5 Preschool Activities for the Weekend

Surprised it's already the weekend? Time flies, and when you have children it seems like they're talking, walking and reading before you know it. That's why it's so important to make sure you're putting those weekends to good use. Having a breather in between work weeks is a great time to spend quality time with your little ones. Scratching your head for what to do? No worries, we have you covered!

1. Bird Watching

Learning  Objectives

• Improve large motor skills
• practice color identification
• observe and learn about birds

Materials

• bird identification book or photographs of various birds in select colors
• scissors 
• six colors of paper streamers: red, orange, yellow, black, brown, blue

Preparation

• Cut two or more 12" lengths of streamer for each child to hold, use the colors listed above
•  Look through the bird books ahead of time so you are familiar with some of the birds in your area. *Note: If you do not have streamers in the select colors, simply use strips of scrap fabric or art paper

What To Do

1. Look at the bird photographs with your children. Talk about the various types of birds, taking note of the color of each. Point out any birds that they might see in your outdoor play area or in their neighborhood. Talk about how birds move.

2. Go outside and give each child two streamers of the same color to be their "wings."

3. Call out a bird name and a color and tell your child to fly around outside with that color of "wings." Encourage the children to flap their wings and move like birds.

• Extra: If you want, make your own "wings" and join your child flying around outside! (Did you enjoy the activity above? Find more like it in the book Let's Take it Outside.)

2. Cook with Your Little Chef

There's nothing like getting your little one in the kitchen at an early age and letting him help you make something special. Feeling munchy? We have a simple recipe for guacamole and salsa that makes the perfect snack food.

Guacamole

Ingredients

• 4 ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2/3 cup diced tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2  cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt

Materials

• cutting board
• fork
• mixing bowl and spoon
• sharp knife (adult only)

What to Do

1. Cut into the middle of the avocados, cutting completely around the pits (adult only). Twist and pull them apart. Remove the pits and place them on the table for your child to explore.

2. Help your child scoop out the soft centers of the avocados and place them in a bowl.

3. Encourage her to mash the avocados with a fork.

4. Dice the tomatoes, and chop the green onion and cilantro.

5. Put all the ingredients together in a bowl and add the salt and lime juice to taste. Have your child mix the ingredients well.

• Extra: Feeling the need for some science in your life? Place one avocado seed in a pan of shallow water and another in a cup of dirt. Observe any signs of growth over time.

Salsa

Ingredients

• cilantro or parsley
• green onion
• tomato

Materials

• cutting board
• fork
• mixing bowl and spoon
• plastic knife

What to Do

1. To make tomato salsa, core the tomatoes and place them on the cutting board (adult only).

2. Help your child chop the tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro using a plastic knife.

3. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir. Add the salsa to your fiesta and enjoy for snack!

(Did you enjoy the cooking activity above? Find more like it in The Budding Chef.)

3. Storytelling Together

Build your child's creative thinking by working together with her to tell stories.

Words to use

• objects
• repeat
• sentence
• story

Materials

• bag
• assorted objects

What to Do

1. Place several objects inside a bag.

2. Ask your child to pick out an object and say one sentence about it. Help if needed. For example, if the object is a ball, suggest saying, "Once upon a time there was a ball."

3. If you are playing with more than just two people, ask the others to continue building off of the story. Ask questions such as, "Where does the ball live?"

4. After she answers, repeat the story created so far.

5. Continue the story by adding new objects from the bag.

• Your stories can get as creative as what you decide to put in the bag! (Did you like the activity above? Find more like it in Everything for Winter.)

4. Make a Puppet

Try out this arts-and-crafts idea for making a seal pup pal. Children can engage in dramatic play when it's complete.

Materials

• white tube sock
• black fun foam
• black yarn
• black felt
• tacky glue or fabric glue
• 3/8" black pompom

What to Do

1. Cut out two foam circles for eyes, two felt circles (3/4") for cheeks, and six pieces of 2" yarn for whiskers.

2. Help your child glue two foam circle eyes on his socks for eyes.

3. Help him glue three yarn "whiskers" to each felt circle. Show him how to glue the circles to the sock, yarn side down and close together, for cheeks.

4. Let the child glue on a pompom nose above the cheeks.

5. When dry, use the "seal" as a hand puppet.

5. Explore Nature with Homemade Telescopes

Help your child build her very own telescope while she learns how mixing two colors creates a new color, and then bundle up and take her outside to explore nature.

Materials

• cardboard tubes from paper-towel rolls
• colored cellophane in red, yellow, and blue
• markers
• rubber bands
• scissors

What to Do

1. Cut cellophane into 5" squares.

2. Your child can decorate her paper-towel roll with markers however she likes.

3. Encourage your child to look through pieces of colored cellophane. What does she see? Get her to talk about the colors she sees and to share her discoveries.

4. Let the child choose the cellophane colors that make the color she wants for her telescope. Show the child how to hold these pieces over one end of the tube and secure them with a rubber band. Help as needed with this step.

5. Encourage your child to look through the telescope. Go outside to look at nature through a colored lens.

- Ann Jonas, Lois Ehlert