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Home Activities to Keep Your Preschooler Busy and Happy
March 12, 2024
Education
Preschool
Home Activities to Keep Your Preschooler Busy and Happy
Parenting preschoolers can be a delightful yet challenging experience, especially when you’re trying to keep them engaged at home. With boundless energy and curiosity, young children of preschool age flourish by doing activities that stimulate their minds and bodies.
In this guide, we’ll explore various home activities that keep your preschooler engaged and contribute to their overall development and happiness.
Arts and crafts
Encourage your child’s creativity with simple arts and crafts activities. Gather basic supplies like paper, glue, coloured pencils, and safety scissors. Create a designated craft area and let your preschooler’s imagination run wild.
You can offer guidance and encouragement but try not to set the direction too much yourself. Having your child take the lead and make decisions about colours, shapes, and designs would build their confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
Reading
Reading not only enhances language skills but also provides an excellent opportunity for bonding. Introduce your child to age-appropriate books early to cultivate a love for reading. Set aside dedicated reading time and make it engaging by asking questions about the story or characters. Choose books with vibrant illustrations and engaging narratives to captivate their interest.
We recommend:
- ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle, for introducing days of the week, counting, and the concept of metamorphosis in an interactive format.
- Various titles from Dr Seuss’s books, for their whimsical characters, creative language, and playful rhymes that appeal to preschoolers’ sense of humour and imagination.
Outdoor play
Take advantage of outdoor spaces, whether a playground, a nearby park, or a simple walk around the neighbourhood. Outdoor play is crucial for physical development of preschool-aged children and offers a change of scenery.
Activities like playing tag, riding bikes, or exploring nature can help burn off excess energy and promote a healthy, active lifestyle.
Sensory play
Preschoolers are naturally drawn to sensory experiences. Set up a sensory play area with activities like water tables, sandboxes, or bins filled with rice or beans to encourage exploration and discovery.
These activities stimulate the senses, encouraging cognitive and emotional development.
Imaginative play
Foster creativity through imaginative play. Provide dress-up clothes, props, and simple toys that encourage role-playing and storytelling.
Whether they’re pretending to be superheroes, doctors, or chefs, imaginative play helps preschool-aged children develop social skills, problem-solving abilities, and language development.
Music and movement
Play some music and encourage them to have a little dance session, or introduce your preschooler to simple musical instruments. Music and movement activities provide entertainment and help develop coordination and rhythm.
Singing together, dancing, and playing instruments are excellent ways to enhance motor skills and boost mood.
Cooking and baking
Involve your preschooler in the kitchen with age-appropriate cooking and baking activities. Simple tasks like stirring, pouring, and decorating can be educational and fun.
These activities teach basic kitchen skills and promote an understanding of measurements and ingredients.
Social activities
Arrange playdates or virtual meet-ups with other children. Social interactions are vital for your child’s emotional development and help them learn essential skills such as sharing, communication, and cooperation.
In-person or online, social activities allow preschoolers to build friendships and learn to navigate social situations.
What if the child gets bored?
It’s completely normal for a child to occasionally experience boredom, and it’s not something you should necessarily worry about. Boredom can be a positive and constructive experience for preschoolers at this age.
When children are not engaged in a structured activity, they use their creativity to devise new games, stories, or activities. Boredom can spark imaginative thinking and independent play.
Allowing your child to experience boredom gives them the opportunity to learn how to entertain themselves. This independence is a valuable skill that can serve them well throughout life.
Early learning with My First Skool
Keeping your preschooler engaged at home involves balancing structured activities, free play, and social interactions. Incorporating the above activity ideas creates a diverse and stimulating environment for your child. Embrace the parenting journey and enjoy the precious moments of discovery and growth with your preschool-aged child.
Consider preschool programs like My First Skool for a structured and holistic approach to early learning. These programs are designed to provide a comprehensive educational experience for preschoolers. Focusing on cognitive, social, and emotional development, My First Skool preschool complements your child’s home learning and experiences.
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