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Apple activities for preschoolers can include crafts and other things of that nature. Learn about apple activities for preschoolers with help from a former family case worker for CPS in this free video clip.
Preschool centers have children engage in more than just the ABC's and 123's. History lessons that fall under the social studies umbrella, such as learning about the presidents, often may hold a prominent place in the preschool curriculum. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, social studies are a valuable part of the early childhood classroom, helping kids to learn about themselves and their world.
Many parents have dreams of teaching their preschoolers to read, but most very young children aren't developmentally ready to read independently. Developmentally appropriate literacy activities, however, can prepare children for kindergarten and elementary school by encouraging them to love reading and learning and giving them the basic background they need to begin understanding how letters and language work. The book "Literacy Beginnings" emphasizes that young children learn best through play, so it's wise to get rid of the flashcards and workbooks and focus on making literacy fun.
Painting is a great way to teach preschool children a wide variety of different things. Learn about a painting sensory activity for preschool children with help from the longtime director of a successful nationally accredited early childhood program in this free video clip.
It's always important to have objectives and procedures when painting with preschoolers. Learn about a painting activity for preschoolers that includes both objectives and procedures with help from the longtime director of a successful nationally accredited early childhood program in this free video clip.
"Goodnight Moon" is the name of a very popular children's story. Learn about goodnight activities and "Goodnight Moon" with help from the co-founder of an organization that provides quality care and education to young children in this free video clip.
Things like passing are great to work on for preschool soccer teams. Find out about preschool soccer activities with help from an international athlete in this free video clip.
If you're looking for a way to help your preschoolers develop healthy eating habits, make a connection between what's on their plates and the earth and learn valuable life skills, bring agricultural-themed activities into the classroom. Hands-on activities allow students to experience things first hand, as do field trips, and you can supplement these with daily lessons incorporated into snack and mealtimes and coloring and reading activities.
Preschoolers are like sponges, constantly observing and learning new things. Rather than focusing on teaching one skill at a time, planning activities that cover multiple subjects at a time make the most use of your day. If you plan activities children enjoy, they won’t even realize they’re learning letters, social skills and science all at the same time.
Preschoolers may know that darkness means night and sunshine means day, but examining these two concepts further helps children learn about comparisons and the rhythms of nature. Talking about the differences between daytime and nighttime also encourages preschoolers to be aware and make observations about the world around them. Use this subject not just to talk about times of day but to teach children language skills that will help them when they reach kindergarten.
Owls are birds of prey, which means they hunt other animals for food. These animals can be small rodents, insects and even other birds. Because owls do not have teeth, they swallow their food whole or in chunks torn off with their strong beaks. Owls then slowly digest the softer parts of animals, like the muscle and fat tissue. Later, they cough up pellets of undigested fur, bone, teeth, feathers and insect shells. These owl pellets can be dissected to determine the diet of the owl.
Preschool marks a time period when children begin to learn foundational skills in subjects such as English, math and science. Biology basics can also be taught to preschool-age children, including introductory knowledge to the body systems, such as the respiratory system. When you provide hands-on breathing activities you can make learning about this system entertaining.
"Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed" is a beloved children's song that incorporates movement, counting and phonetics. Using a familiar rhyme as the foundation for teaching new concepts helps build preschoolers' enthusiasm and interest. The repetition and numerical ordering of "Ten Little Monkeys" makes this song an effective tool for educational activities such as drawing and counting, and it also promotes movement and coordination.
Whether you are a teacher or parent, helping preschoolers learn about the people who live and work in their neighborhood is an enriching activity. Identifying people in the neighborhood and the role they play in the community, helps preschoolers make important connections with their surroundings. This also gives preschoolers a broader picture of their environment.
Preschoolers are always on the go. When babysitting a preschooler, it is important to contain this energy through hands-on, educational and physical activities that are appropriate for children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. These activities also distract from the issue of separation anxiety that can occur with many preschool-aged children. Have a stress-free babysitting experience by compiling a list of stimulating, age-appropriate and confidence-building activities ahead of time.
Preschoolers love learning about shapes. The key to designing effective preschool lesson plans about octagons, pentagons and other shapes is to show children how these shapes are a part of their everyday lives. Seeing, recognizing and interacting with octagons and pentagons in the world around them helps preschoolers to understand why it's important that they learn about these shapes.
The doctor theme fits well into the preschool curriculum, particularly within a larger unit on community helpers. The theme offers a variety of objects and ideas that translate well to preschool classroom activities. A mix of activities, such as crafts, dramatic play and math, themed around doctors introduces the kids to the medical field, while alleviating some of the fear associated with doctor visits.
"How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight" is an illustrated children's book written by Jane Yolen that deals with proper and improper bedtime behavior. The book consists of a range of colorful illustrations and common nighttime family rituals."Dinosaurs Say" is a good book for preschool children as it contains a theme appropriate to the age, and it includes a number of fun and educational activities for you and your child to enjoy as you read the story.
Preschoolers like to learn about the different types of jobs adults perform. Teach your class about one of the most interesting careers that is sure to capture their attention, that of a zookeeper. Create activities which will define the role of a zookeeper, give the children opportunities to role play, create art work and engage in literacy activities.
As the first formal educational setting, preschool prepares early learners for long-term academic success. During preschool, children between ages three and five develop the social, cognitive, motor and language skills needed for kindergarten readiness. Learning challenges in preschool stem from various factors, such as developmental delays, behavioral disruptions, language barriers and a lack of parent participation. Preschool educators should implement classroom activities geared toward evaluating and assisting preschoolers who struggle academically. This early intervention will set students on a positive learning path.
Preschoolers draw a sense of security from a predictable routine and invest themselves deeply into relationships with parents and other important people in their lives which makes it difficult to say goodbye. But the real world is full of separations and transitions of many kinds so preschool activities on saying goodbye to people help children build up emotional resilience to the ebb and flow of the presence of their loved ones. Whether the child is facing separation anxiety, moving, graduating to a new classroom, learning good manners or facing the death of someone close to him, goodbye activities help him…
Teach preschoolers about their senses -- sight, smell, touch and sound -- by having them participate in a variety of hands-on activities. Incorporating something young children love into the activities, such as teddy bears, will grab their attention and keep them involved. Encourage the children to try their best by rewarding them with teddy bear stickers and small plush teddy bears for a job well done.
When teaching preschoolers simple commands, you can organize activities to allow them a chance to have fun while learning. Short, action-based activities will grab their attention and accommodate preschoolers' short attentions spans. Entice the children to play along by awarding prizes, such as stickers and children's books, to activity winners or for a job well done.
It’s important to teach children about the story of the first Thanksgiving. Even though preschoolers are very young, you can still tailor lessons about the Mayflower around concepts and ideas that they will understand. This will help them to grasp a general idea about the Mayflower journey, so they can build this knowledge in years to come.
Use the nursery rhyme, "Polly Put the Kettle On," along with activities related to the rhyme to teach preschool aged children more than just recitation and memorization. According to the British Council, teaching children nursery rhymes can help them learn about the mechanics of the English language. Some lessons they can learn from rhymes include letters and their accompanying sounds and other important lessons.
A transportation lesson for preschool children is a fun way to learn about the many ways to travel. A conductor hat can be used in conjunction with a lesson about train travel. A conductor is often confused with the train engineer. While the conductor is mainly concerned with passenger adherence and safety, the engineer operates the train. While conductor hats are different from engineer hats, both are fun to make. Paper engineer and conductor hats are easily made by preschool-aged children. Finding the correct activities to go along with hat crafting completes a successful transportation lesson.
Many preschoolers can learn a lot about nature by studying butterflies. The insect goes through several phases before becoming the beautiful winged insect often associated with beauty. Combining the insect with cooking is easy if you have a butterfly cookie cutter. The kids will enjoy the process of cutting and decorating their own treat.
Children often have a strong interest in animals. As they progress in their education, kids typically express a desire to learn about species that go beyond basic pets and farm animals. Pique children's interest by teaching them about foxes, using activities that explore everything from the way these creatures look to how they behave to documenting which ones are on the endangered species list.
If they haven't been already, preschool children will likely be around disabled adults and children at some point in their lives. Because of their young age, many preschoolers don't understand what it means to be disabled. Disability awareness activities can increase their knowledge of disabilities and teach them to be sensitive toward others who are different.
Preschoolers will love decorating for Christmas with festive handprint crafts. Christmas-themed handprint crafts are an excellent way to get young children in the holiday spirit while enhancing their creativity. The key to a successful craft for preschoolers is to keep it simple and straightforward.
The differences between front and backward can inspire plenty of interactive games and activities for a preschool classroom. Students will learn about opposites and how to use the two directions, front and backward, to label things in their own life. Beyond that, you may also use the activities to develop gross motor skills, which are large movements of parts of the body or the entire body.
"Girls just want to have fun," said pop-musical icon, Cyndi Lauper. The same is true for boys, especially when it comes to preschool. Musical ball activities for little children are a wise and creative way to introduce youngsters to the world of music. Planning several things to do during the event will keep the party rocking.
Many preschoolers, who are in the midst of developing fine motor skills, may be familiar with the concept of a wheel and axle, though neither by name nor by its spot on the list of simple machines. Your pupils may already recognize wheels on their tricycles or their parents' cars. Explain to them in basic terms that these things utilize axles as well, which aid in turning the wheels.
Fall is a busy time of the year, with holidays and the beginning of a new school year. Take time to plan a few fun fall activities for your class to enjoy. Plan a field trip to a pumpkin patch so that students can see how pumpkins grow. Teach students about the harvest, and create your own classroom harvest festival with the help of parents and volunteers.
Brainstorming is a skill that kids use throughout their formal schooling. Developing the skill in preschool can help encourage kids to share their ideas and participate in brainstorming activities as they get older. Use a variety of activities to teach kids about brainstorming and let them practice a few types of brainstorming.
Preschool children already use their senses but may not be cognitively aware of the processes. The purpose of sensory activities in preschool is to enable children to become conscious of their senses in order to differentiate them. Additionally, preschoolers can learn how their senses relate to their bodies -- eyes,ears, tongue, nose and skin. Each sense can be combined with teaching shapes and colors.
Preschoolers are naturally creative with a strong interest in colors. They love to paint, so painting activities for letters of the alphabet engage their creativity while exposing them to letters. The letter S is memorable because of its interesting shape and its easy-to-make sound. Painting activities can incorporate shape, sound and color to make the letter S memorable and easily recognizable for preschool students.
Getting crafty with a group of preschoolers doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition. Instead of investing a lot of money in craft supplies for your pupils, consider using found objects, such as empty coffee creamer containers. With these would-be-trash items, you can engage your pupils' creativity and encourage them to think imaginatively.
Teach your preschoolers about their sense of scent with nose and smell activities. Activities will teach children about their sense of smell in an entertaining way. With short attention spans, it is best to plan quick and easy activities for preschoolers to keep their attention. You can also entice them to try their best by awarding stickers or small prizes to game winners or for a job well done.
The open-ended nature of block play makes it a useful tool for teaching many subjects beyond the expected motor and spatial skills usually taught there. Many of the themes you teach can flow nicely into the block area. For example, once your students have made rainforest animals, it logically follows that those creatures will need a place to live. The block area provides the perfect raw materials to encourage that extension. In addition to extending your theme, you can use the block area to teach specific lessons about the rainforest.
The habits your children develop while still young will shape their dental hygiene routines for the rest of their lives. You can influence their long-term dental health by engaging them in activities that will train them in strong toothbrushing habits. Some factors to pay attention to are how long your children brush their teeth, whether they brush at least twice a day and how thoroughly they reach all parts of their teeth and gums.
The classic "This Little Piggy" rhyme goes, "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, this little piggy cried, 'wee, wee, wee' all the way home!" The rhyme can be used as the starting point for several preschool activities.
Many young children are fascinated by ambulances and other emergency vehicles that have loud sirens. You can use this natural interest to engage children in activities that will teach them more about how ambulances work and what they do. This also is an opportunity to teach children about safety, hospitals and what to do in an emergency.
When most preschoolers sit down with an adult to read, the piece of reading they gather around is a fictional work, such as a fairy tale. While these fictional works can be an effective means of capturing student attention, preschoolers should also gain some experience with factual pieces. To introduce nonfiction to your preschool students, send home activities that relate to facts relevant to them.
Preschoolers are starting to understand people and things aren’t all the same. Some things and people -- in fact most people and things -- are larger, higher, wider and bigger all the way around than they are. They also play with toys, dogs and cats that are not as big as they are. Activities help preschoolers understand the concept of tall and taller.
Historical kings and queens played a large role in shaping the way the world looks today, and preschool is an appropriate time to introduce some lessons about kings and queens. Choose some activities that are hands-on and get the children involved in learning about several aspects of the lives of kings and queens.
Take a trip to the grocery store the next time you're looking for teaching supplies for your preschool class. Use noodles as a tool for teaching preschoolers a variety of skills and topics. Gather a collection of different types and colors of noodles and guide your students in making discoveries using dried noodles.
Preschoolers can learn to use maracas to develop coordination, improve rhythmic ability and increase awareness of other people. By playing maracas in a group and responding to other kids, you are providing an active environment for the children to grow and learn. Maracas are far from just an rhythmic effect when given to a preschool child. The possibilities for developing the child's individual awareness and self-esteem can provide great improvements to the child's sense of self-worth and importance.
There are several music activities for preschoolers that incorporate musical instruments. Whether you have a complete Orff ensemble set with xylophones, recorders, marimbas and small toy percussion instruments, or you have a small program consisting only of hand drums and recorders, you can easily integrate music into the classroom. Since preschool students generally do not read music, it is best to start them on the path towards understanding music notation, while still allowing them the freedom to experiment.
Preschool students are at the age when they are expected to know some basic social conventions, such as saying hello when you greet people and goodbye when you leave. Incorporate a variety of activities involving saying hellos and goodbyes into the preschool schedule to teach children about these words.
By the time a child is a toddler, she typically understands simple two-step requests, like "pick up your ball and put it away, please." Preschoolers ages 3 to 5 may understand more complex 2-step requests, most notably those incorporated into learning activities. Study your curriculum for ways to use two-step activities and structure for classroom management. Students with too much information at once may not finish all tasks because they become frustrated, and it may appear that your class isn't "listening." Always use positive, encouraging language and tone, and praise accomplishments to help build confidence.
When conversation hearts are available around Valentine's Day, use them for a few educational activities for preschoolers before letting them eat the hearts as a snack or take them home for later. The hearts have a few key features that make them ideal for reinforcing things that the preschoolers have been learning throughout the year.
The story of the tortoise and the hare teaches the value of steady perseverance. Children enjoy the animal characters and the twist at the end, while the simple but vivid story line clearly illustrates the importance of finishing what you start. You can help preschoolers understand and internalize the story by leading them in activities that parallel the story. Alternatively, you can emphasize a specific character or aspect of it, such as how the tortoise may have felt during the race or why the hare took a nap.
Growing runner beans is an ideal activity for preschoolers because there are only a few supplies involved, the beans grow quickly even in less-than-ideal situations and children can plant them in an outside garden or in a pot once they have 1-inch roots. They can also watch the runner bean seed as it creates an intricate root system in a matter of days, and they learn that most plants need water and sunlight to sprout and healthy soil to continue growing.
Grooming helps dogs feel good and is an important part of pet ownership. Dog grooming -- including bathing and brushing the dog’s coat, cleaning the ears, eyes and teeth, and trimming the nails -- can also be a fun way to introduce preschoolers to the responsibility of caring for another creature. Dog grooming activities for preschoolers can include hands-on grooming, play acting and coloring.
One way to teach children the difference between winter and other seasons is through the senses. Sensory tables are a way that children can use all five senses to explore and observe the world around them. Theme your water and sand buckets to winter and use concepts such as snowfall, snow days and plowing to teach children about the cold season.
Often children do not understand the science behind the spread of disease or their role in its prevention. Explain to preschoolers that coughing and sneezing while sick can make their friends sick as well as invisible germs travel through the air and on their hands. Teach preschoolers to protect the health of others by engaging in enjoyable activities regarding healthy coughing and sneezing habits that will engage children’s attention and help them internalize the information.
Children in preschool are developing and refining their motor skills, or actions that control how muscles move the body. In contrast to fine motor skills which focus on small muscle groups, gross motor skills involve larger muscles of the body such as those used to walk, run, throw, kick and jump. Help preschoolers develop gross motor skills by implementing activities that foster large muscle development. Implement games with balls that involve throwing, rolling, kicking and relaying.
Sensory activities are an important part of the preschool curriculum, allowing students to explore the world through touch and finding out properties of different materials. Sensory activities are often helpful in developing a young child's fine motor skills as well. With any sensory activity you will want to make sure the activity is properly supervised so the children do not try to swallow small objects.
Sensory activities that focus on sight, touch, smell and sound are excellent options for teaching preschoolers about animals. Sensory activities not only develop vocabulary and descriptive abilities, they refine young children's understanding of animals. As with any activity, it is important to evaluate whether or not each is appropriate for your children's age and cognitive abilities.
Preschool may be a child's first introduction to a community of similarly aged peers. While different preschools have their own philosophies with regards to education and learning environments, one thing remains the same: preschoolers need to learn how to socialize with others. Socialization is a skill that must be taught and learned. As such, the preschool atmosphere is an appropriate place and time in a child's life to participate in activities that promote socialization.
While children typically don't begin taking Earth Science classes until they're in elementary school, many preschoolers are interested in learning about the world they live in. Instead of giving them homework assignments or tests as worksheets, preschool teachers can teach their students about the world around them with hands on land and water activities.
Rapid language acquisition characterizes a child's preschool period. By the time a child typically begins school, the building blocks of vocabulary and language are almost in place. This is why it is essential to foster an interest in and enjoyment of language during this critical period. Language activities for preschoolers should focus on vocabulary and sentence structure.
The classic tale of "The Three Little Pigs" and its many variations is a popular story around which lessons are planned in elementary school. Whether you are a teacher needing a craft extension for a lesson or a parent needing a craft for a child's favorite story, the story of "The Three Little Pigs" offers plenty of subject matter for entertaining crafts.
Working with triangles, or three-sided closed geometrical figures, in preschool can help children learn basic math concepts and stimulate naturally artistic or creative talents. You can begin by teaching the children about triangles and how they can distinguish them from other shapes. Preschoolers can take part in multiple triangle opening activities as part of art projects.
Fans of the American poet known as Dr. Seuss are aware that his children's books often contain more message than might be seen at first glance. "The Lorax," for example, is a cautionary environmental tale wrapped in clever verse. "The Butter Battle Book" explores not only the logical fallacies of the Cold War, but takes a critical view of indifference as a whole. Such mature topics might seem a bit far fetched for preschoolers, but with the right presentation, you can craft activities that appeal to nascent minds and encourage them to explore the challenges of the adult world.
Most preschool classes perform the rhyme “Five Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree” at some point during the school year. Preschoolers love the rhyme, and they don’t realize that they are learning from it. The rhyme helps children learn about counting backwards and allows them to practice rhyme and repetition. Activities can further strengthen and extend these lessons.
Once a child enters school, he will meet and interact with classmates from around the world. Teaching multiculturalism to preschoolers instills a sense of appreciation for diversity in the world and helps children develop a curiosity about culture. Develop activities that preschoolers can successfully achieve and feel proud of.
Children generally begin throwing large balls about 5 feet in distance around age 2. At this age, kids appear rather uncoordinated in their throwing skills. However, by age 4, preschoolers are beginning to take more control over their gross motor abilities. With some engaging games and activities, as well as a bit of demonstration from the teacher, preschoolers can improve their throwing skills quickly.
In a world in which communication to the any part of the globe is easy and instantaneous, promoting multicultural awareness in young children is becoming increasingly more valuable. Children who learn at an early age to respect and engage with members of other cultures can use those skills later in life. An effective way to expose preschool children to cultural differences is through music activities, which any child can enjoy.
The story of Noah's Ark is a lesson about God's promises and the rewards of obedience. Noah obeyed God's command to build a gigantic boat when God said he was going to send a flood because the people had become wicked and no longer listened to him. God promised to protect Noah, his family and two of every kind of animal on the ark. Noah and his family obeyed God and built the ark, even though the people made fun of him. Noah obeyed God, and God kept his promise to protect Noah and his family. Art and craft activities…
Perceptual motor skills include balance, spatial and body perception, awareness of rhythm and fine muscle movements. Preschoolers develop these activities slowly through play. Teachers and parents can help children develop these skills through movement and balance activities. Make the activities enjoyable by turning them into a game or competition.
The next time you collect some leaves with a child on a nature walk through the park, come home and raid your craft cabinet. Nature activities are educational, allowing children to be creative while they study objects from nature up close. Whether you’re introducing a lesson about trees in your classroom or decorating for the autumn season with your child at home, plan some leaf painting crafts to keep little hands and minds engaged.
Children can develop biases for or against groups -- such as race, gender, class and religion -- at a young age. Teach preschoolers about different cultures in an exciting way with anti-bias activities. Activities will teach the young children how to focus on positive differences and build self-confidence. Awarding stickers for a job well done can encourage preschoolers to try their best.
Multicultural musical activities help children become more aware of other cultures which populate the Earth. In addition, these activities aid children in learning more about music, tempo and different kinds of musical instruments. Use multicultural music activities to enrich your preschool classroom and encourage the children to explore other cultures on their own.
Not every child wants to play team sports, which is why individual sports like snowboarding are a good alternative. According to the article "Team vs. Individual Sports: Helping Your Child Find the Right Fit," experimenting is the only way for your child to decide which option is the right one. Different snowboarding activities, from classroom games to actual lessons, can help your child decide if snowboarding is a sport he or she would like to try before you purchase expensive snowboarding equipment.
Help your preschooler to better understand the human body through an imaginative craft project. Instead of simply telling her about the body parts, systems and functions, create a hands-on learning experience that involves painting, drawing and other art adventures. From full-sized lifelike cutouts to coloring pages and puppets, body craft activities for preschoolers are an easy way to help the young learner to make discoveries and explore.
Many children adore learning about different species of wild animals, such as their names, behaviors and habitats. If your preschoolers enjoy the animal kingdom, teach them about different animals habitats. There are a variety of activities that involve animal homes that are both exciting and engaging to the minds of preschoolers, such as games that involve matching animals to their appropriate homes.
Devising games around a tent that you can crawl inside offers a day of creative, imaginative camping activities. To keep preschool age children engaged and entertained, let the tent itself be the basis of the activities. Coming up with an assortment of activities will help sustain the interest of very young children.
Preschool students respond well to activities involving a hands-on approach, making music an exceptional activity for young children. Learning about the different instruments is enhanced when students can actually see the instruments. Since most preschools don't have access to several musical instruments, the alternative is to show pictures and play samples of music. Children will be stimulated and excited when they begin to learn and correctly identify the sounds of musical instruments.
Doghouses are fascinating to preschool children because the small dwellings are just the right size for a 4-year-old camp out. Young children love to go in and out of doghouses and playhouses and pretend they are having extraordinary adventures. Doghouse crafts are a fun way to encourage your young ones to stretch their imaginations to include even smaller houses in their play.
Kids love to learn about animals, so a good way to take advantage of their natural curiosity is to introduce them to animal-themed activities in preschool. While many lesson plans often feature animals from around the world, you can hone in on creatures right here in the United States with a few activities the whole class can take enjoy.
The alphabet contains 26 letter that make up the building blocks of the English language. According to the LD OnLine website, the development of critical early reading-related skills are fostered when children are exposed at an early age to literary activities, including learning the letters of the alphabet. LD OnLine also reports that learning to read is a lengthy process that begins very early in development, even before children enter formal schooling. Your responsibility as a parent is to practice and foster these vital skills with your children. Such alphabet practice includes activities like singing songs, coloring activities and letter…
Preschoolers are generally very active children. They have discovered that their body is able to do a variety of motions and are eager to try new activities. Kids between ages 3 to 5 have the skills to run and walk in a variety of ways, ride a tricycle, play catch, jump, and pump their legs on a swing. Expose preschool age children to a variety of athletic activities and watch their excitement as they begin to improve gross motor skills.
Keeping children entertained can be hard to do when you are not quite sure what is readily available in terms of activities. In Greenbelt, Maryland, you'll find a variety of preschool-friendly events, programs and options. From educational experiences to all-out fun options, parents and caregivers can find plenty to keep their little ones entertained.
Teacher's often use Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy of thinking skills when planning their curriculum. Bloom includes in his taxonomy lower-order-thinking skills such as knowledge, comprehension and application as well as higher-order-thinking skills like synthesis, evaluation and analysis. Teachers can develop higher-order-thinking skills in preschoolers by teaching them to question why something occurred, how it occurred or how it might have occurred differently.
“Spooktacular” spider web activities can add excitement to any preschool classroom. Whether you are organizing a Halloween lesson plan or teaching the preschoolers about spiders, you can prepare a variety of spider web activities for the children to do. Award the young children with plastic spider rings, available online and at most retail stores in October, for a job well done.
Preschool-aged children respond to learning activities that allow them to engage multiple senses. At this stage, they develop fine motor, gross motor and cognitive skills that will contribute to their future education. This time also presents an opportunity for children to build a positive image of school and learning. It is important for preschool teachers to find creative ways for students to build skills while using all five senses. In her article "Raising a 'Sensory Smart' Child" for Education.com, Julie Williams advises educators to vary sensory experiences for children and avoid repetition.
Preschoolers with special needs require more patience and time when it comes to performing activities. Depending upon the extent of the child's disability or need, he might be limited to doing only a few select activities or needing much assistance to perform a said task. Parents looking to help their children develop talents or skills can perform a variety of activities in the home, and teachers can incorporate these activities into the classroom learning time to help the special needs preschooler.
Keeping preschoolers busy and occupied is quite a challenge sometimes with their short attention spans. When teaching a group of preschoolers or looking for something for your preschoolers to do at home, you can organize a variety of activities for them to do using ropes. Rope activities can keep the little ones busy for hours with games that provide high-quality fitness exercises.
Rhyming is a fun way to teach young children vocabulary and language skills. At the preschool level, you want students to be able to identify rhyming words and come up with their own rhymes. Help your young students learn to rhyme with a variety of activities that will keep them entertained. By practicing rhyming with your students each day, you can help them develop a skill that will go a long way toward language acquisition.
"The Jolly Postman" is a children's picture book about a postman who delivers personalized letters to favorite children's story characters. The book by Janet and Allan Ahlberg features pages with envelopes containing letters to take out and read as they are "delivered" to Cinderella, Mother Goose and other characters. You can help preschool children understand the concept of mail delivery through "The Jolly Postman" activities.
Whether camping in a tent or an RV, getting away from the daily grind and into the great outdoors can be a great time for families. While camping, preschoolers who typically go to bed early may be allowed to stay up later and participate in some activities that can only be done after the sun goes down. Even families that pitch a tent in the backyard can teach a preschooler some fun things to do at night when camping.
Preschoolers have an abundance of energy that typically lacks focus and direction. Harness some of this energy to get some necessary chores done around the house. Most preschoolers will enjoy helping their parents and grandparents whenever they are presented with the opportunity. Providing assistance makes a preschooler feel more mature and independent. When you ask your child for assistance, you are also boosting your child's self-esteem. By including your preschooler in daily household cleaning routines you are reiterating your faith in your child to contribute help and to get involved in a group effort.
Wagons and wheelbarrows are handy tools that you can use in your preschool class. These small hauling vehicles can serve a variety of purposes. You can use them to teach your preschoolers about teamwork or you can play different hauling games that can help keep them entertained and physically active.
Teach your preschoolers about bumblebees with entertaining activities. From crafts to games, you can prepare a variety of activities that will educate the children about the buzzing insects in a fun way. Many young children have short attention spans so it is best to plan short, quick activities for them to do. Awarding bumblebee stickers to children for a job well done can keep them interested in the activities.
Most kids enjoy eating gelatin snacks and watching the gelatin wiggle and jiggle. Parents and teachers of preschoolers can use gelatin for learning activities that kids enjoy. A few inexpensive food and kitchen items keep preschoolers busy for hours. You can locate most of the items you need in your kitchen cabinets.
Sewing activities specially designed for preschool children give students the opportunity to develop their fine motor skills, begin learning a grown-up activity and express their creativity. These sewing activities can be done without a sharp needle, which can be dangerous for small hands to work with. Instead, fingers or blunt plastic canvas needles are the only tools necessary for students to be introduced to basic sewing concepts and techniques.
Many preschoolers find the first day of school intimating and need a few activities to loosen them up. Prepare a few activities for your preschoolers to help introduce them to their new classmates and possibly make new friends. Many young children have short attention spans, so it is best to plan short and easy activities for them to do.
Every child, and every adult for that matter, requires sensory input and activities throughout the day. Using the senses is both ordinary and normal, but children require some training in integrating and channeling the information they receive from their senses into appropriate behaviors. Using calming sensory activities with young children can help them settle down for naps and bedtime or simply calm them down from being too excited or rambunctious.
Some preschoolers will walk into the classroom full of life, whereas others will hide behind their parents. Organizing some activities first thing in the morning gives all children a chance to get ready for the day. Starting the day with a familiar routine helps preschoolers feel secure.
Preschool children learn by practice and example. Adding manners to your lesson plans is a good way to help your young pupils learn to behave appropriately and remember to use good manners. Spend a few minutes each day teaching these skills so the children incorporate good manners into their daily lives.
Preschool-aged children are seemingly always on the move. As Allen Rupnow and Vikki Morrain of Iowa State University write in "Growing Up Fit," the early development of gross motor skills -- large muscle group movements -- improves a child's overall fitness, increases his body awareness and instills a love of movement. Lead preschool children through a variety of activities in physical education to develop gross motor skills.
Preschool-age children who engage their senses through play often exercise creativity, increase their attention span and develop language skills. Many hands-on projects also provide opportunities to notice sights, sounds and smells. Introducing sensory-based activities to young children gives them more than just an enjoyable playtime--they also reap the benefit of social, physical and cognitive development.
In the early years, children are just beginning to recognize, understand and regulate the range of human emotions from happy to sad and frustrated to angry. Parents and teachers of preschool aged children can help kids to achieve emotional competence through an array of activities including drama, art and general play. Managing emotions is not an easy task; especially for a preschooler.
From Egypt to Rome to China and beyond, the human species simultaneously developed several civilizations, all unaware of each other. Preschoolers, however, will not be able to grasp the enormity of our history, so it's best to focus on one defining characteristic of each civilization to give them a taste of what life was like back then for different people. Dates and maps will be meaningless to them, but by giving them a physical, tangible symbol of each developing world, you can impart at least a basic knowledge of history.
Nutritious activities for preschoolers promote the idea that food can be fun, delicious and wholesome at the same time. Games and crafts capture small children’s curiosity and nudge them to experiment with new foods. This is your chance to pitch some healthy snack ideas to that picky eater inside your preschooler. Edible activities also reinforce the value of building wellness habits that can last a lifetime, such as eating lots of fruits and vegetables every day.
Noticing differences and similarities in things they see is an important skill that children need for future grades in school. When children learn to read, they must notice very fine distinctions in letters, words, numbers and everyday objects that look almost identical. Plan play activities that will help the children’s eyes to see the variations in all types of materials. Children need repetition to learn and understand these differences.
The term “Preschooler” refers to three- or four-year-old children who are yet to begin regular schooling. With their unbound energy and propensity to fantasize, preschoolers are demanding, independent, curious and eager to explore the world with all their senses. You can perform some activities to stimulate their cognitive skills and aid in their holistic development.
Understanding the concept of left and right can be challenging for preschoolers. With engaging and interactive activities, however, you can turn this difficult concept into a rewarding learning experience. The use of color, sound and movement will keep young bodies active while stretching their minds. Help your preschool students master the differences between left and right to give them a better sense of direction.
Preschoolers love learning about and being able to recognize new colors, so teach them about the color yellow with a series of engaging activities. Ask students to find items that are yellow in the classroom. Send a note home to parents requesting that students wear yellow during your yellow color lessons.
If you have shoe boxes piling up in your closet, you can put them to good use and entertain your preschooler at the same time. Kids at this age have large imaginations and can make wonderful crafts with just a shoe box and some basic craft supplies. With your help, they will be able to transform your shoe boxes into vehicles, magical castles or anything else they can come up with.
Made from plastic tubs, sensory tables offer preschoolers a chance to learn in a hands-on way that stimulates their senses. Standing around a sensory table, a group of preschoolers can explore and create with materials such as sand, water, bubbles, rice, dirt, polystyrene foam peanuts and much more. When you introduce a beach theme to your preschool class, incorporate some of these beach-theme sensory table ideas into your curriculum to add depth to your students' learning.
It's never too early to teach children about embracing and celebrating diversity. Three and 4-year-old preschoolers know that differences exist among skin tones, eye shapes, and hair textures, according to Barbara Biles, an expert in family and early childhood development. Celebrating diversity in the classroom helps preschoolers feel content in who they are and helps them feel valued, according to Ellen Booth Church, an expert in family and early childhood development. Reinforce lessons about diversity and cultural with interactive, creative activities that both entertain and educate the students.
Empathy is the ability to identify with another person's feelings. According to the website Education.com, children as young as 18 months can identify expressions of other people such as "happy" or "sad." Thus, you should start teaching your child about empathy at an early age.
Pique preschoolers' interest in words with lessons incorporating tongue twisters. The silly sayings help the youngsters to practice pronouncing specific sounds, which can form the basis for learning the rudiments of reading. Tongue twisters are not just ways to repeat a similar sound in a funny sentence. They also serve as effective teaching tools for the classroom.
Whether you are a preschool teacher planning a community helpers theme for your class, or a parent looking for an activity for your little one, fire truck games, projects and play can both educate and entertain. Take the play beyond typical fire truck toys and turn your activities into imaginative ideas that will ignite your preschooler's creative side.
Preschool children are generally curious about natural phenomena, such as the water or rain cycle. Always use concrete materials when teaching the basic scientific concepts involved in the rain cycle phenomenon. Dialogue and creative hands-on activities, such as scientific experiments and panel formation, are often the best way of teaching science to young children.
People learn languages best through regular exposure to them, and preschoolers are no exception. If you want your child to be English/Spanish bilingual like you, he should come into contact with these languages on a daily basis while you introduce and reinforce them in a fun or positive way. This is especially important if your child does not currently encounter Spanish anywhere else except when with you.
It takes 4 1/2 lbs. of fresh grapes to make 1 lb. of raisins, according to the Sun-Maid website. Aside from being tasty to many people, raisins lend themselves to a variety of activities for preschoolers. From educational activities to games, you can create entertaining activities for preschoolers to enjoy at school or home.
Preschool starter activities normally occur in the morning while students are arriving at school, and the class is beginning the school day. Many young children need a small period of time to adjust to being away from home and learning to deal with a different authority figure. Morning starter activities are also a great way to get kids accustomed to the school routine, as children succeed when they have a schedule to follow.
A fairy tale, such as "Hansel and Gretel," entertains young children with imaginary characters and places which can inspire learning activities for preschoolers. Using candy "bread crumbs," the children practice sorting colors, making patterns and counting or follow a trail through a maze. Hansel and Gretel songs activate preschoolers' natural desire to move and be active. Building candy houses provides an edible treat to enjoy while listening to the story read aloud.
Tactile sensation is also known as touch sensation. It is the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin. Small children are intrigued by the texture of different materials around them and are curious to touch and work with them. Activities involving the use of scissors to cut different materials and shapes improve their tactile sensation and expose them to a variety of surfaces, textures and materials around them. Such activities are also useful for children with tactile sensitivity, i.e., children who fear touching different textures and surfaces.
Plan a day of summertime preschool fun with a preschool car wash. Let parents know in advance that their children will be playing in the water at preschool and ask them to pack a change of clothes, a towel, sunblock and swimwear. Enjoy fun in the sun but plan for indoor water activities in case of inclement weather.
Whether you're a preschool teacher or the parent of a preschool aged child, you know that it is important to teach children reading comprehension skills at this young age. Just as a child must learn how to read, she must also learn how to comprehend the material she is reading. Use fun reading comprehension activities to make this learning process fun for the child.
Behavior problems can start early on, especially when a child starts preschool. Bad behavior occurs for a variety of reasons, but sometimes it happens because children need more stimulation to keep them busy. Dr. William Sears, a pediatrician, says children may develop mood swings from triggers such as being bored, tired, frustrated or in need of attention. Feature activities that address or prevent bed behavior and reinforce good behaviors.
Nursery rhymes inspire preschool children to imagine a world that includes zany characters, silly melodies and new adventures. Some rhymes have a soothing melody that can lull a child to sleep, while other nursery rhymes feature stories with specific lessons weaved into them. Feature a few projects along with activities that involve movement and group participation.
Directional words are part of a growing child's vocabulary requirements. Concepts such as up, behind, toward, inside and under are part of the essential building blocks to communication and understanding. As a teacher of preschoolers you have the important task of teaching these words and you will want to make this effort both fun and practical. Utilizing different methods will increase your student's comprehension and engagement, making your classroom a fun and functional place of learning.
Young children in preschool can be emotionally volatile. Teachers need to work closely with students to help curb outbursts of anger or excitement to make future schooling easier. In the higher grades of elementary and middle school, the administration will not be as understanding about emotional outbursts as a preschool teacher.
Preschool students are fascinated by shadows, so ignite their curiosity with a unit on shadows and lights. To engage students, show them clips from the cartoon Peter Pan, in which Peter tries to catch his own shadow. Bring in flashlights for students to experiment with in the classroom: Turn off the lights and encourage students to make light shapes and shadows on the ceiling.
Exploration leads to the pursuit of knowledge. Building up a child’s inquisitive side should start early so she has a desire to accrue knowledge. Teaching proper exploration skills can give children the skills they need to effectively acquire knowledge. Exploration also helps a preschooler understand her physical limits, helping her form respect for healthy physical exertion.
Young children develop quickly from year to year. According to the Mayo Clinic, kids of preschool age, which is about 3 or 4, can form short sentences, recognize situations where they must take turns and have enough physical prowess to play simple ball games. Kids of this age, however, also tend to be bossy and aggressive. These characteristics can make life difficult for a caregiver, especially when preschoolers are transitioning from one activity to another.
The best way to instill healthy habits in your child is to start teaching her about dental health before her teeth start coming. If she starts taking care of her gums and teeth at an early age, she will develop healthy dental habits through repetitive acts throughout the day. Your child should brush her teeth with a child-sized, soft toothbrush with water and a pea-sized amount of children’s toothpaste.
Preschoolers can learn hand-to-eye coordination and gross motor skills by participating in a variety of simple ball activities. Prepare activities to get the preschoolers up and moving, as well as having fun. From throwing to catching to kicking balls, activities can keep a group of preschoolers busy for hours of excitement.
Sensory activities are essential for teaching preschoolers about their innate capacities for physical awareness. Your five senses include: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Toddlers automatically bang their hands, shake objects and scream as ways to process their awareness of sensory integration. Preschool-aged children can take advantage of physical activities to learn about their bodies while enjoying the experience.
Prosocial behaviors are included in every state's preschool standards and in the goals for Head Start. These behaviors typically include the sharing of materials, taking turns, cooperating with others toward a common goal and empathizing with others. Training in these behaviors starts early and continues throughout life.
Young preschool-aged children often have a difficult time sitting still for long periods of time. Therefore, in a preschool class, it is important to implement activities into the day that allow the preschoolers to move around and learn while they're doing it. Dancing activities not only give the children physical exercise, they can also offer them other learning experiences.
The preschool learning process should not only be interactive between teacher and students, but there should also be collaboration between the students. This collaborative form of learning trains preschoolers to work as team members and helps them to develop social skills that will help them in elementary school and beyond. Preschoolers who collaborate during activities can learn how to work better with the other students and build good habits both academically and socially.
There are plenty of opportunities for introducing pattern recognition to preschoolers. Patterns are all around the preschool classroom, from repeated images on wallpaper to repeating choruses in songs; it is worth taking the time to point out patterns whenever an educational opportunity arises. There are also a variety of fun activities you can do with your preschoolers to teach patterns. Harness the cognitive skills and creativity of your young students to show them how patterns work.
Sensory activities activate one or multiple senses in playtime. Sensory development is vital for children as they must process an overwhelming amount of sensory information every day. Sensory activities let children explore their world in ways they may not be accustomed to, and foster creativity.
Non-musical movement activities can help young children to develop in many different ways ranging from motor skills to social and emotional growth. While adults might prefer music to spark their imaginations, children have plenty of natural creativity. Preschoolers don't need a beat to dance to; provide some direction or props to get them moving.
Teaching the story of David and Goliath to a group of preschoolers can be a lot of fun. To begin with, it is a story filled with action the children are genuinely interested in. If you add a fun activity or two to the mix, the preschoolers only enjoy the lesson that much more.
Preschoolers need to learn the different shapes and begin to develop literacy skills before moving on to kindergarten. Children this age should learn to identify basic shapes, work on pre-writing skills, learn the letters of the alphabet and sit still to listen to a story. Help your preschoolers reach these goals by using activities that combine literacy and shapes in your classroom.
Children in preschool are beginning to learn how to use adjectives -- words that describe, identify, quantify or modify something. Children ages three to five are starting to build a vocabulary that will help prepare them for kindergarten. Use engaging picture books to present adjectives to preschoolers. Provide memorable activities and games using adjectives to foster vocabulary development and to help them learn how to classify groups of adjectives.
The yo-yo is perhaps one of the simplest of toys, and at the same time hardest to master. However, the yo-yo can be used for a variety of easy preschool lessons and games. Activities ranging from basic math and counting, to alphabet letters and even simple play, can all incorporate a yo-yo, or at least a yo-yo theme. The more creative you are, the more likely you'll be able to incorporate the yo-yo in meaningful ways in the preschool classroom.
The purpose of preschool is to introduce young children to the learning process that they will encounter when they begin formal schooling. In order to do this, teachers gradually expose their students to simple concepts, such as numbers and shapes. In the latter subject, you can create an engaging four-part activity to teach your preschoolers about shapes.
When teaching your preschoolers about bugs at home, allow them to participate in hands-on activities to learn about the creepy crawlers. Bug activities are also perfect for an insect-themed birthday party. Most preschoolers have short attention spans, so it is best to plan activities that are quick and simple. With a few supplies and a creative imagination, have the children "crawling" with excitement to learn about bugs.
Keeping a preschooler busy provides valuable teaching time. A preschooler is old enough to comprehend simple lessons about the world, yet young enough to find joy in uncomplicated discoveries. Lessons can even be taught with just the investment of time rather than spending any money. By associating lessons with the seasons, the child not only learns individual lessons but also gains a better understanding of the passage of time and changes in the weather. Whether the lessons are taught at home or in the classroom, building an early foundation of knowledge is an important step for a child.
Preschoolers are at the age where they are discovering the world of written language. To help your preschooler become a better reader and writer in her future academic career, help her to understand alliteration through a few simple activities. These activities can be done while driving in the car or even watching television. To make the concept of alliteration simple enough for your preschooler to understand, explain that alliteration is when words make similar sounds at the beginning.
February 2 marks Groundhog Day, the day that a groundhog allegedly determines when spring will arrive based on the appearance of his shadow. This holiday is enjoyable for children as they await the prediction, but it also presents an opportunity to learn about shadows. If you're a preschool teacher, present your students with engaging activities that help them learn about Groundhog Day and shadows.
Learning about weather, particularly the benefits of sunshine and rain, is interesting and important. Preschool-aged children may find a lecture on these elements tedious and boring, but by using well-planned, engaging activities you will teach these important concepts to your preschoolers, who will find the lessons exciting and entertaining.
A basic introduction to the water cycle can be saved for a rainy or cloudy day. Your preschoolers may not be able to grasp the technicalities of rain and clouds, but they can surely enjoy activities that involve learning about where rain comes from and what clouds are made of. Plan ahead and reserve your rain and cloud activities for days when your students need to stay indoors due to the dreary weather outside.
In an educational setting, the cognitive and affective domains are equally important, according to educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom. The cognitive domain is the process of learning, comprehending and acquiring information. An affective domain consists of feelings, attitudes and values. As a teacher, considering the affective domain as early as preschool age can help students feel inspired to learn and develop vital social, emotional and moral skills. Preschool activities focusing on affective principles can help children increase self-esteem, relate teachings to their own lives, share and care for others and feel safe and comfortable in the classroom.
Basic understanding of numbers is crucial to the development of children as they prepare to enter school. Parents and caregivers interested in building a strong grasp of numbers in a preschooler can employ activities to reinforce counting, recognition and relationships between numbers, while working to provide application understanding so that a child can use numbers in everyday life.
Dental health starts early, so it is important for children as young as preschool to learn good dental hygiene. Often teachers and parents have a hard time convincing toddlers that it is important to brush their teeth and take care of their gums. Dental health sensory activities can help preschoolers, while allowing them to have fun.
Even before your children reach school age, it's important to teach them about the natural world around them and help them to understand some environmental issues. To engage preschoolers, you need to make learning engaging and enjoyable, by turning an interesting activity into a lesson on the environment.
Preschoolers may be young for complex studies on astronomy, however, it's not too early to introduce them to the planets in the solar system, stars and the moon. Let them "blast off" into space and learn what an astronomer or astronaut does. These activities will help them to develop their imagination, critical thinking, motor skills, vocabulary and more.
Preschool is an exciting time of new discoveries for many children. In some cases, preschool is the first opportunity that kids have to consistently interact with other children their age. Shyness and reluctance to participate are common behaviors that little ones sometimes display, especially at the beginning of the preschool year. You can encourage a reluctant preschool student by easing her uncertain feelings. As she feels more comfortable, she will be more likely to get involved in the learning process.
Construction worker activities are perfect for preschoolers since they can be adapted to use a variety of their skills. In addition to playtime and artwork, children can begin to learn how to measure things, how to create basic shapes in their projects, and how to work together to build something, just like real construction workers.
Bad dental choices early in life can be hard to fix later. Proper dental care is vital for the overall health of both adults and children. Learning about this topic should start very early. If you are teaching this topic to a class of preschoolers, your goal should be to motivate them to take care of their teeth. One way to do this is through classroom activities.
Express your creativity by crafting handmade preschool projects that you can use for interactive activities in the classroom. Teacher-made activities give you the opportunity to customize or fine-tune your lessons. Preschoolers can also appreciate the work and decorative appeal that goes into items that their teacher made just for them.
The story of of Noah's Ark will automatically come to mind when introducing children to the Bible. With its themes of faith and obedience, this classic Bible story is a favorite among many when relaying God's lessons to mankind to young children. With the use of age-appropriate Noah's Ark activities for preschoolers, you can pass on these important lessons to a younger audience.
Even if some preschoolers are picky eaters, getting young kids stimulated and interested in activities that involve food isn't difficult. When your preschool class lesson calls for you to teach preschoolers about food from around the world, you must think about the types of activities that will engage students while being educational. Hands-on experiences in which students get to perform taste tests of various cultural foods are effective activity ideas.
As obesity among young children increases, there is greater urgency for preschools to encourage physical activity. Encouraging a healthy lifestyle through simple exercise will boost a child's confidence and self-esteem, and help set the foundation for healthy choices later in life.
From self-expression to physical fitness, movement is essential for human development on a number of levels. Teaching children about movement from an early age can help develop critical social and motor skills and can help provide you with a versatile theme to incorporate into other aspects of learning, including such diverse subjects as math, music and science.
Animal-themed activities are a great way to introduce preschool children to the basics of the animal kingdom. Young children are naturally curious about animals, particularly those that are unfamiliar, exotic, or interestingly colored. Teachers can harness this energy by engaging children in a variety of hands-on, tactile activities about all aspects of animal behavior, habitat, and identification.
Preschool children aren't ready for reading, much less studying a bunch of facts and dates about ancient Egypt. However, you can introduce them to some of the significant aspects of the culture of ancient Egypt through activities and projects. Guide the children in building a pyramid, creating a mummy, practicing writing hieroglyphics and putting together an Egyptian costume.
Teaching children about the contributions of black historians should start at an early age. Black History Month understandably focuses more on the figures in black history and less on the scholars who dedicated their lives to making black history as widely known as it is today. These activities introduce different black scholars and provide interactive ways for preschoolers to familiarize themselves with black historians.
"The Gingerbread Man" is a popular children's story about a gingerbread man who flees the pursuers who want to eat him, taunting them by saying, "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." The gingerbread man escapes his pursuers, until he comes to a river he cannot cross. A fox offers to take the gingerbread man across the river, and successively entreats the gingerbread man to climb onto his tail, his back, and, finally onto his nose, when he then eats the gingerbread man. Teachers and parents of preschoolers can use activities based…
Lightboxes are large tables with lights on the inside and a flat, light colored surface for play. Adding lightboxes to a preschool classroom allows children to explore materials in a new ways. With the right materials and instruction, the versatile lightbox can become a year-round favorite in your classroom.
Divorce is a complicated matter for all family members, but it can be especially difficult for young children. Parents may struggle to know what to say or how to tell their children about what is going to happen and how family life is going to change. Preschoolers and young children tend to thrive on routines, structure and order, so a divorce can wreak havoc on their life. Activities and games are one way of talking to and teaching preschoolers about dealing with divorce.
Preschool provides children with a background in academics, readying them for the lessons they will learn in kindergarten and beyond. Math is among the many topics they begin to learn. Presenting children with activities that relate to the subject offers several benefits for academic success and everyday life, from being able to calculate algebraic equations, to determining a grocery bill's total. Introducing children to math at a young age instills background knowledge of skills associated with the subject.
Receptive language refers to the way your preschooler understands the words you are speaking to him. It also looks at the non-verbal cues you provide your child, and how well those are interpreted. Learning activities that help promote receptive language will not only make your child a more-effective communicator, but can assist you or your child's teacher in discovering any cognitive delays your child may have.
Few kids can resist fluffy, butter pancakes, making them an ideal learning theme for small children in preschool. From children's books based on pancakes to word and letter activities using real or "pretend" pancakes, there are many activities you can do with preschoolers that will help develop their reading skills.
Throwing a preschool sports festival has lots of advantages. Not only will you get the children outside to blow off some energy, you can introduce them to several different sports and activities at the same time. While some children play soccer and other games, others can participate in dance activities, which have a wide appeal for children at this age.
Enjoy the warm, fluffy, delicious taste of pancakes in the classroom with lesson plans featuring this delicious breakfast staple. Use a unit on pancakes to introduce your preschool students to science, cooking and measurement. Develop large motor skills with physical activities involving pancakes, or work on their fine motor skills with manipulative activities in dramatic play.
Preschool is a time for young children to learn and develop artistic fundamentals. Art activities are engaging for preschoolers because they involve hands-on creation, which is how children retain information most effectively and efficiently at this age. Motor skills and eye-hand coordination skills are also developed through preschool art activities. Understanding the valuable lessons preschoolers can learn through art activities will help you identify your teaching objectives for each activity.
The doctor's office can be an unfamiliar and scary place for a preschooler; help ease your preschoolers' fears by introducing them to the various components they can expect to see during their next checkup. Use special activities that place an emphasis on the duties of nurses as these will be the first people a preschooler would encounter during a trip to the doctor.
Young children love to play make-believe. They also learn valuable life skills and academics through that pretend play. By facilitating "Let's Pretend" activities for your preschoolers, you are providing them with benefits in several areas. Reading comprehension, manners and self-expression can all be taught and evaluated through dramatic play activities.
Activities that demonstrate your preschool students' likes and dislikes help break the ice and allow the children to get to know each other better. You can also use these activities to teach other lessons, such as graphing and fine motor skills.
Children in preschool learn to classify items by categories, such as colors, physical characteristics and even the starting letters of the words for objects. Another effective way young students figure out how to classify things in the world is by identifying them as living and nonliving. Teach your students this science lesson early on to help them understand other topics and lessons, such as animals and habitats.
Turn your preschool classroom into a construction zone for a unit on construction workers. Enhance your students' developing social skills through group play and projects. Plan activities to build your students' fine motor skills, and encourage creativity through dramatic play. Plan a trip to a local construction site or invite a construction worker to your classroom so that students can learn about construction zones first hand.
Many preschoolers are familiar with terms like first and last. Yet, several other skills and terms need to be taught. According to California Department of Education, preschoolers from ages 3 through 5 have developed skills to think logically and symbolically. They are ready to observe and investigate concepts such as ordinals. Learning activities involving ordinal numbers can be planned in a way to ensure that preschoolers are enjoying the activity.
While preschoolers develop at different rates, each child is similarly trying to understand the complex world around him. This is why preschoolers are eager to learn. But sitting them in a class and lecturing them won't teach them what they want or need to know; as a teacher, you have to allow each child to touch, taste, smell and hear the world. Preschoolers learn through play, and one sport that teaches young children about physical activity and team play is soccer.
Dental hygiene is an important part of a child's daily routine. When teaching your preschoolers and kindergartners the importance of their "pearly whites," prepare a variety of hands-on activities for them. Hands-on activities allow the young children to participate in games and crafts that remind them how important dental hygiene is. Encourage the young children to try their best by awarding toothbrushes and toothpaste for a job well done.
Make learning the letters of the alphabet engaging for your preschoolers by introducing them to a variety of items and activities that begin with specific letters. The letter T is the first letter of several words that will introduce your preschoolers to topics in social studies and science, and develop their fine and large motor skills.
Preschoolers love to make crafts. Candles can be a source of fascination for them. Combine the two interests and create some positive memories for parents with activities involving candles and making art. Don't let children stand near any of the candles after they're lit and don't let them help light any candles. Ensure lit candles are allowed in your classroom as well before doing any activity involving them.
Preschoolers dance and sing to nearly any type of music they hear. According to the Music Together website, children younger than 6 years of age are at a critical stage for understanding basic music for the rest of their lives. Melody activities for preschoolers provide proper stimulation for their positive musical development.
Activities that require children to work together, or collaborative learning projects, can help preschoolers to develop valuable social skills. From working as a group designing an artistic mural to engineering block towers, collaborative projects can complement almost any theme in the early childhood curriculum. Gather your class together or split the pupils into a few small groups and let the learning begin.
During preschool, children learn a variety of skills and concepts that prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. Among the many skills that children are expected to have an understanding of during preschool is direction: up, down, above, below and so forth. Using interactive activities that children of this age can relate to will help them comprehend direction.
Whether you are going to the beach or simply setting up a classroom activity, preschool ocean themed projects can help little ones learn about marine life, weather, habitats and the natural world. Include arts and crafts, dramatic play and maybe even a lesson on beach safety for a variety of sunny, summer projects.
Vocabulary acquisition directly affects the child's ability to comprehend the written word and develop early literacy skills. Help your preschoolers build their word base by using a variety of vocabulary activities in the classroom. From reciting rhymes and singing songs to word-based art projects, educators can use imaginative activities to keep kids up to par on their language skills.
Learning to tie your shoes is a rite of passage for young children. Most children do not have the hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills to accomplish this task until preschool or kindergarten. With the popularity of Velcro straps and slip-on shoes, lacing and tying may seem a lost art, but this is still an important skill every youngster must master. Encourage your preschoolers to learn to tie and build their fine motor skills with lacing cards and crafts.
Kids should learn to use a toothbrush very early, but they probably will not realize it is an important tool for good health until they are older. Activities about brushing teeth and using a tooth brush help preschoolers remember that brushing is an important part of personal hygiene and must be done every day.
With authors like Sandra Boynton, Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle to choose from, it's a treat to read to your preschooler. When you combine a selection of good books with engaging pre-reading activities, you're laying the foundation for a lifetime of successful and enjoyable reading. Additionally, your child will be better prepared for kindergarten.
As preschoolers begin to understand how to interact with the world around them, sound is one of the first senses they explore. If attempting to teach your youngsters the basics of sound, start simple with lessons that help them differentiate between loud and soft sounds. With simple activities you can prepare them to better understand sounds and help them learn to use their ears to their full potential.
Preschool age children are still working on developing and perfecting their fine motor skills, the skills needed for accomplishing tasks such as writing, coloring, type, turn pages in a book and use scissors. Various activities can be provided to preschool age children to help them develop the skills to effectively cut with scissors. For safety reasons, it is best to provide only child-safe scissors to preschoolers.
Children are natural-born helpers, and allowing them to provide assistance while you cook not only teaches kids new skills, but bolsters confidence and creativity. Assigning preschoolers new responsibilities shows that you trust them, which helps build character. Food preparation also provides a platform for learning new vocabulary, counting skills and healthy-eating habits, as well helping children improve their coordination.
Playing with balls helps young children build coordination and gross motor development. Gross motor skills have to do with the development of the large muscles in our bodies that help us walk, run and move around, says the Preschools 4 All website. Keep a group of preschoolers engaged and fit with activities and games that use a variety of balls. Encourage them to always try their best by awarding small prizes for a job well done and to game winners.
Watch a child's face light up when he sees his very own machine start rolling across the floor. In preschool, children are just beginning to learn how the world works through basic concepts that will help prepare them for kindergarten. Teaching children about machines in motion at an early age can boost their critical thinking skills and get them thinking about how machines work.
Sept. 13 is National Peanut Day and preschoolers can celebrate the day with activities that involve peanuts. Activities give preschoolers a chance for hands-on interaction in an entertaining way. From playing games to making crafts, prepare easy and simple activities for the young children who tend to have short attention spans. Always check with parents for any peanut allergies before beginning the activities.
Capture the attention of your preschoolers with a variety of engaging zoo activities. Encourage dramatic play and creative expression with zoo-themed learning centers. Help your preschoolers apply and connect their new learning with a field trip to the zoo. Wrap up the experience with a classroom book, increasing a sense of community and literacy skills.
The biblical story of David and Goliath captures young children's imaginations, and one or two go-with activities make the story even more memorable to preschoolers. Teachers and parents can stress any number of themes while teaching the story, including bravery, trusting God, and how young people make a difference in the world. Kids learn best if only one theme is chosen, however, so repeat it frequently during whatever David and Goliath activities you select.
Preschool-aged children are typically fascinated by insects, especially butterflies. Creating lessons and activities for your preschool students based on a butterfly theme does not take much effort. You can engage your students in butterfly activities while teaching them skills in literature, art, science and math.
Learning to ride a bike is a fun, healthy way to travel. A preschool class supplied with several tricycles allows young children the opportunity to play fitness games and develop their gross motor skills while learning to ride and having fun. Use tricycles with your students to play a classic game with a new twist or to offer an entirely new experience.
Bulldozers are large tractors with shovels attached to dig in the earth, remove trees or move large objects.These large machines are fascinating to young children, who love to watch them dig in the dirt. There are many ways to plan a unit on bulldozers and other tools and machines used for construction for your preschool class.
"Little Cloud" by Eric Carle is a children's story about a little cloud who changes into different shapes before joining with other clouds to make a rain shower. The book features colorful illustrations, and is an excellent book for read-a-louds to present in your preschool classroom. Use "Little Cloud" to introduce lessons on weather and inspire creative craft projects.
Children begin preschool around the age of 3. For most of them, this will be their introduction to formal education. Keeping students engaged and interested in the curriculum sometimes presents challenges. To gain and keep their interest, the teacher needs to plan their lessons to effectively address this issue. Talking with other teachers about creative planning and strategic methods often helps.
Teaching preschoolers about emotions and feelings is a way to enable them to express and handle their feelings in the best possible way. The preschool years are often filled with emotional displays, where smile and laughter may quickly turn into emotional outbursts and tears. Helping preschoolers to find ways to deal with their feelings can involve fun and engaging activities that are sure to put a smile on everyone's face.
Preschoolers, children ages 1 to 5, are little bundles of energy and curiosity. Kids this age aren't quite yet ready for serious studying, but they can still practice creativity, coordination and safety. Preschoolers are eager to learn all about the world around them through exploration, so a nice sunny day is an opportunity for both learning and play.
Preschool children are usually about 3 or 4 years old and are learning to develop both their physical and mental abilities. Many locations in Louisville offer activities designed to develop these abilities, in addition to educating and entertaining them. Parents can bring their children to these venues for a day out, birthday party or other special event.
Preschoolers are a joy to teach. Most of them are excited about learning and are curious about everything. However, their attention spans are not long. Teachers are continually challenged to find engaging activities that retain kids' focus while improving their beginning academic and motor skills.
If you are in the mood for a slightly messy and somewhat educational craft that will get your kids looking at fruit in a new way, try apple stamping. The basic idea is to cut an apple in half lengthwise so that the star in the middle shows, press it in tempera paint and use it to stamp paint patterns on paper.
Multisensory activities are activities which incorporate the use of several senses. Research has shown that all children learn and retain more when participating in a multisensory activity. According to the Scholastic website, "When you combine activities that require movement, talking, and listening, it activates multiple areas of the brain." Preschool students can especially benefit from these types of activities. A more hands-on approach competes with their short attention spans. They last longer at activities, meaning they learn more. There are lots of multisensory activities you can do with preschool students. Use several in a day or spread them out over…
Nursery rhymes such as the popular "Mary Mary Quite Contrary" help preschool students develop phonemic awareness and oral language skills. It also helps with memory-building, as after enough exposure, most children will be able to recite it by heart. "Mary Mary Quite Contrary" can also be the basis for biology learning activities and creative crafts that build small motor skills.
Cupid was the god of desire, affection and love in Roman mythology. Today, Cupid is known as that cute, little, chubby cherub that shoots arrows at people to make them fall in love. Teach preschool children about Cupid with activities. Use Cupid activities to accompany a Valentine's Day celebration of just for fun.
Promoting cognitive development in preschoolers can give you and your child hours of entertainment. You can teach your child how to learn using play. Delight your child by setting up activities that use cognitive skills, including hide-and-seek and ring-around-the-rosy. Make play dough and take part in make-believe games. At this age, preschoolers are interested in fantasy play. Take an imagination game your child enjoys and run with the idea to create a rich learning environment.
Preschool-age children enjoy activities that involve physical movement, and these activities are important to the child's well being. Activities that involve throwing a ball improve children's coordination, body movement and gross motor skills. Complete one of these preschool-themed activities with your child, but be sure to use a type a ball that is age-appropriate. Soft foam balls, bouncy balls, tennis balls and kick balls work best for preschool-age children.
Playing with your preschooler can be as simple as playing music and dancing around together. Play helps your little one learn about the world around him and how to interact with others. When planning more detailed projects or activities, keep things play-oriented, expecting nothing more than a good time for yourself and your child. Enjoyment is much more important than technique at this age.
Crashing waves, exotic marine life, rocks and shells are ocean elements that often captivate young children. Turn their fascination of the ocean into a learning opportunity by inserting an ocean-themed unit into a preschool curriculum. Through hands-on and engaging activities, you can whisk children away to the beach and allow them to explore the wonders of the ocean while teaching important literacy skills.
Preschoolers, or kids between the ages of 3 and 5, are learning so much about their world, their peers and how to interact with both of these things. Cognitively, there's a lot going on. Their language is being developed and improved as they learn how to use it correctly and in creative ways. Their recognition of rules and cause and effect is surfacing. Lastly, their understanding of social cues and interactions is blossoming.
Preschool can be the first outside regular activity for your child away from home. A few tears when saying goodbye can be expected the first day, but the tears should dry up after a fun-filled day with other children. Your child should come home excited and enthusiastically share all he learned and accomplished.
International Drive in Orlando is an area on the outskirts of Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando. Filled with hotels, restaurants and shops; this area of the city is filled with activities to entertain preschoolers. Some are free and others cost money. With plenty to see and do along International Drive, spending time just exploring the 14.5 mile strip can make for a day of fun.
Developing a positive self-image is an important aspect of turning children into functioning, well-adapted adults. One way to accomplish this is to practice activities with preschool children to promote self-esteem that will transfer to later stages of their lives.
Introduce a farm theme to preschoolers to help them learn about the different animals and food from a farm. Preschoolers enjoy a hands-on experience so incorporate singing, dancing and craft time into each theme to keep them entertained and busy. Throughout each activity, ask the preschoolers what they think about farms and what they think happens on a farm. Encourage the preschoolers to verbalize their favorite barnyard animals and food from the farm.
It is never too early to teach your preschooler about proper hygiene. There are several different lessons you can teach them that will help keep them healthy, happy and hygienic. Teach these skills at home or at a preschool facility. The hygiene habits you help create now will last a lifetime.
Aliens have been the subject of a lot of conspiracy theories, science fiction books and alien abduction-themed movies. Some people envision aliens as small, friendly green men while others imagine something else. Engage preschool-aged children in imaginative activities and some out-of-this-world fun with the help of some alien-inspired hats.
Squirrels are appealing, industrious creatures. Preschoolers are attracted to their bushy tails and cute appearance. Squirrel studies can be taught at any time of year, but are particularly interesting during the fall of the year when students can observe squirrels as they gather food to prepare for the cold winter months.
Allow preschoolers to learn at their own pace while introducing new knowledge daily. Important lessons that come from a protective, loving resource is key so young children are free to discuss and ask questions without judgment. Specific information about drugs and drug abuse might be considered premature at this age, but there is important groundwork to be done as they head toward their school-age years. Now is a fertile time to establish their emotional intelligence to fight the invasion of peer pressure on their independence, steering them from damaging drugs or making subsequent bad life choices.
Children often enjoy activities that involve digging in the dirt, sifting sand through hands and squishing play-dough through fingers. These sensory activities give children experiences that help them explore their surroundings. Combine manipulating play dough with the fun of eating it too by making peanut butter play dough. After children finish making their imaginative works of art, they can enjoy eating them.
Preschoolers should already know what home is all about: it's the only place most people see every day, the one where the family rests and regroups every night. But there's more to learn about the typical house. Involve preschool-age children in house-themed activities to help them learn more about how their homes are built and what goes inside them.
Most preschoolers cannot sit still for any length of time, and each child is different in the way they handle being calm and sitting still. Most children have oodles of energy at that age, so one way to get children to learn to sit still is to give them something to focus on besides sitting still. This can be done with different kinds of incentives. Rewarding the children for behaving during the lesson will help them want to sit still.
Preschoolers are naturally fascinated by animals and are excited to participate in activities that involve horses. Introduce children to horses through books about horses. Add engaging art projects and math lessons with a horse theme. Children can also learn a great deal of information about horses through direct observation. Always maintain close supervision of preschoolers when observing or handling live animals during horse lessons.
Parachute play for preschoolers promotes teamwork and gets their large muscles working. The circular parachute is made of thin fabric and typically decorated in rainbow colors. Parachutes can be purchased at educational supply companies and come in different sizes starting at 6 feet in diameter. The parachute is so named because when the children move it up and down, the air gathers underneath the parachute and it floats to the ground like a parachute. Entertain the children with games played using the parachute.
Your preschooler is adopted, and you want her to know from an early age how she came to be a very special and welcome part of your family. There are many conversational activities an adoptive parent can engage in to make the process simple and easy for the child to accept and understand.
Cognitive development focuses on functions of the brain such as thinking, learning, awareness, judgment and information processing. Psychologist Jean Piaget discovered that children go through several stages of cognitive development. From the ages of 2 to 7, children are in the preoperational stage. At this point they learn to use symbols such as language to represent objects. In the preoperational stage, memory and imagination develop.
Children's growth and development depend upon adequate rest. Preschoolers generally require 11 hours of sleep per day, compared to the 16 or more hours that infants need, according to St. Louis Children's Hospital. Young children sometimes turn rest times into battlegrounds because they require less slumber or are exerting their independence. One solution is to plan some daily quiet periods, even if your child reads or plays alone in her room. Preschool rest times help kids establish healthy habits and rejuvenate at the same time.
Boundaries ensure that safety limits are in place and also allow children to develop a sense of who they are. These guidelines define appropriate behavior and responses, and they should be reasonable and appropriate for the age and maturity of the child. Boundary systems have two parts: external and internal. You may hear your preschooler enforce her boundaries early, stating, "That's mine!" or "I don't want to talk about it."
Preschool is certainly not a fashion show, and yet you want your child to at least look like a civilized human being when at school. Despite your efforts, however, your preschooler might want to wear only garishly mismatched outfits or shy away from a certain type of garment. So long as your child is comfortable, seasonally dressed and wearing something you can clean without too much fuss, there's no reason to not let her wear what she likes so she can focus on learning and playing instead.
Busy toddlers love to discover the world around them. Stretching a youngster's social, physical and intellectual maturity can be as easy as playing special games in the kitchen or the car. Developmental specialists recommend an assortment of skill-building activities for preschoolers so they learn to master numbers, operate eating utensils and follow instructions before they enter kindergarten.
Being a child by its very nature means using your imagination on an everyday basis. Because most children have the ability to live in a rich fantasy world, you can use that to your advantage as you help your child develop his physical, cognitive and creative skills.
Finger play activities are a fun way to teach children number and letter concepts and rhyming. They are also useful for whiling away waiting times. Finger play can include simple rhymes with actions, counting out rhymes and easy storytelling. Some lend themselves to quiet cuddles, while others work best with large groups.
Assisting preschool-age children to learn about feelings and about how to express their feelings is not an easy task. Using positive feedback when children express their feelings in a constructive way is important in encouraging them to continue expressing how they feel without taking out their feelings on others in a negative way.
Before children can learn to write, they must learn prewriting skills. These include the alphabet, basic hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and how to control a pen or pencil. Since preschool children often already enjoy scribbling and coloring, you can take these basic skills and turn them into prewriting activities.
Core muscle strengthening plays a beneficial role for developing toddlers and children 2 and older. The body uses the muscles around the abdomen, pelvis and back --- the body's "core" --- for almost all activities, including sitting, standing and walking. As a child develops, core muscle strengthening improves postural strength, stability and balance. Preschool age children can enjoy core strength training with a parent or an older sibling at home, in the backyard or at a park or playground.
Good manners will benefit your child through his life. Incorporating good manner activities into playtime with your preschooler, can help preschoolers understand the importance of manners.
Preschool children are anxious to learn about the world around them. Wherever they go, children ages 3 and 4 connect with their environment by touching, climbing, jumping, counting and asking questions. Follow your child's lead at this crucial stage and give him plenty of opportunities to be physical. Encourage him to use his fine motor skills by building small structures, drawing and sorting. To boost his intellectual development, engage him in conversation and answer his questions as honestly and patiently as possible.
Building self-esteem at a young age is important to the social development of all children and has long-reaching effects into their future. At an early age, children are aware of how they are valued and whether they are accepted by their family, friends and peers. Parents, teachers and other adults play an important role in helping children learn self-worth and a sense of belonging which creates a socially safe atmosphere for children to grow. Adults help strengthen children's self-esteem by taking the time to listen to them and making them feel like a contributing member of the family or community…
Moral development in a child starts from the age of four. According to Professor of Education, William Damon, a child's moral ability up until that point is of egocentric reasoning; a preschooler only thinks about getting their own way. As a child learns to think less of themselves, there's a variety of activities to help them make the transition.
Though your preschoolers may be a little too young for solo trick-or-treating, Chicago has many family-friendly events around Halloween. These happenings occur throughout October, so you'll have ample opportunities to take your kids to numerous events. Given that the weather can be unpredictable at that time of year, you might be happy to be inside rather than going door-to-door in the cold.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that between 8 to 9 percent of young children have some form of speech sound disorder, the majority of which have no known cause. Boys tend to have a greater rate of speech impairment than girls. Speech therapy for preschool-aged children mostly focuses on play-based activities, teaching language through modeling, interaction and games.
If you are a parent to a young preschool-aged child, then you know how much energy builds up during the long, cold winter months. Children need to keep moving, even in the winter months. According to an article in Parents magazine, Scott A. Shipman, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics and preventive health at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, states that "Daily activity develops preschoolers' fine and gross motor skills." Luckily, Portland is full of activities to occupy preschool children during these long winter months.
There are more things for preschoolers to do at home than play with toys and watch television. While it's tempting to sit your young tot in front of a screen, it is far better to provide her with stimulating activities. With the right activities, you'll be able to engage her mind, senses and emotions while letting her enjoy the simple joys of being a child.
Johnny Appleseed, also known as John Chapman, has become a legendary figure for his role in planting apple trees across the country in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Teach preschoolers about him during apple season in the fall, which conveniently occurs near Johnny Appleseed's birthday on September 26.
As traumatic as it is for you to send your baby off to school, it can be equally upsetting for your child. The transition into a structured school day can be scary for a preschooler, no matter how outgoing and confident he may be. Start preparing your child for this change at least two months beforehand to ensure that she'll be as ready as possible when the first day comes.
No longer babies but not big kids yet, preschoolers are in a category all of their own. Finding ways to socialize your preschooler in a positive and educational environment can be exciting for you both. Extracurricular activities for preschoolers are also a good opportunity to learn a new skill and get some exercise. Parents, grandparents and caregivers can all get in on the fun!
Whether the weather is rainy or cold, preschoolers need 60 minutes of daily structured physical exercise, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, a non-profit organization of teachers, coaches and researchers. Besides tiring kids out and preserving parents' sanity, physical activity helps combat obesity and a host of related medical conditions on the rise in recent decades, such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma. However, achieving a balance between fun and fitness takes a little more creative thought when the activity must move indoors.
Positive self-esteem in children and adults includes feeling lovable and capable and having a sense of self-worth. Babies begin to develop self-esteem as their needs are met by parents and caregivers. Toddlers continue the process through exploration and an increase in independence. According to Iowa State University's Understanding Children, a preschool child's self-esteem is intimately connected with learning new skills. Parents and teachers can engage preschoolers in activities that focus on positive self-esteem on daily basis.
Orange combines the passion of red and the joyfulness of yellow to become a color reminiscent of the sun. Orange is the color of creativity, vitality, happiness and enthusiasm. Orange also represents curiosity, the hallmark of preschool children. While usually associated with pumpkins and autumn leaves, any time of year is a good time to introduce this color to preschoolers with hands-on activities and crafts.
Reducing, reusing and recycling doesn't have to be boring. Today's environmentally friendly atmosphere offers many exciting activities that are as easy as they are green. Some activities are simple enough for preschoolers to handle, with a little help from Mom or Dad. Other more complicated activities use recycled material to create artwork that promotes conservation.
Young preschoolers are eager learners, excited and curious about the world surrounding them. Bible stories, while entertaining, may sometimes bore a child who is forced to sit and listen. Spice up Bible lesson time for your preschoolers by adding an activity after the story. Exciting activities not only encourage preschoolers to pay attention during story time, but promote remembrance of basic story themes and ideas.
School's out and some parents may wonder what activities are available for their preschooler during the summer months. There's good news, though: summertime activities are abound in most all communities and many are educational as well as fun for kids. Summer is a great time for not only relaxing and having fun, but also for helping prepare a preschooler for the year ahead, whether he or she has another year of preschool or will experience first-time entry into kindergarten.
Parents send their kids to preschool learning centers for two reasons: preparation of kindergarten and for daycare. Kids at preschool should "learn by engaging in activities that are real and meaningful to them; activities that encourage the development of skills, knowledge, ways of thinking and learning, and a disposition for learning," according to the PBS Teachers website.
Properly developing gross motor skills are an important indicator of a child's healthy development. Gross motor skills involve the trunk, arms and legs, the largest muscles in the body. When children run, climb, and play leap frog, they are developing gross motor skills. According to Rae Pica, author and children's activity specialist, it also "helps kids develop strong bones and muscles, and "feeds" the brain with glucose, oxygen, and water." These are all reasons to provide plenty of opportunity for your child to work on his gross motor skills.
Preschoolers are active and lively, and as such, they need a hairstyle that suits the amount of playing and running around that they will do in school and at home. A good hairstyle for a preschooler should be one that is easy to maintain, one that will keep the hair out of her face and one that won't be distracting to her or other students.
Effective learning activities for preschoolers include those that involve hands-on and listening skills. Using a theme of peanut butter and jelly, it's possible to integrate a variety of activities incorporating these skills. After making sure that none of the children have peanut allergies, lead them in activities that will provide ample learning opportunities .
Preschoolers learn through doing. Because preschoolers have a short attention span and are always hungry, there's nothing like playing with food to keep them interested. Gear activities involving food toward simple, kid-friendly recipes that involve using their hands. Making something healthy that can be eaten immediately after it's made is a satisfying for the kids--and the best way to keep the kids engaged during this type of activity.
When preschoolers pretend by engaging in dramatic play, they are actually developing a variety of skills. Dramatic play allows kids cognitive opportunities for thinking through problems creatively, planning and organizing, and using language effectively. Socially, dramatic play is important because kids learn to cooperate and interact appropriately with others. Both large and small motor skills are enhanced through all sorts of dramatic play.
Preschoolers can experience a variety of speech delays that require speech therapy. Typical delays include articulation problems, language disorders and stuttering. Speech therapists can help preschoolers speak in a way that is understood by other people so the children will feel more confident and capable.
Three- and 4-year-old children are often ready to participate in some structured activities. Many children in this age group attend preschool and some are ready for additional after school activities. It is important that you balance your child's need for activities with your child's need for downtime. It is also important to pick activities based on your child's interests and that will help with your child's development.
The preschooler stage is an exciting age for children and their parents. Most preschoolers are ready for some kind of structured learning. They are eager to be taught new things. Learning can be fun when coupled with stimulating activities. Here are some simple steps to create such activities in the home.
