You are your child’s first teacher. Everyday there are opportunities to help your child learn and prepare them for school. Below are a list of fun activities you can do to help your pre-schooler learn.
1. Reading Activities
Reading is one of the most important things you can do with your child. Reading let kids use their imagination, introduces them to new words and definitions and helps prepare them for school.
- Story time– Set aside a time each day where you read to your child. While reading ask your child questions about the story, ask them to point to different things on the page such as colors, letters they would recognize etc…
- Sign reading-Take advantage of reading on the go. Read signs to your child you pass while driving, read labels items at the supermarket.
- Sibling reading– Encouraged older children to read to younger ones.
- Story telling-Ask your child to make up a fairy tale to tell to you. Make sure you ask your child questions about their story to show them your interested.
- Library-Get your child a library card. Many community libraries have free activities for the whole family.
- Picture Time-Have your child draw a picture that goes with the story you read them or they tell you.
- Ending with a twist– Many children like to have the same story read to them over and over again. Try changing the ending. Have your child use their imagination and ask them what they think would have next.
2. Letters
Introducing your child to letters is a great thing to do before they start school. Try some of these activities below to help your child learn letters.
- Letter paper– Write the first letter of your child’s name on a piece of construction paper. Trace the letter with glue. Have your child over the letter with macaroni, cereal, beads etc.. When dry hang on the refrigerator or wall. Remind your child what letter it is and the sound it makes. Repeat with each letter of your child’s name.
- ABC’s-Sing the alphabet song every day. Kids love to sing why not learn while singing. You can sing the ABC’s while cleaning, and in the car.
- ABC Cookies– Make cookies using letter cookie cutters. While decorating go over each letter and the sound it makes.
- Letter Flash Cards– Get index cards and write one letter on each card. Show your child the card and say the letter and the sound. Go over 3-4 letters a day. When your child has mastered those letters move add another card. Keep adding cards until you get through the entire alphabet.
- Letter Acting-Call out a letter and have your child try to make the letter using their hands and bodies.
- Letter Bingo– Make bingo cards by writing columns of letters. Call out a letter, have your child cover the letter on their cards with pennies, buttons or cereal. You have to help your child until they understand the concept.
- Letter Book– Write a letter in the middle of a blank piece of paper. Cut out pictures, draw pictures or take your own pictures that have that letter’s sound and glue them to the paper around the letter. Repeat with different letters and staple together to make a book. A good idea to use the letters of your child’s name.
- Letter Point– Point to different letters in signs, books and on labels. Ask you child to call out the letters name and what sound it makes.
3. Health and Hygiene
It’s always a good idea to instill healthy habits with kids at a young age it’s also essential for their safety.
- Food Chart– Make a food chart with your little one. Go over healthy and unhealthy foods.
- Make Food Time Fun – Having a hard time getting your child to eat fruits and vegetables? Try making healthy pizza. Using pizza dough recipe make pizza and add tons of veggies or instead of ice cream take yogurt pour into bowl and add a small amount of sprinkles and whip cream and voila it’s a sundae!
- exercise – Take time out everyday and exercise with your child. Go for a walk, turn music on and dance, roller skate etc…
- Safety First – Go over things in the house that are important to your child’s safety such as not touching the stove, put objects into their mouth, not touching electrical outlets. Ask your kids questions about why they should not do these things so your sure they understand.
- Hygiene– Teach your child about washing hands before and after meals and after using the bathroom. Use colored soaps and encourage them get a lot of suds before rinsing off.
4. Counting
- Count Everything– This is one of the easiest ways to help your child learn about numbers and counting. Throughout the day count things you see or pass out loud. Start with counting numbers 1-5 then go up to 10. You can count people you see, while going up or down stars, pages in a book, items in shopping cart, foods on a plate, cards, crayons, cans etc…
- Board Games- Most board games require kids to count how many spaces they go on their turn. Count along with your child until they can do it on their own.
- Number Exercise– How many times can your child jump up and down, jump rope, spin or kick a ball. Count out loud with your child to find out. See if they can beat their score.
