Preschool activities

There are so many preschool activities that you can think of if you only put on your creative cap. Well, if you haven't got one, you've come to the right page.

No, many mothers miss the process of teaching skills to the young children through preschool activities. Children should engage in lots and lots of fun activities not just because they are fun and you can keep them happy, but because these activities help enhance fine and gross motor skills. These skills are essential for the development of the child.

What are Motor Skills and how do I help a child develop them ?

A motor skill is a skill learned from infancy that involves the movement of muscles in the body. When a toddler begins to sit up, crawl, walk, push...etc, he is developing his motor skill. He strengthens his muscles and learns the coordination of his movements. Larger movements like crawling, running, jumping involves the arm, leg and body muscles. These are called Gross Motor skills. Such Gross motor activities for preschool would more likely be outdoor games and play at the park.

As the toddler grows, he naturally learns to define his fine motor skills. These are smaller actions like holding a spoon, picking up a toy, chewing food, doodling on a paper...etc

A child naturally develops his motor skills through preschool physical activities. Therefore, a preschool teacher can intentionally help him to master these skills by providing lots of preschool activities and opportunities to use large and small muscles.

Generally, Gross Motor Skills - sometimes referred to as Large Motor Skills are generally achievable in outdoor activities - at the playground, at the beach or in the field when children are out running, climbing and sliding, hopping and kicking a ball.

Fine Motor Skills - sometimes referred to as Small Motor Skills are generally achievable indoors as the children learn to hold a pencil, cut and paste his preschool crafts, thread beads ...etc

SAFETY TIPS to take note of while your kids are at play

• Ensure the child is adequately dressed, especially for outdoor activities. Shorts and long pants are ideal - avoid frilly skirts as these can get caught between gaps in the play structure or fences.

• Create a boundary for the children to play within. Usually playgrounds have well defined boundary. On the beach, you can use a stick to draw the boundary or just be watchful that the kids do not wander off.

• When using a pencil or a paintbrush, teach the kids to avoid poking their own eyes or the child beside. Adequate lessons on how to hold a pencil is necessary.

• Teach the kids to turn the faucets carefully and slowly especially when warm water is required.

• For physical activities indoor, give ample spacing between children if they are to be swinging their arms or kicking so they will not injure the kid beside.

Click on the arrow in the video box and watch this video for various activities for preschool.