In this article, you’ll learn and discover fun, educational activities to give your child a jump start.
The preschool years are where children learn creativity, social skills, and how to be truly imaginative. But then, that doesn’t mean you should wait to start fostering these skills until your child starts kindergarten. You can start at home with simple, age-appropriate activities and play. Take into account what your child likes, what their favorite toys are, and what they’re interested in. This will help you come up with activities that will engage them.
Activities for three-year-olds should be varied, fun, educational, imaginative, and not too tricky. No three-year-old wants to do something that’s too rigorous or structured! Keep any projects or activities light and varied, but some structure is a good idea – perhaps make a list of skills you want to work on every week, or things you want your child to learn, and then loosely plan activities around that. You need to remain flexible as most young children will be different every day, and that’s before we even get into other variables such as weather, illness, or any other commitments you may have.
For more about early years childcare, visit Jumpstart Child Care.
At-home activities for young children don’t have to involve sitting at a table, although those are great, too! For something a little more physical and playful, try constructing a den from blankets and sheets that your child can play in, or even a cushion and soft furnishings obstacle course if you’re confident it’s safe for your child to complete. You could also devise a scavenger hunt, asking your child to look for items of a particular color, or beginning with a specific letter. Fun and educational!
For more chilled-out days, you can turn to television. It can be a perfectly fine activity! Choose age-appropriate programming with songs or counting or a movie that your child will enjoy. You can up the education factor by asking your child questions about what they’re watching, and encourage them to think about why they enjoyed it.
While outings with young children can be stressful, there are plenty of places you and your child can visit that are appropriate for their age. Libraries are great as not only do they have tons of great books you can sit and read together, but some also have crafting, music, or group reading activities your child can participate in.
If reading isn’t on the cards, why not go to the movies? Many theaters now have child-friendly screenings where you don’t need to worry about noise or wriggling. They’re often cheaper than standard film screenings, too!
Walking is a simple but fantastic activity to do with young children, as they learn more about the world around them. Head to your local park and look at the trees and plants, or see if you can identify some bugs – what kid doesn’t love bugs? While outside, you can also learn about the weather, the seasons, and other elements of nature that are all around us. Your child will love it! Just make sure you’re wrapped up warm if it’s a cold day.