Are you a preschool educator or care provider who is looking for new activities to enjoy with the children in your care? Vroom is a free online resource for parents and early learning professionals that makes it easy to turn everyday interactions into learning opportunities.
Vroom offers activity suggestions that support the cognitive, language, and social development of children between the ages of birth and five years old. Below are a couple of our favorites for preschool-aged children, between the ages of three and four years old.
Activity: Mix two or three different shapes of uncooked pasta in a bowl for sorting, and invite children to separate the pieces by shape. Then, add different-sized pieces to the mix, and encourage the children to try the activity again – this time, sorting by size!
Save the pieces in a container so you can use them for this activity another time.
Brainy Background: When children sort the pasta into different groups, they’re using their memory to follow the rules of the game. Grouping objects by shape helps children learn about categorization, which uses critical thinking skills, and sorting by size involves numeracy and comparison. With one simple activity, you can support the essential building blocks of math and science learning!
Activity: Many children at this age enjoy cars, trucks, and other things that go. To set up a simple pretend play activity, use chairs and other household objects to create a bus, train, or airplane. Encourage children to imagine that they are going for a ride, and ask questions like, “Which of us should be the driver?” “Who will be the passenger?” Or, “Where will we go on our ride?” Take turns playing different roles and trying out new ideas.
Brainy Background: Pretend play is a great way to encourage children to think creatively while practicing important skills like paying attention and self-control. When children engage in make-believe play, they have to focus to remember what role they’re playing. And, as they switch between different play ideas, they’re practicing flexible thinking – an important skill for academic success!
Find more activities and information about Vroom’s resources.
