Learning to write isn’t just about sitting down with a pencil and paper. Here are a few activities that are simple to do and encourage fine motor skills, creativity, and early writing. These aren’t new and all over the web. If you want to leave a link in the comments feel free.
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Are you ready to have some serious fun?
I hope so because we are going to critter paint!
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We have been spray painting with liquid watercolor. It has been fun and fabulous. First, we make a literacy connection by reading “Mouse Paint” by Ellen Stoll Walsh. It is great little book about three little mice mixing and stirring primary colors.
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You need:
grass seed (or seeds of your choice)
soil, water, a clear container, foam shapes, wiggly eyes are optional but fun.
Decorate your cup (before you put dirt in it!) with shapes. I had extra plastic punch cups from a party, but any clear plastic container will work. We used foam shapes to make eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Younger children will likely place shapes wherever they like and that is great! I used glue dots from the scrap-booking aisle from Walmart. They are very sticky, but safer than a glue gun and great for fine motor for older preschoolers.
Now…pour some dirt into the cup.
Sprinkle on the seeds.
Your child can use a spray bottle or pour some water onto the seeds depending on what skill you would like for them to learn. Talk about what plants need to grow: soil, sunlight, and water. It takes about 7 days for the seeds to sprout. Then…
Watch them grow! This is why I love a clear cup. You can see the roots. 🙂
As they grow you can describe how roots absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil.
Such a beautiful green in a very monochromatic time of year.
Once the ‘hair’ has grown on your friend, give it a hair cut. Great for scissor skills!
There are so many skills that can be incorporated into this activity: science, life cycle, the responsibility of caring for a plant, fine motor, attention to task, color, shapes, and patience…
I wish you could smell that fresh cut grass. Summertime!!!!!
The “Small Seed” is my favorite book that describes planting seeds. It has texture, a fold out sunflower, and a simple text for toddlers and younger preschoolers. It describes what elements are needed to grow a flower in basic terms. I use it nearly every spring.
“In the Garden” is printed on 98% recycled materials. It describes where fruits and vegetables grow. The back cover has recipes, planting tips, and instructions to grow cherry tomatoes. It is a very good little book on gardening.
You can purchase these books at Amazon:
My grandmother loved to garden and see things grow. She found it amazing that you can plant a simple seed in black dirt and have something wonderful come from it. It’s a wonder!
Have fun planting seeds together!
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I recently discovered Little Blue Truck by Alice Shertle, with illustrations by Jill McElmurry.
It is a fun story. It has a cute main character,
farm animal sounds,
…adorable illustrations, rhyming words, and more animal sounds…
But best of all, it is a story of friendship and helping others.
I plan to use this book and incorporate dramatic play with cars, animals, blocks, boxes, and toys.
Match box cars were recently on sale at Walmart for dollar each, a great find!
I used a small blanket, blue painters tape, duct tape, scissors, a wrapping paper tube, and a variety of toys that I have used over the years to make a portable community.
Blocks can be stacked to create buildings and various constructions.
Your children can use whatever action figures they have to create action in their play.
Clean up is easy. Just toss the toys in a box and roll up the blanket and you are ready to go!
Another option:
For a more washable version, I have decided to use an 8 foot vinyl table cloth, fold it in half, then sew or hot glue the edges together. This gives a smooth surface on both sides that can easily be cleaned with a disinfectant wipe. We can then use dry erase markers to draw rivers, buildings, woods, and etc. on the surface. The possibilities are endless!
Have fun together!
Children love to create. Stringing beads, pasta, buttons is a creative activity! We string a variety of items for fun, to improve eye hand coordination, sequencing, and to develop patterns.
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Most of my kids love to cut with scissors. They are very excited about the results they create, the action, and the fact that they are using a tool that is often off limits! Parents usually approach this skill with trepidation. 🙂 We present scissors at about 35 months. Usually my preschoolers have never had scissors in their hands and when you are not quite three, it can be a challenge. Here are some simple items we incorporate into many different activities to help teach scissor skills.
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Don’t throw away that left over Christmas box. Have some good, cheap fun.
All you need is: box cutter, packing tape, and wrapping paper tubes
Your children can use: crayons, markers, paper, and glue to add flowers, dashboards, hub caps, and etc…
While I have given ideas below the main point is this:
Work with your preschooler! Talk to them about what they would like to build and create. Let them guide you. Remember it’s not the product, it the process of creating the product that creates the learning.
Make an airplane.
This is a luggage box. Stand it on end and cut a flap that lifts up. Then using packing tape, tape it from under the flap, pulling it up, and fastening the tape on the top to make a wing.
Cut a fin out of some cardboard and tape it to the back.
Cut an opening for the cockpit. Cut a propeller from wrapping paper tubes, then tape them together.
Then tape the propeller to the front of the front of the plane.
You can make a jeep!
Here is another suitcase box. Lay it flat on the floor. With a box cutter, cut out the windshield.
Fold it back so that it will stand up.
Cut the doors so you and your friends can climb in together.
Using cups and plates add headlights and wheels.
Invite a friend to play.
Build a house!
This is a large box that 2 pieces of luggage arrived in; however, you can use a dishwasher or stove box.
You can cut doors windows anyway you like. We made windows with a capital-I cut, so there would be shutters.
On the back we made a large flap with a window. I like the flap so things can be easily inserted and removed from the house. It also gives light and flexibility.
Throw some pillows and books inside for a great place to read!
Your children can embellish, decorate all of the above creations using crayons, markers, paper and glue.
We had a great time on this beautiful snowy Christmas break day. Here is my excellent crew!
Have fun together!
…smart!
Yes, it is very true when you are two. This is a common activity that is all over the preschool world. I am posting about it because it is one of my toddlers favorites.
It is the bean box.
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Here’s a super simple cutting and literacy activity that maks a great literacy connection to “The Mitten” by Jan Brett.
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