These preschool activities are a great way to bond with your young child. They’re also a great way to practice key skill that your child will need in kindergarten — from practicing social and emotional skills to recognizing and naming shapes and colors.
Take some selfies!
For this preschool activity, take 6 selfies with your child. Make sad, angry, frustrated, happy, shy, and scared faces. As you look at each picture, talk about the emotion you鈥檙e showing. Take turns taking selfies and guessing each other鈥檚 emotions.
Our colorful world
Before starting kindergarten, kids should learn to recognize and name 10 basic colors: red, blue, yellow, green, pink, purple, orange, brown, black, and white. In this activity, focus on boosting your child鈥檚 language and pre-writing skills by talking about colors. What鈥檚 your child鈥檚 favorite color? Why? What colors does your child see right now? Can your child name the colors of passing cars? At a stop light, explain what red, yellow, and green mean.
Play Simon Says!
Being able to listen and wait patiently are key skills for kindergarten. Help your child practice listening and waiting (and make it fun!) by playing Simon Says! Kids can only do WHAT Simon says WHEN he says it. For example, when you say: 鈥淪imon says take two steps forward.鈥�, then your child takes two steps forward. But if you say, 鈥淭ake two steps forward.鈥� your child should NOT do it because Simon didn鈥檛 say it. It鈥檚 a fun way to build listening and waiting skills.
What comes next?
Did you know seeing and creating patterns are important math skills? Here are two ways to practice patterns.
1) Clap a pattern and have your child repeat it.
2) Use legos or crayons to create a color pattern and ask your child what comes next.
3 silly steps
This preschool activity, 3 Silly Steps, teaches self-regulation. Every morning, practice a three-step routine. Pick two things your child needs to do and add one fun step. Ex: brush teeth, get dressed, dance. Do this same three-step routine all week; it will become a habit!
Speak up!
Want to know the two best ways to build your child鈥檚 speaking skills?
1) Have a conversation with your child and use new words.
2) Echo your child’s one-word responses with full-sentence questions. For example, 鈥淔ireman鈥� becomes, 鈥淵ou want to be a firefighter when you grow up?鈥�
Sad, mad, or frustrated?
Naming emotions is a key skill for young kids. In this activity, you’ll help your child learn the difference between sad, mad, and frustrated. Give an example and ask: Would this make you feel sad, mad, or frustrated? For example, another kid took your toy: mad. Your friend doesn鈥檛 want to play with you right now: sad. Not being able to run as fast as the older kids: frustrated.
Color hunt!
Practice colors and counting with a color hunt! Give your child three minutes to find as many red things as they can. Together, count them aloud — while also counting the total number of things found. Example: one red block; one red cup (that鈥檚 two red things); one red skirt (that鈥檚 three red things). Can you get to 20? Pick another color and play again.
Can your child spot a pattern?
Patterns are important in math. A pattern is something that repeats. This is a red-blue repeating pattern: red circle-blue circle-red circle-blue circle. This isn鈥檛 a pattern: pink circle-blue circle-black circle-red circle. Draw both and ask your child which one is a pattern and why. Being able to identify a pattern — and explain what the pattern is — are important math skills. Your child is young, and you are starting early, so don鈥檛 worry if your child struggles. Explain what a pattern is, make some together, and most of all, keep it fun!
