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photo credit: sarae
Educational Learning Games
Using games to teach children can be very effective. I created a Bingo game with site words that my son had inKindergarten. Site words help kids start to read sentances easier as they are commonly used words like this and is. It’s slightly different then a traditional Bingo game but has the same basic concept.
Supplies:
- change-to use for markers on Bingo cards
- Bingo cards and site words located here
Bingo Card
|
a
|
am
|
an
|
|
and
|
at
|
can
|
|
come
|
do
|
go
|
Steps:
- Print out Site Words Bingo on cardstock
- Cut out Bingo cards (they are 3×3-3 words wide and 3 words down)
- Cut up all the site words (located on the top)
- Give every player a card
- Put all site words in a pile
- Pick first site word, have one of the players help you read it (rotate so they all get a turn)
- Then they should each look at their card to see if they have it
- If they have, have them put a coin on the word
- Continue picking site words until someone has 3 in a row and has BINGO
Have fun!
Preschool Toddler Games
Kids have the greatest imagination. They love to pretend they are Doctors, Chefs, Teachers and all sorts of other imaginative people and creatures. There are so many fun Preschool Toddler Games you can play. This was a creation of my children and I. We called it Cafe’.
Steps:
- Your kids help create a name for their cafe and create the signs. We had three cafe’s.
- You then take the play food you have, plastic plates and set them up however your kids like to prepare the food.
- Create a menu – put pictures of the food next to the words so they can have clues as to what each item is. We made fun food like, apple sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries and more. They love making up all the foods they will serve
- Get a little Pad for them to take orders
- Give them a special towel and soap for washing the dishes after they make their meals and serve their customers
- Hang up the signs in the play area (we did it in their rooms) and let them open for business!
This is such a fun activitiy for Toddlers on up! Enjoy and have fun!
photo credit: LAYeiser
Online Preschool Computer Games
The internet is no longer limited to adults, professionals and students anymore. These days, your preschoolers can now learn and have fun with the internet, for there are now plenty of preschool computer games your kids can play online! Always be present and at your kid’s side at all times when they are using the internet. You know how those pesky and inappropriate pop out ads appear unpredictably.
Here are some recommended online preschool computer games to teach your kids basic math, pre-reading and computer skills.
• Nick. Jr. Online
Click on Nick Jr. Playtime and let your kids learn and play with their favorite Nick Jr. characters like Dora and Blues Clues. There are plenty of games, crafts and activities your child can do in this site.
• Build a Neighborhood
Your child can create their own farm, neighborhood or kingdom according to their own fancy. It has amazing graphics, as well! Enhance their creativity with the Build a Neighborhood online game.
• Fisher Price Online games
Once again, Fisher Price has brought to us fun and educational games for toddlers and preschoolers. The Fisher Price games are a great way to teach your kids the basic skills and let them learn at their own pace.
• Sesame Street Online
This site has great graphic quality, cute characters and plenty of learning potential which makes it perfect for your little ones. The high quality may make loading slow, but it features a great collection of preschool computer games.
Of course like Television you will want to limit the use of the computer, but if utilized for the educational benefits it can be a fun way for kids to learn while they play. For more games check out the post Preschool Computer games Free
photo credit: Franklin Park Library
What makes learning games for preschoolers so hard for parents to come up with is that we’re too busy seeing things from our “been there, done that” point of view. Or (cringe) some can’t be bothered with play – leave that to the daycare teachers. Playing learning games with my 4 year old? Isn’t that for the preschool teacher to do? If you think that way, you are missing out on some of the best times of yours and your child’s life.
When you begin to look at building a tower with blocks as forming a future engineer or fixing a broken doll as the early learning experiences of a doctor or nurse, then you might take your role as a teacher of your child more seriously.
If you’re just not sure where to start, why not go to the same place the preschool teachers go – an educational supply store? You might live in an area where there is an educational supply store that you can visit.
Here, you can read the books and touch the products – the games – that the preschool teachers use themselves (hey, even they need inspiration, too). The owner of the store may be a teacher and will be more than willing to lend their ideas to you. Just ask.
The next best thing is to Google “teacher supplies” or “educational supplies” and then browse these online stores. Many of these sites will offer helpful advice and that may be all the help you need to get your mind churning out your own learning games for preschoolers. You can also google things like “learning games for kids” or “preschool games”. You will find many sites (including this one!) that have useful ideas for creating games with your child that enhance their learning experience.
photo credit: popofatticus
Some of the best free games for preschoolers are those you make up yourself. But if you aren’t sure where to start, take advantage of the best free resource guide available, the Internet. Really there is nothing new out there. And although there may be many variations – play dough is play dough and Bingo is Bingo!
Try Googling “teacher’s supplies” or “learning games” and you’ll be presented with gobs of choices. These educational supplies usually have a freebie section where you can find all kinds of games and project ideas for you to use. You’ll find ideas like how to make “Gack” – that homemade slime that’s fun to play with or how to play “Duck, Duck, Goose” or “Tiger Wants a Corner.”
Some more creative sites even give you plans to create your own preschool games. After all, the commercially available games started out as an idea in someone’s head, right? So, why not come up with your own ABC learning game or how to identify certain bugs or parts of flowers. All of this is free.
Just remembering that games are just fun ways to learn some new skill or a diverting way to get exercise, will help you to create your own free “homemade” games. From teaching them to play nicely with their peers to developing motor skills for writing, free games for preschoolers abound.
You don’t have to spend money on readymade games when you have the props right in your own household. All it takes is you, your child and some imagination.
