Summer Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten Children

Summer break is upon us. The kids have spent the school year learning all kinds of important things. Now, they have three months to forget it all. It doesn't have to be that way. If you keep them active and motivated and provide them with learning experiences all summer long, they will enter the next school year ahead of the game.

Here, you will find appropriate activities for your preschool or kindergarten child to enhance all areas of their development. Including motor, social, language, and cognition. The areas are divided into active play, arts and crafts, outdoor fun, and early learning.

Please always remember to supervise your children as they participate in these activities.

Active Play:

Take your child swimming. He may be ready for official swimming lessons. Sand box play and sprinkler play are always easy activities to plan. Dance to different types of music. Practice emerging ball skills. Organize relay races with the neighbor kids. Teach your child to play Kick the Can, Red Light Green Light, or how to hula-hoop. Children at this age should be able to have their own puppet show. Organize a treasure hunt for your child, use picture symbols to guide your child to the hidden treasure

Arts and Crafts:

Sidewalk chalk and playdough are always easily accessed. These kids can tie-dye their own T-shirts. Make a summer collage from magazine pictures showing summer themes. Koosh Ball and Fly Swatter painting. Make sun catchers using tissue paper and clear contact paper. Make windsocks from crepe paper streamers, try a 4th of July theme. Practice tracing shapes - adult cuts shapes from cardboard, encourage child to trace, identify, and color shapes. Make 4th of July T-shirts, cut sponges into star shapes and print red and blue stars on T-shirt. Allow your child to create a summer scrapbook. Make birthday cards to use throughout the year. Make a pinata and then have a party.

Outdoor Fun:

Go on a backyard camping trip. Go fishing and catch bugs. Watch the stars and fireflies. Plant a flower or vegetable garden and then let your child help with pulling the weeds. Give the dog a bath outside and have a bike wash. Go to a ball game, on a hike, or on a picnic. Have a yard sale.

Early Learning:

Draw pictures and dictate "What I Like About Summer", then make it into a book. Go to the library and participate in storytelling, read-aloud, and reading programs. Go to museums and other special events. Learn about your hometown history. Weather watch and graph the weekly results. Learn about different summer themes: beach, bugs, ocean animals, 4th of July, zoo. Try some new science experiments. Make an ABC book - try to find and cut out magazine pictures of things starting with each letter of the alphabet. Draw your own illustrations to well-known stories. Practice writing your name, letters, and numbers

If you're still looking for more ideas, try these informational sites:
Family Education.com, fun.familyeducation.com/games/preschool/33373.html, Fun & Educational Activities for Preschoolers

Everything Preschool, www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/summer/art.htm, Preschool Summer Arts and Crafts