Brain Boosting Crafts

You cannot beat crafts that also make children think! Brain Boosting Crafts can do just that! These crafts are from the Disney family. They are fun, allow for creativity, and are educational. Check them out for complete details.

Read Books In the Car

For those that do not get car sick!

With DVD players so common in cars now a days, children don't get the time riding in cars to play with toys like the used to. I have a DVD player and I can not imagine a long trip without it. But I try not to play a movie when we are driving around town. I try to encourage looking out the window, playing, or reading a book.

Reading books is a great car activity if you have kids that don't get car sick. I put a big stack in between the two children's car seats and let them grab them up as we drive along. This is also great on long trips because eventually movies get boring too.

Pack a basket full of books and put it in the car. Reading can make the trip go quicker and encourages the love of reading.

Geography At Mealtime

Some say you cannot teach a preschooler geography, but why not?

I got this idea from another mom. She put a map on her dining room table and covered it with clear plastic from the fabric store. She has older elementary children, so she used a world map. For a preschooler, you can use a state map or a city map. Mark places of interest and where you live. Cover it with the plastic and you have instant discussions at meal times. Learning happens at any time!

Note: Before you get a map, measure your table so it fits!

Visual Art for Preschoolers

I am not a real crafty person. I do not really like all those projects that come home looking exactly the same. I feel preschoolers should be able to explore and create what they want, not what the teacher wants.

Tonight I was working on the visual arts resource page for my Preschool Activities site. I listed a bunch of galleries and artists that you can view their work online. This is a great way to expand your child's thinking and imagination.

Do not get hooked on pretty projects that do not allow your child to think and create. Be free in your thinking about art and see what your child will create. They may be the next Picasso!

Water Play for Preschoolers

It is summer and here in Florida, if you are not in the water, then you are probably not outside. And the hose is the best way to get cooled off!

We have a small inflatable pool that they kids fill up. They were running and jumping into the pool today having a great time (do not do this with a plastic pool, it can really scrape up their legs!). They also put in some small boats and watched them swirl around when the hose was going. We also let them build sand castles by getting the sand box wet and building it up. They really thought that was a great thing- putting water in sand- that is like a $3 project! (Nothing is greater than a bag of $2.50 sand- try to make your own sand box!).

Some other great ideas for summer time water play:
Water balloons are cheap (at the dollar store) and tons of fun- a little labor intensive for the parent, but fun, fun, fun.
Dish washing soap bottles washed out and filled with water make great squirt guns.
Run water down your slide (very slowly) to make your own water park ride.
Just play in the hose and water the plants. No pool needed.
Wash the car- bubbles and water- who can beat that!

Patterning and Math Skills Using Tiles

Today, I was working with a young girl I see twice a week. I took colored tiles with me and we had lots of fun!

We first did patterning skills. I did a pattern, she then duplicated it. I did a pattern, she continued it. Then she made a pattern on her own.

After that, we did pictures. I did a picture with the tiles, she copied it. Then she made a picture, and I tried to duplicate it, purposely making a mistake so she could correct me.

The next thing we did was adding and subtracting. I had her count out 5 tiles, then add 3 more. She then told me how many there were all together. I did the same thing with subtracting. She counted tiles, she gave some to me, then she told me how many were left over.

Overall, we did 20 minutes of activities and she never once complained. She thought it was all fun and games!

The true purpose of patterning and copying patterns is that it actually correlates with skills used for reading and logical thinking. For reading, they have to be able to distinguish word patterns to remember sight words and words that they do not sound out. For logical thinking, they have to be able to think ahead and follow the idea and concept presented.

Get some tiles and have fun without worksheets. For more preschool patterning ideas, visit my Preschool Activities Site.

Nature Craft

This is a simple nature craft, but one my son loved. He found the glue stick and wanted to glue. My husband sent him outside and told him to get sticks, grass, and leaves and bring them back in. He only brought leaves. He glued them down to the paper and now it is on the refrigerator. He was so proud- it was so easy! And he had fun!