Things to do with kindergarten: 50 classroom activities for kindergarten

50 classroom activities for kindergarten

This blog shares ideas for using Wixie to meet standards and learning goals with kindergartners, whether they are learning at school or at home. Select the image for each idea or use the text link to open a template you can assign as a teacher, or use as a student, immediately.

If your child uses Wixie at school, they can log in at home to create and share their learning through a combination of text, images, and voice narration! Your child’s teacher may even be suggesting activities by assigning templates that will show at the top of your child’s Wixie home page. (If your child doesn’t have Wixie, sign up for a free trial account you can use for 90-days.)

Find more ideas, samples, and lessons for Kindergarten at: https://static.wixie.com/edu/kindergarten

1. Create a digital greeting

Even though it has only been a few days, if you are practicing social distancing, your child is likely missing friends and family. Try forging a connection with a digital message. Simply capture a picture of your child or something they have created and use the microphone tool to record a message. Copy the URL at the top of the Wixie page and email/text to share it.

2. Create a scratch art picture of spring

Use the eraser tool in Wixie to create a scratch art picture of spring – log in to Wixie and search “scratch” for a range of scratch art activities. Use a template like spring or flowers and erase to create a spring design. (template)

3. Learn about artist Piet Mondrian and color in his style

Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian, is best known for his work that used primary colors, white and black in simplified lines and shapes on canvas. Visit the Tate Museum’s page about Mondrian with your child to learn about this artist and his work.

Then use the Mondrian Coloring page in Wixie to create your own version. To find it, search “Mondrian” at your student or teacher Wixie home page. (template)

If your child is ready to create in Mondrian’s style, ask them to draw an animal and color it like a Mondrian.

Explore a Mondrian Math lesson plan.

4. Initial sounds

Go on a letter hunt! Walk around your house or neighborhood and identify objects that begin with a specific letter. Use your device to capture images or write down what you found. Create a page in Wixie to share what you found using images, text, and voice narration. (ABC book template)

5. Create a collage

Add images to a blank Wixie page to represent something. For example, you could represent events in story or your day or even things you see during a particular season.

6. Explore antonyms

Explore antonyms with your child. Read Dr. Seuss’s The Foot Book and create a list of antonyms with your child. You can start them off with things like hot/cold, high/low.

Have your child create a page in Wixie that illustrates an antonym pair. Use the microphone tool to record their explanation.

Step-by-step directions for creating antonyms in Wixie

7. Go on a shape hunt

Read a book like The Shape of Me and Other Stuff by Dr. Seuss. Then walk around your home and find shapes, like rectangles and triangle, or even cylinders and spheres. 

Use the Image button and Camera tab to capture the shapes you find and add them to Wixie. Search “3D” for a book template. (template)

Seeing Shapes lesson plan with literature connections, samples, and more

8.Construct with virtual blocks

Some Friday fun for your young learners. Search “blocks” in Wixie for a activities that let students build with virtual blocks. If you have blocks at home, try to recreate their design with real blocks. (template)

9. Initial Sounds

Have students find images of words that have the same initial sounds as the letters in their name. Help your child spell their name across the top of a blank page. Select the image button and work with your child to find images that match the initial sound of each letter in their name.

If you have students who need to work independently, create a page with their name, adjust the Project Settings to have the Images button open directly to the Alphabet>Images folders, and assign the template to them.

To set an Wixie file to open to a specific image library, open the file or template. Go to the File menu and choose Project Settings. At the dialog use the Stickers tab to open the Alphabet folder and open the Images folders. You will see a folder for each letter of the alphabet. Each of these folders contains images that begin with this letter.  By adjusting the project settings this way, when students select the Image button in Wixie, it will open directly to this image library.

10. Share learning about community helpers with a sentence strip

Now more than ever community helpers are essential to the health and success of our world. Have students share what they have learned about a community helper by drawing a picture and writing a sentence. (template)

Students can use the microphone tool to record how they feel this job is important. If you know someone who works in that field, share the project with them to show your appreciation!

11. Use number bonds and five-frames to build early computation understanding

Wixie includes a wealth of templates you can use to get Kindergarten students to visualize value and play with numbers. Search for “number bond” or “fact family” or “five frame” to find templates that support standards for Operations and Algebraic Thinking. (template)

You can search Wixie’s Templates library by standard! At your Wixie home page, click the three dots to the right of the search field. At the Advanced Search dialog, select the radio button for Standard and then use the pull-down menus to narrow down your search.

*This screenshot shows Common Core State Standards for Math. If you are in Maryland, Virginia, or Texas, you will see the CCR, SOL or TEKS standards.

12. Sort your collection from a nature walk

Walk around outside and collect rocks, flowers, sticks etc. Find a place to sort them into categories any way you like – shape, color, texture, type.

Use the New button in Wixie to start a blank project. Use the Image button and Camera option to capture your work. Add text labels or use the microphone button to describe what you did.

13. Send a virtual high five

Right now most people are going above and beyond to respond to the pandemic. Show your appreciation with a virtual high-five. Has a friend connected on a regular basis, did you grandparent send something nice?

Search for “five” at your Wixie home page and add text or voice narration to show you appreciate their being amazing. Use the paint tools and Image options to decorate. (template)

14. Reading comprehension: character and setting

Read a book on your own or with a parent. Use the New button to start a new Wixie project. Use the paint tools to draw the main character in a setting from the story. Use the Microphone tool to record a description. (template)

15. Simple surveys and great graphs

Survey your friends, family members, and neighbors about a favorite book, sport, food, game, or at-home activity. Collect your survey findings using tally marks to practice counting. (template)

Explore a Simple Surveys and Great Graphs lesson plan

16. Sight word stories

Have your Kinders practice sight words by writing their own sight word story and combining into a class project! Search for “I Go” in quotes to find and assign this template or make your own. (template)

Have each student finish the sentences and illustrate a page and import the pages into a single Wixie file to form a class book!

17. Make a map

To help young learners build map reading skills, have them go outside their home (with the help of a parent) and figure out which direction is north, south, east, and west. (template)

Assign the “By My House” template in Wixie and ask students to use the paint tools to create a map that shows places (like a park, pool, or baseball field) in each of the cardinal directions around their home.

18. Decorate an Easter Egg

Wixie includes a folder of activities for April in the Templates>Month-by-Month folder. Open the Paint an Easter Egg activity and have your child decorate using Wixie’s paint tools. (template)

Print the file, cut out the eggs, and use as Easter decorations. You can even write notes on the back and hide around your home for an egg hunt or give to a friend as an Easter greeting card.

19. Capture reading fluency

Capture student fluency using the recording tool and Wixie templates with prose and poetry passages for grades K-3.

Log in and search “fluency” or browse Templates>Language Arts>Reading>Fluency for examples from Raggedy Ann Stories (template) and Hey, Diddle, Diddle (template), and more, then customize or create your own to meet your needs.

The Kinder fluency samples includes space at the top for students to draw a picture about the text, helping you also evaluate comprehension.

20. Pay with coins

Wixie includes lots of virtual manipulatives for math, even for Kindergartners. Use Unifix cubes, coins or shapes for fun math play and practice. For this template, log in to Wixie, search “coins” and have students pay for objects at a carnival. (template)

More ideas for virtual manipulatives

21. Share your favorite book

To build foundations for argument writing, primary learners start by stating opinions. Ask your Kindergarten students to use Wixie’s paint tools to draw a picture of their favorite book an record why it is their favorite using the microphone tool. (template)

22. Describe your family

Use the paint tools to paint a picture of your family. Use the microphone tool to name each person and describe them. Add text labels with their names or a trait you used in your description. (template)

You can explore the Templates>All About Me folder for this activity. All About Me projects are a great way to focus on skills, like descriptive writing or technology, because kids don’t have to work to understand or learn the content.

23. Play with patterns

Learning how to identify and create patterns like ABA or ABBA helps build foundations for future math, even algebra! Wixie includes several activities for building and practicing visual patterns. You can also have your child draw a pattern or use images added to a blank page. (template)

24. Identify character traits

Ask your young learners to recall and retell key details about a character in a book you are reading. Search “trait” in Wixie to have the draw a picture of the character and type or record words about the character’s physical traits, feelings, and actions. (template)

Find more ideas for character trait projects and step-by-step directions

25.

Tell a tangram story

A tangram is a Chinese puzzle made from a square cut into seven different shapes, called tans. You use these shapes to make the square, as well as a range of other shapes.

At your Wixie home page, search “tangram” and open the Tangram Story file. Have your child use the pieces in the tangram to make their own composite shape and tell the story of  the happy square. (template)

25. Record your positive actions

What did you do for the environment on Earth Day? Draw a picture, write a sentence and record yourself in Wixie! You can also use Wixie to create a poster to inform others about environmental issues. (template)

27. Observe with a new perspective

So much of what we see about our world depends on our perspective. While young students are still working to show what they observe through their sense of sight, they can practice taking someone else’s perspective in a fun project like  sharing a view of the world from the eyes of an insect.  

28. Draw you own Tree for Arbor Day

Gustav Klimt’s “Tree of Life” is one of his most recognizable paintings. Search “Klimt” in Wixie and use the Eraser tool to create your own Klimt-style tree using a scratch art-style template. (template)

Scratch art drawing in Wixie is done with the Eraser tool, not the paint brush! 

29. Write a 5 senses poem

In addition to reinforcing scientific observation, engaging the five senses is a great way to help young learners add description to their writing and practice vocabulary. Assign the “5 Sense Poem” template to make it easier to add ideas textually, or remove the text boxes and have them record their ideas. (template)

If your learners would benefit from a little direction, provide a specific topic for their poem.

30. Practice counting and shape identification

There are lots of ways to make math practice fun. Search Wixie for “shape” or “count” for a range of fun ways activities that ask student to identify shapes and apply one-to-one correspondence to color or finish a fun scene. (template)

31. Practice vocabulary and sight words

Similar to yesterday’s idea, you can use simply coloring templates to have student practice sight words and vocabulary. To find templates like this one, browse Templates>Language Arts>Vocabulary. (template)

32. What if you could be going places?

Call or video chat with someone who lives far away or read about a new place to learn about the weather and culture in that location.  Use a “Going Places” template in Wixie to show the weather, what you would pack to wear, and what you would do in that location. (template)

33. Share data with a glyph

Like hieroglyphics, glyphs use pictures to represent information. Glyphs are a great way to get young learners to follow-directions and play with how data can be displayed.

Search for “butterfly glyph” in Wixie to find a template students can use to share information about how they spent their week by adding symbols to a butterfly’s wings. Be sure they use the record button to explain their work. (template)

34. Create a thank you card for your teacher

Tomorrow is Teacher Appreciation Day! Start a blank Wixie page and use the paint tools to create an original drawing. You can also use the image button and camera option to capture your picture!

Use the microphone tool to record your voice and let your teacher know how much you appreciate (and miss!) them. They would really love to hear from you. (template)

Sweet note from a student today using Wixie. Happy to see she understands the situation. #Wixie #missmystudents pic.twitter.com/6BfCLfns7v

— DES Media Magic (@VerlichMj) April 8, 2020

35. Candy counting

It’s Cinco de Mayo! After you thank your teacher today, search “piñata” in Wixie and use one of the templates to show off your counting skills. (template)

36. Explore the real world of math with Mother’s Day Flowers

Search “mother” in Wixie and use the Mother’s Day Flowers template to name shapes and describe their relative position as well as create a vase filled with shapely flowers. (template)

Read more about the Mother’s Day Flowers lesson.

37. Adapt your favorite pattern story

Read one of your favorite pattern stories and create your own adaptation. Wixie includes templates for favorites like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, It Looked Like Spilt Milk (template), Cat in the Hat and more. Use this list of titles to turn your emerging readers into writers!

Explore an Adapt a Pattern Story lesson plan

38. Create memories for Mother’s Day

If you haven’t gotten your handmade Mother’s Day gift ready, open a blank page in Wixie and draw a picture to create a printed card. Use the microphone tool to record a message and send as a digital greeting.

Explore more ideas for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

39. Sort and classify objects

Kindergarten learners first begin organizing data by sorting objects by attribute. Wixie includes a range of templates you can use for both practice and formative assessments. Simply search “sort” at your Wixie home page. (template)

40. Create your own pet show

Read Pet Show! by Ezra Jack Keats. Search Wixie for “pet” to find a template students can use to paint a picture of their pet and add in a superlative describing the award their pet won. (template)

41. Counting and cardinality

Kindergarten learners need to be able to “count to answer ‘how many?’ questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.”

Use the three dots on the right side of the search bar at the top of your Wixie home page to search by standard and find a range of counting templates.

Wixie includes a range of count to tell and cardinality templates appropriate for your range of Kindergarten learners. (template)

42. Send a chalk art message

To get a bit of a break from quarantine more and more people are walking the neighborhoods and many kids are creating chalk art messages to make them smile or give hope!

Search Wixie for “chalk” to find a template you can use to create a digital chalk art message. Export the image or copy the URL and send to a grandparent or share with an elderly neighbor who can’t get outside. (template)

43. Inform others

Even the youngest learners can inform others about the topics they are learning. Instead of struggling with writing or typing, have students use Wixie to simply add an image of the animal to a page and use the microphone tool to record to share information orally. Perfect for ELLs.

44. Create a digital word wall

Students can use the “word wall” template in Wixie to create their own word wall. Assign to each learner so they can add words they do not know from books they are reading or hearing. Have students look up the meaning in a dictionary or ask a parent or teacher to help them define and add a picture and even voice recording. (template)

45. Create a class memory book

Use Wixie to create a memory book filled with each student’s favorite event from the school year. Have students use Wixie’s image, text, and recording tools to create their page, combine them together into one file in your teacher account, and publish online, as PDF, or print. (template)

Explore step-by-step directions for this idea.

46. Compare numbers.

Kindergarten learners need to be able to identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, as well as compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Open the Templates folder at your Wixie home page, then open Math>Numbers and Operations>Numbers to find templates like this you can use for formative assessment and practice. (template)

47. Build a sand castle

Is it summer yet? In any case, it’s time to build a sand castle. Search “castle” at the Wixie home page and drag the shapes to make a virtual sand castle. Great activity for learning to build composite shapes! (template)

48. “Carve” your own petroglyph

Petroglyphs are objects carved into rock by prehistoric people. Search “petroglyph” at your Wixie home page to find a template. Assign to students and they can use the Eraser tool to “carve” their own petroglyph image. Use the microphone tool to tell the story of the rock art. (template)

49. Build foundations for scientific thinking

Encourage your students budding inquiry by using a modified approach to the scientific method. Search “inquiry” at the Wixie home page to find the Inquiry – Primary template. (template)

Have students use it to draw pictures and describe how they learn about the world. The template guides them to begin with observation and hypotheses to progressing to thinking about how they can test their idea and then analyzing the results.

50. Count to design a beach towel

Search “beach” at the Wixie home page to find a range of counting activities perfect for summer. In the Design a Beach Towel activity, students drag shapes to create a pattern design on a beach towel and then count the number of shapes they have added. (template)

30+ Kindergarten Activities for Hands-On Learning

Here are 30+ Kindergarten activities for hands-on learning.

Learning in kindergarten is done through movement, conversation, and play. We can support that learning at home with kindergarten activities for hands-on learning.

What our kindergarteners need is playful, hands-on activities – not computer-based learning. We don’t need our children stuck in front of a screen responding to voice commands for most of their education.

Five and six-year-olds need to move their bodies, dig hands deep in new textures, and manipulate objects to develop a deeper understanding of how things work.

Simply put, Kindergarteners need opportunities to connect hands-on learning to the world around them. We even created these Kindergarten activity cards to help keep the learning through play continue at home.

We can help our five and six-year-olds learn with this list of 30+ Kindergarten activities for hands-on learning.

RELATED: Play-based learning is super important. That is why we created this list of 50 KID ACTIVITIES AT HOME.

I look for Kindergarten activities for hands-on learning that include:

• Communicating ideas

• Conversation and collaboration

• Guided play prompts

• Exploring interests

• Opportunities to problem-solve

• Creating playful environments

• Encouraging imaginary play

• Opportunities to construct and build

• Moving their body through rough-and-tumble play

• Building empathy

• Exploring new textures

• Encouraging a growth mindset and embracing challenges

Just like we look for new activities to inspire our thinking as adults, we must do the same for our 5-7-year-olds. 

RELATED: New to homeschooling? You’ll find these HOMESCHOOLING QUICK TIPS practical and helpful.

What a child should learn in Kindergarten can vary from state to state, but most states use the Common Core Standards.

According to the Common Core, these standards help create clear and consistent learning goals to help prepare children for life.

They are to keep parents and teachers on the same page to work together for common goals. 41 out of 50 states have adopted the Kindergarten standards.

In this case, we have access to what our Kindergarteners will learn throughout the year.

READ THE KINDERGARTEN COMMON CORE STANDARDS HERE.

Furthermore, I can help you implement hands-on learning activities with this list of 30+ Kindergarten Activities.

Literacy, hands-on learning activities for Kindergarten are some of my favorites.

First, let’s take a look at the Kindergarten literacy categories:

• Read-Aloud

• Writing

• Oral and visual communication

• Phonics, spelling, and word study.’

• Independent reading with peers and adults

Here are my FAVORITE LITERACY MANIPULATIVES for young learners.

25+ Activities to Help Pencil Grip – Hint, it isn’t tracing letters!

The Best Books for Kindergarten – A FANTASTIC collection of read-aloud.

Stamp a Story – Writing together using stamps to lead the story plot.

Alphabet Sort– Taking a closer look at the lines and curves of letters.

Building Word Families – Taking a closer look at words that rhyme.

What I Like – A conversation starter using stickers.

Drive and Park – A hands-on way to assess letter sounds or recalling letter names.

Splash the Alphabet – A movement game to review letter names and sounds.

Color Word Car Park – Learning to recognize color words through movement.

40+ Back to School Books – The best booklist to build comfort and confidence!

Hands-On Story Sequence – Using blocks to retell the beginning, middle, and ending of a story.

14+ Book Activities to Retell a Familiar Story – Hands-on activities to help retell familiar Kindergarten stories.

How Balance Can Improve Reading – A little practice can go a long way!

Math Learning Activities for Kindergarten

Did you know that Kindergarten math activities typically fall under the following categories?

• Counting and cardinality

• Operations and algebraic thinking

• Numbers and operations in base ten

• Measurement and data

• Geometry

Next are my favorite Kindergarten math activities for hands-on learning.

START HERE: my favorite math manipulatives for young learners.

Kindergarten Money Activity – a DIY coin bank you need to make.

Indoor Mini-Golf – Create a mini-golf course using train tracks.

DIY Rainbow Board Game – A simple board game using dice and markers.

Build a Shape – A hands-on 3D shape exploration.

What is a Ten Frame? – Using objects to understand a group of ten better.

Pour to the Lines – A measurement game using colored water.

Magnetic Measurement – A measurement game using magnetic tiles.

Domino Addition Track – Using dominoes to practice simple addition facts.

Hands-On Number Line – Using shoes to become familiar with the number line.

shape activities – Using shapes to create pictures.

Indoor Graphing Game – Use socks to understand Kindergarten graphing better.

Count Up – A hands-on number line with cubes.

Pattern Practice – A fun way to create patterns with objects you have at home.

Let’s look at growth mindset activities for Kindergarten.

A growth mindset for all children is an important aspect of learning. We can begin to implement growth mindset activities for five and six-year-olds to encourage reflection and goal-setting.

This is what allows a child the opportunity to fail and brainstorm ways to persevere and succeed. A growth mindset develops with time and strategies that adults can model.

Here, we are encouraging Kindergarteners to take risks and encourage questions. As parents, caregivers, and teachers, our job is to use phrases that acknowledge the work behind the product.

Last but not least, here are growth mindset activities for ages 5-7. 

Rainbow Weave – Incorporating art into hand-eye coordination.

Can You Stack It? – Making predictions with blocks.

Can You Build a Home– A thinking and design game with Legos.

Block Play – An open-ended building game for strategy.

Giant Tic-Tac-Toe – Engage in a game with rules with your Kindergartener.

Chalk Board Game – Outdoor game for number sequence and sportsmanship.

How to Paint with Kids – Understanding the process of art exploration and expression, how to get your Kindergartener started with painting, and the supplies needed.

70+ Hands-On Activities for Kindergarten

Table of Contents

Kindergarten Activities are one of my favorite activities to bring forth. 

Activities for kindergarten have a special place in my heart because when my oldest was about to be in kindergarten, I decided to homeschool her for that year. 

I loved teaching her and learning through play with books and different methods of teaching in a fun way. 

Kindergarten is such a wonderful and playful year of learning in a very fun way! 

We didn’t really use worksheets very much and instead focused on reading a lot of books and practicing CVC words a lot! 

Related: To learn the steps I took to teach my kindergartener how to read, go here! 

Differentiated instruction lesson plans for kindergarten were so much fun because we used a lot of wholesome curriculum and resources.

You can read more about our Kindergarten experience here. 

Alongside resources, play to learn and hands on activities are also very important. 

I really enjoyed introducing my Kindergartener at the time activities that she can learn while playing such as:

• DIY Fish Pipe Cleaner Counting Activity 

• Spring Math Activities

• Spooky Alphabet Match 

• DIY Learning Box for Kids

• Apple Tree Math Matching Activity 

• Color Matching Activity 

I will be sharing below how different categories on how I will teach my kindergartener and these categories are as follows: 

• Learning games for kindergarteners

• Fun learning activities for kindergarten

• Easy games for kindergarten

• Math Activities for Kindergarten

• Alphabet Activities for Kindergarten

Related: Are you looking for how to teach kindergarten at home? Check out our Kindergarten Busy Book that is a great resource alongside any kindergarten curriculum! 

What are the activities for kindergarten? 

Kindergarten activities are composed of a set of different skills.

Here are some kindergarten activity ideas:

• Uppercase letters

• Lowercase letters

• Vowels

• Shapes

• Colors

• Skip Counting

• Patterns

• Tracing

And more! 

If you’d like to learn more about how I taught my Kindergartener at the time to read, go here! 

What can I teach my kindergartener at home? 

I will be sharing below many different play to learn activities you can try at home that require a few homemade essentials. 

If you are looking for some of the basic skills kindergarteners would need to know, here they are: 

• Uppercase/lowercase letters

• Counting

• Addition

• Patterns

• Skip Counting

• Even and Odd Numbers

• 2d and some 3d shapes

• Vowels

• Pre-primer sight words

And more… 

How can I make kindergarten more fun? 

You can make kindergarten fun by incorporating different fun hands on activities, kindergarten learning games and kindergarten ideas in a fun way! 

How? 

I will share over 70 play to learn kindergarten activities with you below! 🙂 

I am so excited! 

Let’s get into them….

70+ Activities for Kindergarten

Learning Games for Kindergarteners 

Salt Writing Tray – Active Littles

Rainbow Sprinkle Writing Tray – Active Littles

Halloween Counting Mats for Kindergarten – Active Littles

Will It Sink Or Float – The Chirping Moms

Color Word Car Park – Days with Grey

Hands on Number Line – Days with Grey

Math Card Games – We are Teachers

ABC Rocks – Hands on as we Grow

Make 10 – Mama Papa Bubba

Rain Cloud in A Jar – Active Littles

Traveling Waters Science Experiment – Active Littles

Leaf Proof Bag – Active Littles

Fun Learning Activities for Kindergarten 

DIY Learning Box Activity for Kids – Active Littles

Number Counting Mats – Active Littles

Hands On Shapes – Learning 4 Kids

Lego Bricks for Learning Math – We are Teachers

Mouse Counting Mats 1-20 – Active Littles

10+ Math Activities for Kindergarten – Active Littles

Easy Games for Kindergarten 

DIY Fish Pipe Cleaner Kindergarten Activity – Active Littles

Paperclip Float Science Experiment – Raising Life Long Learners

Sight Word Puzzles – This Reading Mama

Caterpillar Sight Words – This Reading Mama

Sight Word Find – Busy Toddler

Ocean Sight Word Search – Happy Toddler Playtime

Pool Noodle Spin and Spell – Raising Dragons

Water Cycle Kids Activity – Montessori from the Heart 

Math Strategies for Kids – Montessori from the Heart

8 Skills For Kindergarten Readiness – Teach Talk Inspire

Lima Bean Name Activity – Active Littles

Math Activities for Kindergarten 

Flower Math 5 year old activities – Active Littles

Kindergarten Busy Book – Active Littles

Apple Tree Match Subtraction Activity – Active Littles

Ping Pong Math Activity (Adding and Subtracting) – Active Littles

Kindergarten Number Match – Busy Toddler

Add to 10 Kindergarten Activity – Busy Toddler

Five Number Activities – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

Kindergarten Math Learning Game – Raising Dragons

Math Activities for Kindergarten – The Best Ideas For Kids

MultiAge Math Review Game – Little Pine Learners

Egg Carton Addition Flowers – Sparkling Buds

Counting And Addition Tray – Imagination Tree

Sticky Note Addition – Life Over C’s

Alphabet and Literacy Activities for Kindergarten 

Spooky Alphabet Match for Kindergarten – Active Littles

Literacy Activity using Foam Letters – Active Littles

Alphabet Letters Shaving Cream Activity (Make Words) – Active Littles

Alphabet Magnetic Sorting + Vowels Activity + Free Printable – Active Littles

Ping Pong Alphabet Activity (Making Words) – Active Littles

Name Recognition Puzzle activities for 5 year olds – Play Teach Repeat

Name Recognition Activity – Play Teach Repeat 

Fun activities for kindergarten class – Notepad Flip – Raising Dragons

10+ Alphabet Activities for Kindergarten – Active Littles

Related: Looking for free kindergarten math games? Check out this one here! 

Books for Kindergarteners Recommendations:

All activities to be done with adult supervision.

What to do with children in kindergarten: how to entertain children in kindergarten

It is the organization of the game process that is the best answer to the question about what to do with children in kindergarten. At such an early age, with the help of a variety of exciting activities and collective games, they comprehend the world around them. Correctly directed activity of the child favors his normal mental, emotional and physical development.

While playing, children acquire useful social skills and new knowledge, successfully realizing the need for vivid impressions and positive emotions. The game itself, although it is a kind of entertainment, it is extremely important to correctly organize a training ground for it with the maintenance of discipline.

Pedagogical tasks are also solved in this way. In particular, the formation of the child’s attitude both to himself and to other children, including ways of interacting with peers and adults. The information presented in the blog about what to do with children in the kindergarten will be equally useful not only to educators, but also to the parents themselves.

Types of activities for children in the kindergarten

In the warm summer time, it is necessary to spend time with children in the fresh air as long as possible. Pay attention to avoid conflict situations. The natural activity of kids can be curbed by organizing for them such entertaining and educational games as:

• Soap bubble festival. Ask the parents on the agreed day to give the child soap bubbles that he will bring to the kindergarten. The contemplation of their flight or the process of bursting will definitely cause joy and quivering delight. By the way, the competition for the largest bubble will be no less creative idea.
• Hide and Seek. A win-win for all age groups. The only thing you need to control is the location of the children in order to avoid further searches together with the leader.
• Catchers. An active lesson can be supplemented with elements of jumping and crawling, as well as changing the plot concept.
• Water games. You can use ordinary plastic containers for children to water each other out of them. A good idea would be to bring water pistols or organize a portable pool.

One of the most dynamic activities is “Colored traffic light”. The site is delimited from two sides. The resulting space imitates the road. The leader needs to be located outside the line, and with his back to the rest of the guys. Further, any color is called, while the participants in the game look for its presence on their clothes.

The presence of the leader’s voiced color allows players to cross the road. Otherwise, all participants run across the road, and the leader’s task will be to catch them. By putting into practice the ideas described above, each teacher will know exactly how to entertain children in kindergarten in the summer, especially using a children’s play mat.

What can children do in kindergarten in their free time?

In addition to active entertaining games, supplement your free time with developmental activities. In this case, the following goals are achieved:

1. Formation of moral and volitional skills.
2. Development of logical thinking, memory and speech.
3. The formation of the ability of visual and auditory perception.
4. Establishment of social contacts between peers.

So how to captivate children in kindergarten? In addition to traditional drawing, creating applications or coloring pictures, effective results are demonstrated by:

• Experts mini-quiz. The essence is reduced to the reproduction by the educator in the ear of a fragment from a literary source with which the children are already familiar. They just have to guess.
• Who is first, who is next? Children are shown a variety of objects or pictures of a certain category. For example, egg, chicken, chicken. The challenge is to place them in the correct order.

It is noteworthy that in all the above examples, a comfortable exercise area will be provided by a developing or folding crawling mat, including soft double-sided game models.

What to do with children in kindergarten in the afternoon?

The second half of the day is recommended to take a walk or stay in the fresh air. The main benefit lies in the positive effect on the growing organism as a whole. Immunity is strengthened, heart function improves, metabolic processes are accelerated, cells are filled with the energy necessary for functioning.

A comfortable addition to the process will be a comfortable developing floor mat, which can be ordered by visiting the children’s goods website Mat4Baby. Products are completely environmentally friendly and have good shock-absorbing properties. The presence of a thermal insulation layer retains heat, and the rug itself is resistant to wear and does not require special care.

Buying mats for children on the floor in our online store, moms and dads can count on:

1. Certified products.
2. Affordable prices.
3. Fast delivery.
4. Profitable savings on bulk orders.
5. Ability to choose a convenient form of payment.

what to do with children, outdoor games and sports

Content

• 1 Features of the summer period in kindergarten
• 2 Kindergarten site in the summer as a playground for games and activities
• 3 Cognitive outdoor activities
• kindergarten games outdoors
  • 4.1 Games with set rules
  • 4.2 Sports competitions for preschoolers
• 5 Summer group activities during bad weather

It is important to use the opportunities of summer as the most favorable season for health improvement in kindergarten. The sun, air, surrounding nature, water – everything has a positive effect on the body. Useful natural factors of warm time, with the correct organization of the educational process, can and should be combined with the methods of cognitive development of the child. Therefore, preschool teachers should know how to diversify the summer program and what to do with children in the summer in kindergarten.

Peculiarities of the summer period in the kindergarten

There are advantages to attending a kindergarten in the summer. Most of the time the baby spends in the fresh air. Thanks to the peculiarities of the summer period, he develops, plays, interacts with peers and hardens at the same time.

As a rule, starting from June 1, the daily routine in the kindergarten changes. The recovery period begins. Reception of children and morning exercises are held at the group site. If the child does not want to go to kindergarten, then cheerful music on the street and game exercises of the teacher with pupils most often cause a desire to join.

Since the upbringing and educational process is transferred to fresh air, a long-term plan for the summer period is being developed in accordance with the age of the pupils. The number of lessons is reduced. Scheduled physical education, music classes, visual and other activities of preschoolers are held outdoors. Holidays, entertainment, fun competitions are waiting for the guys in the open areas.

Particular attention is paid to hardening procedures (sunbathing, dousing with water after a walk, Health Path, etc.). It is in the summer that active admission of kids to preschool begins. Summer minimizes colds characteristic of the child’s adaptation period.

Kindergarten area in summer as a playground for games and activities

In the warm season, a group area is not only a place for walking, but also a playground for games and activities. Children spend most of their time on it. With proper organization, kids play on the playground and gain certain knowledge and skills. In addition to stationary equipment, the following materials are taken out:

• for sandbox games: molds, spatulas, buckets;
• for creative activities: paper, crayons, pencils, felt-tip pens, plasticine, boards, coloring books, decorative stamps, contour plates, easel;
• for playing with water: basins, boats, sponges, pouring molds, small rubber toys;
• for labor activity: buckets, watering cans, shovels, rakes;
• for observations: nets, turntables, bells, etc. ;
• for sports games: balls, ropes, ring throws, hoops;
• for joint reading and viewing of illustrations: books, albums.

The equipment and materials used are safe for the life and health of pupils. As a rule, they are age-appropriate, suitable for active activities. Also, the safety of children in the summer is ensured by additional hygiene measures.

Outdoor cognitive activity

A walk is a field for a child’s cognitive and research activities. Under the skillful guidance of an educator, children are enriched with specific ideas, conduct experiments, notice and establish some connections between natural phenomena.

For example, they examine plants and observe: “A mint leaf smells good”, “Flowers under the influence of sunlight open their corollas to the maximum and turn after the sun”, “The sun shines brightly and therefore it is hot outside. And the cloud covered it, and it became cooler. Parents often do not direct the attention of the child to such natural patterns, while in kindergarten they are taught to notice details and enrich the experience of a preschooler.

Each group from 3 to 7 years old has its own garden in the garden of the preschool educational institution. Children plant and care for planted plants, watch their growth.

On a walk, using the traffic rules playground, children in story games or in thematic classes can simulate various situations, reinforcing the rules of the road in practice.

Outdoor games in the kindergarten

Summer is a period of increased physical activity in the fresh air. With the correct organization of outdoor games, preschoolers are happy to join the game process. You can offer kids games of low mobility. For example, the game “Silence” (for 3 – 5 years). Children walk in a circle one after another, pronouncing a rhyme.

Silence by the pond.

Water does not sway,

Reeds do not make noise,

Fall asleep little ones.

At the last words, the participants stop, squat, bow their heads, put their hands under their cheeks and close their eyes.

However, most outdoor play activities involve active movement, divided into sports and games with certain rules. Let’s get acquainted with some of them through the description below.

Games with given rules

Games for the summer in kindergarten are organized taking into account the place where the group of children is located and the weather conditions. Children especially love outdoor games with running.

“Where is your house?” (for 3-5 years old). Each child chooses a house for himself. It can be a flat hoop, a stump, a cardboard box, a drawn circle. Preschoolers walk around the site. At the command of the teacher, “Where is your house, baby?” the children run to their places. Since the children are small, it is better not to limit the time and give each participant the opportunity to take a place in their house. Then repeat again.

Train is coming (for 3 years old). The teacher is a train driver. Children – “wagons”, move one after another, holding the belt in front of the child standing. The train must reach the station. The teacher pronounces the words:

Under the cheerful sound of wheels

A steam locomotive rushes along the rails.

Smoke on the fly,

The locomotive is buzzing: that – that!

Snail game (for 5-7 years old). Preschoolers stand behind each other, clasping their hands. Then they follow the leader first in a circle, then a “snail”, making concentric circles one inside the other. The action can be performed at a different pace.

Plucked Hen (5-7 years old). Clothespins are used. A “chicken” (“cockerel”) is selected, to which clothespins are attached. She is sitting on a bench. At the command of the host, the “chicken” begins to run, cackle, and the children try to unfasten the clothespins (“pluck”). If the “chicken” herself touched one of the participants in the game, then this child becomes a “chicken” (“cockerel”).

Game for children 5 – 7 years old “One – two – three” . The guys run in different directions one by one. At the signal of the teacher “Two!” they regroup in pairs and continue running. At the signal “Three!” are grouped into triplets. At the signal “One!” running one by one again. This game requires special concentration.

Interesting outdoor games with a small plot. For example, game “Sheep and Wolves” (for children 5-7 years old). Two or three children are wolves. The rest are sheep. The wolves “hide in the ravine”, and the sheep “walk on the lawn and nibble the grass.” At the signal of the teacher “Wolves!”, The children playing this role jump out and run after the sheep, who must have time to reach the shepherd (leader). Caught wolves are taken to the ravine.

In addition to outdoor games, you can play games for the development of creative abilities, the development of cognitive processes and the emotional sphere. For example, “Chains”. Children collect dandelions, bend the stem into a ring and stick the narrow end into the wide one. Then a second stem is threaded through this ring and the process is repeated. This turns out a long chain, from which you can make a wreath or a belt for a doll. You can arrange a competition for the neatest or longest chain.

Sports competitions for preschoolers

Children of senior preschool age are of great interest in such a form of physical activity as sports competitions. The spirit of competition at this age is strong.

In addition, such competitions help harmlessly release tension to those children whose behavior in kindergarten causes some problems.

You can divide the group into teams and hold group competitions. With passion, children participate in tug-of-war and similar competitions.

Some examples:

1. Carry the ball relay. A ping-pong ball or ball is placed in a spoon, and team members (one at a time) run to the pins and come back, trying not to drop the contents of the spoon. The relay is passed to the next participant. The team whose players complete the task first wins.
2. Individual competitions, when children compete with each other: “Who will throw the sandbag farthest” or “Who will be the first to reach the skittles and come back”, etc.
3. Sports games. Two players stand opposite each other. At the leader’s signal, they begin to throw the ball. One child is between them, trying to catch or touch the ball. If he succeeds, then the participant changes place with the thrower.

Summer group classes during bad weather

There is also a summer program in bad weather in kindergartens. Classes are held in a group. Of course, various designers, board games, puzzles, with which children play with great pleasure, help out. They are supplemented with games to develop attention, vocabulary or logical thinking.

The teacher conducts a planned lesson with the whole group of pupils. In free activities, he may offer to play with a small group of preschoolers or one child. Game material is selected for a specific purpose. For example, to consolidate the material received earlier, to train attention, sensory perception, to activate the dictionary, etc.

Game “Find an object of a given color” (for 5-7 years old). The host calls the color and invites preschoolers to look around to find objects of a given color. The winner is the participant who names the item last.

Outside-Inside Game for children aged 6-7. Purpose: to teach to correlate the concepts of “big – small”, “inside – outside”. The child is called a couple of objects and asked to say what can be inside and what is outside. Options: house – pillow, cutlet – pan, fish – river, sugar – tea, etc. The student must explain his choice. Sometimes others have a desire to join, and the game continues with an increased composition.

Recommended useful material:

• How to develop verbal-logical thinking.
• Games for preschoolers to develop attention.

Thus, a child’s summer stay in kindergarten successfully combines relaxation with cognitive development. Both on sunny days and in bad weather, children are busy with active activities. In a children’s institution there are always opportunities for preschoolers to develop physically, improve attention, motor skills, perception, and also develop perseverance, which is one of the necessary components for successful schooling.

What are the games in kindergarten

What are the games in kindergarten

What are they playing in kindergarten? This question is of interest to many parents: it is the game that develops the child, makes him stronger, faster, smarter and more attentive.

In an outdoor game, muscles and immunity are strengthened, coordination develops, in an intellectual game, memory improves, attention expands vocabulary and knowledge about the world, and thinking develops.

Games for children in kindergarten are organized by educators, taking into account the age and training of their pupils. It can be indoor or outdoor activities.

What kinds of games are there?

Different types of games for children are practiced in the kindergarten: creative, didactic, mobile, folk. Some of them are individual, others are group, some are held at the initiative of the educator, others are played by the kids themselves:

• , draw and build. Any activity can be creative: from gatherings with dolls to sculpting houses in the sandbox;
• in a didactic game for preschoolers, intellectual abilities develop: children learn to pronounce sounds and recognize letters, get the very first counting skills, recognize the names of objects and gain other knowledge;
• outdoor game for children in a group is an ideal way to improve their health and support immunity, develop coordination, strength and agility. Kids love this variety the most;
• it is difficult to distinguish a folk game for kindergarten children from a mobile game, but, in addition to physical activity, it also gives an incentive to develop intelligence.

All types of games in the group are supervised by the teacher. He cares about the safety of the children and sets the rules if required.

What kind of group games are there in kindergarten?

There are a lot of options, and the choice depends solely on the educator: it is he who sets the rules. Here we will tell you what games are played in the younger (3-4 years old), middle (4-5 years old), older (6-7 years old) groups of kindergarten. Not all are listed: you can find descriptions of other activities on the Internet.

For 3-4 years old

“Silence”

Participants disperse around the room in a chaotic manner. As soon as the teacher says a certain phrase, the participants lie down and pretend to be asleep. Those who don’t sleep well enough lose. Instead of a teacher, there may be a child. Then the loser becomes the leader.

Don’t be late

Blocks or other toys are placed on the floor. Each participant takes a place at his cube. The host gives a signal and the participants scatter. As soon as he says: “Don’t be late!” – they return. The one who took his place last loses.

Cucumber

Participants disperse around the site. At one end of it is the leader (“trap”), at the other – those whom he will catch. Participants approach the “trap” skipping while he pronounces the sentence. As soon as it ends, the children scatter, and the leader catches them.

For 4-5 years old

“Cats and mice”

They play in the kindergarten. Benches or chairs are placed against the walls. In one corner is a “cat” – the leader. As soon as the “cat” falls asleep, the “mice” scatter. Waking up, the “cat” begins to meow and catch “mice”. They must run to their places and hide. If the “cat” has not caught anyone, it returns to its place.

“Wider step”

On the playground of the kindergarten, hoops are laid out – in two or three rows, five in each. Children begin to step over their hoop to hoop. Their task is not to touch the hoops, not to go beyond them. At the end they jump up and down and clap their hands.

Camera

Camera can be played with a group or with one or two participants. Participants are shown a picture for 5-6 seconds, then removed. The task of the participants is to accurately describe what is shown in the picture.

White-sided Magpie

This is one of the group activities that can easily be transformed into an individual one. Several items are laid out on the table. The task of the child is to remember what items were lying. After 5-10 seconds, he turns away, and the host replaces one or two items. Turning to the table, the participant must say what exactly was missing.

“Associations”

The teacher shows some pictures. Participants must find something in common between them. These can be both logical associations (for example, pictures of a giraffe, elephant, dog, cat or plates, forks, glasses, pots) and illogical ones (bed, washbasin, soap, plate, shoes). If these are illogical associations, the participants must come up with a mini-story and link the objects together.

For 6-7 years old

Older groups enjoy playing outdoor and intellectual games in the kindergarten. Often they are associated with preparation for school: they teach you to count, help you remember letters and learn to read.

At the age of 6-7 they leave the preschool age, and the teacher may well bring checkers, dominoes, “monopoly” and other board games. Relay races are also suitable, especially with the participation of parents.

Two or three groups of children participate in relay races. They perform tasks for speed: they run, carry sand, inflate balloons. The fastest team that did not break the rules wins.

Mirror game is suitable for everyone. The teacher or leader from among peers stands in the center.