The weather is warming up which should mean more time outside, but there's so much rain! Here's a few simple activities to keep the play and learning flowing naturally for your preschooler, inside and outside.
A few tips...
Sometimes it can be tempting to see a great craft or sensory play idea online and want to replicate but then give up when you don't have the exact materials. Where there's a will, there's always a way. Our kids are none the wiser, they don't know exactly what the activity was supposed to look like and more often than not they will love it whatever it entails. My 3 yr old's preschool teachers have been awesome at sharing weekly activity ideas. Sometimes we don't have the right materials so we simply get creative and do the best we can. It's such a fun way to stay connected and we always enjoy the process, and that's what it's all about!
1. Mini Umbrellas
What you need: white card, markers / paints / crayons, permanent marker, scissors, tape and a pipe cleaner.
How to set up: cut out little umbrella top shapes from the white card (we made two from an A4 page), add some detail with a black permanent marker, and then put them out along with the rest of your materials.
How it works: invite your kiddos to decorate their umbrella tops however they wish. We used brush markers as my kids always have fun with them. Once the umbrella is full of color, tape the pipe cleaner to the back and add a little curl for the handle. That's it, now they have a darling little mini umbrella (disclaimer: it won't keep you dry, baby sis struggled with that reality!).
For younger kids: try not to make the coloring surface too small as they won't yet have the fine motor control to confine their coloring. Encourage them to add color however they wish and then use lots of tape to secure the pipe cleaner to the back as I'm sure it will get some enthusiastic play!
For older kids: older kids might enjoy drawing the shape of the umbrella themselves and cutting it out. You can also challenge them to add a more intricate design with the permanent marker, or even write their name as a decoration.
2. Pom Pom Picture Decorating
What you need: white paper (we used a large roll), tape, markers and pom poms.
How to set up: tape the piece of large paper to the table and draw a simple and colorful picture outline (I did the sun and two flowers using different colors). Set out the pom poms next to the picture.
How it works: not all preschoolers love to color and that is totally fine. Instead of forcing crayons and markers, why not try adding color to a picture with a manipulative such as pom poms. Simply encourage your child to use the pom poms to decorate the picture and add a load of color to it. This is fantastic for fine motor skills and color work.
For younger kids: keep the picture really simple, maybe even just a few colored circles or squares. Ask your toddler to fill the shapes with the correct color pom poms (remember to use the jumbo size for younger kids who like to mouth things!).
For older kids: feel free to make the picture much more detailed for older kids. Or you could even extend the challenge by turning it into a decorate by number style activity.
3. DIY Bird Watching Binoculars
Thank you to Art Bar for this activity - visit her blog and be sure to follow her on Instagram for more great ideas!
What you need: toilet paper rolls, yarn or string, washi tape, feathers, scissors, and a hole punch.
How to set up: set out all of the materials on a tray, be sure to include two toilet paper rolls per child.
How it works: let your kids loose with the tray of materials to decorate their binoculars. My 3 year old started off by wrapping yarn around each toilet paper roll, before we added tape to secure them together, and of course a few feathers too. 6 year old big bro was more independent with this activity and carefully engineered a secure pair of binoculars. We then punched holes, one on the outside edge of each roll, before threading yarn through to make the necklace part. I cannot tell you how much joy these binoculars have brought my toddler. We have spent hours outside nature watching. She even wears them around the house just in case she sees a bird outside the window!
For younger kids: younger kids will definitely need some support with making the binoculars. One option is to just let them color or paint the rolls and then fix them together yourself. Or if they are too little to wear something around their neck, just use one roll and declare it a telescope!
For older kids: challenge older kids to figure out how to construct the binoculars by themselves. See if they can decorate the rolls and then make them secure enough to wear without help.
4. Number Sensory Tray
What you need: small tray, sensory base such as rice or salt, a few numeracy loose parts (we used number cupcake toppers and erasers), and dice.
How to set up: simply add a small amount of the rice to your tray and put out the number loose parts and dice as well.
How it works: sensory trays like this are all about exploration and exposure when it comes to preschoolers. I had no real expectations for my 3 year old here. All I hoped was that she would be hands on with the sensory base and she would recognize maybe one or two numbers. We spent time together saying each number and practiced tracing the numbers in the rice together. She also had fun just rolling the dice and counting the dots.
For younger kids: a delicate tray like this might not be too much of a hit with a younger child but they will definitely enjoy a sensory base, a few bowls, and a spoon. Simply count how many scoops they do out loud. That in itself is numeracy exposure and will help them in years to come.
For older kids: you'll notice in the first picture that there is a red tray set up with some simple addition sums. Use the dice to make a sum and then write the answer in the rice. Great for numeracy, fine motor skills and sensory exploration.
5. Cake Tin Drawing Prints
What you need: cake tin, acrylic paints, q-tips, rolling pin, and white card.
How to set up: cut the white card to the same size as the underside of your cake tin. Put out the materials, ideally on a tray or mat to contain the mess.
How it works: this is such a neat way to make prints. Ask your child to squirt blobs of paint over the underside of the cake tin. Use the rolling pin to cover the surface, before using the q-tip to draw a picture or design in the paint. Then simply press a piece of paper or card onto the paint and lift it up to see the design printed on. You can simply add more paint and repeat the process, or give the cake tin a wipe or wash if you want a clean canvas.
For younger kids: it might work best for younger kids to use a big brush to spread the paint on the cake tin rather than a rolling pin if you want to avoid too much mess. They will still enjoy making a mark or two with the q-tip and then you can help them to print it onto a piece of card. If a q-tip is too small for them, you can always use the eraser end of a pencil or some plastic cutlery.
For older kids: older kids can try to make more detailed prints by using the q-tip to make precise drawings. You can also encourage them to be more mindful of which colors they are adding to the cake tin and how they can mix them with the rolling pin.
We hope you enjoy these activities. Feel free to visit @findthelittlemind and ask me any questions or share your creations.
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