The kids and I just got back from a fun play date with friends at a local indoor play area designed for preschoolers. It really was a lot of fun and in-between trying to keep an eye on three very active kids, I had a few seconds to talk with my friends. The topic: SUMMER PLANS.
Yes, the summer has arrived and although we are very excited about just letting our kids be kids, it is also handy to have some activity ideas planned and ready to go.
Luckily, we are friends with some VERY talented writers, moms and teachers, who stop by our Facebook page every Wednesday to share their favorite articles that they have written, just for PRESCHOOLERS! Then, I read EVERY single article and try and choose my absolute favorites.
Choosing Activities for Summer Fun and Learning:
When I look for activities I think about these things.
- Is the activity age appropriate?
- Would this activity be fun for my own kids to do? AKA – is there some element of PLAY involved.
- What is the purpose of this activity? Although my preschooler likes movement, I also want him exposed to science, social studies and math.
- Is the activity child led or parent created?
- How long would this activity take and would I have the materials needed for doing it at home?
Then, I have to choose only my absolute top favorites. Why? Because I’m human too and there is no way in the world that I can do every possible cool activity that I see with my own kids. I try to plan for at least 1 learning activity every day in the summer.
Finding Time for Fun and Learning
We are all busy people; whether you are stay-at-home parent, working parent, single parent, teacher, or caregiver, WE ARE ALL BUSY!
I am a first thing in the morning kinda mom. Meaning, if I get the kids engaged and learning right away in the morning, it seems like the day goes smoother. I also feel like I made a positive connection with my kids from the beginning and it makes my attitude about everything so much more positive.
HOWEVER…. I don’t always have the energy or supplies ready to go. This means, that I will often get the kids snacks and then introduce the activity while they are all sitting at the table eating (rather than running in 3 different directions) Other times, I will just bring the activity with us outside, to the library, or even the park.
If you are not home during the day – your child can STILL learn and play! Consider asking the care-giver to do x,y,z. or even make it a fun after-dinner learning date. It’s OK to be choosy. Skim the weekly plans and ask the same questions I do, then choose the top ones for your child. Aim for 1-3 activities each week if your schedule is crazy busy and remember – if you don’t make home-made playdough, so what – you are still an awesome parent!
6 Weeks of FREE Summer Activities
So, to help you out, I’ve gathered 6 weeks of FREE activities for preschoolers that were shared with us by top bloggers on Wednesdays on our Facebook Page.
Each week has reading, science, movement, math, and more!!! At this time, each link was shared with us by the creator, is an active link and led to an activity in which you didn’t have to pay to receive directions. These activities are PLAY based and very few “worksheets” or “printables” make it to my top picks.
Summer Camp E-Book
No time to stop by all these awesome blogs?
I’ve got you covered with THE ULTIMATE SUMMER CAMP E-BOOK, your one stop resource guide for summer fun and learning. This curriculum was written by ME and a team of 5 other amazing writers and moms. For $9.99, you can download a total of 42 activities. Each of the 6 different themes features a craft, science experiment, math activity, book list, art project, outdoor game and cooking recipe. Store the e-book on your mobile device for planning or print and bind it to keep on the kitchen table. Either way, it was designed to keep kids learning and having fun for 1 intensive summer camp week or spread out with one activity a day for 6 weeks – your choice!
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