Preschool-aged children are always eager to explore and learn new things. At this stage, they are developing their motor skills, social-emotional skills, language, and cognitive abilities. If your child is in preschool childcare, it’s important to find preschool home activities that support the learning objectives of their school program.
What Preschool Home Activities Can I Do?
When choosing a preschool home activity to do with your child, consider one that has a multifaceted approach and supports the learning goals of the preschool curriculum. With the proper preschool home activities, little ones will have more continuity between home and their preschool childcare, helping with tough transitions.
Our 5 Favorite Preschool Home Activities
- Arts and crafts
- Outdoor activities
- Reading
- Pretend play
- Cooking and baking
Preschool Crafting and Art Projects
Arts and crafts are great preschool home activities and are an excellent way to stimulate creativity and imagination in preschool-aged children. Provide your child with safe and age-appropriate art supplies like washable markers, crayons, play dough, and non-toxic paint.
You can also use recycled materials, such as cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls, and egg cartons to spark creativity and create various art projects. Arts and crafts help children of all ages develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive skills like problem-solving and planning.
Getting Outside
Outdoor activities are a great way for preschool-aged children to explore the world around them, develop gross motor skills, and get some exercise. Some great preschool home activities outdoors include water tables, sandpits, or homemade obstacle courses. Little ones don’t need much help to get engaged outside, and they will often create their own adventures!
Books and Reading for Preschoolers
Reading is fundamental for all ages! Reading books is crucial to the development of your child’s language, cognitive, and social skills. Set aside some time each day to read to your child and work on letter recognition and sounds. Also, encourage little ones to thumb through books on their own, even if they can’t quite read them yet. If you need a reason to get out of the house, picking out a new book is quite a treat!
Playing Pretend
Pretend play is how little ones learn best. Things like dress-up clothes, dolls, stuffed animals, and other engaging toys will encourage imaginative play. You can also help set up play scenarios, like a pretend grocery store, doctor’s office, or restaurant. Your little one will likely come up with tons of games and scenarios on their own, so always encourage them to play pretend!
Baking and Cooking Skills for Young Children
Not only is cooking and baking fun, but this preschool home activity can help kids develop practical skills like measuring, mixing, and following instructions. You can involve your child in simple cooking and baking activities like morning pancakes or cookies for a special occasion. This can also help pique your child’s interest in new foods and will encourage them to branch out and try new things.
Whether it’s springtime, the summertime, or anything in between, having great preschool home activities on deck is essential. Fortunately, Rising Stride Child Care Centers has tons of ideas to help support you so you can have a blast with your little one.