Welcome! With 25 years as a preschool teacher tucked under my belt, I’m here to help you find the best play-based activities, tips, ideas and tools to use with preschool kids–at home or in a classroom.
Play is Learning.
So, what would you like to play today?
Browse the creative play and learning activities below.
Choose something just right for your little learners–at home or in the classroom.
Let’s Play: A Scent-Guessing Game
Preschool Senses... Ah, the good old sense of smell! I usually take it for granted until I have a cold and food doesn't taste the same. It's just something I don't often think about--but that doesn't mean it should be ignored. Playing with your kids and their...
Preschool Nature Art Activities
Preschool Nature Art Getting out into nature is healthy and fun for kids (and adults!) But what about bringing nature inside? There are lots of ways to do this with young children. Today let's looks at bringing nature into your preschool art activities.Simple is...
Favorite Preschool Painting Tools From Your Kitchen!
If you're reading this, you've likely already done the research about process-oriented preschool art. You're not looking for cute crafts or cookie-cutter projects. You just want some simple ideas that will let your kids explore materials and experience creative art...
Screen-Free Play for Preschool Fun
Screen Free Play While I fully admit that I use my screen more than I should, I’m also a lover of low-tech, screen free “stuff”. Especially for preschoolers. While other preschool teachers were excitedly seeking out educational computer-based activities they could...
Let’s Play: Sensory Tables!
Sensory tables (and sensory trays, for that matter), back in the olden days when I first started teaching, were something found only in a preschool classroom. But I'm happy to say that many people have sensory tables at home now, too. A sensory table is one of my...
Let’s Play: Sensory Trays!
Have you heard of a sensory tray? You've most likely seen or at least heard about sensory tables for hours of play and learning in a preschool classroom. They're also amazing for kids to play with at home. I love a good sensory table, but the "I love all things...
Cornstarch Goop!
Cornstarch goop. Some people call it ooblek. It was a year-round favorite in my classroom, and the perfect activity to throw together when I needed something extremely fun yet (relatively) easy to clean up. Perfect for a day that unexpectedly kept us cooped up...
Nature Inspired Play Dough
Nature Tools With Play Dough You might already know that I love to use play dough with preschool kids. I love the soft squishiness of it, and its soothing properties. Especially when it's scented in various ways. So adding open-ended items from nature for kids to...
Scented Fun For Preschoolers
Spices and extracts can add lots of scented fun to your preschoolers' day! Adding a scent to normally unscented activities can be both stimulating and soothing for kids. Certain smells can soothe anxiety or even make kids more attentive. And these two ideas are...
Counting With Preschool Kids
Count with Kids! Counting and other early learning math skills need to be fun and playful for kids to benefit from them. No quizzing, no stress. As I always say, just let them play! So let's look at two simple ways you can play with your kids and encourage their...
Preschool Glue Part 2!
Glue: The Messy Way! Preschoolers love to play, and when they play they build so many important early learning skills! Now, not all kids like to get sticky, and if you've got some of those sweeties in your life, you'll definitely want to check out this post, and...
Simple Preschool Art Tools: Glue!
Simple Preschool Art Tools: Glue (part one)! Glue. Plus kids. Equals a mess. It's true. But, glue plus kids also equals fine motor, creative, problem-solving fun! In my opinion, glue should be available every day in a preschool classroom. And in the homes of...
More Simple Fine Motor Art Tools
Two More Simple Fine Motor Art Tools We started talking about simple fine motor art tools in my last blog post. Now, let's explore a couple more ideas. The art area of your home or classroom naturally encourages fine motor development. As kids use the tools you...
Simple Preschool Fine Motor Arts and Crafts Tools
Simple Fine Motor Art Tools (Part I) Simple fine motor tools for preschool kids are so important to add to your home and classroom. And having tools that encourage fine motor development in the art area is incredibly easy. Art is done (mostly) with the hands, so art...
Let’s Play: Ducks!
Preschoolers Like Ducks In my experience, preschool kids dig ducks. And anytime a preschooler likes something, they're bound to learn a lot as they play with that thing. So let's give them lots of duck stuff to do! Preschool duck activities galore, right here for...
Let’s Read: Preschool Number Recognition Activities
Number Recognition Preschool number recognition is more of an early reading skill (symbols have meaning, and this symbol is a 5, and this one is an A... ) than a true math skill. It's when kids get the idea that a specific number symbol refers to a specific quantity...
Preschool Binoculars: Let’s Play!
Homemade Binoculars! Simple as pie, but endlessly fun for a preschooler, homemade binoculars could be the start of all sorts of amazing adventures at home or at school. There are several ways to make them, but I always like to stick with easy and cheap. So, recycle...
Let’s Play: Preschool Train Activities
Preschool Train Activities for All! I have a feeling you might have a train-loving kid or two on your hands... If you do--or even if you don't--the collection of preschool train activities, train books and train toys below is sure to have some winners that will get...
Let’s Get Squishy: Frozen Paint Preschool Art Activity
Keep it Simple I've always loved preschool art activities that provide tons of variety and learning value. So here's a simple way to expose kids to science, art, fine motor, cognitive and sensory experiences all bundled up in one! Freeze! So, from the title you know...
Let’s Move: Cutting Straws!
The Fine Motor Dilemma Some kids just really aren't into cutting--or possibly any fine motor activities, for that matter. But fine motor skills are really important, and the earlier kids start getting playful practice with them, the better. Those tiny finger and...
Let’s Play: Timing Activities!
Preschool Math Activities For preschoolers, time is a tricky subject. And like most things it is best learned through regular old life experiences and play. Today I'm sharing a simple activity that you can do anywhere and any time. Use it at home when you need a...
Let’s Sing: Portable Songs and Games
Drawing a Blank As a preschool teacher and nanny, you need to know a lot of preschool and toddler songs. There were probably 5,798 times that I needed to sing a quick song or play a quick game to keep 'my' kids entertained. And 10,874 more times I couldn't for the...
Parking Spaces!
Simple Preschool Math Activities I've written before about how easy it is to build early preschool math skills as you play with the kids. And here's another fun and playful way to incorporate math into your little ones' lives. (This is probably an activity best...
Homemade Books!
Ahhhh...Books! As is probably evident from my last blog post featuring JBrary, not to mention the way I go on and on about early literacy, I love a good book! And so do most kids I know... Kids also love to create things and feel important. Mix all of that up and...
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