Activities for 3-5 Year Olds

Children will enjoy spending time completing fun activities.

Appropriate activities for children between the ages of 3 and 5 should be engaging and fun. Parents and educators should strive to provide activities that develop the cognitive dimension of learning for these young children, according to JoAnn Montes and Robert B. McDonald's study on a science curriculum for 3 and 4 year olds. These activities should be developmentally appropriate and help children establish a positive attitude toward learning through the use of hands-on activities, Crystal Allen wrote in 2007 at Marygrove College.

Sponge Paintings

Build excitement for these activities with sponge painting.

Young children enjoy using paint. Cover the work space with an old tablecloth or newspaper to protect it from paint spills. Give each child a sturdy file folder to use as the canvas. Provide several sponges. Work with the children as they paint. Make a palette for the children by placing the paint on various paper plates. Show children how to dip the sponge in the paint. Show them how to transfer the paint by pressing and holding the sponge against the folder. Help students mix a couple of primary colors to make secondary colors. This activity provides students with a basic understanding of the color wheel.

Transportation Time

Children will use their imagination during this project.

Discuss various modes of transportation with the children. Show them pictures of trains, cars, boats and planes. Explain to the children that they'll transform a cardboard box into one of these items. Let each child choose which mode of transportation to create. Guide students as they decorate a large cardboard box. Encourage each child to use his imagination as he builds the model. Leave the finished project out for a week or two to reinforce the idea of transportation and to give him a new source of fun during playtime.

Build a Shelter

Each child will have fun building a form of shelter.

Talk to children about various forms of shelter. If possible, show the kids several examples of homes. Discuss with them how people live in homes made of bricks, cloth or even mud in some countries. Explain to the students that they will be creating a shelter. Tell the kids that they should include the basic needs, such as food, clothing and a place to live. Guide the children as they use their imaginations to build a shelter indoors. This type of activity will give children a sense of appreciation for what they have.

Bead Jewelry

Young students enjoy working on a project they can give to others.

Boys and girls can benefit from the use of beads. Encourage children to create jewelry using beads. Tell them that they can make a necklace or bracelet for a friend or family member. With this project, preschool children can begin to understand the concept of patterns. Show the children how you can repeat colors to make an eye-pleasing craft. Young children will practice picking up small items and putting them on a string to create a beautiful item.

References

• ERIC Digests: Nature Study - A Science Curriculum for Three and Four-Year-Olds
• ERIC Digests: An Action Based Research Study on How Using Manipulatives Will Increase Student Achievement in Mathematics