Back to school is among us, and for many of us, back to school means starting school.
When you have been with the kids at home, it is daunting to think of them going off on their own to start pre-school for the first time. Being on their own for a few hours, without mom, having someone else lead them in activities, play, and bathroom breaks. It will be okay, of course. However, if you have any anxiety on them following rules from another at school, here are some activities that are great to do, in terms of developmental play, clean up, and sharing.
Legos or Mega Blocks
Creating using these blocks is so great for little minds. They enjoy building and using their imagination. It gets their creative juices flowing. If you have two or more kids, it forces them to share their blocks and create together. After, it’s important to designate one bin or box that these pieces go into, so that they are all there for next time.
Play-Do
I never realized just how fantastic Play-Do is, until I went to my son’s pre-school orientation. It is safe to use (even if they accidentally consume it), easy to clean-up (picks up by sticking to itself) and the possibilities to get them to make animals, shapes and learn are endless. You will be surprised by how much they are willing to create and show you, and try to make anything you ask.
Colouring/Painting
Make sure you get the washable crayons, paints and markers, and lay down some large paper. Then let them have at it. Kids will learn to create designs, learn different colours in a cinch. Furthermore, with practice, they learn to stick to the boundaries of the paper (maybe not at first), and how to communicate if they need something (i.e. more paper, another colour, some help). Clean-up is important with this activity, get a towel for them and yourself and do it together.
These activities are fun for them, fun for you, and it’s developmentally great for the little ones. They learn play to play within the typical boundaries that will be set at school, and what is expected after playtime is over. All things that will help them in their classrooms.