One week into my son’s first experience with preschool, it happened to us. My child’s classroom was temporarily moved to online learning due to COVID-19 exposure.
Initially, I panicked. But actually, it didn’t turn out as bad as I had expected. My son was bummed about not being in school, but his remote class was unbelievable. I’m convinced his teacher has magical powers because she was able to hold the attention of 14 preschoolers on zoom! And there was extra down time at home, but luckily, his teacher provided great projects to keep him busy.
However, even with all of that, I knew my son was still going to have a lot more time on his hands. Being a former classroom teacher, I wanted to find things for him to do that were beneficial and fun. Here are my suggestions for educational activities for preschoolers you can do at home .
Educational Activities for Preschoolers You Can Do At Home
Freeze Dancing
My son loves to move and freeze dancing is one of his favorite activities. Have your child pick a song and then let the dance party begin. When you stop the music, the kids have to freeze in their exact position. A head up – this activity can get very silly! Music is fabulous for kids because it helps with language, listening skills, and memory – just to name a few! And dancing is great exercise that lets kids be creative while working on their gross motor skills.
Sink or Float
This game is as easy as it sounds! Gather up items that won’t be destroyed if they get wet and fill a large bowl with water. Have your child guess which items will sink and which will float.
This activity is a nice introduction to science. Explain what a hypothesis is and take turns making one for each object. And if you want to take this activity a step further, graph your results for added learning and a fun art project.
Shape Scavenger Hunt
This is another easy activity that’s great for preschoolers working on their shapes. Create a list of shapes and then ask your kids to find something around the house that matches each one. Bringing this activity outside makes it ever better.
Name Art Project
I love this activity! It’s great for kids who are learning the letters in their name and the fine motor skills needed for handwriting. Have your child write their name in glue and then decorate the letters anyway they choose! You could pick a theme for this project such as their favorite color or season. You could even have them collect items from nature to shape their name.
Chalk Art
This has always been my sneaky way to get my active kiddo to work on his writing and drawing! Getting him to sit down with a pencil and paper has often been a challenge, but on the driveway with chalk? Sign him up.
Aside from being a fun art project, chalk art allows kids a chance to work on their fine motor skills, as well as cognitive skills with letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. Don’t have a good outside space to use? Extra large poster board should do the trick.
Fine Motor Fun
Improving fine motor skills is so important for little ones just learning how to write! My son’s preschool teacher shared these activities with me and they are too good not to pass along!
Have your kiddo make pictures with stickers, pick up objects using tweezers, or create a necklace by stringing beads and colored pasta. They can also roll playdough into tiny balls using only their fingertips or cut the dough with scissors or a plastic knife. And possibly my favorite suggestion – use an eyedropper to “pick up” colored water and create an artistic design on paper.
Cook Together
There are so many educational benefits to cooking with your child! Learning math, reading, and fine motor practice to name just a few. Pick an old family recipe or try something new. Seacoast Mom’s writer, Misa Pignataro, has lots of great suggestions for cooking with your kids. Check out her website, too!
Read, Read, Read!
When in doubt – read! Reading is one of the best things we can do with our children. Reading helps kids with cognitive development, language and vocabulary, listening skills and comprehension, and imagination and creativity. Not to mention, reading together is a great way to bond with your child. And even if it doesn’t look “perfect” – that’s okay! Your kids are benefiting and that’s what’s important.
Need some new reading material while stuck at home? This article has great ideas for finding online books and resources for kids.
Bonus idea – make a special snack together for story time! Or bring the whole activity outside if the weather allows. A book picnic is tons of fun.
Online Library Resources
Don’t forget about your local Seacoast library! If your kiddo is quarantined, your library will have tons of online resources ready for you to use at home. Turn to them for educational activities for preschoolers you can do at home We love to check out books online and use Hoopla and OverDrive for ebooks at home.
