| ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS (3-5 YEARS
) |
| MY BOOK |
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Many preschoolers like to talk and have a lot to say. Although most can't yet write words themselves, they enjoy dictating stories for others to write for them. |
| What You Need |
 Paper
Paper punch
Safety scissors
Pencil, pen, crayons
Yarn or staples
Glue
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| What to Do |
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Make a booklet of five or six pages. Your child can help punch holes close to one edge and thread yarn through the holes to keep the pages together. You can also staple the pages together.
On the outside cover of the booklet, print your child's name. Explain that this is going to be a book about him
or her.
Let your child talk about what they will draw on each page. As
they talk, print on the page what he or she says. Here are some examples:
Other people in my family
My favorite toys
My favorite books
My friends
My pet
My neighborhood
My home (or My bedroom)
After each or all the stories have been documented, have your
child draw pictures on each page, add stickers, etc.
Encourage them to read the new book to family members and visitors.
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| SLIME |
| What You Need |
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1 cup of soap flakes (you can grate a bar of mild soap, such as Ivory)
1/2 gallon (about 8 cups) of warm water
A wide, open container
Cups, sponges, plastic bottles, funnels, etc. |
| What to Do |
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Mix the grated soap with water
Allow the mixture to stand until it thickens and becomes slimy
Beat the mixture with a fork to make it froth
Pour it in a wide, open container
Give your child the cups, sponges, funnels, etc., and let the fun begin!
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| MOVE THE ICE! |
| This can be a fun birthday game for older children, or an interesting activity for a three-year old. |
| What You Need |
| Ice cubes
Two containers
A pair of tongs |
| What to Do |
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Fill two containers with cold water
Put several ice cubes in one of the containers
Let your child use the tongs to move the ice cubes from one container to the other
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| WATER MATH |
| What You Need |
|
Various size containers and funnels |
| What to Do |
| This is a great bathtime activity! Let your child discover the basic math concepts, such as empty/full, shallow/deep, small/big as he or she pours water in and out various containers. |
| FLANNEL TRAIN PUZZLE |
| What You Need |
 A
large piece of cardboard or foam board
One yard of green flannel
4-5 small pieces of felt (can be found at craft stores)
Duct tape and scissors |
| What to Do |
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Make a flannel board by wrapping a foam board or cardboard with
flannel and securing it with a duct tape in the back
Cut out several felt shapes: one large rectangle, one small
rectangle, one square, one triangle, and two circles (making each
piece a different color will encourage color differentiation)
Assemble a train engine with your child, and then let them build
a train on their own
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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ |
This is a great activity sheet packet from CDC (www.cdc.gov) that includes coloring pages on nutrition and walking safety; connect-the-dots and recipes for calcium-rich treats for strong bones; and a choose-the-safe-way activity using shapes. |
 Click on the picture on the right to open the activity sheet packet (4 sheets). It will open in a new window.
Note:
 This document is in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe Web site.
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| FISH TANK |
| What You Need |
 Three sheets of
cardboard or construction paper: blue, light blue, and
green
Stickers with fish and/or other sea life
Glue and scissors |
| What to Do |
Prepare the fish tank "setting" in advance
(older children can make it
 themselves): use a light blue sheet
of cardboard as your base, and glue blue and green cutouts on
top of it to create water, seaweeds, or any other objects
appropriate for a fish tankGive your child a sheet of stickers
with fish, corals, etc., and ask them to place them
wherever they'd like. Try not to interfere, and let the
child's imagination do all the work.
You can frame the finished masterpiece and hang it on a wall. This
will boost your child's confidence, and show them that you
appreciate their talent and creativity. |
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| OOBLECK |
| Oobleck is a fictional form of green precipitation invented by children's author Dr. Seuss in the book Bartholomew and the Oobleck. The word has since been used to describe a weird substance - it is liquid yet solid. This very messy activity is sure to
fascinate anyone! |
| What You Need |
|
1 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup water
5 to 7 drops food coloring(optional) |
| What to Do |
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Mix water and food coloring together. Slowly add cornstarch. Do not stir. Let the mixture stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Pick a handful of the oobleck up and squeeze it until it forms a hard ball. Open your hand and the oobleck will turn from a solid back into a liquid. If it gets too dry after awhile, just add a bit more water.
Note that oobleck contains no preservatives and is therefore perishable. |
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| GARDENING |
| What You Need |
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An edible plant (parsley, dill,
basil, strawberry, etc.)
A small pot
Planting soil (preferably,
organic) |
| What to Do |
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Take your child to a nursery.
Keep it simple - get just one
plant and one pot (and a bag of potting soil if you need
it) on this trip. The last thing you want to do is spend
an hour running after your toddler in an attempt to stop
him from tipping over yet another $500 ceramic vase,
while trying to decide which plants will make a nice
addition to your garden.
At home (in the backyard), have your
child help you fill the pot with soil - he or she can
use their shovel for this
Put the plant in, and add a little
more soil to cover up the roots
Have your child water it with a
small water can
Your child will love watching the
plant grow, and taking care of it. This activity might
even make the "green stuff" more acceptable on their
dinner plate!
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| ANIMAL OF THE DAY |
| This activity works best if you have an easy access to a zoo (along with a zoo membership) - you can then turn every trip into a fun, memorable (and educational) event! |
| What You Need |
|
A book or magazine about animals |
| What to Do |
| At the zoo, talk about animals you and your child see, and let him or her pick the Animal of the Day (the one that they liked the most)
Make the selected animal a part of your day by featuring it in various activities throughout the day. Here are some ideas: |
- Read a book to your child about that animal
- Look at some pictures and ask to describe what they see
- Sing a song together (if you don't know a song about a particular animal, you can always make up words to a well-known one, such as, "And on that farm he had a giraffe..."
- Ask him or her to draw the animal (or color a picture in a coloring book)
- Ask your child (or tell them if a new animal is being introduced) what kind of snacks/food the Animal of the Day might eat; serve the suggested food for snacks or dinner if possible (Use your imagination! Grass can be replaced by cucumber or green pepper cut into long thin strips; lettuce can serve as leaves; you can cut out various shapes out of red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, etc.)
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BOTTLE BOWLING |
| What You Need |
| Clean, empty plastic bottles without lids (if you
keep the lids, make sure they are securely attached with glue for
safety)
A ball |
| What to Do |
| Set the bottles in a row or in a group
Let your child try to knock down the bottles by rolling the ball
towards them (throwing the ball instead of rolling is okay, too!)
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| COLOR WEEK |
| This activity helps older toddlers and preschoolers learn colors. |
| What to Do |
| Make each day of the week a certain color, such as Yellow Monday, Green Tuesday, etc.
Ask your child to find objects of that color throughout the day
If you go to a grocery store, ask your child to pick out fruits/vegetables of the selected color; serve them as snacks or a side dish
Ask him or her to paint something with the color of the day |
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| WHAT IS IT? |
| What You Need |
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A large cardboard box
A light blanket or a blindfold
Various items, such as small toys |
| What to Do |
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Put several small toys in a large cardboard box
Cover the box with a blanket, leaving just a small opening enough to put two hands through (or you can use a blindfold instead)
Let children take turns picking up a toy while blindfolded and trying to guess what it is
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