Summer can be a wonderful time for learning activities with your preschooler. Engaging preschoolers in fun and low-prep summer learning activities can be a great way to keep them entertained and continue their learning journey. Here are some ideas that require minimal preparation.
1. Nature Scavenger Hunt:
Create a simple scavenger hunt list of natural items for children to find outdoors, such as leaves, rocks, flowers, or insects. Provide them with a bucket or bag to collect their findings. This activity encourages observation skills and an appreciation for nature.
Want a Quick list: Find 1 rock, 2 leaves of different colors, 1 clover, 1 big stick, 1 small stick, 1 seed pod, 2 different kinds of flowers, and 1 type of fungus or lichen.
2. Water Play and Measurement:
Set up a water play station outdoors with buckets, cups, and containers of different sizes. Let children experiment with pouring and measuring water, comparing quantities, and learning about concepts like full, empty, more, and less. We also worked on what can sink and what can float. I have a simple water wheel from Target that my daughter loves to pour water into. Water play can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. I don't yet have a water table so I used our large kitchen mixing bowl and other cups we had around the house. If it's not nice outside, you can also use the bathtub. If you want to really embrace outdoor water play, you can invest in a water table or one of those simple, shallow plastic swimming pools.
3. Bird Watching and Other Animal Observations:
We are so lucky to have many trees in our small yard. Every year, we get nesting birds of various kinds. So stepping outside is a great time to learn about our feathered friends. We also have squirrels, rabbits, and the occasional possum to keep my kid's attention. Insects, worms, and spiders can also make for some fun learning activities and a great opportunity to teach about respecting all life.
4. Alphabet Jump:
Write the letters of the alphabet on colorful foam sheets or paper plates. Scatter them on the ground or place them in a shallow pool or water table. Have children jump or splash on the letters as they call them out. You can also draw them with chalk on the sidewalk and have your preschooler jump to the correct letter as you call it out. This activity reinforces letter recognition and gross motor skills.
5. Outdoor Storytime:
Set up a cozy outdoor reading corner using a blanket or beach towel. Choose a selection of age-appropriate books with summer themes or about nature. Read the stories aloud to the children, encouraging discussion and asking questions along the way.
6. Bubble Fun:
Bubbles are a cheap, fun way to engage preschoolers. Set up a bubble station outdoors. Provide children with bubble wands or homemade bubble blowers made from pipe cleaners or straws. Let them experiment with making different-sized bubbles and see how they move and pop. You can work counting the number of bubbles they can make, improve vocabulary with words like "pop" and "transparent," and practice patience. For more ways bubbles can be educational, check out this blog post.
7. Educational Ice Cream:
Ice Cream is a fun summer treat that has lots of educational uses. Preschoolers can see the concepts of freezing and melting in action. They can make their own simple ice cream of frozen popsicles. You can practice measuring, counting, and matching.
8. Sensory Nature Bins:
Fill small containers or bins with various natural materials like sand, seashells, pinecones, leaves, or pebbles. Encourage children to explore the different textures and engage their senses while playing with and manipulating the materials. You can practice sorting, object identification, and texture words with this activity.
9. Color Sorting Splash:
Fill large containers or water tables with water and add a few drops of food coloring in different colors. Provide children with various objects or floating toys and encourage them to sort and place them in the corresponding colored water.
10. Games:
Some summer days are great for outdoor play, on those days a board or card game also presents lots of learning potential as you bond with your preschooler. You can invest in some movement games like Twister or The Floor is Lava. Classic games like Candy Land and Connect 4 can still hold kids' attention.
Want to practice numbers and colors with a game similar to Uno? Try Rainbow Count. There are three different levels available depending on your little one's knowledge or numbers and color words.
Buy the whole Rainbow Count Bundle HERE!
Remember to supervise children during water activities and take necessary safety precautions. These activities are designed to be fun, hands-on, and promote learning through play while enjoying the summer season. Have a ball and get messy this summer!
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