Activities Suitable For The Preschool Years
Learning through play is what parents and guardians of young children learn when they first attend a preschool. Apart from the great social opportunity it is an intelligent way of promoting education. Children learn through having fun, following their interests and feel they are an important part of the little community. The social advantage is the varying degrees of development individual children go through.
Sometimes it is wise to sit a child in front of a graphic LCD screen to see their favorite TV show. The mind of a child is undeveloped and thrives on input from outside itself. For them to experience the vivid colors this way, they will be using their memory later on to paint and use colorful pencils and crayons. Toys and attention stimulate the child’s appetite for learning through experience.
Listening experiences can be planned for the child’s maximum enjoyment by including movement and musical instruments. Home made shakers are easy to create with an old plastic sauce bottle and a few small rocks or pebbles. So are clappers and cymbals, which can be made from sticks found in the garden and saucepan lids from the kitchen. Playing along to dreadnought acoustic guitar, children will be delighted with the noise and they should be praised for their participation occasionally.
To make them feel like they are part of a social group, have music organised for them to play along with. Songs suitable for preschoolers include nursery rhymes, some modern pop music (this will have to be screened) and classical. About fifteen minutes to half an hour depending on the interest demonstrated by the child, is enough to have the children become involved in the experience. Musical activities are appreciated by children no matter how young.
Toys that are colorful and have a few movable parts, such as an activity board are appropriate educational tools for them to learn fine motor skills. Soft sponge balls that can be squeezed are helping to develop the muscles of the hands. Children under the age of five have not yet chosen for themselves if they are left or right handed so adults should allow them to use both.
Cut and paste, the old fashioned way without a computer, is an old favorite that has a variety of benefits for the child. Developing fine motor skills, expressing a sense of self, individuality and creative expression all happen at the arts and crafts table. To keep a set of scrapbooking tools on hand is a clever way for adults to get children engaged in play. Pre-cut magazine pictures, glue, a pair of children’s scissors, scraps of material and practically anything from the home can be a source of intelligent child’s play.
Assistance may be given to help the child if they are becoming frustrated but all attempts made by the child should be verbally praised. Sooner or later they will be able to do it for themselves, whatever they are trying to do. A child will grow and learn from every experience they have.