A World of Easy Ways to Make Learning Fun
Learning can be fun! Instill a lifetime love of learning with these entertaining activities that teach a variety of skills. For a complete list of activities by category, see the Activities Page.
Getting in writing practice is often difficult because forming letters is really hard (read: frustrating)! It's much easier to sneak in fine motor practice and letter formation in other ways, and then when kids need to write, they'll be able to. I stole this yarn and … [Read more...]
My preschooler doesn't really love art. He's more interested in science (especially fire!) and sensory things. So when I saw these melted crayon pictures over at Helping Little Hands, I thought it would be a great way to combine art, science and texture. All you need for … [Read more...]
Word families are one of the easiest ways to help beginning readers learn to decipher words by their parts. If you have a beginning reader at home, encourage him or her to learn about word families with this word family bingo game. It's free to print and fun to … [Read more...]
We finally got around to trying out a new play dough recipe. It's super simple and cheap, and it's gluten-free, so it's safe for kids with wheat allergies! We call it rubbery play dough, and here's the recipe: 1 cup baking soda 1/2 cup cornstarch 3/4 cup water Simply … [Read more...]
We have had fun over the last few days making these Easter ornaments out of salt dough. As much fun as it is to dye real eggs, it's always disappointing when they last only a few days before having to be thrown out. And, since we're going out of town for Easter this year, we … [Read more...]
Play-dough has become my go-to activity lately when the kiddo looks a little bored. It develops fine motor skills while letting him express his creativity. Play dough also gives ample opportunity for pretend play. I've seen lots of great play dough recipes around. Here … [Read more...]
Science is my kid's favorite subject. He's been fascinated by cooking from an early age, and we thought, hey, this kid likes food! But no, he does not like food (unless it's yogurt, candy, or macaroni and cheese, and absolutely nothing else). What he really likes is … [Read more...]
We love making our own playdough - but just a warning, it's addictive! Once you realize all the stuff you can add (scented oils, glitter, color, herbs), you'll want to keep experimenting. See Our Favorite Playdough Recipe, below. Our Sparkly, Cinnamon Scented, Homemade … [Read more...]
Homemade puffy paints are so easy to make - and you probably already have the stuff you need. It's just shaving cream, glue, and food coloring (if you want colors). I only had shaving gel, but it worked fine. Just whip it up before adding the glue. You want to … [Read more...]
Have you heard of Wiiki Stix? They are slightly sticky, waxy craft sticks that can be used for making sculptures, numbers, letters, shapes - the possibilites are really endless! I ordered the Wikki Stix Numbers and Counting Fun Cards for Learning, which are a great concept - … [Read more...]
I think it really helps preschoolers to understand time. Don’t you always want to know what time it is? That’s because you like to feel in control of your time. Preschoolers want to know how much longer they will have to sit still, how long until snack time, and what they are going to do [...]
Book descriptions clockwise from top left. 1.My Best Friend by Pat Hutchins A little girl invites a talented friend to a sleepover. When the … [Read More...]
Learn all about weather with these fun activities and books just for preschoolers. Make it rain in a jar, paint some puffy clouds, craft a sunny sun catcher, and more.
The Kids 1st Shape Puzzle App is a collection of 16 educational puzzles. Puzzles include the English alphabet, safari, musical instrument, and farm, transportation and number themes. The most unique … [Read More...]
It's well established that phonics are essential for reading instruction, but there are many phonics programs available, so how do you choose? Our family has been extremely … [Read More...]
Teaching children to enjoy reading is a challenge for which there is no foolproof method, as indicated by the less than ideal reading levels among our nation's youth. For example testing shows that … [Read More...]