Fun Preschool Activities

Best Night Ever!

2010-12-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

I am an assistant troop leader for my daughter’s Girl Scouts Daisy troop. Last night, they had an overnight lock-in at the Discovery Zone in Binghamton, NY.

The day started out a little nerve-racking as the troop leader (who does both Brownies and Daisies) was sick and couldn’t attend. For our group of girls, I was the only parent there. However, we had 6 girls total and a few other troops were there with all their leaders and a few parents; everyone was really great and helpful. This was my first experience doing this.

We arrived at the Discovery Zone at about 6:30ish.

The girls dropped off their sleeping bags and they had dinner in one of the classrooms.

Then, they were able to play around the center for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Then, they went into another classroom to do some scheduled activities.

That was followed by a question and answer style treasure hunt in the dark with flashlights!

The girls were then able to have a popcorn snack before bed.

For sleeping, the girls could sleep anywhere in the play museum (expect for up high or in a tunnel).

In the morning, the girls woke up, had breakfast, and were able to play for about 30 minutes. And then, it was time to leave.

I’m going to do a few more posts in a minute with pictures of the Discovery Zone, but it is a great place to go with your children for a fun filled day.

My Daughter's Wish List: My Pillow Pet

2010-12-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

One product both my daughter and I love are the My Pillow Pets. She sings along whenever one of their commercials are on “it’s a pillow; it’s a pet!”

As a parent, I love the fact that you get two-for-one. After all, it is a stuffed animal pet and a pillow rolled all into one.

We are going to buy one of these for my daughter. Either for Christmas or for her birthday, which is in January.

The only problem I am going to have is deciding which Pillow Pet to buy her. She has noted that she “LOVES them all.”

Here are a few pictures of her favorite. Links are also included so you can make a purchase from Amazon.com. To buy directly from the company, please click here to visit the My Pillow Pets Website.

My Pillow Pets Miss Lady Bug 18"

My Pillow Pets Lavender Unicorn 18"

My Pillow Pets Dog 18"

Fun Field Trip for Kids: Science Center in Ithaca, NY!

2010-12-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the school year, I was a chaperone for my daughter’s first grade field trip to the Science Center in Ithaca, NY.

We have been to the Science Center many times before. We let our membership expire, but did we have one and used it often.

There are A LOT more exhibits present than the ones picture below. I was actually having so much fun that I kept forgetting to take pictures.

If you’d like more information on the Science Center in Ithaca, NY, please click the link to go directly to their website.

Winter is Coming!

2010-12-03T17:18:00.001-08:00

I live in the Northeast and winter is almost in full swing. While I am not personally a fan of the cold, I love winter. There are so many fun things to do with my daughter.

We are pretty excited because our new house comes with a giant backyard that happens to have a hill perfect for sledding smack dab in the middle of it! Sarah’s birthday is in January and she has already decided that she is going to have a sledding party.

Other fun activities we enjoy include making snowmen, snow angels, snow forts, and having snowball fights!

What is your child’s favorite winter activity?

My Favorite Melissa and Doug Toys for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

2010-12-03T16:59:00.001-08:00

As a parent, one of my all-time favorite brands is that of Melissa and Doug. We have a number of Melissa and Doug toys in our home. All their products are fun for kids. As a parent, I love the strong quality of each item.

If you are a parent who is looking for quality, fun, educational, and strongly built toys, I encourage you to checkout Melissa and Doug!

Here are a few of our favorite toys and links to where you can purchase them from Amazon.com.

Wooden Shape Sorting Clock by Melissa and Doug

How neat is a toy that will help your child learn and practice their shapes, while also working on time telling! A toy that does double duty; you can’t beat that!

Works as a traditional shape sorting toy. Your child can move the hour hand and the minute hand for fun with time. Made from wood, this unique and handy toy will last for years!

Average retail value of the Melissa and Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock is $14.99.

Cutting Food Box Set by Melissa and Doug

My daughter has a play kitchen and the majority of play food and accessories we have are from the Melissa and Doug brand. Once again, we keep returning to them due to their affordable prices and high quality products.

The wooden food pieces look more realistic than the cheap plastic food pieces you can buy. The fact that you can “cut” them with the wooden knife is neat and perfect for true kitchen play.

You can also incorporate a little math into your child’s day by educating them about counting and fractions when cutting each piece of food into pieces.

Average retail value of the Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box is $19.99.

20 Animal Magnets in a Box by Melissa and Doug

In our house, we are big magnet fans! My daughter loves to play with them on the fridge. I like it because I can easily keep a close eye on my daughter while cooking or doing dishes in the kitchen.

Not only do you get 20 animal magnets, but a nice wooden storage box/cube. These magnets are decent sized too; not too small at all!

Average retail value of this Melissa and Doug 20 Animal Magnets in a Box is $11.99.

Abby & Emma Deluxe Magnetic Dress-Up

Oh no! Another magnet set? This set is a bit different. Instead of fridge magnets, these are doll magnets. My daughter has this set and has played with it non-stop for almost a year now!

Your kit includes Abby and Emma, a wooden storage cube/box, along with a mixture of dress up clothes. These are magnetic, meaning they will stick to the dolls even when they are standing up!

This kit comes with 60 pieces! There are so many different outfit combinations for your child to make.

There are similar toys sold for boys, also by Melissa and Doug, such as this Melissa and Doug Joey Magnetic Dress-Up.

Average retail value of this Melissa and Doug Abby and Emma Deluxe Magnetic Dress-Up is $19.99

Follow Us on Twitter!

2010-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

I have just created a Twitter account for this blog/site. Please follow us on Twitter by visiting our profile page at http://twitter.com/preschoolreview. I will follow you back!

SpongeBob Sorry is a Family Event!

2010-12-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

My daughter loves (and I mean loves) to play board games. We have at least 30 different games here. That gives me a great idea – review some!

But anyways, back to the originally post. My brother moved out to Minnesota. He was a supervisor with Best Buy at a local store but has since gone to take a job at their corporate office. He came home for the holidays.

And my daughter being the game lover she is, suggested he join her for a game of SpongeBob Sorry – two nights in a row! One night she won and the next he won.

SpongeBob Sorry is just like the traditional Sorry game, but with a SpongeBob theme. We have had this game about a year now and the excitement hasn’t worn off on my daughter. We play it a couple of times every other week.

My Daughter’s Wish List: FurReal GoGo My Walkin’ Pup

2010-11-30T07:08:00.000-08:00

As any parent knows, children can’t wait to get their favorite toys and games for Christmas. My daughter is one of those children who any other time of the year and she pays no attention to toy or video game commercials. But! As soon as Christmas comes, every other word of out her mouth is “wow that is cool, that would be neat for Christmas.”

While at this point in time my daughter thinks that EVERYTHING on the market marketed to kids is “cool,” there are a few items she “really, really” wants to have. One of those items is the FurReal GoGo My Walkin' Pup.

This cute little puppy retails in at $59.99. As of December 3^rd 2010, you could buy it on Amazon.com for $48.88 with free shipping.

Noteworthy Product Features

Your child can walk the dog just about wherever they want by using the remote control.
The dog will wag his tail and bark!
The dog has similar mannerism as a real dog; it will whine when not properly lifted or when your child tugs to hard on the leash – kind of neat if you ask me.

This is one item she will definitely find under the Christmas tree!

My Not Cool Black Friday Experience at Walmart

2010-11-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

Last year, I went Black Friday shopping at the Walmart located in Ithaca, NY. It was really fun and everything went great. It was the first time that I had been out before 10am on Black Friday. The store was well organized, the staff was very great and helpful, and so forth.

So I decided to go Black Friday shopping again. A new SuperCenter opened in Cortland, NY (bigger than the Ithaca store), so we decided to head there. BIG MISTAKE!

First, the store was VERY unorganized. If you asked employees where to go for a certain item, they sent you in the wrong direction! I would have much rather preferred for them to say “I don’t know” then completely send you in the opposite direction. This just wasn’t one employee either – at least 10 directed me the wrong way.

Second, I was after the $7 and $10 video games (among other things). These video games were supposed to go on sale at 12:01am. They weren’t on the sales floor. In fact, when asked a manager was all “they don’t go on sale until 5am.” That was wrong. So then of course they rushed to get the video games out.

Third, it was hectic. I never experienced pushing and shoving before, but that was going on. I also watched a lady confront another person who tried to take items from her cart. I heard this happens a lot on Black Friday, but my experience last year was so pleasant.

Finally, when I go to checkout I had a great cashier; very quick and friendly. However, it wasn’t until I got home that I realized that my coupon that wouldn’t scan and was hand entered into the computer ($3 off Bendaroos) actually ended up costing me $3. It was added in some unknown department instead of being credited as a coupon.

I can’t even describe how disappointed I was in my local Walmart. I will either return to the Walmart in Ithaca next year or just shop from home online instead.

My Daughter’s Wish List: Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Walk & Giggle Doll by Mattel

2010-11-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

Another one of the many items on my daughter’s wish list for Christmas is the Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Walk and Giggle Doll by Mattel. Here is the product information on this neat toy.

Noteworthy Product Features

Fully interactive doll
Says up to 60 different phrases, songs, and so forth
Plays peek-a-boo
Responds well to love and nurture
Doll will go from sitting, to standing, to walking with your child, to walking by themselves

This toy is recommended for ages three and up. When you purchase the Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Walk and Giggle Doll, your purchase includes the baby doll, a blanket, a pacifier, a bottle, and a little toy dog that comes with a leash.

As much as my daughter would love this doll, I am thinking we are going to pass on it unless I am able to find a REALLY great deal. Personally, $69.99 (average price on Amazon.com) is a bit too expensive in my book. I also think it is important to take into account that out of 9 reviews, it got about 3.5 out of 5 stars in ratings. I will most likely wait until the price drops or else better reviews come in.

Fun Thanksgiving Activity: Coloring Handprint Turkeys

2010-11-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

This is a cross between a preschool craft project and a fun Thanksgiving activity for kids. My daughter wanted to do something neat for her teacher and the aide in the room, along with someone else at the school.

So she traced her handprint to make a turkey, drew a face, legs, and colored it in. Since she made three different pictures, she did three different designs.

This activity is a simple and affordable way to celebrate Thanksgiving with your child. All you need is a piece of computer paper and a few crayons.

Home Remodeling with a 6 Year Old: A Future Construction Worker - Part 2

2010-11-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

I found another cute picture of Sarah helping us with our home remodeling project.

We had to rip up the flooring throughout most of the house. This room in particular is our backroom/soon-to-be family room.

After pulling up the subflooring, a lot of nails were left hanging. A LOT of nails; probably at least 100! My dad was helping us and Sarah thought it looked pretty easy to pull up the nails. So she started to do it.

If you look close in the picture, you can see that my dad is going ahead of her to loosen up all the nails so she could actually get them up. It was SO cute that I just had to take a picture.

Home Remodeling with a 6 Year Old: A Future Construction Worker

2010-11-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

We just bought our first home at the end of July. We knew that it was a fixer-upper, but it needed A LOT more fixing when then we first thought. It is amazing how many problems can be hidden behind furniture, the walls, and more.

Remodeling a home with a child is hard, but it can be fun if you let them help. Typically, we let our daughter control the ShopVac. However, a unique opportunity presented itself when we decided to gut her bedroom.

She thought it was so much fun watching us rip out the sheetrock that she wanted to try. Haha so we gave her a hammer and a dusk mask and let her go to town. She was a little too good at first because she was busting holes in the insulation behind the sheetrock, but then she got into the hang of things.

Sarah’s Parent Teacher Conference

2010-11-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

The other day, my daughter’s school had half a day so the parents and teachers could have their scheduled conferences. At my daughter’s age, all parents get these regardless of how great they are doing at school.

I found out the other day that my daughter is a level I reader (big deal to us). At the parent teacher conference, I learned a bit more.

My daughter is a great student; very happy to be at school, excited to learn, and gets along great with everyone in the class.

The only thing we need to work on with her is to eliminate distractions and her ability to let them slow her up. While my daughter understands all the work is she is doing, her ability to get it done in a timely fashion varies.

Haha basically, I have a child who gets too distracted. She will look up from her work and focus on what other kids are doing, stare out the window for a while, and so forth.

Her teacher has suggested that we buy an egg-style timer and use it for when she does her homework at home. Give her enough time so that she knows she is timed, but not so little time that she feels like she has to rush or hurry. We are all hoping that she will get into the habit of working at a faster pace.

My Play-Doh Wish List!

2010-11-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I are both big fans of the Play-Doh brand. We can spend hours playing with Play-Doh. In an attempt to save money, I have gone with a few knockoff brands, but always found myself returning to the real Play-Doh.

We already have the 24 pack of colors (among others), and the Play-Doh Creativity Center, but here are a few more items I’d love to add to our little fun collection. Also included are links where you can purchase these items at Amazon.com.

Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory

Not only is this a neat Play-Doh play set, but it also acts as a mini storage case too! You can store up to 6 containers in the Mega Fun Factory!

The main gist of this is that your child’s Play-Doh creations will get stamped like candy shapes. It moves along a conveyor belt that is real. There is a mini-play mat that comes with your purchase, six 2-ounce cans of Play-Doh, and two stamping wheels.

The Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory has an average retail value of $34.99.

Play-Doh Cake Making Station

When I think of Play-Doh, I often think of making play food. I never thought about making pretend cakes though until I came across the Play-Doh Cake Making Station. What a neat idea though!

All purchases include 4 3-ournce cans of Play-Doh, the actual cake making station, and wide variety of other tools and accessories.

In addition to making “play cakes,” your child can also use the Play-Doh and a number of accessories to creating frosting, cake embellishments, and more! Watch as your child starts with making one cake and they come up with a million more cake decorating ideas!

This Play-Doh Cake Making Station has an average retail value of $16.99.

Play-Doh Creations Caddy

This has been on my Play-Doh wish list for a while now. I love the fact that it has multiple things rolled into one. It is a storage system with an easy-carry handle. It has room to store multiple cans of Play-Doh and a lot of accessories.

Speaking of those accessories, all purchases include 25 different art/craft supplies. These items are a mixture of stamps, rolling pins, cutters, scissors, markers, crayons, and more!

The Play-Doh Creations Caddy has an average retail value of $21.99.

Museum of the Earth Located in Ithaca, NY

2010-11-16T09:28:00.000-08:00

These pictures are over a year old, but I just realized that I never uploaded them to my blog. I am not exactly sure when, but it was over a year ago. We visited the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, NY. Sarah and I went with my mom because they were having a Dinosaur Train event.

My daughter did have fun; however, it is no secret that her favorite museums are the hands-on kids ones. The Museum of the Earth did have a few interactive, hands-on displays, but I think it is a bit geared towards older children.

Here are some pictures from our trip. If you would like more information about the Museum of the Earth located in Ithaca, NY, please click the link to be taken to their website.

Easy Crafts for Kids: Tree with Real Leaves

2010-11-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

We love it when fall arrives and the leaves all fall from the trees. My daughter and I usually go on a leaf collecting hunt and then do a few craft projects. This week we made a tree on paper but used real leaves for the leaves.

Supplies You Will Need:

2 sheets of construction paper (I recommend one brown)

Glue

Scissors

Leaves you collected with your child

Something heavy

Directions:

Step #1: Cut out a tree trunk with the brown construction paper. If you do not have brown paper, your child can simply color the tree trunk brown.

Step #2: Glue the tree trunk to the full sized sheet of construction paper.

Step #3: Glue the leaves to the top of the tree trunk. We used white school glue as that worked a lot better than regular glue sticks.

Step #4: Place a large (or a few small) heavy objects on top of the leaves. This forces them to stay down and it will make it a million times easier for the leaves to actually dry glued to the paper.

Something So Simple, Yet So Fun! Leaves!

2010-11-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how much fun a child can have with something so simple - leaves!

We bought a new house this past July with a massive front and back yard. Needless to say there are A LOT of trees in the area and (of course) that meant a lot of leaves!

When we got enough leaves in our yard, I started to make piles for my daughter and the neighbor to play in. Haha of course I didn’t think to snap a picture of them.

A couple of weeks ago, all the leaves from the trees were gone and our yard was packed with them! At this time, it was much easier to push the leaves onto a tarp and pull them over to the side of the road to dump.

The fact they were in a tarp, didn’t stop by daughter from having the time of her life. Every other night for about 2 hours, she was out having a blast with all the fallen leaves!

Coloring, Coloring, and More Coloring: My Daughter is an Addict!

2010-11-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

If your toddler, preschooler, or school aged child likes to color, there is a good chance that you will buy coloring books for your child. If so, you’ll soon find that you have an unlimited number of options!

My favorite place to buy coloring books from is my local dollar store. Why? Because children who love to color can color through half a coloring book in one day! My daughter included haha I would go broke paying $4 per each coloring book.

I also like to print coloring pages from the internet. These are nice as I am able to find character coloring pages that my daughter likes; the same coloring pages that are more expensive and are rarely found at dollar stores. I also like this approach as I am able to pick and choose which pages. My daughter will color anything, but she (of course) has her favorites.

What coloring pages (type, character, so forth) are your child’s favorite?

Fun Preschool Game: What Is It?

2010-11-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

The “What Is It Game” is one that is typically associated with Halloween, but it is a fun preschool game that you can play with your child whenever!

Start by taking a few objects from around your house. These can be a couple of your child’s favorite toys, craft supplies (yarn), food (cooked noodles), and so forth.

Next, have your child close their eyes or blindfold them. Have your child guess what each item is.

When doing this fun activity for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders, is a good idea to encourage them to use a few of their senses – touch, smell, and maybe listen.

How Was Halloween?

2010-11-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

How did everyone make out for Halloween? Our family did pretty well. We had an exciting weekend with lots of Halloween events planned.

First, we started the weekend out with a last minute Halloween costume change on Thursday night. My daughter's dress she wanted to wear didn't fit too good. So we ran to our local Wal-Mart. Then, she couldn't decide what she wanted to be. So she combined a few costumes together. Basically she was a black cat wearing a blond wig, who descended from royalty!

On Friday, they had a Halloween party and parade at the school. Despite the fact it was cold and raining off and on, they still had the parade outside. The made it around the school bus loop once before it started to rain and sleet; everyone made a made dash for cover!

On Friday night, my daughter had a Halloween party at the school for Girl Scouts. She went as a plain old black cat because the wig was “too itchy.” That was fun, as they had a lot of yummy snacks and fun activities.

On Saturday, I took Sarah and her friend Madison down to a free Halloween party they were having at the local American Legion. That was neat. They had a costume party, games, snacks, and hayrides for the kids!
After that, we had a two hour playdate at the house with Madison and Sarah’s other friend Emily. Then, my mom, Emily’s mom and little sister, and Madison’s mom all joined us for trick or treating on Main Street with the local businesses. The girls had so much fun!

On Sunday (actually Halloween), we went trick or treating around the neighborhood. At this point in time, my daughter was tired of being a cat. So she broke out the wig again and a princess dress and became a blond princess! Too funny! We hit up quite a few houses in the neighborhood; it was just so cold!

We closed out the night by handing out candy at our house (first time we have been able to do this since we just rented an apartment before with a door out back). Sarah loved answering the door!

Halloween Craft Project for Kids: Halloween Wreath

2010-10-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a fun, easy, affordable, and simple Halloween craft project to do with your family, then I recommend creating a Halloween wreath made from Halloween images.

Note: We gathered free clipart online to use. Your child can also create their own Halloween pictures as well to use.

Supplies:

• Paper plate
• Construction Paper or Clipart Pictures
• Glue
• Scissors

Directions:

• Start by cutting out a wreath outline with your paper plate. We didn’t have a paper plate to use; therefore, used the cardboard from a frozen pizza box.

• Find free clipart online (I recommend Microsoft’s free clipart page). Remember, your child can make their own images by hand as well. If you opt for the clipart route, print all images.

• Tip: We resized some of the larger images to make them smaller. You can do this right in Microsoft Word or with MS Paint.

• Have your child cutout their clipart images or Halloween pictures they drew themselves.

• Have your child glue the cutout pictures to the wreath you made. Try to get your child to position them so that you don’t see any of the paper plate or cardboard.

• Tip: Let all the glue dry before you or your child try to hang this. If the glue isn’t dried all the way, some of the pictures will shift and may come loose.

Tips for Selling Girl Scout Cookies Door-to-Door

2010-10-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

A few posts back, I stated how my daughter is a Girl Scout (Daisy) and we have been doing cookie sales. From what I see, a lot of troops will do cookie sales later in the year. If you are a parent who is looking for some tips for selling Girl Scout Cookies, here are some things that have worked for us when going door-to-door.

Tips for Selling Girl Scout Cookies #1 - Map Your Neighborhood

We are lucky that we live in a small village and there are a lot of houses on a single street. However, when we went around walking, we noticed some more side streets that we didn’t even know were there. Pretty amazing since I grew up in the town, but… So that is why it is a good idea to look at a map on Bing or Google and find the best streets to target. These are the streets with a lot of houses grouped within walking distance together.

Tips for Selling Girl Scout Cookies #2 - Bring a Friend

My daughter and I already decided to go out in the neighborhood and sell cookies, but I asked her friend Emily (also a Daisy) and her mother to join us. It is so much fun! They alternated the sales so their sales are pretty even. They have fun working together as well. One Girl Scout is cute, but two Girl Scouts who are all “Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?” at the same time is downright adorable.

Tips for Selling Girl Scout Cookies #3 - Bring a Clipboard

Having a clipboard makes writing down a buyer’s contact information much easier. You have a solid writing service, making your writing much more legible for later on. I had a few clipboards around the house, but most dollar stores sell them.

Tips for Selling Girl Scout Cookies #4 - Cut a Cookie Picture Sheet

My daughter got a large cookie order form. At the bottom there is a tear-away pocket form. On that page, all the Girl Scout cookies are listed and their pictures are grouped close together. We hand that to people to look at. They get a simple sheet with the names and pictures of all the cookies; instead of a long form to try and fumble around with.

Tips for Selling Girl Scout Cookies #5 - Choose Your Times Wisely

Last week, we went out in the community to sell Girl Scout cookies twice. The first time was a Sunday. The second time was a Tuesday. Sunday we went out at 10am and a lot of people weren’t home (out and about or at church). We had more luck on Tuesday because we waited until 5pm and most people were home from work. So keep these times in mind when making your rounds.

Tips for Selling Girl Scout Cookies #6 - Thank You Note

I’ll post an example below, but I printed a bunch of pieces of paper that had a thank you message and other information on it. I also included a cute little picture of a girl with a cookie. This note basically said thank you for buying Girl Scout cookies, send when we would be around to deliver them, the price per box, and included our phone number.

Including a phone number is 100% optional and not really required. However, we are basically selling to a bunch of strangers. I know that I would personally feel more comfortable buying from someone who provided me with a method of contact just in case. Moreover, we also did the whole “if you would like additional cookies or know someone who is interested, please use the phone number provided to place your order.”

Coloring Pumpkin Pictures for Halloween

2010-10-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

My daughter wanted to color some pumpkin pictures to hang around the house. Now, she didn’t just want to draw them; she wanted to color pictures of pumpkins. My first thought was to draw a pumpkin outline for her. I learned that I am NOT a crafty person at all!

So I did the easiest thing and that was to visit the Microsoft Clipart Website (click the link to go there yourself). If you have Microsoft Word installed on your computer, you can browse through and use their thousands and thousands images from the clipart collection section.

I found a few black and white pictures. I did open them up in Microsoft Word (instead of printing them right away). I resized the images to make them huge; easier for my daughter to color and design.

Preparing Preschoolers for a Field Trip

2010-09-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Whether you are planning your own family preschool field trip or if your child is traveling with an organized group of other children (like for school, preschool, or Girl Scouts), you might be looking for tips to prepare your child for their big day.

Preparation is very easy when you are going with your child on their field trip, but there are still some steps that you will want to take.

Discuss About Safety

Always make sure your child knows how to be safe on their preschool field trip. This includes obeying all rules and not associating with strangers.

Sunscreen

Never forget the sunscreen. If your child will be outside, they should be wearing sunscreen during the summer months. For long trips, it may be wise to bring extra just in case. For outdoor field trips, sunglasses or a hat are recommended as well. If your child's field trip is occurring in the winter, warm clothes, hats, boots, and gloves are recommended.

Water and Snacks

If possible, send your child will a small bag of snacks and a bottle of water. The water is most important for outdoor preschool field trips. Many places, like zoos, will allow you to bring your own drinks inside. If not, have a little bit of extra spending money on hand.

Emergency Contact

If your child is taking a preschool filed trip without you, like with friends or an organized group, be sure all adults have your contact information. If you will be leaving the home, make sure they have your cell phone number.

Cardboard Box Fun!

2010-09-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

I forgot how much fun a simple cardboard box could be to a child! We are remodeling our new house and our bathtub box became a pirate ship!

Miniature Golf: A Really Fun Activity for Kids

2010-08-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

We have been remodeling our house day and night. We bought a house in July and hope to move in next week. We hoped that we would have been able to move in right away and do remodeling as we went along, but when the old owners moved out all their furniture and we pulled up some rugs, we realized that we had a mess on our hands.

Our daughter, Sarah, has been helping out a lot around the house with little projects. However, my Grandma decided to help us get her out of the house (she got to have some real kid fun and we got some time to work on the house). She took Sarah miniature golfing and boy did they have fun!

Sarah was really excited because she got a hole in one. My grandma (according to Sarah) is pretty good lol but can get a lot better with practice. I love how she puts an encouraging spin on things!

The Benefits of Doing Preschool Activities With Your Child

2010-04-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

Are you the parent of a toddler or a preschooler? If you are, do you do fun and exciting preschool activities with your child, even if they attend a preschool program? If you do not, you may want to take the time to examine the many benefits of doing so.

For starters, doing preschool activities at home with your child allows for bonding. This bonding is particularly important if you are employed outside of the home. Even something as simple as coloring with your child, will enable you to spend quality time with them. This quality time is time that you can both appreciate.

Another one of the many benefits to doing at-home preschool activities with your child is the options that you have. As previously stated, a preschool activity can be something as simple as coloring with your child. Other activities that you and your child may enjoy include playing with play dough, painting, playing house, or playing a game of charades. When it comes to preschool activities, you will find that your options are, literally, unlimited.

Another benefit of doing preschool activities at home with your child is the information that they will walk away with. Just about ever preschool activity, including coloring, can be educational in one way or another. For instance, playing a game of store with your child can teach them their foods, money management, as well as math. There are a number of benefits to starting your child on the right educational path at a young age.

The above mentioned benefits are just a few of the many to doing at-home preschool activities with your child.

Fun Preschool Activities: Cooking Together

2010-03-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

If your preschooler, is anything like mine, she loves her food, especially tasty snacks. Nothing is better than enjoying a great snack together. However, it is even better when you cook it together. In fact, cooking together is a fun preschool activity to do at home.

Personally, my daughter and I prepare many foods together. She likes to help make Jell-O and pudding. Our favorite thing to do together is to bake birthday cakes for family.

This is a picture of a cake we made for her dad’s birthday. She helped me add the ingredients, stir, and decorate the cake once it was cooled. Lol, those are really donut holes on the cake. She created a lake of sprinkles inside them. I love the imagination and creativity of small children.

Have you cooked with your child lately and what cute wacky idea did they have?

Preschool Craft Project - Spotting Scopes

2010-01-10T07:36:00.000-08:00

My daughter used to love watching Go Diego Go. She still occasionally watches it, but is now getting past the preschool television show age. On the show, they use a spotting scope, so we decided to create our own. This is a very easy, simple, and fun preschool craft project or an easy craft project for any child really.

Things You'll Need

Empty Paper Towel Roll
Construction Paper
Glue
Tape
Scissors
Crayons or Markers
Stickers (Optional)

Directions

Step #1 - Start by having your child put glue on a peice of construction paper. You can use a glue stick or your standard white glue.

Step #2 - Wrap the construction paper piece around the paper towel tube. The glue may not hold right away; therefore, you might want to use a little bit of tape for reinforcement.

Step #3 - Cut the excess construction paper from the ends of the paper towel tube.

Step #4 - Decorate the tube; we cut smaller peices of construction paper to create a layered effect, added stickers, and so forth.

And you now have a spotting scope!

Fun Preschool Activity: Trip to the Strong National Museum of Play

2009-07-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took my daughter to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. It was lots of fun! After all, what isn’t there to love about a museum of play? Almost all of their exhibits are interactive. Even if you don’t live near Rochester, NY, many states have museums for kids. They make for a fun family preschool field trip.

Here are some of the things we enjoyed at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

Visit Elmo’s World and Appear on TV with Elmo!

Shop at the Super Kids Market (Put on by Wegmans Food Markets)

Visit the Field of Play Room

Visit the Berenstain Bears Room

Look at the Rainbow Reef Aquariums

Play at the Make It & Take It Centers

Note: This is just a sample of what was available. We opted to go on Sunday instead of Saturday and their hours were shorter, so we didn’t have as much time as I would have liked. Plus, there is so much to do that it is hard to take pictures of everything! If you would like more information on this particular children’s museum, click here to visit their website.

Fun Preschool Activity: Share Day at Home

2009-07-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

This past year, my daughter was in pre-k at our local elementary school. One of the many preschool fun circle time activities she did was having share day. Each Friday, they would bring in a special item to share with the class. Each student would say a few words about their share and then pick two students from the class to ask a question.

Lol, honestly, I think this was my daughter’s favorite part of school. She was devastated a few weeks ago when school ended because there wasn’t going to be anymore Friday share days. So, we started doing share days at home. Although it isn’t as fun as sharing a toy with the entire class, she seems to like it. Have you and your family had a share day at home before? If not, it may be a fun preschool activity to try at home with your child.

Preschool Activity: Doing Preschool Worksheets

2009-05-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Not all children may consider doing preschool worksheets a fun preschool activity, but my daughter does. She loves them. She always says “can I learn?” That means I want to do a preschool worksheet.

I have a lot of preschool workbooks that I bought online and at the Dollar Tree. However, I started to create my own too. All you need is Microsoft Word (which gives you access to their free online clipart).

I just redid and added a bunch of preschool worksheets to my website. You can click here to access them. All the worksheets are kid tested and approved lol by my 5-year-old daughter. There are both color print and black and white preschool worksheets.

How to Choose Preschool Activities for Your Child

2009-04-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Are you a parent who is looking for fun preschool activities to do at home with your child? If you are, you will soon find that you have an unlimited number of options. Preschool activities come in all different sizes, shapes, and styles. While having a wide range of options is nice, it can make deciding which preschool activity you want to do with your child complicated.

When choosing preschool activities for your child, it is important to keep their age and maturity in mind. Although most preschoolers are between the ages of three and five, there will be some variances to maturity levels. For example, there are some toddlers and preschoolers who are able to safely use children’s scissors for craft projects, while others are still unable to do so. That is why it is important to keep your child’s age and maturity in mind.

Another one of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when choosing preschool activities for your child is their likes and dislikes. This is important as you will want to have your child do preschool activities that they find fun and exciting. After all, the purpose of preschool activities are defeated if your child is board or outright refuses to participate.

Supplies are another factor that you will want to take into consideration, when choosing preschool activities for your child. For instance, if you want your child to color, you will need to either have coloring pages or drawing paper and crayons. With that in mind, there are a number of preschool activities that your child can do with you that do not require any supplies, such as playing hide and seek, tag, or a game of charades.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many that you will want to take into consideration, when looking to find fun activities for your toddler or preschooler.

Preschool Activity: Winter Preschool Science Activities

2009-02-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a fun way to introduce your child to science during the wintertime, you don’t have to look past your backyard (as long as there is snow in it).

If you have snow, there are a number of fun and educational preschool science activities that you can do with your child. One of those preschool science activities involves teaching your child about melting snow.

What you will want to do is collect a small amount of snow and place it in either a cup or a bowl. Bring it inside your house and watch it melt.

A great way to spice up this fun and educational preschool science activity is by collecting multiple bowls or cups of snow. You can bring them inside your home and place them in different areas. For example, place one cup of snow in your freezer, one in the refrigerator, one near a heat source, such as a heater, one by a window, and one in a dark closet. You and your child can track the melting process, as well as guess which ones will melt the quickest.

Fun Preschool Activity: Painting Pumpkins

2008-10-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I mentioned how we went to a local pumpkin festival. We purchased a few small pumpkins for a dollar and painted them. It was a lot of fun. I made a face on my pumpkins, but my daughter just painted away.

In the next week or two, we will buy larger pumpkins to carve.

Preschool Activity: Fall Festivals

2008-10-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I talked about taking your child to a pumpkin farm or at least a local farm that has fun activities for children. Now is also the time that you will find fall festivals happening.

This past weekend, we attended a local Pumpkin Festival in the next town over. It was pretty fun. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to show.

There were pony rides, pumpkins for sale, sand crafts, games, face painting, music, puppet shows, and so much more. Not only are fall festivals fun, but they make for great preschool field trips.

Preschool Activity: Trip to the Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

In my area, we have what I like to call the pumpkin farm. We went last year and are planning a trip this year. If you have a so called pumpkin farm in your area, consider planning a visit. It makes for the perfect preschool field trip!

The picture above was taken last year at the Iron Kettle Pumpkin Farm in Candor, NY.

Preparing Your Child for Preschool: Related Article

2008-10-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Do you have a lot of play food laying around your home? Have you ever wondered what other activities you and your child could do with it? If so, please read another article that I wrote. It is titled Preschool Activities That Make Use of Play Food.

Preschool Activity: Leaf People

2008-10-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

In my area, leaves have already started falling from the trees. This means that you will have the perfect opportunity for preschool craft projects with leaves. One project we love to do in your household is make leaf people.

All you do is collect a few leaves, which makes for a great walking adventure.

Next, glue a leaf onto a piece of computer paper or construction paper. I find that glue sticks work the best.

Finally, let your child draw. They can draw arms, legs, and a scenery in the background.

Preschool Activity: Playing with Bubbles

2008-06-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

With warm temperatures, you and your child may spend most of your day outside. If you don’t already have some bubbles, you should buy them. Playing with bubbles is an activity that children of all ages enjoy.

In addition to just blowing bubbles, you can your child can take turns. Have your child try and count as many bubbles as they can before they pop or blow away.

Preschool Activity: A Preschool Craft Project

2008-06-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Decorating Paper Doilies

If you are looking for an easy, yet fun preschool craft project to do at home with your child, you will want to try decorating paper doilies. All this craft project requires is some paper doilies, which most dollar stores carry, and a few markers.

Your child can decorate theirs anyway they want, but my daughter and I had a lot of fun creating individual pie pieces.

Get Your Child Excited About a Trip to the Zoo

2008-06-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

The phrase “we are going to go to the zoo,” is enough to excite most toddlers and preschoolers, but you may be looking for other ways to get your child excited about a family preschool field trip to the zoo.

Before heading off to the zoo, get your child excited about the trip. One easy way to do so is with the use of a computer. There are a number of zoo web cams that you can find online with a standard internet search. What better way to get your child excited about a trip to the zoo than letting them watch live shots of a panda, lion, or tiger?

Another way that you can build up excitement for your child is with the purchase of a zoo themed or animal themed book. In the days leading up to your trip, read the book with your child. Concentrate on the pictures. Discuss each animal with your child. You may be surprised how excited your child is when they see, in person, the animals that they just learned about.

Preschool Activity: Coloring

2008-06-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Coloring is a fun preschool activity that children of all ages, including preschoolers, enjoy. If you are looking to have a fun day of coloring with your child, checkout these great websites.

They are television networks for kids that have free coloring pages that feature your child’s favorite characters!

Playhouse Disney

PBS Kids

Sprout

Noggin

Nick Jr.

Preschool Activity: Playing Bingo

2008-05-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a fun preschool activity to do with your child, you may want to try playing a game of Bingo with your child. What is nice about this approach is that there are a number of bingo games designed for children, like the ones outlined below.

Personally, we have and still use the LeapFrog Bingo game. My daughter loves it and it is very educational in nature! What could be better than fun and education rolled all into one?

Preschool Activity: Trip to a Petting Zoo/Farm

2008-05-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I outlined how a preschool field trip to the zoo with you is a great way to have a fun, exciting, and educational time with your child. Unfortunately, you may not have a zoo located very close to your home. If not, examine local petting zoos, also known as petting farms. Some farmers invite the public onto their farms to see the animals and sometimes to help feed them.

Preschool Activity / Preschool Field Trip – Visiting the Zoo

2008-05-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Since the weather is starting to get nicer in most areas of the country, a preschool activity that you may enjoy is visiting the zoo. You and your family can have your own little preschool field trip.

Personally, we have plans to go in the next few weeks. My daughter loves the zoo.

Here is an article that I wrote that you may find useful: How to Make a Zoo Trip Even More Educational for Your Preschooler

Preschool Activity: Preschool Craft Project with Foam Stickers

2008-05-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I outlined how playing with stickers is a great preschool activity, but did you know that you can also turn it into a preschool craft project? You can. To do so, I recommend using foam stickers.

Pictured below is a preschool craft project that my daughter and I did with foam stickers that are in the shape of dinosaurs.

You start with creating a background. We used paint, but you can also use markers, crayons, or colored pencils. Next, add in the stickers.

Preschool Activity: Playing with Stickers

2008-05-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Although playing with stickers doesn’t seem like much, it is a preschool activity that my daughter loves. What is nice about this preschool activity is that it is a pretty simple one.

What I usually do is give my daughter a book of stickers and a piece of colored construction paper. She just puts the stickers on the paper. She usually says what the sticker is out loud before doing so. Depending on how much excitement she wants to get out of the activity, she will draw with markers around her stickers.

Preschool Activity: Planting Seeds

2008-05-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Plating seeds with your child is a fun, yet educational preschool activity that they will likely enjoy. In fact, this activity can also be considered a preschool science project, as you are teaching your child about earth science.

Although you do have a number of different options, the best is to start with an egg carton. You can cut the top off the carton and plant the seeds. After a little bit of time has passed, you can move them into a larger container or take the flowers outside.

Preschool Activity: Dancing

2008-04-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Do you and your child listen to music together? If you don’t, you may want to give it a try. Find a music station that plays music on your television, radio, or you can put in a CD. Get up and dance with your child.

In addition to just dancing, there is so much more than you can do. You and your child can have a contest to see who can stay moving the longest. You can also play a game of copycat. Have your child make up their own dance moves and then you try to copy them. You can switch turns after a few minutes.

Preschool Activity / Preschool Craft Project – Playing with Glitter

2008-04-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a fun preschool activity to do with your child that can also be considered a preschool craft project, you will want to give glitter a close look.

All you really need is glitter, a piece of paper and some glue. Have your child sprinkle the glue on the paper and then spread the glitter!

As an added tip, you can use a paintbrush to spell out letters with the glue or to make neat shapes, which is much easier with a paintbrush.

Preschool Activity: Painting

2008-04-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

Painting is a preschool activity that all parents should do with their children. What is nice about painting is that it is not only fun, but it is an affordable preschool activity.

It is also important to mention that you do have a number of different options. These options include painting with watercolors, painting with kids paints, or finger painting.

Preschool Activity: Rolling a Ball on the Floor

2008-04-17T20:46:00.001-07:00

Although rolling a ball on the floor sounds like an activity that is more suited towards an infant, it is still an activity that is great for toddlers and preschoolers, especially during the wintertime. In addition to simply just rolling a ball around on the floor, there are a number of other steps that you can take to make this preschool activity even more fun and educational.

What you will want to think about doing is counting or saying the alphabet each time the ball is rolled. For example, your child starts out by saying “A,” you say “B,” and so forth.

Preschool Activity: Library Trip

2008-03-26T21:34:00.001-07:00

Although many parents like to do preschool activities at home, there are also a number of benefits to getting out of the house. Unfortunately, many individuals find themselves limited in the winter, as many parks and zoos are closed or limited on what activities are available. The same isn’t true for your local library.

In addition to just visiting the library with your child, reading some books, and getting them their first ever library card, see if your library offers any other activities. For example, my local library has reading sessions for toddlers and preschoolers once a week.

Preschool Activity: More Information on Reading

2008-03-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I outlined how reading is a great preschool activity to do at home with your child. In addition to just reading a book to your child, you may want to try having them repeat what you say. This is something that my daughter started doing on her own and it has become a ritual before bedtime.

What we do is choose a relatively short book, lol or else you could be there for an hour or longer! Next, read about five words at a time to your child. This is a good word count for them to remember. Although this will not help your child learn to read, as it focuses more on memorization, you can still point to the words to incorporate some education into the mix.

Even though I listed them in my last post, the books below are the three favorites in our home.

Preschool Activity: Reading

2008-03-03T04:50:00.000-08:00

Reading is always a great preschool activity to do at home with your child. In fact, reading is not only a fun preschool activity, but it is also an educational one.

When reading to your toddler or preschooler, there are an unlimited number of books for you to choose from and just about any book with pictures will do, but here are some of the favorite books in our home:

Preschool Activity: Blowing Bubbles

2008-02-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Playing bubbles is a preschool activity that is great for home. Although it is winter right now, there are a still a number of ways that you can play with bubbles. For example, have you ever played with bubbles when it is freezing outside? It is pretty neat. Just make sure that you bring the remaining bubbles inside when you are done.

We also play with bubbles in our house. We put a mat down the hallway and just go to town every so often. Although many parents cringe at the thought of playing with bubbles inside the house, it really isn’t as messy as it sounds.

Preschool Activity: Doing Preschool Worksheets

2008-02-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

As I stated in my last post, I have a website that works in conjunction with this blog. I have a number of free preschool worksheets available. That leads me to another great preschool activity, doing preschool worksheets with your child.

There are a number of benefits to doing preschool worksheets with your child. They are educational for one. Also, if you carefully choose which worksheets you use or what workbooks you buy, your child will likely have fun with the bright and colorful pictures.

As a reminder, I do have free preschool worksheets on my website (click on link). I am, however, not a pro at making them. So, you may want to purchase preschool workbooks instead. A few that I recommend are below:

Preparing Your Child for Preschool Website

2008-02-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

I also have a website that works in conjunction with this blog; you can check it out here.

I have a lot of information available on my website, including free preschool worksheets.

Preschool Activity – Watercolor Painting

2008-01-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

If you would like a great preschool activity for your child to do at home, you will want to examine watercolors. Water colors are a great way to paint and usually without the hassle and mess of most traditional kid’s paints.

Your child has a number of options when using watercolor paints. For example, they can paint a simple piece of paper, but watercolor paint books can also be purchased. These, as well as watercolor paints and paint brushes themselves are affordable, making this preschool activity great for just about everyone.

Preschool Activity: Playing Cars

2008-01-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

Playing cars is a preschool activity that both boys and girls can enjoy. In fact, my daughter and I had a fun time doing so for a couple of hours today. Of course, any cars will do, but my soon to be four year old loves her Shake N Go Racers that she got for Christmas. They are pretty neat. We raced them and crashed them. It was so much fun!

Preschool Activity: Winter Fun – Snowman

2008-01-06T17:27:00.001-08:00

If you live in an area that is prone to snow, a great preschool activity involves building a snowman with your child. Of course, your success will all depend on the type of snow you have, but it will still be fun experience for you and your child.

Preschool Activity: Playing With Puzzles

2007-12-30T17:57:00.000-08:00

One preschool activity that my daughter loves involves playing with puzzles. I honestly think she could play with puzzles all day long. My soon-to-be four year old loves the wooden puzzles the best.

In addition to simply just playing with puzzles with your child, you can make a game out of it. This works best with wooden or plastic puzzles. What we do is flip over a puzzle and dump all of the pieces onto the table. We then take turns picking up a puzzle piece and saying what it is, like a pig or a truck. This extra step makes this great preschool activity even more educational in nature.

Preschool Activity: Playing House – Cleaning Part 2

2007-12-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I outlined how you may want to let your child help you complete small tasks the next time that you clean the house. While this approach is nice, you may rather stick with pretend play. If so, examine the following preschool supplies outlined below. Personally, we have a preschool pretend play vacuum cleaner. My daughter uses hers whenever I vacuum our house.

Preschool Activity: Playing House – Cleaning

2007-12-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

If your toddler or preschooler is anything like mine, they may love it when you clean your home. In fact, they may even want to help. My daughter regularly breaks out the duster and goes to town when I started doing some form of cleaning, even just the dishes. If this is the case with your child, you will want to let them help you.

When it comes to playing house and cleaning, it is important to remember to keep it fun. You will not want to turn an otherwise fun activity into a long list of chores for your child, as they are really too young to have too much responsible. What you can do, however, is give your child a duster to use, a small laundry basket to pick up their toys, and so forth.

Preschool Activity – Dress Up – Supplies

2007-12-19T17:58:00.001-08:00

As stated in my last post, playing dress up is a great preschool activity that you and your child can enjoy together. One of the many things that is nice about this preschool activity is your options, namely in terms of supplies.

If you are interested in doing so, you can purchase clothing, costumes, and accessories just for dress up. There are many items available to you for relatively affordable prices. These items can include anything from a princess dress to a pirates outfit, as well the accessories.

With that in mind, dress up is a preschool activity that can be played without making any purchases. In this instance, what you will want to do is look around your home. Do you have any shirts, dresses, hats, or purses that you can use? If you would like to take this approach, be sure to save any clothing pieces and accessories, as you never know when they may come in handy.

Preschool Activity – Dress Up

2007-12-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

If your toddler or preschooler is anything like my daughter, they will likely love playing dress up. This preschool activity is one that lets their imaginations run wild.

In addition to simply just having your child put on dress up clothes, you can make this preschool activity much more. For instance, you can dress up together, have a fashion show, act out skits, and so much more!

When playing dress up with your child, be sure to grab your camera. This will likely be an experience worth documenting.

Preschool Activity – Having a Tea Party

2007-12-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

Of course, boys can have tea parties as well, but if you are the parent of a girl, you will want to definitely give this preschool activity a try. Having a tea party with your child is a memory that you will likely never forget nor should your child.

What is nice about having a tea party with your child is the options that you have. Although tea parties are often associated with play tea sets, did you know that you don’t really need them? A few plastic cups and plates from your home should be good enough.

In addition to having a tea party with just you and your child, you may also want to consider inviting other family members, especially grandparents, or your child’s stuffed animals or dolls. In fact, a whole other preschool activity that your child may enjoy is that of making invitations for their tea party!

Preschool Activity – Playing House Baby Supplies

2007-12-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I outlined how playing house with dolls or other stuffed animals is a nice preschool activity. Your child may love being the “mom,” of her favorite dolls and animals. With that in mind, if your child does not have a doll and other baby supplies, you may want to checkout some of the great items outlined below.

Preschool Activity: Playing House

2007-12-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

Playing house is a preschool activity that many children enjoy, especially girls. What is nice about enjoying this type of preschool activity is that you and your child have so many options. For this post, we will focus on playing house with stuffed animals or baby dolls.

When my daughter, who is three, plays house, she always uses her baby dolls and a few stuff animals. What she does is play the mother of the house. She will do a wide range of things for her babies, including feed them, pretend to bathe them, change their diapers, put them down for naps, and so forth.

Playing house this way is a nice preschool activity for all children, but it is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who may have a new brother or sister arriving soon. Playing with dolls and other stuffed animals is likely to teach your child how to gently interact with others, especially younger children.

Preschool Activity: Playing the Computer – Part 3

2007-12-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

As previously stated, you can find free preschool computer games online. This is a great way to first get started with letting your child play the computer. After all, playing preschool computer games may not be an activity that they enjoy or they may not be ready to do so. However, once you have determined that playing preschool computer games is an activity that your child enjoys, you may want to consider purchasing your own software.

Below are three preschool computer games that come highly rated and recommended by parents, like me.

Preschool Activity: Playing the Computer – Part 2

2007-12-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

As stated in my last post, a preschool activity that you may want to examine is that of playing the computer. What is nice about this preschool activity is that you have so many options, in terms of getting preschool computer games. For starters, you may want to turn to the internet. There are a number of free online computer games that your child can play with online.

Personally, we visit the NickJr.com website. My daughter loves playing the games on that website, as they feature her favorite television characters. Of course, I recommend having your child play games that feature their favorite television characters, but you may want to examine the Max & Ruby and Sunny Patch games. They are easy and work to teach your child how to properly use the computer mouse.

If you would like to let your child play the computer in your home, you may want to checkout the following websites for free online preschool computer games.

Nick Jr.
Noggin
PBS Kids
Playhouse Disney

Preschool Activity: Playing the Computer - Part 1

2007-12-12T22:18:00.000-08:00

If you have a computer in your home, you may want to consider letting your child use it, with your guidance of course. There are a number of preschool computer games out there that are not only fun, but educational in nature. Your child will likely love playing these games. Personally, my three year old loves playing the computer whenever she gets the chance to.

In addition providing a nice source of entertainment, there are a number of other benefits to letting your child play preschool computer games with you at home. One of those benefits is the early use of the computer. Sometimes as early as kindergarten, children learn how to use the computer in school. Your child can get a head start at home. Many preschool computer games encourage your child to learn how to type, as well as practice their hand eye coordination with the mouse.

Preschool Activity: Playing with Play Dough – Part 2

2007-12-12T22:10:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I outlined how playing with play dough is a great preschool activity that you may want to try with your child. If you are looking have your child enjoy this fun preschool activity, you may to checkout some of the play dough supplies outlined below.

Preschool Activity: Playing with Play Dough – Part 1

2007-12-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

Playing with play dough is a preschool activity that is great for children of just about all ages. With that in mind, if your child is still a toddler, be sure that they are able to play with play dough without putting it in their mouths.

What is nice about playing with play dough, as a preschool activity, is the options that you have. You and your child can play with play dough alone or you can purchase play dough accessories. In fact, did you know that there are tools that can help your child turn their play dough into play food or animals? How fun does that sound?

Preschool Activity: Coloring - Part 2

2007-12-12T21:52:00.001-08:00

In my last post, I outlined how coloring is a nice preschool activity that many children enjoy. If you are interested in purchasing coloring books for your child, you may want to take the time to visit your local dollar stores. Dollar stores often have a large selection of traditional coloring books and occasionally a few character coloring books as well.

If you are looking to find free coloring pages online, I recommend performing a standard internet search. Also, if you are looking for character coloring pages, I recommend visiting the online website of the television network in question. For example, NickJr.com, Noggin.com, PBSKids.org all have free printable coloring pages for you to use, many of which feature popular television characters, like Dora the Explorer.

Preschool Activity: Coloring

2007-11-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a relatively cheap and fun preschool activity to do at home with your child, you will want to examine coloring.

What is nice about coloring is that it is an activity that many children, especially toddlers and preschoolers, love. It is also a nice preschool activity because you have so many options. For example, you can purchase coloring books for your child or you can find free printable coloring pages online.

For me, there is nothing better than hanging out with my daughter coloring. Our fridge is actually stocked full of coloring pages that we did together.

Of course, coloring is a preschool activity that your child can do on their own, but there are a number of benefits to joining them.

What to Consider When Choosing Preschool Activities

2007-11-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in finding fun and exciting preschool activities for your toddler or preschooler to do at home? If you are, you will find that you have an unlimited number of activities to choose from.

When choosing preschool activities for your toddler or preschool to participate in at home, there are a number of points that you will first want to take into consideration. A few of these points are outlined below.

Cost

Although there are an unlimited number of preschool activities that are free, such as tag and hide and seek, there are other preschool activities that will cost you money. If you are looking for preschool board games, preschool workbooks, or other items, you may have to pay for them. While the costs will likely be more than worth it, you may want to search for items on sale, as you do not want to spend more money than you have.

Maturity

Your child’s maturity will and should play a huge role in the preschool activities that you allow them to do at home. For instance, popular activities are also considered preschool craft projects. There are some preschool craft projects that require the use of scissors, small objects, and so forth. These are items that your child may not be ready for.

Education

Although most preschool activities are educational in one way or another, you will find that some are more than others. There are a number of benefits to incorporating fun activities with education. If you are able to do so, you will want to have your child try these types of activities. With that in mind, you can turn a simple game of tag into an educational adventure by having your child count or sing their ABCs as they run to you, and so forth.

Privacy Policy

2007-10-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fun Preschool Activities.

The privacy of my visitors is important. At funpreschoolactivities.blogspot.com,
I recognize the importance of maintaining your privacy. For that reason, your personal information is never sold to a third-party.

At funpreschoolactivities.blogspot.com, standard data is collected. This is standard practice on most websites. The information collected includes your Internet Service Provider (ISP), Internet Protocol (IP), and the internet browser used (such as Internet Explorer). This information is recorded each time you visit this website.

For financial support, third-party advertisements are used and appear on this Fun Preschool Activities blog. One example is Google AdSense. Many of these advertisers use advanced technology, including cookies and web beacons. These advertisers, such as Google, typically use this information to generate targeted ads. This may result in you seeing local advertisements.

If you would prefer, you can modify your preferences, namely the use of cookies, on your computer. Google AdSense relies on DoubleClick DART cookies. You can opt out of this in particular by visiting http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

Getting Started…

2007-10-15T21:36:00.001-07:00

Please bear with me, as it will take me a couple of days to get my blog up and running. Until then, please checkout my Preparing Your Child for Preschool website or blog.

Welcome to My New Blog

2007-10-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog. My blog is going to outline fun activities that you can do with toddlers and preschoolers. These activities are great for those looking to prepare their children for preschool at home, do homeschool preschool, and so forth.