Fun stuff for pre-K and K

[BrandonMommy]

I'm currently shopping and need some ideas to add to my list for fun stuff to buy for my soon to be 3 and 5 year old's upcoming year. Especially since I'll be having baby #3 soon, it will be good to have lots of things I can pull out that will keep them engaged when needed.

 

So, any recommendations for games, puzzles, manipulatives, learning dvds, craft kits, activity books etc.

 

Thanks!

[CatholicMom]

Leapfrog DVD's!

 

Kumon workbooks! My kids loved the cutting ones.

 

I'm thinking of printing out all the free printable stuff online and putting it in a binder so I have a ton of stuff (mazes, dot to dots, coloring pages, handwriting sheets) to just pull out and give my Pre-Ker because he goes through pages so fast and workbooks are too expensive to buy 20 of them.

 

If he/she's ready you could get Explode The Code's Primer books (Get Ready for the Code, Get Set for the Code, Go for the Code) which come before ETC Book 1.

[Aspasia]

Games: Monopoly Junior, Memory, Candyland (unfortunately, because that game drives me bananas), Old Maid, Go Fish.

 

DVD's: Leapfrog Letter Factory is absolutely magical. For me, teaching letter sounds the "old-fashioned" way is just pure craziness when that DVD can do it so quickly and painlessly. I'm also planning on buying the Magic School Bus DVD set for science and the Liberty's Kids DVD set for history. I love Sid the Science Kid--we watch that one online.

 

Craft kits: weaving loom (the plastic one with loops), beginning sewing kits like this, beads, air dry clay to sculpt and then paint. My kids also like to make animals and monsters out of pom poms, wiggly eyes, pipe cleaners, feathers, sequins, etc.

 

Manipulatives: pattern blocks, cuisenaire rods, geoboards.

 

For the little one, I made a ton of busy bags before my baby was born and he has really taken well to them. Here's a good place to start: http://pinterest.com/rachelants/preschool-learning-and-fun-busy-bags/

Edited August 31, 2012 by infomom

[CatholicMom]

Also, try some educational toys like:

 

-Legos! If you don't have any, try Duplo Legos (they aren't as small). They keep my just-turned-4 year old occupied like nothing else... except the magna doodle!

 

-Magna Doodle to draw on

 

- Leap Frog toys. There are a lot of cute ones to keep them occupied and learn letters, numbers, shapes and things like that as well. They also have the new Tag Reader which I think is neat. You can even use headphones with it so they are very quiet, but can "read" a story on their own (they point to letters and hear the word sounded out), or they can just click to hear the story being read, and there are also games. It's a pretty cool little toy.

[bttrflyvld]

Our fun things we are using right now for my 2 and 4 year olds are:

-Leap frog letter factory videos

-leap from word factory video

-Nature for fun projects -Science Play

-Kumon workbooks

-Rod & Staff Preschool ABC books

-Slow and steady, Get me ready by June R Oberlander

-Wonderplay

[alisoncooks]

My 4 and 6 year old like:

watercolors

Wikisticks (is that what they're called?)

unifix cubes

pattern blocks

our button box (just a big box of buttons)

play-dough mats (printed from a blog, laminated)

our rice box (with funnels, measuring cups, etc)

Learning Resources Super Sorting Pie **LOVE**

Geoboards + rubber bands

Lincoln Logs

Lauri Peg Stacker

 

My 4 yr. old is using the R&S workbooks. We also have CLE Kindergarten II and it looks great and easy to implement. We love the LeapFrog dvds and Starfall (and it's totally worth the $35 to subscribe for a year!)

Edited August 31, 2012 by alisoncooks

[tuckabella]

 

For the little one, I made a ton of busy bags before my baby was born and he has really taken well to them. Here's a good place to start: http://pinterest.com/rachelants/preschool-learning-and-fun-busy-bags/

 

 

Wow, that link led me to some great things. I really want to do a Busy Bag Swap! I need to prepare for DS2!

[morosophe]

I picked up Castle Logix at a convention a few weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised by the size and quality of the pieces. It has a limited play (there are 48 configurations to copy in the little booklet they give you), but that hasn't stopped either my two-and-a-half-year-old or my four-year-old sons from enjoying it immensely.

[Tawlas]

On top of all the other great suggestions I recommend Usborne sticker books and Usborne colouring books.

 

I got the binding cut off and three whole punched them so I can just give them a few pages at a time and know the whole book won't be covered with one big scrawl per page in a day lol. I also paperclipped the stickers to the appropriate page if needed so it will require no help from me when they use them. The three year old wouldn't care what sticker went on what page but the five year old would.

[anmom]

Do a google (or Pinterest) search for busy bags. There are so many inexpensive ideas to put together for that age. We use the workbox system here and my daughter loves it when we have these types of items included for her day!

[meggie]

http://pinterest.com/meggie84/preschool-ideas/

 

There's not a ton of ideas on that one, but a few. If you search Pinterest, there's tons of great ideas out there. I was never very crafty or fun, but these ideas have helped. I recommend having a place where you can put every thing and making sure that place can lock. We store everything in lockable filing cabinets. These things are fun, but a major PITB if they take everything out while you're occupied with baby.

[BrandonMommy]

Thanks everyone. We actually have a lot of the things mentioned already and they're old news to them. I have the big locking cabinet full of craft stuff we've been using for more than a year but I need to re-stock from the summer, so thanks for all the ideas! I've got lots of busy bags I can make now!

 

Thanks for the pinterest link infomom!

 

We have the Magic School Bus dvds on the way already but definitely going to check out the Liberty Kids. Do you know anything about the Magic schoolbus science kits? I really want to stock up on some science materials, ready-made kits that are worth or or just my own kits I can put together to pull out when ready and needed.

 

Infomom, the sewing set looks cool. Did you do it with a 5-year old? It says age 7+? We have one Alex craft kit already in the cabinet.

 

alisoncooks . . . adding wikisticks, Lincoln Logs, and the peg stacker and Tawlas, good idea on the sticker books! The Kumon craft/cutting books are on the list.

 

Thanks for the game suggestions. Adding to the list . . .

[Aspasia]

Thanks everyone. We actually have a lot of the things mentioned already and they're old news to them. I have the big locking cabinet full of craft stuff we've been using for more than a year but I need to re-stock from the summer, so thanks for all the ideas! I've got lots of busy bags I can make now!

 

Thanks for the pinterest link infomom!

 

We have the Magic School Bus dvds on the way already but definitely going to check out the Liberty Kids. Do you know anything about the Magic schoolbus science kits? I really want to stock up on some science materials, ready-made kits that are worth or or just my own kits I can put together to pull out when ready and needed.

 

Infomom, the sewing set looks cool. Did you do it with a 5-year old? It says age 7+? We have one Alex craft kit already in the cabinet.

 

alisoncooks . . . adding wikisticks, Lincoln Logs, and the peg stacker and Tawlas, good idea on the sticker books! The Kumon craft/cutting books are on the list.

 

Thanks for the game suggestions. Adding to the list . . .

 

I have been doing it with my dd (turned 5 in June) and she's doing great! Fine motor skills are definitely one of her strengths, but I'm sure a lot of younger kids could do it.