Kids pre school learning: Preschool Play and Learn – FREE Worksheets, Crafts, & Activities

Опубликовано: February 25, 2023 в 5:07 am

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Preschool Play and Learn – FREE Worksheets, Crafts, & Activities

PRESCHOOL WORKSHEETS

Make Learning FUN!

Are you the parent of a preschooler, a preschooler teacher, or daycare provider? You are in luck! The Preschool Play and Learn website has LOTS of preschool ideas for you! Our blog is filled with lots of FREE printables, worksheets, crafts and activities to make learning fun while learning the alphabet, pre-k math, colors, science, and more! Plus we have fun themes, free playdoh mats, and lists of great books for preschoolers too.

PRESCHOOL WORKSHEETS

Hands-on Activities & Free Worksheets

Are you the parent of a preschooler, preschooler teacher, or day care provider? You are in luck! The Preschool Play and Learn website has LOTS of preschool ideas for you! Our preschool blog is filled with lots of FREE printables, worksheets, and activities to make learning fun including: preschool alphabet worksheets, preschool math, learning colors for preschoolers, fun themes for preschoolers, tons of free playdoh mats, cute preschool crafts, tons of preschool worksheets, and many books for preschoolers.

Welcome to Preschool Play & Learn

Hi! My name is Beth Gorden and I am the mother of 6 treasures and the creator of Preschool Play and Learn. I created this site to help parents, teachers, and homeschoolers make learning fun! I hope you enjoy our hands-on activities and FREE Worksheets!

With thousands of articles filled with ideas to make learning fun for preschoolers it can be hard to know where to start! Start here with our most popular posts. Each of these free printables have been printed over a million times each!

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The best way to keep up with all our content and get convenient resources based on the month/holiday/theme is to sign-up for our free newsletter.

We are constantly adding new material to our preschool website! At least weekly we are sharing more free printable worksheets, games, activities, crafts, and more to make learning fun! Whether you are a parent, teacher, or homeschooler – we’ve got resources for you!

Playdough is a chidhood classic for good reason! Kids love to play with and educators love how it helps toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners strengthen their hand muscles and coordination they will need to begin writing. But not all kids have the “creative gene” when it comes to playing with playdough. So we’ve created lots of free printable playdough mats to give kids something to do. From rolling ropes to make musical instruments, counting and learning numbers with apple cards, forming uppercase alphabet letters, smashing playodugh to learn to subtract, and more! Here are some of our favorites:

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Kindergarten

Worksheets

123 Homeschool 4 Me

The Ultimate Guide to Preschool

Preschoolers learn “pre-skills,” which lay the groundwork for the future. Through their playing, singing and learning, preschoolers gain skills that ultimately help them learn to read, write, build their math and science skills, and become successful students. Preschoolers also learn “school readiness” skills, which help them understand the routines of school, how to work in groups, and how to be students.

Preschool classrooms are often organized by centers or areas that are divided by different subjects and types of play. For example, a typical preschool classroom may have the following centers: reading, arts and crafts, water/sand table, building and math toys, and an area for pretend play. The school day is structured with both time for free play, during which children can choose which centers to play in, as well as structured schedules devoted to each subject.

Though it may seem like it, preschool is not all fun and games. In fact, preschoolers learn through the fun and games! Research has shown that the development of early literacy and math skills in preschool is associated with future school achievement in both mathematics and literacy. (Here’s everything to know about language and literacy development in children ages 3 to 5.) Preschoolers are very enthusiastic about exploring the math and science concepts described below and these positive attitudes can also greatly contribute to their future success in school. In addition, as preschoolers move through their classrooms and manipulate toys, puzzles, and shapes, they develop important cognitive skills. 

Reading in Preschool 

Preschoolers develop their literacy skills throughout the day, not only during the scheduled “reading” time. Teachers use read-alouds as well as poems, songs, and rhymes to teach topics across all subjects, and classrooms are filled with signs and labeled objects which help kids make connections between objects and words, and words and letters.

In order to build reading skills, your preschooler:

  • Recites rhymes, songs, and poems.
  • Is surrounded by words and labeled objects in his classroom.
  • Begins to recognize letters and their sounds.
  • Reads, listens to, and talks about books.

Reading Activities

  • Make Character Puppets: Create sock or brown paper bag puppets of your child’s favorite characters in books you read together. Use the puppets to act out the stories with your child. 
  • Make Up Stories: Tell your child stories about your childhood and make up stories together. 
  • Use a Computer: Identify and type out letters, names, and words.
  • Make Letter Cookies: Roll out cookie dough into letters. You can also spell out your child’s name and other words with it. Here are sensory ideas for teaching sight words. 
  • Rhyme Time: Play a game in which you take turns saying words (both real and silly), thinking of as many rhymes as possible. 

Preschool Reading Checklist

1. Pete the Cat Phonics Box Set: Complete with 12 colorful books covering long and short vowel sounds, a carry-along box, and original artwork from author/illustrator James Dean, this groovy set uses research-backed methods to easily teach kids how to read.  

2. David Goes to School: In this charming book, David teaches preschoolers all about how to act in a school setting — all while providing a ton of laughs! 

3. Baby Shark: This sing-along book isn’t just incredibly catchy, but its repition teaches preschoolers about the rhythm of language, something that will be helpful as they develop their pre-reading skills. The picture guides illustrating accompanying dance moves will also help them sharpen their fine motor skills and their ability to follow directions. Follow this book up with Hide-and-Seek, Baby Shark! and Bedtime for Baby Shark.

Writing in Preschool

Many of preschoolers’ early writing skills are developed through the various arts and crafts projects they do throughout the day. As preschoolers paint, draw, cut, stick, and glue, they build strength in their hands and develop their fine motor skills, gaining the strength and skills required to hold and use pens and pencils. (Here’s what’s happening when your preschooler starts to color inside the lines.) And, of course, the reading that your preschooler does is directly connected to developing her writing and literacy skills.

In order to build writing skills, your preschooler:

  • Draws, paints, cuts, and glues, developing fine motor skills.
  • Practices writing letters and names.

Writing Activities

  • Practice Writing Your Child’s Name in Creative Ways: Use sidewalk chalk, paints, a stick in the dirt, or write on a steamy window.
  • Arts and Crafts: The more your child draws, glues and paints, the stronger his hands will be. Preschoolers love to glue and cut anything from googly eyes and shapes to pictures from magazines.
  • Write Letters and Cards: Your child can help you write a letter or card to someone. She can decorate it and help you decide what to write. She can even hold your hand as you write some of the words (particularly, her name) or add her own “note” or picture to a card you write.
  • Cut things!: Guide your child in cutting out different shapes from paper, felt, or another material. He can also cut objects such as plastic straws or lines on wrapping paper. 

Preschool Writing Checklist

1. Scholastic Early Learners: Write and Wipe: This dry-erase book helps preschoolers learn letters and numbers, all while providing pictures and words for them to trace. Parents love this book because kids can use it over and over again for repeated practice (check out more details about the Write and Wipe books here!). 

2. BOB Books Workbook Pack: A great companion to BOB Books, this collection allows preschoolers to extend their reading journey into workbooks, where they’ll find custom content designed to boost reading and writing skills. They will be able to grow with this workbook set as they enter kindergarten and first grade, too. 

Math in Preschool 

Daily preschool math activities include learning numbers, practicing counting, creating and learning shapes, and working with calendars. In addition, playing with puzzles, building toys, blocks, and games helps preschoolers practice and build math skills as they count, manipulate objects, and work with different shapes, spaces, and sizes. 

In order to build math skills, your preschooler:

  • Counts.
  • Learns what a number is.
  • Learns about, finds, and forms shapes and patterns.
  • Measures.
  • Sorts, categorizes, and compares objects.

Math Activities

  • Count in a Fun and Active Way: Count steps as you climb them, count as your child jumps, or count objects as you buy them in a store.
  • Play with Shapes and Patterns: Use blocks, straws, sticks, and other objects to make shapes and create patterns.
  • Sorting Races: Ask kids to sort different shapes and colors as fast as they can.
  • I Spy:  Play “I Spy” with shapes and colors. For example say “I spy a circle,” or “I spy something red.” You can also use the I Spy books for this.  
  • Shape Collages: Make collages or books of objects that are different shapes and colors.
  • Number Books: Make your own counting book. Each page can have a number and that quantity of objects. Use drawings, photographs, magazine clippings, or actual objects (buttons, small toys, etc.).
  • Play with Your Food!: Make different shapes out of food such as sandwiches, cut up vegetables, noodles, and pizza dough. Alternatively, cut pizza dough or tortillas into different shapes of pizza.

Preschool Math Checklist

1. PAW Patrol: Heroes at Work!: Your preschooler’s favorite puppy pals race off to different rescue adventures in this book, which is presented in a countdown format that subtly teaches numbers. Kids can list off numbers with you as each PAW Patrol pal heads off and then returns to celebrate a job well done! (Side note: This is the ultimate craft kit for PAW Patrol fans.) 

Science in Preschool

Very often, teachers will teach specific science lessons once to a few a times a week. During this time, the class will learn about a certain topic (for example, water, weather, animals, plants, and nature) through the use of books, demonstrations with actual objects, explorations outside, or interactive activities. In addition, preschoolers are natural scientists as they play and explore the world around them with their curious minds. They constantly experiment and learn as they play outside, explore natural objects, and play with toys such as clay, sand boxes, and water tables. 

In order to build science skills, your preschooler:

  • Is a natural scientist, constantly exploring, observing, questioning and experimenting as she plays and interacts with her surroundings.
  • Sorts and organizes.
  • Interacts with and learns about nature.

Science Activities

  • Go Outside: Draw, write about or take pictures of plants, insects, animals, and nature.
  • Cook: Mixing, measuring, and cooking all introduce your preschooler to scientific concepts and skills. Talk about what happens when things get hot, cold, or mix together, and which measurements are “more” or “less.”
  • Garden: Growing plants teaches preschoolers the basics of how plants grow and what they need to thrive.
  • “Study” Your Pets: Talk to your preschooler about the scientific parts of your pet — its body, how it grows, its habitat, and what it needs to live. 

Preschool Science Checklist

1. Guided Science Readers Parent Pack: Levels E-F: Introduce your child to the fascinating world of science with these age-appropriate readers about animals like horses, chameleons, tigers, bears, and honeybees! This pack comes with motivating stickers, a mini activity book, and tips for parents. 

Social Emotional Learning in Preschool 

Social emotional learning in a preschool classroom occurs throughout the day, as preschoolers interact with each other, learning to share, take turns, and work together. Through these interactions, they build their social skills and learn how to be successful students.

As a part of social emotional learning, your preschooler:

  • Works in groups, sharing and taking turns.
  • Cleans up and helps organize the classroom.
  • Practices manners during meal and snack time.
  • Develops conflict resolution skills.
  • Develops communication and conversation skills.

 Social Emotional Learning Activities

  • Mind Your Manners: Practice manners such as saying “thank you” and “please” during meal times.
  • Talk about Your Day: Share moments from your day with your child and ask her to do the same. When something very interesting or exciting happens, take a picture of the moment or ask your child to draw a picture of it, then decide together what you can write to describe it.
  • Clean Up Toys Together: Make clean-up time fun, asking kids to find like objects, put back toys as quickly as possible, or put away toys that are a certain color or shape. 

Preschool Social Emotional Learning Checklist

1. How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?: “Does a dinosaur mope, does he pout if he can’t get his way? Does he hide all his dump trucks, refusing to share? Does he throw his friends’ coloring books up in the air?” This playful picture book uses rhyming verse like this and humorous illustrations to teach preschoolers the right way to interact with their friends, and shows them what “playing nice” truly means — an important part of social emotional learning. 

 

Importance of preschool education – New Generation

1022

The education of a child of preschool age can be compared to laying the foundation for building a sustainable building, because education starts the process of developing the skills and abilities of the child, and also educates his character. The task of parents and educators is to take care of the reliability and strength of this foundation.

The first attempts to analyze the world around them appear in children at the age of three. Preschoolers begin to accumulate basic knowledge about the surrounding objects, people and themselves, actively develop thinking, which is facilitated by the correct selection of entertainment for the child. From ordinary games, children gradually move on to role-playing ones, during which they borrow the behavioral models of their parents, which are the main example for them. This period is most favorable for strengthening close family relationships. nine0005

The age from 3 to 7 years is characterized by the active development of speech abilities in children: the vocabulary of a preschooler can be about 3000 words, and by the age of 6 the child is already able to pronounce words correctly.

Young children show a keen interest in everything that happens around them, they explore the world and therefore ask adults a lot of questions, which sometimes do not receive answers that satisfy their curiosity due to excessive work or disinterest of their parents. However, it must be taken into account that at this age children are active and grateful listeners, absorbing a lot of information from fairy tales or life stories. Adults should be patient and help the child in his exploration of the world, as well as choose the right educational games (corresponding to his age and interests). nine0005

Morality, responsibility, habits – everything that is so necessary both at school and in life in general, is formed already at preschool age. Therefore, do not underestimate the importance of education and upbringing during this period of a preschooler’s life. And also, do not forget that on the way of growing up, the child faces many difficulties, in solving which he expects help and support from parents and educators.

In general, preschool education is aimed at preparing for school and personal development of the child. nine0005

Some parents do not take preparation for school seriously enough, which can lead to serious consequences for the child: difficulties in building relationships with peers and teachers, alienation, ignorance of personal hygiene rules, fear of being without parents for a long time. These problems are more easily dealt with by children attending preschool institutions, kindergartens, where professionals work with children.

Of course, every child feels uncomfortable and stressed for the first time at school. He does not yet know who a “teacher” is and how he differs from a “tutor”, he does not know how to quickly establish friendly relations with classmates, whom he first saw on the line on September 1, and, of course, he worries about grades. nine0005

A day at school is completely different from a day in kindergarten: you have to sit at your desk for a long time and study hard at first, which causes additional stress for children.

That is why the teacher carefully thinks out a program for a smooth transition of preschoolers from an environment dominated by educational games to a learning environment.

One of the most important tasks of preschool education is to teach children to think independently, to develop a point of view, to defend it, but also to listen to the opinion of the interlocutor. The child tries to perceive information and accumulate it. That is why it is important for him to learn to find a common language with peers. nine0005

As a physical exercise for preschoolers, first of all, games for the development of fine motor skills are recommended, because the most important receptors that transmit signals to the brain are located on the fingertips. A lot has already been said about the positive impact of finger gymnastics on the development of the baby’s abilities, including the development of speech. It’s not for nothing that our grandparents also played Ladushki and The Thieving Magpie with our parents when they were still very tiny.

We are all born optimists, and therefore, what kind of people surround a child, his future outlook strongly depends. Will a preschooler be able to easily relate to life’s troubles, or will even the smallest failure be able to break him?

School life can become a joyful and memorable period in a child’s life, it all depends on how seriously parents take their preschool education.

5 tips for parents of a future first grader

Starting school is an exciting stage in the life of a first grader. We tell you what parents should pay attention to before entering the first grade.

How to develop logic in a child?

An important step in the development of a child is the ability to think independently.

5 tips to make watching cartoons useful for your child

All children love cartoons. But not all of them, according to parents, are useful for the development of the child. We tell you how to make watching a cartoon useful and interesting. nine0005

At what age is it time to show the child to a speech therapist?

Classes with a speech therapist are a hot topic for many parents, because such a specialist works with speech disorders, forms sound pronunciation, and corrects children’s writing and reading skills.

We will contact you shortly. Have a good day!

Importance of pre-school education – Kindergarten No. 25. Afipsky

Importance of early childhood education

Educating a preschool child is like laying the foundation of a huge building. It is on this basis that character, skills, and abilities will be built and developed in the future. Of course, it is worth making sure that this foundation is strong and reliable.

The age from three to seven years is the period when a child develops the first ideas about the world around him, about himself. Thinking continues to evolve. The leading activity is still the game, but at this time the scenario of children’s games is changing. Now children prefer role-playing games, and an adult, most often one of the parents, is an example of the main role. This is a good time for parents to get close with their children in a joint pastime, invent and conduct all kinds of games for the development of thinking for preschoolers. nine0005

The most intensive development of speech occurs at the same age. The child already has about 3,000 words in his arsenal. By the age of six, most children have successfully mastered sound pronunciation.

Children of preschool age are the real “why-why”. They are interested in absolutely everything. The child is filled with a thirst for exploration. It is very important at this time to be patient and not dismiss children’s questions, referring to employment. Preschool children are grateful listeners, they are happy to listen to fairy tales and stories from life. It’s time to select educational games and toys, taking into account the interests of the child and, of course, age characteristics. nine0005

In the preschool period, the foundations of moral behavior, habits (harmful or useful), the ability to complete what has been started are laid. All that will be necessary in life in general and in the upcoming school activities in particular. Thus, preschool upbringing and education is a very difficult and important process, during which parents and educators, together with the child, learn to overcome the difficulties that arise.

In general, preschool education can be divided into two components. The first is preparation for school, the second is the personal development of the child. nine0005

Parents understand “preparation for school” in different ways, therefore, parents who are overly concerned with upbringing very often make unfortunate mistakes, which later can cost both them and the child very dearly. That is why, in this regard, it is much easier for families in which children attend preschool institutions. After all, professionals are engaged in preschool education of children in kindergartens. Moreover, as a rule, “kindergarten” kids build relationships better and easier with a teacher and peers, feel more comfortable in a team, are already trained in sanitary and hygienic rules, and will not be afraid when they stay at school without their parents. nine0005

But even a child who has experience attending a kindergarten will inevitably experience psychological stress when he first comes to school. This is a completely understandable reaction to an unusual situation. The kid does not yet know the difference between a teacher and a kindergarten teacher. In addition, he is distrustful of his peers (suddenly offended!), And also fears that he will not be able to study as well as others. Physical tension is added to the psychological one. After all, the school regime is significantly different from the kindergarten. nine0005

Thus, the transition from preschool childhood, in which play dominated, to school life, where learning is the main thing, should be well thought out pedagogically. The main task of preschool education of children is to teach the child to think independently, to have his own opinion, but not to ignore the statements of other people. That is why at this age contacts with peers, communication in a children’s team are of great importance. That is, the child must learn to perceive new information, “process” it and enter it into his “database”. nine0005

As for the physical preparation of the baby for school, the development of fine motor skills comes to the fore here.