Free Preschool Activities

This is an activity I tried with some preschoolers over the weekend, and it went over really well. We had a story about a boat in a storm. Then to bring the story to life, we made our own foil boats and turned our water table into a roaring ocean. I’ve also added some extensions to the end of this activity that you could try with your preschoolers.

What you need:

Basin of water
Foil
Objects/plastic people to put in boats
Towels!

What you do:

Give each preschooler a piece of foil. Show them how they can turn it into a boat. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, so let them be creative! We folded our foil in half then turned the edges up for sides.

Put the boats in the water and watch how they float. Invite your preschoolers to make a windy day by blowing on the water and making waves.

Extension activities:

Turn this into a counting activity! How many objects can you put into a boat before it sinks?

Put an island (a small saucer or other object) in your water table and read The Little Island to your preschoolers. Have them recreate the storm and other events of the story.

Here is an easy preschool Bible craft that can help your child remember and apply the Bible verse, “Sing unto the Lord.” Psalm 95:1

What you need for each child:

• 1 8 1/2″ x11″ sheet of construction paper - in your preschooler’s favorite color, of course.
• Printed lyrics to favorite Sunday School songs. You can find the tunes and words to many favorite Sunday School songs here. http://www.ebibleteacher.com/children/songs.htm
• Crayons or coloring pencils
• A stapler

What to do:

Fold the construction paper in half to make a cover for your songbook. Help your child print “Sing unto the Lord” on the cover, or encourage them to create a cover design of their own.

Give your child the printed lyrics to their favorite songs. These should be pre-cut so they fit inside your songbook cover. You can invite your child to add illustrations for each song.

Staple together.

Hold a sing-along and have fun singing unto the Lord together! Add lots of actions to your songs… if you can’t think of any ask your preschoolers for ideas.

Ready to Learn Some New Favorites?

When you’re ready to add some new favorites to your repertoire, you might also want to check out Gospel Fun Songs for Kids.

The best Christmas present my daughter Cassidy received when she was a preschooler was a special book that convinced her Santa was real. Even at 3 years old, she wasn’t 100% convinced the jolly elf could make his way into our home at night and secretly leave his gifts behind. But that all changed the year she got Peef the Christmas Bear for Christmas.

Peef: The Christmas Bear is a delightful storybook about a magical bear Santa creates one Christmas. Peef is never quite satisfied with his life as Santa’s helper. His real dream is to find a home where he will be loved by a child.  And, because it’s Christmas, Peef’s dream finally comes true. This book is a perfect gift for Christmas morning, especially when you bundle it with the Peef Bean Bag Bear. That’s what Cassidy received the year she was 3, and she was convinced that Peef had chosen to stay with her!

My daughter is now 12, and tonight I asked her, “Do you remember Peef?”

She got the same look on her face that she had 9 years ago when she first received the bear and his book. “I loved Peef,” she said wistfully, remembering that magical Christmas morning too.

Over the years, we’ve spent so much money and energy on finding the perfect gifts for our children, but the most memorable is this little book and stuffed animal!

If you’re looking for an easy way to put some more magic into your preschooler’s Christmas morning, Cassidy and I suggest you share the story of Peef with your children.  We just read through the book again tonight, and the last lines still make us smile:

And as he vanished, one small child was thrilled beyond belief.
For right beside a pillow there, a little bear said, “Peef!”