What is Experiential Learning? 7 best Practical Examples for Kids.

Experiential learning is a process of learning from real-life experiences. Where students practice “learning by doing”. As we go deep into it, we find that it’s a very old but very effective process of learning. Experiential learning connects the kid with the real-life world.

We can take examples from the Ramayana or the Mahabharata where you can find such practices. It is what I believe that when you learn from your own experiences, the knowledge you get from it, is everlasting.

When a kid learns from his own experiences, he has to pass through these processes:

Let’s understand it in more simple way :

Now , understand it with real life expereinces.

Now, I think you have a clear knowledge of experiential learning.

Let’s discuss some key features of experiential learning.

Features of experiential learning.

• Experiential learning is a child centric.
• The role of the teacher is facilitator.
• Experiential learning fosters the all round development of a child. As it directly involves the students in the process of their own learning. From past knowledge to engagement in learning to exploring to the concluding result. It’s the journey of the child’s own learning.
• It engages the child creatively, critically , emotionally, intellectually, physically and socially. 
• It helps the child to remain focused , learn faster , and long lasting memory.
• Experiential learning promotes integrated learning. One can integrate the experiences with maths , art , science and learn many skills from one experiential learning.
• Experntial learning helps the kid to develop life skills, knowledge and new experinces.

Now, let’s see some practical examples of your day-to-day life. Using which you can teach your kid effectively. And I surely say that you all are amazed to see these examples of experiential learning.

Practical Examples of Experintial Learning From Day to Day life :

1.Project mapping- Experintial learning

How to make a good salad plate? Or How to make a good tea ?

You can choose any dish to make. These are practical projects. A child can perform easily. Let’s see how to do these with experiential learning step-by-step.

Step-1 Experience	The child may have past knowledge of making the dish. As the kid might observe anyone earlier. So he participates and tries to apply the past knowledge here.
Step-2 Share	Then, the child shares past and current knowledge of making that dish (Lemon Juice ).
Step-3 Process	Discuss the whole process of making the dish. Materials required process of making lemon juice.
Step-4 Generalize	The child connects this experience with real life. Try to learn more dishes in this way. He easily identifies the things in real life which requires to make this dish. Such as sugar, lemon, char masala, salt, jeera powder, etc.
Step-5 Apply	Apply this knowledge to the day to day life.

2. Visit to a place. – best example for Experintial Learning

A visit to a place is again a very effective activity of experiential learning. A child can visit the list below. Explore and observe the place and learn.

• a kitchen
• a bank
• a post office
• a mall
• a zoo
• a garden and many more.

Let’s take the example of a visit to a mall. Learn how experiential learning applies here. Through this experiential learning, he learns and experiences.

• Means of transport : To visit the place a child needs any transport to go. While going he oserves many vehicles running arond. Moreover , the child can see the vehicle parked there. This give the child experience based learning throgh observing thing.
• Types of buildings : Now a day , malls are in multistoried building. So from using the pevious knowledge he compares his own house , appartment around his houses and othe shops. Abd deveiop the undersatding of types of building.
• Grocery items/ clothing items: As now aday malls have many department in bulit. So while visiting the child can know about items sell there. As visual aids are much appealing. so its give the child everlasting knowledge of avialble thigs. Which again he can apply easily to the dau to day life.
• A part fro all , the child learns about Basic math i.e addition, subtraction, divide and multiply and many more.

3. Growing condition:

An example of Seeds germination is given above. Likewise, you can provide many growing conditions to the child. The same way to apply it in real life. Examples are :

• To plant flowering plant
• A very easy way is to plant Dhania seeds , Methi seeds . As they are easily available and grow easily. 

This helps the child to know about the plant world. He easily understands how the plants grow. From seed to a big tree or plants. This activity teaches the child that how important to save the trees and plants around. As it takes many days, months,s and years to grow. A child observes the process daily and records the observations. For example,

4. Survey :

A survey is also one of the real-life-based examples. As the child have to visit a person, places or the things. He is going to survey. Surveys can conduct in the form of interviews, online mode, Paper surveys, telephonic surveys. Here we take the examples of one-to-one interview surveys.

Assign the projects to the students that they observe around and talk to the people who are cleaning around. Make a list of questions and ask them. questions such as :

1. Why do they do this type of cleaning job? If the they like it or not ?
2. How do people treat them?
3. For which class did they study ?
4. What are the reasons to drop out from thes schools?
5. Do you want to do this kind of JOb?
6. Do they want to study more?
7. And many more questions they can ask ?

This type of survey develops many social skills among the children. Additionally, they also learn topics about different kinds of professions, our helpers and many more. 

Moreover, they learn life skills such as respect each and every work. No work is higher and lower.

As students go person to person and ask them above mentioned questions. At the same time record the observation. Gives them real-life experiences.

5. To buy things – practical example of Experintial Learning

As we all know that Experiential learning means learning by doing. This activity is a very common activity. We all do this activity with our kids in some or other ways. And Of course one of the best practical activity to correlate children with each and every subject.

If you send a child to buy the things such as chocolates, pencils, toys, and many more things. This gives the child experience of the concept of addition, multiplication, division, or subtraction. and indirectly you give the Knowledge of currency to the child.

Likewise, if you send a child to buy some fruits or vegetables under your guidance. You teach maths at the same time you co-relate with EVS, English, Maths, Art. However, it sounds a little difficult but it is not that much difficult. Let’s understand it.

• How to realte with EVS, you clear the concepts fruits and vegetables here.
• Then, instruct the child to draw or paste different fruits and vegetables. This is the integration with art.
• After that you tell the students to draw and write five lines on your favorite fruits and vegetables. Agin with arts and then with English
• Same you instuct to write in Hindi.
• So as you can see how experiential learning give rea life hand on practices and make the learning easy and effective.

As above we see that we can many activities with art. We can easily teach them suing those activities. Here I provide you the list of Art integrated Activities. You just click on that link. You have many activities to serve your kids.

6. Demonstration ( hands on activity ) :

Another practical activity for experiential learning is the Demonstration of some practical experiments. It can perform at home and even at school. It also gives the child experience of learning. Examples are :

• Concept of floating and sinking
• Then about Items Dissolve in the water and do not dissolve
• Sprouting of seeds
• Model drama of buying things from supermarket
• Letter writing practice
• Poem recitation with action
• One Act play
• Drama and many more.

Let’s take the example of the things that dissolve in water and do not dissolve in water. Let’s understand it steps by step.

First instruct the child to collect or bring some items such as:

• A glass of water
• Then some salt , turmeric , chalk powder , soil , red chilli , oil and many more.
• Now, instruct the child to put one by one thing in the glass of water, Stir it and try to dissolve .
• Finally write his own experince in the observation sheet.

This type of experience of learning gives the child ever-lasting knowledge. Moreover, children become more focused and active in the teaching-learning process.

7. Paints the stone – fun activity for Experintial Learning

Here you can take any objects which are available handy. Then, instruct the kids on the stone, strips, papers, whichever they have. Color them according to their choice. Here I take the example of coloring shape.

From using the above activity you can clear the concepts of :

1. Shapes
2. Colors
3. Facial Expression
4. Counting etc.

List of activities:

Now, here I share the list of activities that you arrange for your kids. Let enjoy your kid the learning by doing-“Experiential learning”.

• Wrapper reading activity
• wastage mangement project
• Case study
• Field visit
• Engineering : makimg different house , bridges from strips , stones , hard board , straw etc.
• clay modeling
• Playing some games- expolring the outdoor and indoor games.
• Research
• Debate

All the above experiential learning activities definitely help you to reach out your goals.

Conclusion :

Finally, I want to assure you that try these methods of experiential learning with your kids. I think it’s the part of our life where we do such types of things in our day-to-day life. But just you have to focus on what learning outcomes your kid can get from that particular activity he does in the real life. Connect his experiences with learning. It helps the child to get learning easily from the experiences. Thus, these type of hands-on activities gives the opportunity to the child to learn.