Roux is starting preschool in the fall! As some of you may know, I was skeptical about him going earlier this year because I felt he wasn’t quite ready. But, just a few months later and it seems like he has grown up so much! We are confident he’s ready to be in the classroom learning from grownups other than Loren and me. I’m so excited but also nervous about his first day in the classroom!
Although it’s a strange time to be sending kids back into classrooms due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, Roux’s school is taking every necessary precaution to keep our little kiddos and teachers safe. If we have to default to plan B, or C, or D – we will do just that!
Even before we knew Roux was going to preschool, we started searching for some educational activities to get him ready. Below are some of our favorites! That’s why I want to share now. If your babe is headed to school, great – these will help. If your little one is staying home – these will help!
ACTIVITY BOOKS
The first things I looked for on my search for educational resources were books, of course! There is a neverending rabbit hole of preschool books online, but I ended up ordering a bunch to try out. We finally found Play Smart Brain Boosters and those were a HUGE hit. A few days a week we started incorporating them into his routine and quickly saw progress. He has a special love for the sticker activities & mazes.
We recently started the Scissor Skills book and Roux has LOVED practicing his cutting. This is also something you can do by just drawing lines on paper for your babe to practice honing their skills!
ONLINE LEARNING
You guys have probably seen Roux playing OSMO on my Insta Stories. OSMO is an online learning tool with a focus on letters and storytelling. It felt a little old for Roux at first (for ages 3-5), but recently he’s really gotten the hang of the platform. I love watching his little brain work to solve problems! It’s super silly and creative and it encourages him to listen and follow directions! It’s great for rainy days, quiet time, or just something a little different.
ALL-IN-ONE LEARNING KIT
We also purchased the Teach My Toddler Learning Kit. The kit includes different activities that allow kids to punch out shapes, numbers, and letters. It’s the perfect preschool prep!
I loved that Roux could physically interact with the pieces. Each activity comes with a board book and poster for different learning styles. Every weekend over the last year & a half we would bring the kit into the living room during breakfast and Roux would pick one activity for us to do as a family! He mastered his shapes quickly because of that blue box.
PLAY LEARNING
I also love to incorporate learning into our games as much as possible, similar to how Roux’s preschool curriculum is shaped. One of our favorites since Roux was even younger was The Sorting Bear kit from Amazon. It’s great for practicing fine motor skills, sorting, colors, counting, and more! The little tongs were such a challenge at first – but like most things, these kids are just amazing & before you know it – they’ve mastered the skill of picking up one at a time & putting the bear in a cup. It’s easy to make all kinds of games up with these guys.
We also do a craft every weekend (you can find some of my favs on my Pinterest Page) and to practice letters, we have have been enjoying Dot Art!
OUTSIDE THE HOME
We’ve also enrolled Roux in a couple of activities outside of the home to help him get experience interacting with other kids and learning to take direction from other adults! He loves his soccer team, swimming lessons, and his Little Explorers Playgroup.
MORE BOOKS WE LOVE
I don’t think kids can ever have too many books! Although our favorites change from week to week, here are some of the ones we love right now.
- One Big Heart: This one really preps him for preschool. It has big colorful photos of kids in classrooms so he can have a great visual of the classroom experience!
- When Charlie Met Emma: This book is about a little boy that meets a girl in a wheelchair and they learn to celebrate their differences!
- Where’s Waldo: A children’s book classic. We like to keep this in the car so Roux has something special to do to pass the time. He’s crazy good at finding Waldo! And mama & daddy LOVE it too!
- Even Superheroes Have Bad Days: This book is great for discussing emotions! It breaks down how you can cope with bad days.
- Let’s Talk About Boundaries, Consent & Respect: It’s super important to me that Roux understands physical boundaries for himself and others. This book does a great job of giving children ownership over their personal space!
I would love to hear if you use any of these materials with your little one! If you do, please tag me on Instagram — I’d love to see their cute faces!
Do you have any favorite educational activities? Drop a comment below! We love trying out new games, books, and activities!
