Being a parent to a preschooler can be an exciting and challenging journey. Children at this age tend to be active and sometimes restless. It might be challenging sometimes to find activities that keep them engaged and entertained. While many of us like to resort to electronics and screen time to help keep  our kids occupied, television and digital devices don’t have to be your only options. In fact, there are more constructive ways to keep preschoolers entertained while learning! Take a look at this list of fun learning activities your little one will love!

Create a learning station

It’s helpful to set up a designated learning space in your home where your child can explore, learn and play. This might be a corner of your living room with a small table and chair, or it could just be a shelf stocked with educational materials and toys. Let your little one choose what they want to do in this space and experiment with different activities.

Play board games

Board games are fun for people of all ages, and can be excellent learning tools for little ones too! Choose educational games that focus on concepts like counting, shapes, colors, and letters. Not only will your child have fun playing these games, but they’ll have opportunities to learn a variety of essential skills as well.

Do art projects

Does your little one enjoy arts and crafts? Let youngsters channel their creativity! There are plenty of fun projects you can do together that will not only keep them engrossed, but also help them learn important skills. Try projects  that involve painting, drawing, or modeling clay. Allow children to explore a variety of art materials and techniques to keep things fun and interesting.

Read books

It’s never too early to introduce your preschooler to books! Let kids see you read daily and encourage them to pick up books too. When they’re ready, you can start to introduce educational books and classic stories that focus on counting, the alphabet, or any other subject matter or skill Storytelling is one of the best forms of entertainment there is!

Make science fun

Learning science can be as fun as it is informative! Try to carve out some time in your busy schedule at least once a week to spend an hour with your preschooler doing fun at-home science experiments together. There are plenty of fun things you can do with your little one. All it takes is a little imagination!

Create a sensory bin

Another helpful idea is to create a simple sensory bin for your little one. Fill a container with fine colored sand, and add items like sequins, buttons, small flowers, or pine cones, and let your child have at it! A sensory bin is a great way for your child to have fun while learning about colors, texture, and shapes.

Follow a storybook activity guide

Reading is an important skill for kids to acquire. To help your little one get started with beginning reading skills, you can follow an activity book together from a series like “Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science” or Eric Carle’s “Very First Book Collection”. There are plenty of fun, interactive storybooks that will keep your child engrossed and entertained while learning about the world.

Cook together

Meal prep and cooking are other fun learning activities you can share with your little one. When you cook, there are plenty of opportunities to introduce a variety of basic math concepts to children, including counting, measuring, and other early arithmetic skills. Kids will be excited to help in the kitchen and learn simultaneously.

While it may be challenging sometimes to keep little kids entertained, there are many fun ways to engage children while they learn. With these fun learning activities, you can rest assured that preschoolers will be entertained while exercising their developing brains.

At Early Childhood University, we are so much more than a child care center. We believe that every child should have access to high quality education. We offer a world-class curriculum that will prepare your little one for success in school and beyond. Contact us for more information.