Okay, week 3 - we got this! As I was writing this it was also my big girls Spring Break, so we’ve done all of these this week in an attempt to keep the kids busy while I get some work done. This week includes some fun things to keep your littles busy without a screen. So without further ado let's crack on.
Color Sorting
This is a super simple activity that my girls always enjoy, and it doesn’t require a lot of preparation, or resources, which is great in my eyes. You’ll need to go around your house and gather up a handful of items of the same color, and repeat this for as many colors as you’d like (I recommend 4-5 colors). Then mix all the items together. Your kiddo's job will be to sort the items into groups of the same color. If you have some to hand, you could put down sheets of construction paper in the colors you’ve chosen as ‘bases’ for your child to sort the items on to.
Letter Puzzle Easter Egg Hunt
Do you have a letter puzzle collecting dust on your shelves? Let’s put it to some use. Grab your puzzle, and some of those fillable eggs. Put one puzzle piece inside each egg and hide them around the house. Put the puzzle base out on the floor or table where your child can reach it. As they find and open their eggs they can then take each letter back to the puzzle, and put it in its matching spot. You could do this with a number, or any puzzle too, and of course it would work without the eggs (but it’s Easter at the moment so we’re trying to incorporate some themed activities).
Line Cutting
Is it just me or are scissors one of the most magical things in the eyes of a preschooler? My kids can never get enough of them. Which is why this activity is so perfect, not only does your kiddo get to enjoy using scissors, but they’ll be working on their fine-motor skills also. You can find some printable versions online, but you can also draw your own. Here’s a picture of the ones I made below. I like to tape them to the wall as I find it’s easier for the kids to maneuver the scissors this way.
Tissue Paper Collage
Tissue paper collages are such a fun activity, they’re also great to use for themed activities, as there’s plenty of ideas for every holiday. Since it’s Easter this week, we chose to make eggs. You could use clear contact paper if you’d like, but we tend to use parchment paper or plain paper depending on what we’re making. If you use parchment paper, your collage could double as a sun catcher. I usually cut out the shape I would like from parchment paper. Then cut out a bunch of little squares of tissue paper (or you could have your child do this as an extra activity). You’ll usually want to use a few different colors of tissue paper that suit your chosen idea. Once you have your parchment paper and tissue paper ready to go, you’ll need some type of liquid glue and a paint brush or sponge.
Cover your base paper (parchment or other) in glue, and then add the tissue paper over the top, covering the tissue paper with glue after applying it. You’ll want to overlap your tissue paper to give you a collage effect. Depending on the picture, we sometimes like to add details using colored or black construction paper.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
The warmer Spring days make for the perfect opportunity to go for a walk. Some days my children will happily walk and chat, and some days they need some motivation. I like to use scavenger hunts as a way to keep them moving. Much like the line cutting; you can either make your own up, or find one online. I recommend taking a clipboard if you have one so that your paper doesn’t wind up scrunched in a ball, or blowing away.
I hope you enjoy this weeks activities, if you haven't already, check out week 1 and week 2.
Lizzie