Preschool Projects at Home

Small children with older school-age siblings have feelings of being left out when school starts back each fall. Parents that stay home with toddlers and preschoolers can ease those feelings by purchasing "school supplies" and having learning periods throughout the day at home.

School supplies for toddlers and preschoolers are easy to find, and not very expensive. Aside from the standard crayons, pencils, construction paper, and paste - there are new products on the market that hold small children's attention, but can be used for learning at the same time.

Crayola makes both markers and finger paints that are mess-free and brilliant in color. The Crayola Color Wonder products are widely available at discount retail chains like K-Mart and Wal-Mart. The markers and paints only show up on the special Color Wonder paper, and will not rub off onto carpeting, upholstery, or clothing.

Preschool and toddler learning workbooks are also easily found. The workbooks teach children basics for their age group like colors, alphabet, and counting. Tracing the letters and numbers will help children learn to write and remember what they've learned. The ages each workbook is appropriate for is printed on the cover, and there are several different ones for each age group.

Inexpensive dried pasta and Tempera paints make fun crafts when pasted on construction paper. Buy an assortment of large pasta like wagon wheel, bowtie, and penne. You could even use beans and large grains or seeds in addition to the pasta for more texture. Tempera paints are powdered, and allow you to only mix what you will need, without worrying the containers of paint will ruin over time, like liquid paints tend to do. To prepare for painting projects, cut a tall kitchen garbage bag down one side, and across the bottom to protect your table. Newspaper can also be laid over the plastic to absorb spills. Mix small amounts of Tempera paints in various colors, and allow your child's imagination to run wild. Painting pasta not only allows you to better teach them colors, but it also improves motor skills. Hanging the finished works on the refrigerator for display will give your child a feeling of pride after the project.

Creating your child's own picture book together is another fun way to pass the time. This project can be done over the span of a week or more, and it allows your child to exercise his or her creative thinking with story telling. Even children under 5 can tell a story if given the opportunity. Construction paper, crayons, and a little help from parents will turn out a great story your child can share with the other children when they return home from school. If you child likes stories about animals, fabric stores sell faux fur for very little, and you won't need much for this project. Also, cheap feather dusters come in a variety of colors for making little yellow ducks and multiple colors for birds like parrots.

The possibilities for home projects to teach and entertain small children are endless. Often times, children can be quite open with ideas when asked. There are also many prepackaged kits for crafts of all ages at art supply stores.