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NEW! Check out the new Ideas for Preschoolers Blog for even more ideas for preschoolers from a variety of topics.

Preschool Curriculum

Game Types

Holidays

Themes

MORE THEMES

Arts & Crafts

Music & Rhymes

Preschool Resources

Book Suggestions


Learn to Read

NEW! Grandma Bubbles Books for Young Readers!

Teaching your preschooler to read? Grandma Bubbles has written some original, fun, colorful books that contain engaging stories that will keep your reader wanting to come back for more.

Jump in with Kit and Glug and teach your child how fun reading can be!

Click on the picture below or visit Grandma Bubbles' site at grandmabubblesbooks.com.

My preschool girls love reading Grandma Bubbles Books. Click here to see them read a few pages from the Kit and Glug series.

Here are some other products to help your child in their reading adventure:

MORE IDEAS

Preschool Resources

Book Suggestions

Here are some great books that are full of activities and ideas for toddlers and preschoolers!


Favorite Websites

StarFall

When my daughter was 2 1/2 years old I taught her how to use a mouse. I then set her loose on starfall.com. It is full of learning activities for kids. My daughter knew all of her letters and sounds long before she was 3, thanks to this site.

Starfall also has Learn-to-Read phonics books that you can purchase to help your child's reading skills develop even further.

Other Preschool Websites

Learning Activities

SHAPES

Before Kindergarten, children should be able to:

IDEAS FOR TEACHING SHAPES

1. Purchase shape magnets found at the dollar store or Walmart. Have child pick out all of a shape you name and put them on a cookie sheet. You could also have the child pick out all of the shapes of the same color. Find some shape flash cards (also at the dollar store) and have your child match the shape on the card with the shape magnet.

2. Find different small objects around the house and trace them onto index cards. Have your child match the object with the correct index card. Examples of objects could be keys, clothes pin, army man, car, etc.)

3. Do the same thing as above in example 2 except either cut shapes out of spounges or purchase spounges that are already cut into shapes. Trace spounge shape onto an index card. Have child match the spounge to the index card.

4. Get an assortment of pasta (bow ties, shells, wheels, pene pasta etc.). Have child group similar pasta together. You could have them put the matching pasta in cups or bowls or anything else you can think of or have around your house.

5. Using masking tape, make big shapes on the floor. Make beanbags that are different shapes. Have child toss the bean bag into the corresponding taped shape. You could do many other things with the taped shapes on the floor. You could call out a shape and have your child run to the shape as fast as they can. You could cut several shapes out of paper and have your child stick them in the matching shape on the floor.

6. Cut 2 sets of shapes out of paper. Lamenate. Hold up your set and have your child find the matching shape in his set. You could also do this same thing by putting the shape up on the fridge or hang a string between two chairs and clothes pin the shapes onto it.

7. Cut out a bunch of small shapes. Tape one of each shape to a small box or tuperware or something. Have child sort all of the shapes into the corresponding boxes.

8. Cut a medium size circle out of green paper and a similar size octagon out of red paper. Write "Go" on the green circle and "Stop" on the red octagon. Tape the shapes back to back on a jumbo craft stick. You can use this to teach your child stop and go. Have child run or jump or dance while you have the sign facing go and teach the child to stop when you turn it to the red octagon.

9. Get some smART Foam Beads 2 Lace. Basically they are beads that are many different shapes and colors. Teach the child to lace them to make a neclace.

10. Cut shapes out of spounges or purchase precut spounge shapes. Use these for bath toys. The child can stick them to the wall of the bath tub. Talk about the shapes while you bathe your child.

11. Make and play FILE FOLDER GAMES with your child that teach them their shapes.

12. Read a lot of BOOKS about shapes to your child. You'll be surprised at how quickly they pick up the shapes just by reading to them. Below are some great books to teach shapes or make your own books using the links below:

13. Get a SHAPE SORTER for your child! Below are several options available.

Amazon.com Widgets

14. Here are some more TOYS AND GAMES to help you child learn their shapes:

15. Here are some Shape WORKSHEETS & ACTIVITY SHEETS.

16. Here are some fun COLORING PAGES.

17. Here are some great DVDs on shapes.

18. Here are some ideas from other WEBSITES.