Below is a list of activities that can be done with Preschoolers and Kindergarteners! I decided to do all these activities outside because it was a beautiful day but you can do most of these activities indoors. However outdoor time and fresh air is so important for children so I highly suggest trying these activities outside.
Sorting
With this activity you can do almost anything. I had some foam animals and coloured construction paper so I decided to sort colours. Depending what you have at home you can set this up to sort sizes (small and large), sort shapes (square, triangle, rectangle) etc. Once again I decided to set this activity up outside but this can totally be done inside. What you want to do is place all the objects you want your child to sort either in a pile on the floor or in a basket. Then if you're sorting by shape either tape the tape onto the floor or print the shape and place it on the floor just like I did in the picture above. If you're sorting by size print off a large image of something and a small image of the same thing and explain to your child that they will put all the big items on top or next to this large picture and the same for the small. This activity further supports cognitive development (development of the brain). Your child will be demonstrating and expanding their classifying skills (sorting) when they search through the pile of items and sort them. Below is an example of what this activity looks like when sorting shapes.
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Cheerio Counting
The activity above is a very simple yet very effective activity to help children develop a variety of skills within the cognitive domain such as counting, comparing quantities, number representation and even fine motor skills as your child picks up the cheerios to place them into the muffin liners. All you have to do is write the numbers 1-12 on white muffin liners and place them into a muffin pan. Then place a a handful of cheerios in a bowl next to the pan and begin to explain the concept to your child. Place the corresponding cheerios in the muffin liners like the example above. If your child seems to be struggling you can help them by counting out loud or counting with their fingers first to determine the amount on the muffin liner.
Salt Writing
This activity is called salt writing because the tray is filled with salt and the objective is to have your child write letters in the salt using a paint brush. This activity helps with the development of fine motor skills. I have worked in Kindergarten and I have seen how much children lack this skill so the more practice your child has with fine motor activities the more likely your child will have fewer struggles with writing in school. Your child doesn't have to necessarily write letters in the salt, this can be an open activity, so if your child just wants to doodle that is totally fine too. The main purpose is not to write letters but to develop fine motor skills. However if you choose to have your child write letters you can print off alphabet cards from google so your child can have a reference to the letters as they are writing. Another way to extend this activity is to help develop your child's letter recognition skills if you ask them pick out letters from the alphabet printable's and are able to identify it. So put the cards out of order and ask your child to find a letter from the pile. If they can sort threw the pile and find the letter that means your child is able to identity it. You can even ask them if they can name things that start with the letter you have asked them to find further expanding their communication, language and literacy skills. If your child is having a hard time finding a letter, that's okay, this just means you have to work on helping your child in identifying the letter. You may want to try using visuals such as youtube videos of the alphabet or letter sheets to help.
Ice Cube Painting
So unfortunately I did not have any paint to demonstrate this activity but the purpose of this activity for your child to paint the ice cubes. This activity is meant to help with the development of fine motor skills but it's also really fun to do and when the ice starts to melt all the different colour paints begin mixing together. You want to place several different paint colours into small bowls. Then fill another container with ice cubes (all I had were brownie tins but you can use almost anything as long as its large enough to hold a large quantity of ice cubes). You then want to provide your child with a paint brush and set the bowls of paint around the ice cube container. Then begin painting!
Animal Washing
This activity is almost like the one above but inside of paint your child will be washing. I so happened to have foam animals but you can use almost any toy you have in your home that can be put into water. What you can do first is have your child play with some toys out in the grass, as they play the toys get dirty. Then you can explain here that the toys need to be cleaned because they're dirty, just like how they take a bath when they're dirty. So then bring out a container with warm water and soap and ask your child to place their toys into the water so they can be cleaned. I had some paint brushes around the house but you can use sponges, wash clothes or small tooth brushes, whatever works for you! This activity not only helps your child to understand the importance of hygiene but also helps develop their find motor skills as they wash their toys. Your child can even take advantage of this water activity just to play and splash around on a warm day.
Pool Fishing
Unfortunately I don't have a blow up pool so I could not demonstrate this but I saw this on Pinterest and had to share it with you all. So what you're going to do is fill up a blow up pool with water and place it on your lawn. Then if you have any toys that can be placed in water then start throwing those into the pool. If you have toys that can float thats even better! Then you're going to need a hand held strainer, this is going to act as your child's "fishing net". Your child can either be in the pool or standing outside of it, and the objective here is to try and "catch" the toys in the pool using the strainer. So this activity will help with fine and gross motor development, as well as hand-eye coordination and it's just so cute and fun!
Q-Tip Painting
Unfortunately I don't have any paint at home but this activity is super easy. All you're going to need is paint, Q-tips and a print out of letter's or images, whatever you want really. The purpose of this activity is to have your child dip the Q-tip into the paint and trace or dot the image or letter. This is going to help with fine motor development and hand-eye coordination. So you can simply google what you're looking for and make sure you write "template" or "trace" so that it's made with dots or lines so your child can easily trace and follow. You can put out several colours for your child to use to make it colourful and fun. This is a learning experience that feels like an arts and crafts activity.
Chalk Paint
Unfortunately I did not have food colouring in order to demonstrate this activity but this is so cute and so easy you have to try it. This activity is called chalk paint so your child can draw on your driveway or side walk using this. Instead of a stick chalk they hold in their hand and draw, it's a liquid and they must use a paint brush to draw with. Below is what you need to make this:
- 2 cups Cornstrach
- 2 cups Water
- Food colouring
- Bowls
- Paintbrushes
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl combine water and cornstarch and stir until the cornstarch dissolves and its smooth. It will be a runny consistency.
- Divide the mixture evenly into small bowls (depending on the number of colours you want) and begin adding the food colouring to the mixture starting with three drops and adding more to get to the right colour.
- Use paintbrushes to paint images on the sidewalk or driveway. The mixture is thinner and runnier than regular paint and it will dry quickly. It washes away easier with rain or horse water.
So there you have it, 9 activities for Preschooler's and Kindergartener's! I hope that many of you find these activities helpful, engaging and fun. If you try these activities with your children, comment below how it went or DM me on Instagram and share some cute pictures! I always appreciate feedback. Enjoy!
Deanna
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