Help your child practice putting on and taking off winter clothes. You know they can do it. They know they can do it. Let’s get your kids to help more by taking off their coats and boots all by themselves AND have them put them away. Imagine that!
Click here for more lessons on coordination.
Blocks are a great manipulative for young children. They can be used to teach many things, but one of their best uses is to encourage children to problem solve.
SORTING BLOCKS
Have your children sort their blocks by color, shape or size.
PATTERNING
Using the sorted piles from the activity above, make a pattern with the blocks.
Example: you had your child sort the blocks by shape.
Make a line of blocks, such as; two square blocks, one rectangle block, two square blocks, etc.
Have your child try to match your line with an identical one below it.
PROPORTION
1. Find a large rectangular block and have your child find two blocks that equal the same size as the one larger block.
2. Look for other blocks that are double or other multiples of smaller blocks.
3. Set out a balance scale and have children put a large block on one side and then experiment finding a group of smaller blocks that will equal the size of the larger block.
GIFT BOXES (Size Discrimination)
You can help your child learn size discrimination with a stack of gift boxes.
1. Set out 4-6 gift boxes in different sizes.
2. Have your child find the largest box, the next largest, etc.
3. Have your child line the boxes up from smallest to largest.
4. Or have her stack the boxes on top of one another from largest to smallest.
STUFFED ANIMAL TRAIN (Counting and Numeral Recognition)
1. Set out five cardboard boxes (approx. 2’ x 4’) in a line for a train.
2. Tape a number card on each box (1 thru 5)
3. Set out 15 stuffed animals.
4. Have your child place the correct number of animals in each box according to the number posted on the train car.
Variation: You can reverse this game by leaving the animals in the boxes and taking the numbers posted on the boxes off and mixing up the cards. Have your child then place the cards back on the train according to how many animals are in the box.
We probably won’t see a rainbow outside for a while – so lets make one (or 2) inside. Here are a few examples of how you can make it happen:
RAINBOW FRUIT SALAD
Mix together the following fruit. When you serve the salad, have your children see how many colors they can find.
Raspberries or Strawberries
Blueberries
Yellow apple slices or chunks
Green grapes, cut in half
Purple grapes, cut in half
Small orange chunks, or Mandrin orange sections
Here are some ideas for activities and crafts to do with your kids about President’s Day.
1. Sing about your favorite presidents. (Music)
2. Let your child do rubbings of Lincoln pennies. (Art)
So many things to do for Valentine’s Day. Here are a few ideas.
1. Make a batch of red play dough. Let your child use it to make pretend heart cookies. (Art)
2. Give your child some small heart candies to count. (Math)
3. Make real heart cookies using ready-made sugar cookie dough. (Cooking)
Discuss the different shapes you can make when doing just about anything.
For example:
Cutting a sandwich in half or in fourths
Any fruits they have with lunch
Go to the grocery store and pick out shapes in the produce section (grapes = circle, carrots = triangle, watermelon = oval, etc.)
Tile floors = rectangles, squares or diamonds
Books, toys, blocks, paper
There is no limit here!!
We’re starting something new. On the Preschool Express website they have monthly calendars for simple ways to teach your preschoolers things like colors, sorting, counting, measuring, problem solving, art and much more. We’re going to incorporate those lessons into our daily blog entries. To start, we have the following:
Go on a hunt around your house looking for white objects. Of course you can pick any color, have fun with it and take your time!
Have more fun with it, have white foods for the day. Here are a few samples:
Milk
White saltine crackers
Cottage cheese
Mashed potatoes
Yogurt
Popcorn
Check the Preschool Express website for more ideas
