peek on Wikipedia, the place where a lot of self taught education starts, we can easily find out some of the characteristics of informal education:

• Informal education looks to create or deepen situations where people can learn, explore and enlarge experiences, and make changes.
• Provides an environment where everyone can learn together and can scaffold off of one another.
• Understanding that the activity can be based on any form of learning, the teaching does not have to be deliberate, more so implied. We give students the tools to do complex materials over time, rather than teaching the complex material and then giving the tools.
• Focuses on the social aspects of learning, and how important collaborative learning is.
• The tools students are given are tangible for the processes in which they will be applied.
• Bridges the gap between school and life.
• Allows students a choice in learning, and how to approach the material.
• Make learning accessible in everyday life and in the future.
• Informal education is driven by conversation and interacting with others.

This all sounds great so let’s imagine a situation where you can observe all these characteristics and benefits in a single setting:

An Outdoor Acrylic Painting Party for Kids!

This fun activity checks all the marks.

Take your kids outside, bring their friends as well, and let them interact with each other while learning about nature and arts. You can teach them to share their art supplies, teach them to use their brushes and tools, mix their paints and mediums and all sorts of useful stuff about shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Nature is an endless source of inspiration for every artist, regardless of age, so let the children discover it and express themselves artistically, even if it looks odd or abstract at first. After all, your kid is an artist, right?

Take a look at this short video to see how fun it can get.