“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.”
- Walt Streightiff

When it comes to preparing your preschooler for the big bad classroom, there’s really no need for a fixed curriculum per se. The world is his classroom, and everywhere you turn, there are opportunities to learn through play. Here are some ways to convert everyday routines into learning experiences.

English

1 - Look for alphabets everywhere – let her search for her initials on cans and packs in the supermarket, on license plates, on store signs and billboards, traffic signs etc.

2 - Play I Spy Games that require her to look for objects that begin with a letter inside the house or garden.

3 - Practice language abilities all the time, every single day. What is the color of that girl’s dress? What are the letters on that traffic sign ?

4 - Enrich her vocabulary by constantly pointing out objects and things. Start with the things they love -animals, birds, fruits and vegetables – and follow up with household items, shapes, water bodies, vehicles.

5 - Write names of objects around the house on index cards, and stick them on these –doors, windows, bed. Point these out often.

Math

6 - Look for numbers everywhere – on cans in the super market, ion book, the telephone directory, newspapers, license plates etc.

7 - Count and often – how many people are standing in the bus stop? How many yellow flowers are there on that tree? How many coins does it take top buy a candy bar? How many steps does it take to get to the car?

8 - Do plenty of sorting activities at home – sorting is great practice for counting. Forks and spoons, a mixed bowl of peas, dried beans and pebbles, laundry sorting – all these can be used for great sorting activities.

9 - Sing counting rhymes together, and often.

Social Studies

10-Watch movies with an international theme. Mulan is a great start.

11- Experiment with various cuisines – Chinese, Spanish – and talk about those countries.

12- Do flag crafts. Paint one on paper or make one out of fabric.

13- Make model towns out of empty milk cartons and shoe boxes, and label them – fire station, hospital, library etc.

14- Include toy cars and trucks in play, include boats in the bath tub, and talk about how they help in transportation.

15- Play shop – set up a store, have fake money and let her sell you stuff.

Science

16- Blow bubbles. Use little jars of bubble solution with blowing rings. Add food coloring to make colored bubbles.

17- Make a weather chart. With your help, a preschooler can learn to read temperatures with an outdoor thermometer with large numerals, and record them in a record book.

18- Change activities according to the season. During rainy days, puddle jump, look at the difference in the sky and cloud formations, and monitor the movement of rain drops on your window pane. During summer, measure his shadow at different times in the day at the exact same spot. In winter, make a snowman together, or make snow angels.

19- Visit a zoo or a farm close by.

20- Make a day trip to the museum.

21- Experiment in the garden. What happens to plants that are not watered or are faced away from the sunlight?

22- Experiment with magnets. What objects do they stick to? Can she lift small objects with them?

23- Experiment with mirrors.

24- Have fun in the kitchen – measure rice, sugar

25- Teach her about personal hygiene and nutritious food.

26- Make snacks or schedule making dinner together.

Second Languages

27- Sing foreign language songs. Spanish ones are always great fun.

28- Teach single words in a foreign language – words that can be used regularly like adios, or emotional ones like J’taime.

If you need ideas, check out

Preschooler’s Busy Book: 365 Creative Games & Activities To Occupy 3-6 Year Olds

There are plenty of activities in there. They are not particularly ingenious, but they are non fussy, easy to do and easy to set up, and inexpensive.

Enjoy!