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Activities for Busy Preschoolers
12/2/2004
For many of us with preschoolers, finding twenty minutes of uninterrupted time can be a challenge. When we need to spend one-on-one time with a baby or an older student, having a box of ready-made preschooler activities can be very helpful.
Recently, I have put together an assortment of items in Ziploc bags to keep our four-year-old busy. Not only do these activities occupy him for a good twenty minutes, but they also sharpen his thinking and fine motor skills.
The following are some ideas that I got from a homeschooling website (Thank you, Alice!) and some ideas that I have come up with on my own. They require a relatively short amount of prep time and are economical, as they contain household items and things purchased from the Dollar Store and WalMart. Please bear in mind, some of these ideas call for small objects, so they should only be given to children over age three.
To get started, you will need a box of large or extra large ZIPPER Ziploc bags. It is important that the bags have the easy zipper so that the child can open and close the bag without assistance. Also, you will need a large box, milk crate, or Rubbermaid container to store the bags.
Bag#1 Make a Necklace
What you’ll need: -yarn, string, or boot lace
-masking or duct tape
-large beads, spools, Froot Loops, etc
Instructions: if using yarn/string, put a piece of tape on the end to make it easy for the child to string the objects; leave the objects and a few pieces of yarn/bootlaces in the bag
Bag#2 Magnetic Fishing/Color Matching
What you’ll need: -multicolored construction paper
-multicolored large paper clips
-stick, string, and magnet
Instructions: make a fishing pole with the stick, string and magnet; draw and cut out several different colored fish to correspond with paperclips of the same color; have the child match each paper clip with the fish of the same color-go fishing!
Bag#3 Sorting Beads
What you’ll need: -empty egg carton
-multicolored beads
-tweezers
Instructions: Glue a different colored bead into the bottom of each cup of the egg carton; provide the child with a small bowl of beads and a pair of tweezers; let the sorting begin!
Bag#4 Scissor Practice
What you’ll need: -scrap paper
-small stickers
-safety scissors
Instructions: tear several pieces of paper in half; using a wide tip maker, draw a couple of straight or simple wavy lines on the paper (the lines should be somewhat parallel not intersecting); at the end of each line, place a small sticker; have the child cut along the line all the way to the sticker
Bag#5 Number Train,
What you’ll need: -empty egg carton
-small counters (beans, beads, etc)
-paper clip (optional)
Instructions: cut the egg carton in half; have the child place one counter in the first “car,” two in the second, three in the third, etc. until he fills the train; to make it more challenging, attach the other half of the egg carton to the end of the first using a paperclip; see if he can fill the train all the way up to twelve counters in the last “car.”
Bag#6 Tracing
What you’ll need: -scrap paper
-tracing paper
-pencil or crayon
Instructions: using a wide tip dark marker, draw simple shapes (circles, squares, hearts, etc) on several half sheets of paper; tape a half sheet of tracing paper over each; give the child a pencil and start tracing
Bag#7 Toothpick Punched Art
What you’ll need: -scrap paper with simple shapes drawn on them (same as in Bag#6)
-black construction paper
-facecloth or tea towel
-toothpicks
-two clothespins
Instructions: place a folded facecloth on a table, then place a half sheet of black paper over it, followed by a half sheet of paper with simple shape on top; place one clothespin on each end to hold it together; instruct the child to use the toothpick to punch holes in the paper around the edge of the shape; when completed, have the child tape the punched construction paper to a window and let the sun shine through it!
Bag#8 Number Cards/Counting
What you’ll need: -index cards
-small stickers
-counters
Instructions: label each card from 1-10 (or whatever would be challenging for your child); on the back of each number card, place the appropriate number of stickers; have the child choose a card and place it on the table number side up; count out the correct number of counters, and turn the card over; match up the counters and stickers in one to one correspondence
Bag#9 Puzzle Hide and Seek Game
What you’ll need: -small puzzle that fits in a Ziploc, or a floor puzzle
-egg timer
Instructions: have the child cover his eyes or leave the room while you scatter pieces of a puzzle throughout the room(s); set the timer for twenty minutes (or whatever you think is adequate time) and see if he can find all the pieces and assemble the puzzle before time runs out-we love this one!
Bag#10 Storybook Felts
What you’ll need: -felts
-paperback copy of a story to fit in the bag (optional)
Instructions: this can be time consuming, but it is more economical than buying premade felt sets from the store. We have a few of these bags, each with characters and objects from different stories; for example, for Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina, I drew and cut out a peddlar, caps, a tree, and some monkeys; our son can “act out” the story on his felt board or just use his imagination and create his own story
These are just a few ideas. Use your imagination and knowledge of what might be interesting to your little one. Some of our other bags contain our own books on tape(as well as some borrowed from the library). Play dough with a small rolling pin and cookie cutters are another favorite. Ideally, you should have enough of these bags on hand so that each one is not used more than once a week. This will ensure that the activities stay fun!
This article was submitted by Tammy Hatfield from Cornwall, PEI.
Thank you Tammy!
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