10 tips for preschooler fun
Preschoolers are curious little people who love to explore but keeping them busy and engaged during the day can be quite a challenge. Here are some simple, fun and educational ideas to make life with them creative and enjoyable…
1 Blow bubbles
Always keep a tub of bubble solution handy in the kitchen as a wonderful solution to your little one’s boredom. You can buy them very cheaply in multipacks in the party favors section at large grocery stores, or in your local dollar store. They often come with lots of different sized and shaped wands to make unusual bubbles which your little one will love popping or catching or blowing. Once it’s all used up just save the bottle and the wand and make some more with dish detergent, to save yourself some money.
2 Thread a necklace
Making necklaces and bracelets is a brilliant way to have fun and has the bonus of helping to develop your child’s finger dexterity. You can buy large beads or buttons from craft stores, or just us penne pasta. A word of warning: supervise your child if he still tends to put things in his mouth.
3 Magic paintbrush
Your child will have a great time playing on the driveway with a bucket of water and a range of different-sized paintbrushes. While they’re there, why not suggest they paint the wheels of your car? It’s a great way to get the hubcaps clean!
4 Make a person
Get your child to lie down on a strip of wallpaper and draw around her. Then get her to color in and draw her clothes, hair and face. Glue on some knitting yarn for hair and use old fabric for clothes and real buttons or even real shoelaces for their sneakers!
5 Create a craft box
Keep a supply of things like toilet tissue tubes, old boxes, buttons, feathers, sequins and glitter around for creating, particularly on wet days. Just keep an eye on your child when she’s creating and working with small parts as you don’t want to end up in the ER if she puts something up her nose or in her ear!
6 Potato people
Potatoes as they are wonderful for artistic activities. You can stick all kinds of things in a potato, such as feathers, twigs or straws to make ‘people’. Plus, you can cut out shapes and make prints with them.
7 Finger painting
Kids love finger painting but have you thought of doing it with shaving foam on the kitchen table or in the bath?
8 Scissor fun
Preschoolers love to cut and stick. So get out all your (and their) old magazines, Christmas or birthday cards and help them cut and stick the pictures onto a collage. Just remember to buy plastic safety scissors designed for young children to avoid any injuries.
9 Paint hard-boiled eggs
Hard boil some eggs and use wax crayons to draw pictures and designs onto the shell. Then paint the eggs with food coloring – it won’t stick to the crayon marks, so your child will be left with brightly colored eggs with pretty, swirling patterns on them! Store them in the refrigerator and they can be peeled and eaten.
10 Water, water…
Kids love water so why not let them play with it? Fill the sink or a bowl with warm water and let them ‘wash’ pan lids, toys and cutlery (not knives!). Put a towel under their chair at the sink to soak up all the drips and prevent slips.