5 activities your preschooler will simply love!

I was sure that Saee, my daughter, at 2.5 years, was ready to learn some new activity that would not only enhance her motor skills but will also ensure that she is engaged constructively. So I got her to do the five activities listed below and it worked out super. Let me just tell you that I am no professional; I am just a mommy who is inspired by the Montessori Method*. Depending on your child’s interest, you can start with any of the below activities and then add on as you go along. First I demonstrate the activity to her, and then I let her be and play along as she wishes.

So here we go… the five easy and DIY learning activities that Saee just loved...

1. Recognition of capital letters

I bought the word game that has those bog plastic capital letters. Saee loves playing with alphabets. I have a book of capital and small letters with pictures and I ask her to recognise the letter and put the plastic letter on it. Like, where is the alphabet A? A for Apple, and then she puts the letter A on that picture.

2. Coin drop activity

I have given Saee a small piggy bank that looks like a house and she loves it. Instead of coins, I have made 10 small squares from an old cardboard and have written numbers from 1 to 10 on them. Then I ask my daughter, where is number 5? – so she picks it up and puts it in the house (piggy bank). This is one of the fine motor skill activities which improves eye coordination. Your child will also learn and able to identify numbers.

3. Match shapes

Saee’s first book was a book of shapes. At that time, she was just 11-months-old. I had made that book at home! Using thick card paper and stick colour paper, I drew the shapes on the card board and coloured them with A colour pencil. It gets a bit challenging for her to match the coloured shape with its corresponding colour – but then that’s the way to learn!

4. Rice Pouring

This is a super one – trust me, it will have your child interested in an instant! It’s simple – Saee just has to transfer the grains from one vessel to another. I demonstrate this only once before she indicates that she wants to try it herself! I use two small bowls. Once she gets used to this then I will use other cutlery like a small glass, jar, different shapes of cutlery through which she will be able to pour the grains. Yes, there will be lot of mess but don’t you stress – focus instead on how much your child is enjoying it, and learning as well.

5. Stickers

Every toddler loves stickers...right? There are a variety of stickers available in the market. I use small butterfly stickers, but you can get any which interests your child – star, Barbie dolls, Mickey Mouse etc. I draw a big triangle and ask my daughter to stick the sticker inside the triangle. Then I draw a circle, a square or any shape, which she wants and she sticks the stickers inside the image.

All these activities are from the kitty of Montessori*. Try these and let me know if you have any queries – simply post your feedback in the comments section below and you will hear from me soon. Also, would love to know how you keep your little one engaged… do share!  

*Montessori is an education method, which is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. The main function is to allow the child to develop skills for independent learning, according to his or her inner psychological directives.