Summer Activities, Fun for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are constantly seeking new ways to learn about their world. Take advantage of the wonderful summer weather to learn, exercise, and enjoy the fresh air.

Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Water

Preschoolers love water! They love the feel of it, the sound of it, and they especially love seeing what effect it has when you splash someone with it. Invest in a small pool or a sprinkler for hours of water fun this summer. Pair water with a ball or buckets and your little scientist can have explore cause and effect for hours. (Never leave a child unattended while playing with water. Even a few inches of water can drown a child.)

Give your child a bucket of water and a cheap paintbrush and let them "paint" the house, patio set, the dog, fence, or whatever. When dried they can start all over again.

Water also gives great sensory play with the changing temperature and great learning opportunities with water displacement and cause and effect.

Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Sand

The sandbox. Every mother hates the mess of the sandbox, but have no fear. A little baby powder brushed on your child will get the sand off and they can head straight for the bathtub when done. Sand can provide hours of sensory play for preschoolers. Provide trucks, small toys to bury, and action figures and your preschooler will be set for hours of fun. We go through their rooms and find kids meal toys and other toys that might be missing pieces and take those to the sandbox. The toys get one more use and we don't have to buy anything new. Army men or those little dinosaurs or animals the same size as army men are wonderful for the sandbox. Use old plastic containers as buckets.

Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Bug Hunt

Bug houses can be found cheap at the dollar store. Most kits come with a magnifying glass and tweezers. Let your preschooler explore your backyard to find bugs. Talk about what they are and what they look like and compare the bugs you find. If your child doesn't want to touch the bugs don't worry, use the magnifying glass to explore from a safe distance and they might come around to touching it later.

Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Picnic

Kids love picnics! Designate an old blanket for your picnic blanket and find a shady spot in your backyard to eat lunch, dinner, or snacks. Let your preschooler help you plan the meal and possibly even prepare it. Shake off the blanket and fold it up for next time.

Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Camping

Most preschoolers are too young to camp out all night, but you can put a tent up in the backyard and let your child play with it. My kids are entertained by a tent and a few stuffed animals for hours upon hours for days at a time. Leave the tent up until it's time to mow then take it down. The next week put it back up and it's like brand new again.

Summer Activities for Preschoolers: Inside Toys Outside

Bring new life to old toys by spreading out your picnic blanket and letting your preschooler take out stuffed animals or small toy sets outside to play with. Use the time to play with your child and get to know him or her a little better.

Your preschooler will have so much fun outside this summer they won't even realize they are learning. Gross motor skills are important as is sensory play from water or sand. Don't forget to let your child just be a child and explore their surroundings and have fun outside with no agenda. Let their imaginations be your guide for new activities.