When I look for early learning ideas to share on my Facebook page, I often find a great idea that comes from Nicole at Modern Preschool. She has so many simple, fun ideas – and a variety of beautiful free printables as well! I’m so thankful that she’s sharing some of her ideas with us today as we enjoy our new baby.
Here’s Nicole…
In my preschool classroom, we like to keep things simple! I’m always on the look-out for low prep ideas and activities for my preschool classroom. The most simple ideas are usually the most well used and well loved (even the most fought over!).
I can think of an idea, use markers and crayons to create a learning center – like our corn counting activity – and in just a couple of minutes, have a learning center set up for my preschoolers!
Keeping it simple with my preschoolers allows me to add more activities to our day without ever feeling like we put something else away too soon.
My favorite parts of preschool include sensory play (especially messy play), fine motor activities (think busy bags for home), preschool printable activities (which can help build confidence), and out of the box learning activities like shaving cream on the windows.
Today I’m sharing my favorite super simple activities that we have used at home with my own preschooler and in my classroom with my other 24 preschoolers!
The best thing about these activities is that they are all low prep and most items can be found at home or at the dollar store!
Sensory Play for Preschoolers
1. Bird Eats the Worm – My preschoolers love feeding our pretend baby birds over and over again. I love that there is an added fine motor aspect of this sorting sensory bin!
2. Bunny {tail} Sensory Bin – I always thought that sensory bins of rice were the most inviting because running through your hands through it was so soothing. That was until I added a bin full of bunny tails! This is one of the most inexpensive sensory bins I have put together.
3. Pipe Cleaner Magnetic Water Play – Magnetic play and water during science and sensory play is always a hit with preschoolers! I love how pipe cleaners seem almost magically magnetic because the outsides are fuzzy, not metal.
4. Pizza Dough Pretend Play – My preschooler loves to help me bake! I think her favorite part is sprinkling on the flour to dough to roll it out, so I created a fun activity for her. Who knew that pizza dough could be so fun!
Perfect Preschool Printables
5. Smiley Shape Match Clip Cards – This set of clip cards is my very favorite set to use with preschoolers! Matching shapes and becoming independent thinkers and building confidence with one simple activity.
6. Trace & Count Number Cards – Our counting cards include the numbers 1-10. Each card has the same number of dots to reinforce counting and number recognition. We use these within our different themes during the school year. We added acorns during the fall, hearts at Valentine’s Day, and marshmallows as pretend snowballs!
7. Alphabet Egg Match Game – Preschoolers can play with the egg matching game no matter what their alphabet knowledge is. There are more details in the post, but this printable activity can be used with young preschoolers all the way up to kindergarteners!
8. Butterfly Count & Clip Cards – Fine motor skills are worked during this number activity and preschoolers can practice counting too!
Preschool Fine Motor Fun
9. Pig Tails Color Sorting – If you want to hear your preschooler giggle, have her sort pig tails and place them on pig bottoms!
10. Counting Spider Legs – Practice matching the spider legs to the polka dots on the spider! I hung our spiders so that there was more of a challenge, and it made it even more fun for my preschoolers to play with.
11. Color Matching Stickers – I came up with this activity one morning and my preschoolers played with it and sorted stickers all week long!
12. Number Matching Sun – We made a number sun that included numbers 1-10, but you can add as many numbers as your preschooler needs. Add more numbers as mastery occurs!
Vertical Surface Play for Preschoolers
13. Shaving Cream Window Writing – My kids have been writing with shaving cream on the glass shower door and windows for years! I brought the activity outside this summer and realized how that shaving cream never gets old, and cleans up so easily!
14. Shape Sort Sticky Wall – Contact paper is one of my favorite supplies that I have in my classroom. A roll lasts a very long time! I love using the walls in my classroom to extend our learning areas when our table tops get full. The contact paper stays sticky for weeks and can be covered when not in use if you need to!
15. Ladybug Counting Activity – Craft foam reusable stickers are so fun! We use them on the back door of our classroom and on the windows at home. Once you’re done playing, let them dry and save them in a reusable freezer bag until next time!
Nicole is the creator of Modern Preschool and a preschool teacher to 3 and 4 year-olds! Modern Preschool is full of simple, get messy, learn through play ideas that help preschoolers build confidence, independence, and the love of being at school and learning.
Modren Preschool’s learning and play ideas can be used in the classroom, as additional ideas to go along with homeschooling curriculum, and at home when you need a minute to yourself or maybe just want to get the dishwasher unloaded! You can find more Modern Preschool ideas on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and G+.
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