The Preschool Professor----Activities

Safety First

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Since we are working with young children, we need to keep safety in the forefront of our minds for these preschool activities. Here are some reminders:

• SUPERVISION is key!!! Stay close to your child(ren) while they are working.
• Small objects, like dry beans, marbles, etc. are a choking hazard.
• Even if you are only using a small container of water, remember it only takes a few inches of water for a child to drown.
• Teach and model safe behaviors with scissors.
• Some things must ONLY be done by an adult – like hot glue guns, using hot water, cutting objects, etc.
• Plastic grocery bags and Ziploc-type bags are a suffocation risk – monitor their use carefully.

These may seem like common sense tips, but one can never be too careful with preschoolers.

General Preschool Activities

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Below you will find some general preschool activities. These do not necessarily fit into a specific category.

• Fill a bucket full of water and let children use paintbrushes to paint outside
• Use rollers, toothpicks, and cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of Play-doh
• Give children a large cardboard box and let them use their imaginations to decide how to play with it (train car, airplane, fort, etc.)
• Make a necklace with string and an assortment of materials: beads, cereal, dry noodles, etc.
• Create an indoor sandbox by filling a shoebox with sand and have child play with spoons, cups, and small cars (alternate fun is to fill with rice!)
• 2 words: Sidewalk. Chalk.
• Cover the dining room chairs with blankets, secure with clothespins, and voila - a tent! Complete the experience with pillows, a flashlight, and s'mores
• Build a tower with all the plastic Tupperware and mixing bowls from the cupboards
• Give kids your "button box" and let them sort according to attributes - color, size, number of holes
• Let children practice lacing and tying knots with old sneakers
• Fill a shallow pan or bowl with water and set on a towel. Allow children to sail boats, let their toys go "swimming", or use measuring cups
• Find a cloth measuring tape or plastic ruler and have children measure objects around the house
• Stickers + blank paper = busy children
• Give children a damp washcloth and let them "help" you clean the house!
• Put a small amount of whipped or shaving cream in a pie pan or cookie sheet and watch as children "write" and draw
• What to do with all those old magazines? Give them to the kids with a pair of safety scissors! They love cutting out pictures and it's great practice for their fine motor skills
• Use a magnifying glass to go on a "Looking Adventure"
• Create a scavenger hunt for your kids to follow