Free Preschool Activities

What you need:

- construction paper in colors you want to teach. If you’ll be teaching the basic shapes instead,  cut them into circles, squares and triangles.

- a preschool music CD such as 30 Preschool Songs

What you do:

Tape the construction paper to the floor, close enough that preschoolers can jump from piece to piece.

Start the music and have the preschoolers jump from paper to paper. Stop the music and have everyone tell you what color/shape they’re standing on.

Alternatives:

Try hopping or jumping backwards instead of jumping.

When the music stops, call out a particular color or shape for then to run to, like “Red!” or “Triangle!”

For older preschoolers, try a variation of musical chairs. Have one less paper than you have children. The one not standing on a color/shape when the music stops can sit down, or become a helper.

A few days ago, I wrote a post on teaching preschoolers about recycling.  Here’s another way you can recycle materials - make them into a recycled kite! This kite is cool for another reason too. Usually store-bought kites need an adult to fly them. This one is perfect for preschoolers to fly all by themselves!

What you need:

• plastic grocery bag from your recycling box or bin
• string, 4 - 6 feet long
• streamers (create your own from colored paper in your mixed paper recycling box)
• tape
• markers to create a design on the kite

What you do:

1. Tie the string around the handles of the bag.
2. Tape streamers to the bottom of the bag.
3. Decorate your kite with markers.

Your recycled kite is ready for its test flight!

Have your preschooler run with the kite. It will lift a little bit when your child runs. On windy days, it goes even higher! As your child gets used to running with the kite, you can add a longer string for more excitement.

Remember running around outside with pinwheels when you were small? The wind would catch them and they turned as you ran. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to help your preschooler enjoy that same experience. Here’s an easy pinwheel craft you can make with your preschoolers.

What you need:

• Colored construction paper, or colored paper (Your preschooler’s favorite color, of course!
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Thumb tack

What you do:

Cut your piece of paper into a square. (Hey, this could be a GREAT time to talk to your preschool about the differences between squares and rectangles!)

From each corner, cut a straight line to the center of the square, but don’t cut all the way to the center. That’s where the thumb tack will go.

Fold corners to the center.

Attach the whole thing to a pencil with a thumb tack.

Let your preschooler loose to catch the breeze!

For a sparkly pinwheel, find a colorful pencil and paper to use.

Why should you be spending time helping your preschoolers discover music? Here are a few important reasons:

• dancing to music and making music releases stress and energy. I think anyone who spends time with preschoolers can appreciate that!
• it gives children a way to express their emotions. They’re full of emotions they can’t express, and dancing to music is more fun for everyone than dealing with a temper tantrum.
• music makes learning fun! Add music to ANY preschool lesson, and it’s instantly an exciting activity
• learning music teaches listening skills . Remember all the things you asked your preschoolers to listen for when you made music for them?
• music provides a pleasant background for regular activities like playing, eating, and sleeping.

Music can do so much more as well - these are just a few things.

You can start making music a part of your regular day with your preschoolers by

• playing soft music while they’re doing regular activities
• make up new movements to some songs they already know
• sing with your children as often as you can. Even if you don’t think you can sing well, your preschoolers will love to hear you sing with them! In the car, with the windows tightly shut, has always been my favorite place to sing with my kids.
• dance with your kids as often as you can. Again, you may want to keep the blinds closed, but your children will love to dance with you. Seeing you move to music will help inspire their own creativity too.

Next week, I’ll have instructions for making some easy (and fun) musical instruments with your preschoolers. Get ready to make even MORE music!

But that’s OK, because a musical home (or classroom) is a happy one.

This morning’s newspaper delivered some disappointing news.

According to one local researcher, kids need a lot more than the 30 minutes of physical activity a day I ensure they get - they actually need 90 minutes of activity each day. OK, that part wasn’t too bad. My kids usually do get that much, just by running around, being kids.

The disturbing part, for me, was that (according to this researcher) only 9% of Canadian kids are getting the necessary amount of exercise. Of those surveyed, the kids who got this much exercise did so because they were enrolled in sports activities in which the parents were not involved, but were only spectators.

I don’t think that mean you’ve got to enroll your preschoolers in a bunch of high-priced lessons and programs… unless you really want to. Our family doesn’t.

Instead, we enjoy physical activity as a family - by going hiking, for family bikes rides, or running around the backyard or neighborhood playground. Basically, we make regular physical activity a regular part of our everyday life.

If you’re wondering how you can get more physical activity in your children’s lives, you’ll want to check out Mom’s Talk Guide to Raising Healthy & Fit Kids.

In this handy guide you’ll discover:

Ideas to help get your family more active - without going to the gym, or registering the kids in expensive programs.

How to make exercise fun. Have fun as a family, while getting fit together.

“7 Nutritional Key Rules to Live By.” Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Learn simple and practical rules that make it easier to make sure your kids are getting the nutrients they need.

This ebook even comes with a 30 day guarantee. Review Mom’s Talk Guide to Raising Healthy & Fit Kids for 30 days. If you’re not 100% satisfied, you get all your money back - no questions asked!