02/06/2020
• Emotion Sorting •
Prep time: I just do a little drawing on each bread tag as they we are finished with them.
Play time: It’s quick, but effective.
I’ve put a spin on this idea. (Highly recommend you follow them /subscribe to their mag for A+ kid friendly content.)
A good one to have when emotions just feel too hard or big to name. We keep them in a little jar in the kitchen. Mr Preschooler points to the one that represents how he is feeling and I help him name the feels. Alongside a big cuddle, this usually diffuses the situation relatively quickly.
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@ Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
25/05/2020
• Monster Hunt •
Woah! We’ve been playing this one for nearly an 🎉HOUR🎉.
I drew up some “clues” on post it notes and left them around the room. My preschooler couldn’t get enough of this one.
The learning: this aids in the learning of positional language (in, under, behind, next to, etc). My son ‘read’ every clue, using this language orally, then put his knowledge of this language into practice to help him find the monster. My input was needed for the first round only, where I modeled how to read and solve the mystery. From that point on only explicit praise and encouragement was needed (“I love how you didn’t quite get that clue right the first time, so you took you time and checked again. I think that’s clever!”) It was a total hit.
Tip: I was originally making new clues each round, but then I realised my son really didn’t mind if they were repeated. So I stopped drawing new clues and just put out new combinations instead. This game was quiet enough for my daughter to have a nap, and I drank a hot cuppa! Win. @ Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
21/05/2020
• Pods Float or Sink / Pod Boats •
A quick, easy one that my friend did with her munchkins. It’s such a good activity to foster curiosity about nature and natural properties (science and design tech topic). They found these pods whilst on a walk and the preschooler was curious: Where were they from? What are they made out of? Are they strong? Can they float? Are they waterproof? They decided to test the two latter questions in the bath that night, then extended the play into making pod boats for their bath toys.
My son and I are going to do this investigation in the bath tonight also with a bunch of items we found at the playground this morning.
Thanks for sharing with me 🙌 @ Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
08/05/2020
• Frozen Toys •
Lots of problem solving whilst playing with this activity. I froze some of the preschooler’s small toys and asked “how can we rescue them from the ice?” After trying a hammer and some discussions about using a knife to cut them out 😬 he eventually decided that placing them in the sun would be the best bet. He has been checking them periodically since, observing the changes. “They’re getting slippery and slimey. This one has nearly melted. There is a puddle now.”
I’ve been leading some science learning by saying aloud often, “wow, heat changes things. The hot sun changed the ice.”
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@ Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
06/05/2020
• Bush Necklace •
A mindfulness activity that involves scavenging, cutting, hole punching and threading. My son loved every step of this activity, except the putting it on part! He wanted dad and mum to wear his creations. “I can’t see it mum, you wear it so I can see it.”
Prep time is bushwalk + getting tools and materials together / 30 mins play (we made two necklaces). This activity is wonderful for fine motor skills.
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@ Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
05/05/2020
• Easy Recipes •
[swipe to see samples]
I thought it might be worthwhile revisiting how powerful cooking with your child can be, no matter how small or complex the recipe is. Teaching this fundamental life skill only scratches the surface of the huge amount of benefits cooking together has. My 3yo “reads” to me the recipes and assists in all aspects whenever he is interested - his attention span doesn’t usually last from beginning to end, but I cherish those short moments of cooking together and he still learns SO MANY skills. Additionally, the likelihood of him eating the meal is higher and his self esteem soars when he gets to present other family members with the meal he helped prepare.
By converting simple recipes into small drawn steps that he can ‘read’, he has an opportunity to practice applying basic concepts of print, such as reading from top to bottom, left to right. If you aren’t confident in your drawing abilities just skip this step, as making recipes into preschool-friendly versions isn’t at all necessary to reap the endless benefits that come from cooking together.
I try to make the kitchen as welcoming as possible for our little people by:
- having a kitchen stool always at the ready for him to hop up on to,
- giving him options on what food to make (even breakfast cereal can be put into a recipe and made together), and
- having strict boundaries in the kitchen (such as no touching ovens or knife blocks), that have very clear and known consequences. That said, if he wants to have a go a cutting or stirring a hot pot he can, on my terms, and only with my guidance. (Look up the benefits of “risky play” if you are interested in why I allow him to participate in these risky tasks).
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@ Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
04/05/2020
• Beginning Sound Scavenger Hunt •
2 mins prep / 15 mins play (it was a family game, mum and dad had to bring lots of ideas to the game that we solved together. “What do you think of this one? It’s a tissue, what sound does it start with?”)
We’ll play weekly-fortnightly, depending on child’s interest.
This one feels a bit too “school” for me (I prefer games that feel more like play) but my son enjoyed it as a game. He has been interested in the sounds letters make and has started noticing when he hears the same sound “car, cup, that’s the same sound mum. Listen.” (Then points to ear dramatically). I wouldn’t play this game unless your child is showing interest on their own in the topic. Forcing this game too early (even if you think your child is capable) will be of no benefit to the learning. Start with very familiar letters, like D for dad or the letter at the beginning of your child’s name.
The learning: this is a foundation language skill, taught explicitly in Prep. This game tunes the ear into listening for sounds some words make. It is a good way to foster a discussion about the sounds we can hear in words. This isn’t about getting it right, more about the discussion and the modeling/practice of listening for sounds.
A note on this activity: By the END of Prep, students should know all the letters of the alphabet by their name and sound in both upper and lower case, and be using this knowledge to decode words (for reading and writing). Don’t rush this knowledge, when the child is ready it often just ‘clicks’ if given the opportunity to discuss it frequently, and without the pressure of getting it right. As always, the ‘play’ part is more important than other part when at home (and I also think in school, but this is part of Grand Debate beyond the scope of this Instagram account).
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11/05/2020
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