Play ideas for you and your preschoooler

Your preschooler is becoming more independent and at times they will want to play on their own. However, your play times together are still so valuable as they provide a one-on-one opportunity for your child to learn new words and concepts, social skills, how to listen and a variety of other important skills that will get them ready for school. Your time together is precious, and limited, because before you know it they will be waving goodbye to you at the classroom door.

Dress-ups and role play

  • Your preschooler’s imagination is an amazing thing and it is fantastic to encourage their creativity through play. Dress-ups is a great way to do this. Put together a box with hats, scarves, jackets, sunglasses and necklaces and let your little one’s imagination run wild.

  • You don’t need to spend money on expensive costumes – look through your old clothes or in op shops. You can even make some things yourself, like tails made out of old stockings stuffed with newspaper, or capes made out of old pillowcases. Include your child when you are making these items. This shows them that they can create their vision themselves. They will learn problem solving skills, resourcefulness and creativity.

Cooking - pretend or real

  • Preschoolers love to imitate you. This may mean getting ready to go to work, doing the washing, mowing the lawn . One of their favourite activities will be to cook, either pretending to cook with their own utensils or helping you out in the kitchen.

  • Cooking with you is a great time for preschoolers to learn a variety of concepts, to listen and wait and to take turns.

Construction box (or useful box)

Having a box filled with containers, milk lids, boxes, ribbons, tissue paper and catalogues can allow for endless hours of imagination and entertainment for your preschooler.  Again, they are learning problem solving skills, how to be resourceful and creative.

Give them some masking tape and watch them create a masterpiece.

Playdough

  • Playdough is a fantastic tactile activity for children and provides them with the perfect opportunity to work on their fine motor skills (working with their hands and strengthening their muscles). You can make playdough at home for next to nothing, and this is a great cooking activity to involve your preschooler in.

  • Find a great recipe for no-cook playdough here.

Puzzles

  • Puzzles are a great problem solving activity for your preschooler. They encourage your little one to learn to concentrate on an activity for a period of time (this extends as the puzzles get harder). Start with simple inset puzzles (the puzzle piece fits neatly into it’s corresponding hole’ and then move to more conventional puzzles of 6 to 12 pieces. Initially your preschooler may need you close on hand to help out if they are getting frustrated. Help them out and then encourage them to have a go on their own.

Simple board games

  • By the time your child is four they may be interested in playing simple board and card games. These are a great opportunity for your child to learn how to follow simple rules, take turns and share with others. Simple games for kids include, memory, pop-up pirate, honey bee tree, the shopping list game and Mr Potato Head Pals.

  • Preschoolers love to be creative and craft activities are a great way for them to not only create you a masterpiece, but also learn some great fine motor skills while they are at it. There are endless craft activity ideas available online. Check out some great ideas for your preschooler here.

Craft

  • Decorate an old shoe box and it will become one of your child’s most prized possessions. Ask your child to find an object to hide in the box. When they have hidden something ask them a series of questions to guess what they are hiding. Now it’s your turn and your child has to ask you questions to discover what is in the box. Initially your child will need lots of help to ask the right questions, but with time they will become more independent.

  • This activity teaches your child not only how to answer questions and describe objects, but also how to ask questions themselves. This is a great skill as they start kindy and will be meeting many new people and asking questions helps them find out about others and make friends.

Surprise Box

Early literacy play ideas

Your child will not simply learn to read and write over night. In fact all of the books you have read, words you have spoken and games you have played over their life so far will have a role to play in their literacy skills. As they reach the preschool years, they will become even more interested in letters and the sounds they make. Here are some fun, relaxed and motivating ways to introduce letters and sounds to your preschooler:

  • Making letters with playdough

  • Drawing and writing letters

  • Playing with magnetic letters

  • Finger painting and tracing letters

  • Using cooked spaghetti to make letter shapes

  • Drawing letters on the footpath with chalk

  • Lining up cars, blocks or pegs to make giant letters

  • Pretending to type on an old keyboard

  • Pointing out letters on signs, in catalogues, and in books

  • Playing I-Spy using the initial sound of a word (“I spy something that starts with sssssss”

    Remember that it is important that you child learns not just the letter names but also the sounds they make. Talk about this with your child as you play. “This is the letter kay, it makes the sound ‘k-k-k’”.