Homeschool Preschool

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5 Tips for Reading Aloud to Energetic Preschoolers

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Are you trying to read aloud to a wiggly preschooler? If so, here are a few awesome tips for reading aloud to energetic preschoolers who just can’t hold still.

Are you trying to read aloud to a wiggly preschooler? Here are a few awesome tips for reading aloud to energetic preschoolers who just can't hold still.

It can be a challenge! I do it all the time. The kids wiggle, squirm, and do headstands during the read-alouds. It’s distracting to say the least!

Keep kids engaged and occupied with these five tips.

5 Ways to Read Aloud to Energetic Preschoolers

1. Art Work

The biggest issue in reading to energetic preschoolers is the amount of energy they have. The kids simply can’t sit still. So you need to give your children something to do while you read.

I love to give my preschoolers art supplies while I read aloud. The kids can draw, paint, cut, and glue to their hearts’ content. Their hands are busy, their months are shut, and their ears are open.

Periodically stop and ask your children questions about what you just read to ensure they’re still listening.

2. Duplos or Legos

Duplos and Legos are popular with children, especially boys. They can work on their latest spaceship, car, or tower while you read.

Have the kids set up the Duplos and Legos before you begin. Nothing is as noisy as a preschoolers rummaging through the Lego bin looking for one specific piece. You’ll be drowned out!

Even so, Duplos and Legos are an excellent quiet activity to keep little fingers occupied while you read aloud.

3. Puzzles

Puzzles are the perfect activity to pull out when you begin reading aloud to your preschoolers. It’s quiet, unless the kids start shaking the puzzle boxes like a rattle. Each child can work on a different puzzle at the table.

And you can offer a selection of difficulties for the kids to choose from.

Young preschoolers can begin with wooden board puzzles while 5 and 6 year olds may prefer to complete 100 piece puzzles.

Are you trying to read aloud to a wiggly preschooler? Here are a few awesome tips for reading aloud to energetic preschoolers who just can't hold still.

4. Blocks

When I read to my children in the living room, blocks are perfect to keep the kids quiet as I read. They can spread out on the floor and build houses or towers.

You can also pull out small dolls and animals for the children as well. Have your kids create a scene from the book while you read. Later you can have your preschoolers walk you through the created scenes as a gentle approach to retelling the story from a different point of view.

It’s a fun and different approach to reading comprehension!

5. Eating

I love reading aloud to my energetic kids while they’re eating. Their mouths are full, their hands are busy, and the kids don’t talk.

Usually I’ve found it’s best to serve the kids and have them sit down to eat before I begin reading.

Then in the middle of the table I’ll place pencils and paper for when the kids finish eating. After all, some kids wolf down their food while others nibble for hours.

It doesn’t matter. The kids are quiet while I’m reading aloud and not trying to do handstands in the middle of the living room!

Do you read aloud to energetic children?

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Teaching Sight Words with a Fun Water Play Activity

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I’m always looking for ways to get my girls outside but here in Florida it’s still SO extremely hot!  So, today I decided we would go outside in the front yard and play with water.  I set up a baby pool with lots of toys and a really cute sprinkler.

I noticed after about 10 minutes my 3-year-old was getting bored.  I really needed to come up with a quick and fun game that would keep her busy.

Need a fun, hands-on way to teach sight words to your preschoolers and kindergarteners? Sight Word Splash is a fun water play activity to teach or review words.

Teaching Sight Words with Water Play

I looked around the garage and found some sidewalk chalk and a few buckets from our beach vacation.  I also remembered I had some sight word flash cards right inside the front door because I was going to start teaching sight words – a few at a time – this week.  BAM…….the sight word splash activity was born!

This activity was amazing!  It was so easy and quick to set up.  It literally took me 5 minutes and we were ready to go.  Not only was it easy to set up but Grace absolutely loved it!

She was having such a wonderful time that she wanted to play it over and over again.  We stayed outside playing this activity for a good 40 minutes!   I know you’re excited to get started so here we go!

Materials

Directions

The first thing you’ll want to do is print the sight word flash cards from the material list above.  Then cut them out and set them aside.  If you have a laminator you could also laminate them so you could use them over again and they won’t get wet when you’re doing this activity outside.

Then grab a bucket or small container that will hold water and some sidewalk chalk.  When teaching a 3-year-old sight words I like to start with 3 to 5 sight words at a time.  As they learn them I will continue to add a few more each week.

I picked 3 sight words to start with during this activity.  I showed my daughter the 3 sight word flash cards and told her she was going to learn 3 new words today.  Then I drew the 3 sight words with the sidewalk chalk on my driveway.

I picked one of the 3 sight words and showed it to my daughter.  I told her the word and had her repeat the word after me.  Then I asked her if she could find that same word written in the driveway.

She looked at each word and then found the correct one.  She repeated the word again, and I gave her a big hug!  Then I handed her a bucket of water and told her because she got that one right she could splash the sight word.  This of course was her favorite part!

We continued to do the same thing with all 3 sight words and then I wrote them again on a dry spot and we played all over again.

Need a fun, hands-on way to teach sight words to your preschoolers and kindergarteners? Sight Word Splash is a fun water play activity to teach or review words.

 

How did my daughter do with this activity?

Grace had so much fun doing this activity!  She was really excited to learn new words, and any activity that involves splashing water is a winner in her book.

I love to do activities with her that she really gets excited about and I know she’s actually learning!

What is she learning during this activity?

  • Sight word recognition
  • Matching
  • Fine motor skills
  • Following directions

Extending this activity is so easy!

  • There are so many things that can be done to extend this fun and easy activity.
  • Shape recognition – draw shapes instead of writing the sight words
  • Number recognition – do numbers instead of sight words
  • Alphabet recognition – do the letters of the alphabet instead of sight words

My daughter LOVED this activity and it was so fun to get a little outside water play at the same time! We will definitely be doing this activity again to learn even more sight words while having fun in the sun!

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Hands-On Activities for a Dinosaur Preschool Theme

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Dinosaurs are pretty fascinating, aren’t they? My middle son was enthralled with all things dinosaur when he was a preschooler. We gathered books, puzzles, and plastic dinosaurs galore!

Whether he was trying to name them, memorize facts about them, or just using his imagination playing with his dinosaurs, he would be engaged for hours.

If you have a preschooler that is just as interested in dinosaurs, why not take that interest and turn it into a dinosaur preschool theme in your homeschool! Incorporate what your kids love into their lessons, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a life-long learner!

If you have a preschooler that is just as interested in dinosaurs, why not take that interest and turn it into a dinosaur preschool theme in your homeschool!

Dinosaur Preschool Theme

You can incorporate multiple areas of learning into your unit study with a dinosaur theme. The activities below include math, literacy, science, arts & crafts, and more! How will you ever choose where to start?

These hands-on dinosaur activities are perfect for young dinosaur lovers! I bet your kids will love them all! Roaring is great fun, but there are times it's not appropriate to roar and be noisy. That's just what Dinosaur vs. the Library is about. Kids LOVE dinosaurs! These dinosaur crafts are exciting and fun for kids of all ages! They'll go perfectly with your dinosaur themed plans!

Dinosaur Math

  • Dinosaur Counting Dominoes | Kids will love this twist on a classic game. Count the spines on the dinosaurs’ backs as they play dominoes.
  • Dinosaur Shapes and Colors | Print out the game boards and instructions, and your little ones will have so much fun they won’t know they’re learning!
  • Dinosaur Number Maze | This is a great outdoor activity that will help preschoolers work on number recognition and number order. Or, you could print out these dinosaur number mazes for the preschoolers to do indoors.
  • Dinosaur Counting Grid Game | This grid game will have kids practicing counting from 1 – 20.
  • Clothespin Dinosaurs | Print out some numbered dinosaurs and clip the correct number of mini clothespins to their packs.

Dinosaur Literacy

  • Dinosaur Alphabet Mazes | Similar to the number mazes above, this activity will help preschoolers focus on letter identification and letter order.
  • Spelling Practice Activity | Excavating letter tiles to spell out spelling words will have kids begging to practice their spelling words.
  • D is for Dinosaur | Kids will love turning the letter D into a one-of-a-kind dinosaur.
  • Dinosaur Emergent Reader | This dinosaur emergent reader is fun for kids to read, color, and share with others.
  • Dinosaur Letter Tracing | Here’s a great busy bag that encourages kids to practice letter formation, letter recognition, and letter sounds without actually writing anything.

Dinosaur Science

If you have a preschooler that is just as interested in dinosaurs, why not take that interest and turn it into a dinosaur preschool theme in your homeschool!

Dinosaur Sensory

  • Dinosaur Playdough | This invitation to play includes sand dough, plastic dinosaurs, plastic trees, pebbles, driftwood, and more.
  • Dinosaur Sensory Bin | I am in love with this amazing set up! Even if you can’t be this elaborate with yours, kids will love exploring a dinosaur-themed sensory bin.
  • Dinosaur Oobleck | I love oobleck! It’s such an amazing sensory activity as it goes from a solid to a liquid state and back again. Throw in some dinosaurs and nature items, and preschoolers can have hours of fun.
  • Sensory Play with Dinosaurs | This is a great activity for little fingers to explore. It contains multiple sensory materials and, of course, plastic dinosaurs.
  • Dinosaur Sensory Bin | This easy sensory bin will keep kids occupied for hours!

Dinosaur Arts & Crafts

  • Dinosaur Handprint Art | Handprint art is my favorite to do with little ones. Not only is it fun for preschoolers, but they make great keepsakes, too. Try this dinosaur handprint art with your little ones.
  • Dinosaur Soap | This homemade soap is just the thing you need to encourage little boys to wash their hands!
  • DIY Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils | Kids will love helping to make a batch of salt dough. Once it’s ready, they can make their own dinosaur fossils.
  • Easy DIY Dinosaur Feet | With this tutorial, kids can turn old tissue boxes into dinosaur feet. Then, they’ll be stomp stomping around like dinosaurs.
  • DIY Paper Dinosaur Hat | Kids will work on their fine motor skills while building their very own paper dinosaur hat. Combine this hat with the feet above, and your kids can let their imaginations run wild!

Dinosaur Hands-On Activities

  • Build a Dinosaur | I love these colorful dinosaurs, and the “My Dinosaur” journaling page is a great place for preschoolers to record information about their creations.
  • Dinosaur Egg Matching Quiet Activity | These felt eggs will keep little ones busy as they match the same colored tops and bottoms.
  • Build a Dinosaur (#2) | Use construction paper or craft foam shapes to build dinosaurs.
  • Roll a Dinosaur Movement Game | Help your little ones burn off some pent up energy by rolling the dice and moving like various dinosaurs.
  • Dino Slime | If you’ve got kids who enjoy making and playing with slime, they’ll love combining a batch of slime with their favorite toy dinosaurs.

If you have a preschooler that is just as interested in dinosaurs, why not take that interest and turn it into a dinosaur preschool theme in your homeschool!

Dinosaur Printables

With so many amazing dinosaur preschool theme activities, where will you start?

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4 Ways to Teach Preschool Skills with Simon Says

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Simon Says is a wonderful game for those bad weather days you don’t want to go outside and play. It doesn’t require any special equipment, teaches kids to pay attention, and preschool kids adore it.

Simon Says is a wonderful game for those bad weather days you don't want to go outside and play. It doesn't require any special equipment, teaches kids to pay attention, and preschool kids adore it.

Simon Says

The idea behind this classic game is simple. If the leader (you) says Simon Says followed by a command your preschoolers need to touch their toes. On the other hand if you don’t say it, your kids are not to follow the command.

Simon Says touch your toes! – Everyone touches their toes

Touch your toes! – No one touches their toes

As I mentioned, it’s a marvelous way to encourage kids to listen closely to what you’re saying.

Simon Says and Chores

This game isn’t just a simple game to have kids touch their toes or clap their hands. You can use the game during chore time by telling your children what to pick up.

You could say Simon Says pick up a red car, or Simon Says pick up blocks. Remember to drop the Simon Says from time to time and see if which kids are paying attention.

Simon Says and Colors

If you have a child blocks, use this fun activity to solidify their knowledge of colors. For instance call out Simon Says touch the color red or Simon Says pick up a blue pen.

When the kids know their basic colors try advanced color vocabulary such as the sapphire pen or touching the ruby crayon.

Remember to try and trick the kids by not using the phrase Simon Says periodically.

Simon Says and Counting

Work on counting skills while playing. Have the kids jump up and down three or four times while counting aloud. Clap your hands ten times. You can also have the kids stomp their feet twenty times or count by tens.

If you’re ambitious, combine Simon Says, chores, and counting. Ask the children to pick up ten cars, 5 dolls, and 15 blocks.

Simon Says and the Alphabet

This game also provides a fun way to teach the alphabet. Have Simon tell the children to recite the alphabet, search for letters, and practice phonics. Kids can find magnetic letters on the fridge, letters on books, or even draw letters on a piece of paper.

You can even have the kids move on to simple words after they’ve mastered the alphabet. It might be wise to ‘seed’ the area first though. Leave books out with the words you’re going to ask for clearly visible or write the words using magnetic letters on the fridge.

Simon Says is a fun and versatile game to play on bad weather days. You and your children will have a blast playing it, especially if you keep it lively and silly.

Have you played Simon Says with your children?

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15 Ways to Teach Preschool Math without Worksheets

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Teaching preschool math should be fun, engaging, and hands-on! You’d be surprised how quickly preschoolers can grasp a math concept when they’re having fun!

Teaching preschool math should be fun, engaging, and hands-on! You'd be surprised how quickly preschoolers can grasp a math concept when they're having fun!

Hands-On Preschool Math Activities

While two of my three kids loved workbooks and worksheets, my middle child was a hands-on learner. Writing made him grumpy. Workbooks were the enemy. So, I spent a lot of time coming up with fun and creative ways to engage him in his math lessons.

We had geoboards and teddy bear counters. We incorporated his Hot Wheels and G.I. Joe figures. I encouraged lots and lots of movement. And it worked! By the time he started upper-level math, he was ready to take off.

So, if you have a hands-on, kinesthetic learner like me, you’ll love this list of hands-on ways you can teach math to your preschoolers!

Teaching preschool math should be fun, engaging, and hands-on! You'd be surprised how quickly preschoolers can grasp a math concept when they're having fun!

Bottle Cap Math | This low-prep math game is a great way to practice number recognition with your hands-on preschoolers.

LEGO Math | These hands-on activities focus on number identification, counting, beginning addition and subtraction, and much more!

Teach Math with Race Cars | This list includes ideas for teaching weight, measurement, speed, and story problems with race cars.

Domino Math | There are many math skills you can teach with dominos. Grab a box and click over to discover six simple domino math ideas for kids.

Cupcake Math | “Hands-on learning activities like these “cupcake sums” are not only fun, but work on fine motor skills AND mathematical concepts!”

Kitchen Math | Preschoolers adore baking, cooking, and mixing up a batch of cookies to eat. I know my own kids never get enough of the kitchen, which makes kitchen math perfect for this age group!

Sequencing | In order to understand that events occur in a natural order, young minds need to have a good grasp of sequencing. Sequencing is the understanding of the order in which related events, movements, or things follow each other.

UNO | Playing Uno doesn’t just teach preschoolers the academic skills of colors and numbers, it also teaches preschoolers how to be good sports when they play.

Play I Spy | Playing I Spy games with our preschoolers is an absolute blast! It’s also an excellent way of teaching and reviewing letters, numbers, colors, and more with our kids.

Ice Cream Math | Adding pom-poms to paper ice cream cones is a great way to practice counting!

Teaching preschool math should be fun, engaging, and hands-on! You'd be surprised how quickly preschoolers can grasp a math concept when they're having fun!

Patterning | With some counters (plastic ones from the Dollar Tree and mini erasers from Target work well), preschoolers can work on all kinds of patterning skills.

Stair Jumping Game | Try playing the stair jumping game the next time your little one is bouncing off the walls. You can burn off some energy and teach math skills.

Calendar Skills | I’ve been amazed at how many lesson plans include learning to use a calendar when my kids learn the skill at an early age. I have never included calendar lessons in our math lessons or morning times. Yet all six kids easily and painlessly learned to use a calendar.

Scavenger Hunt | A spontaneous scavenger hunt will keep your child entertained for quite some time while improving their vocabulary, math skills, imagination, and memory.

Addition | With just two simple tools, you can set up this fun math activity that teaches subitizing, counting, and addition in one simple game.

What is your favorite way to teach preschool math without worksheets?

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14 Amazing Hand Eye Coordination Activities

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Come discover fourteen activities to strengthen hand-eye coordination for toddlers and preschoolers. All of these hands-on ideas feature play-based learning!

Come discover fourteen activities to strengthen hand-eye coordination for toddlers and preschoolers. All of these hands-on ideas feature play-based learning! #motorskills #preschoolers

Hand Eye Coordination Activities

It’s important for young kids to develop hand-eye coordination. These skills help us write, lace, pour, throw/catch, and so much more.

Each of the activities featured below will help your preschoolers strengthen this skill through play.

Flower Eye-Hand Coordination Activity | Preschoolers will strengthen their motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they scoop beads into shaped ice cube trays.

Fine Motor Activities for Vision and Hand-Eye Coordination | I love each one of these hands-on activities, and I think your preschoolers will, too!

Safe, Kid-Made Archery Target | Target practice is perfect for building hand-eye coordination. In addition, while working with a plastic bow and hour, little ones will work on building gross motor skills, as well.

Ideas for Helping Kids Learn to Open Food Packages | Each of these activities will not only build hand strength, but they are perfect precursors for learning to open a bag of chips or a carton of milk.

DIY Zipping Frame | Build a “zipping frame” so little ones can practice zipping a zipper. This will come in handy as winter approaches.

Button Play | You won’t believe how easy it is to teach kids to button a shirt with this DIY project.

Fruit Loop Towers | I first saw this idea on Facebook, and it’s a great way to work on hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills at the same time.

Come discover fourteen hands-on activities to strengthen hand-eye coordination for toddlers and preschoolers. All ideas feature play-based learning!

Colander Sculpture | Your little builders will have so much fun building pipe cleaner sculptures with this project.

Button Sorting Cups | If you’ve got a lot of old buttons lying around, use them to create these fun button sorting cups.

Building with Straw and Pipe Cleaners | Here’s another fun project for builders. What kinds of structures can your kids build with straws and pipe cleaners?

Pom-Pom Drop | I love this pom pom drop activity. Kids will work on hand-eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills, and color matching.

Q-Tip Dot Painting | Kids will become familiar with the letters in their name as they paint with q-tips in this activity.

DIY Geoboard | My kids loved geoboards when they were younger. They’re so fun for learning shapes, making designs, and working on coordination and motor skills.

Pasta Threading | This is similar to the froot loop threading activity above, but with pasta and straws it’s ideal for younger kiddos.

Which of these hand-eye coordination activities will you try first with your preschoolers?

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Bottle Cap Low Prep Math Game for Preschoolers

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As you know, I’m a huge fan of printables. Two of my kids loved workbooks and worksheets, and they loved filling folders with all of their homeschool pages.

My middle child, however, was just the opposite. He wanted hands-on activities if at all possible. He needed to touch and feel and move things around. He needed to do things to make concepts stick.

As a busy homeschool mom of three, however, I needed simple activities. You too, huh? This low-prep math game is a great way to practice number recognition with your hands-on preschoolers.

Come discover how to set up a low prep math game for preschoolers. All you need is some number stickers and some plastic bottle caps.

Low Prep Math Game

With a little advanced prep work, you can make a simple matching game for your preschoolers. After you’ve set up the number recognition game, scroll down for some variations that will allow you to work on other skills.

What You’ll Need

Come discover how to set up a low prep math game for preschoolers. All you need is some number stickers and some plastic bottle caps.

Set It Up

Set up is so easy! You might even want to let the kids help you prepare this activity. Once you’ve got it all set up, you’re little ones can jump right in and start playing.

Put a white sticker on each of the inside of each of the bottle caps. This will prevent your preschooler from seeing the number sticker under the cap.

Using your number stickers, stick 2 of each number under separate caps. If you’re using tiny stickers, you can move up to double-digit numbers if your kids are ready.

Once you’ve got all your stickers in place, it’s play time! Turn each cap over so the numbers are on the underside. Have your preschooler turn over two caps looking for a match.

If they find a match, they can keep the caps and take another turn. If they don’t, they’ll turn the caps back over and try again (if playing solo) or play moves on to the next child (if playing with more than one).

Come discover how to set up a low prep math game for preschoolers. All you need is some number stickers and some plastic bottle caps.

For even more fun, set up a few different sets of matching games. Any sticker that will fit inside the bottle cap will work. This is a great chance to work on color matching, letters, and more.

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20 Amazing LEGO Math Ideas for Early Learners

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With young learners, it is often helpful to find engaging hands-on activities to introduce, teach or reinforce academic skills.

Math is one such skill that lends itself to hands-on fun. While there is a time when worksheets and workbooks are helpful (especially if you have paper/pencil kids like me), but it’s also nice to break up the monotony with hands-on activities.

Today, I’m featuring 20 amazing LEGO math ideas. These hands-on activities focus on number identification, counting, beginning addition and subtraction, and much more!

Today, I'm featuring 20 amazing LEGO math ideas. These hands-on activities focus on number identification, counting, beginning addition and subtraction, and much more! 

LEGO Math Ideas

When you create a giant butterfly shape from poster board, your preschoolers can practice symmetry as they design their very own LEGO butterfly.

Get your little ones moving and counting with this LEGO Count and Move game. Whether preschoolers choose the original version or one of three variations, they’re sure to get a kick out of this game.

Preschoolers can practice identifying numbers in the teens and beginning addition with this fun Race to Twenty LEGO game.

I love this hands-on way to get kids started with math word problems. The way she sets the problems up for self-checking is genius!

Add a little art to your next STEM activity by exploring tessellation with LEGOs. This STEAM activity encourages creativity, design, problem solving, and a whole lot of fun!

Today, I'm featuring 20 amazing LEGO math ideas. Hands-on activities focus on counting, beginning addition and subtraction, and much more! 

This activity is designed to help preschoolers and kindergarteners learn to skip count. By creating stacks of LEGOs in the featured multiple, kids will get a hands-on look at how skip counting works.

Creating a LEGO number line is a great tactile way to introduce kids to basic addition and subtraction. They can physically “add on” and “take away” with this hands-on activity.

These printable LEGO math board games are perfect for helping you introduce addition to your young learners. With three variations, you can work addition, subtraction, or both!

Kids will love building their own LEGO balance and then searching the house for things to weigh.

LEGOs are such a great tool to motivate kids to learn math. With these LEGO addition cards, they’ll be begging to solve just one more problem.

Ten frames are great for helping kids count and when you build a ten frame of LEGOs, you’ll inspire lots of fun math exploration.

Even your youngest preschoolers can practice counting as they build LEGO towers according to these LEGO counting cards. Older students can use them to practice addition, subtraction, and ordering.

There are so many math skills you can teach with LEGOs. From problem solving to patterning and more. Check out six ideas your preschoolers will love!

Here’s a simple way to introduce place value with LEGOs.

Creating patterns with LEGOs is a great hands-on activity. Use these LEGO pattern printables with your preschoolers.

Today, I'm featuring 20 amazing LEGO math ideas. These hands-on activities focus on number identification, counting, beginning addition and subtraction, and much more! 

Kids can practice counting and writing numbers 1-10 as they build each number with LEGO blocks.

This subtraction LEGO game has kids racing to be the first one to unstack their bricks.

If you’ve got some LEGO minifigures, you’ll need them for this activity. Kids will practice counting and comparing quantities with their favorite minifigs.

Here’s another fun set of printables to help your little ones practice color recognition and patterns with LEGO bricks.

If you’ve got a LEGO fan, chances are great that you have some LEGO bases, as well. Check out how you can turn them into LEGO geoboards.

What’s your favorite way to teach math with LEGOs?

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Counting to 100 with a Forest Hundreds Chart

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My youngest has always been obsessed with animals. Animals of every kind. She reads about them, writes about them, and wishes she could own them all!

Instead, when she was younger, I tried to incorporate animals into as many of our homeschool lessons as I could. We actually did elementary biology for three years in a row, because she just wanted to study animals.

She would have loved an activity like this when she was working on her beginning math skills. Adding with animals takes the monotony out of math practice. Put the flash cards away, and let your kids practice counting to 100 with this forest-themed hundreds chart.

This printable forest-themed hundreds chart is a great way to get kids to practice counting to 100. It's a brand new game each time kids play!

Forest-Themed Hundreds Chart

This activity has virtually no set-up. You just print out the page, laminate it if you want, and it’s ready to go!

There are two ways to use this activity. It depends on whether you want this to be a one-time activity or you want to use it again and again.

This printable forest-themed hundreds chart is a great way to get kids to practice counting to 100. It's a brand new game each time kids play!

Version One:

Have your child spin the spinner. Starting at one, put a counter on that many squares. For instance, if they spin a three, have them cover squares 1-3.

You can use just about anything for a counter. We used mini erasers we found at Target since you can find bears, owls, and rabbits in the forest. If you don’t have those on hand, you could use buttons, mini-pom poms, or even pennies to cover the spaces.

Continue on in this manner until you reach 100.

If you laminate this page, it can be used over and over again.

This printable forest-themed hundreds chart is a great way to get kids to practice counting to 100. It's a brand new game each time kids play!

Version Two:

As with version one, the child will spin the spinner and identify the number. Starting at 1, have your child color in the same number of squares. For instance, if your child spins 8, have them color in squares 1-8.

This is great for kids who love to color and kids who need a little practice with their fine motor skills. You could have them use a different color for each consecutive spin for another twist.

This forest-themed hundreds chart is a great way to reinforce counting to 100 with your preschoolers. If you have your child say each number aloud as he covers it, this activity becomes a great way to see which numbers he still struggles to identify, as well.

Grab Your Freebie

More Math Fun

Preschoolers adore baking, cooking, and mixing up a batch of cookies to eat. I know my own kids never get enough of the kitchen, which makes kitchen math perfect for this age group! There are many math skills you can teach with dominos. Grab a box and come discover six simple domino math ideas for kids. If your kids love race cars, why not use what they are interested in to teach math skills? Come discover how to teach math with race cars!

3 Backyard Matching Games for Preschoolers

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Summer is in full swing and it’s time to have fun with water! This sprinkler shape match activity is a great way to get outside, learn, and stay cool!

My girls LOVE to go outside, and nothing makes me happier then to see them playing in the warm sunshine. We live in Florida and let me tell you the summer days get really hot!

So, I decided this summer we were going to do a lot more activities with water so my sweet girls could have fun and stay cool.

Summer is in full swing and it’s time to have fun with water!  This sprinkler shape match activity is a great way to get outside, learn, and stay cool!

Backyard Matching Games

This sprinkler shape match activity was so easy to set up. It took me about 15 to get everything together and ready to go.

Grace loved it so much she played it several times! She stayed busy and happy for a good 20 minutes. I know you’re excited to get started so here we go!

Materials

Summer is in full swing and it’s time to have fun with water!  This sprinkler shape match activity is a great way to get outside, learn, and stay cool!

Directions

The first thing I did to prepare for this activity was print out a piece of paper with lots of different shapes on it. I made mine on the computer but you could also just draw the shapes on the paper with a crayon or marker. If you want to print yours, you can download a copy below.

Print two copies of each page. You will need to cut the shapes out on the second page so your child can match them to the shapes on the first piece of paper. The most important thing to remember is to laminate the piece of paper with the shapes and the cut-out pieces. This will make sure that they don’t get ruined by the water and you can use it as many times as you want.

Once your pages are prepped, get the sprinkler going and place the cut-out shapes around the sprinkler.  Have your child run through the sprinkler a find a shape then go to the piece of paper with the shapes on it and math the shape. Have them do this until all the shapes have been found and matches!

Summer is in full swing and it’s time to have fun with water!  This sprinkler shape match activity is a great way to get outside, learn, and stay cool!

How did my daughter do with this activity

Grace had so much fun with this activity! She loves to play in the sprinkler and was so excited that she had a game to play.

She was giggling every time she had to find a shape in the sprinkler. It’s so wonderful to hear her giggle and know she is having a great time but also learning.

What is she learning during this activity

  • Shape recognition
  • Matching
  • Fine motor skills
  • Following directions

Summer is in full swing and it’s time to have fun with water!  This sprinkler shape match activity is a great way to get outside, learn, and stay cool!

Extending this activity is so easy

There are so many things that can be done to extend this fun and easy activity.

  • Patterns – draw shapes in a pattern on a piece of paper and have them create a pattern
  • Number recognition – do numbers instead of shapes
  • Alphabet recognition – do the letters of the alphabet instead of shapes

My daughter LOVED this activity and it was so fun to get a little outside water play at the same time! Have your kids do this activity and they’ll stay cool this summer too!

Get your freebie!

To make this activity even easier for you to set up, I’ve created a fun printable you can print, laminate, and get wet. Print one copy of each of the shape pages (one page has shape names, the other doesn’t), two copies of both the numbers and letters. Cut one page apart and leave the other intact. 

More Outside Fun

Have you ever made sponge bombs with your kids? If not, check out the super simple tutorial below and get ready for an amazing afternoon of summer fun!  If you want your kids to get off the couch, be more active, and get outside, don’t miss these tips for getting kids outside this summer. Take Family Game Night to a whole new level with these DIY backyard games the whole family can enjoy including croquet, tetherball, ring toss, and more!
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