With summer approaching, many of our little ones are about to embark on a big adventure: starting school! It’s a time of excitement and curiosity, but also maybe a few butterflies in their tummies. As childcare providers, we can be a fantastic support system, making this transition smooth and joyful for both children and families.
Minding Kids’ Supporting School Readiness guide provides practical tips and resources to get your little learners prepared for the social, emotional, and academic demands of school.
Let’s add some extra fun to the mix and explore engaging activities that make learning a blast!
🤝Easing the Transition:
- Story Time with Puppets: Make simple sock puppets of familiar characters. Read stories about school experiences, but with a twist! Let the children act out the scenarios with the puppets. This helps them process emotions and visualise themselves in school.
- “School Pretend Play”: Set up a pretend classroom corner with desks, chairs, and safe school supplies. Let children take turns being the teacher and students, practicing routines like lining up and following instructions. They can even create a “morning meeting” to share news and feelings, just like a real classroom!
👍🏽Building Independence:
- “Lunchbox Challenge”: Pack a pretend lunchbox with reusable containers of different shapes and sizes. Time children as they practice opening and closing them, identifying food items by sight and touch, and putting things away neatly. A playful race against the clock adds a fun twist!
- “Dress Up Relay”: Spread out different clothing items on a table, focusing on easy-to-put-on clothes like socks, pants, and shirts. Divide children into teams and have them race to put on specific items designated for each leg of the relay. This builds dexterity and independence in a fun, social way.
🧑🤝🧑Developing Social Skills:
- Cooperative Games: Games like “Simon Says” or “Duck, Duck, Goose” are classics for a reason! They encourage turn-taking, listening, and following instructions, all in a fun and active way.
- “Feelings Charades”: Act out different emotions like happy, sad, or frustrated without talking. Have other children guess the feeling and discuss situations where they might experience those emotions. This helps children identify and understand their own emotions, as well as those of others.
💖Fostering a Love of Learning:
- “Nature Scavenger Hunt”: Take a nature walk and create a list of things to find, categorised by size (big rock, tiny leaf) or colour (red ladybug, yellow flower). This incorporates counting and observation skills while getting some fresh air!
- Sensory Play with Letters and Numbers: Write letters or numbers in shaving cream on a tray. Let the children trace them with their fingers, explore the texture, and say the sounds or numbers out loud. This multi-sensory experience helps with letter/number recognition and fine motor skills.
🧱Building a Strong Foundation:
- Playdough Fun: Use playdough to mould different shapes – balls, squares, triangles. Talk about the names of the shapes and encourage children to build objects with them. This activity strengthens hand muscles and introduces basic geometric concepts.
- Number Detectives: Turn everyday routines into learning opportunities! Point out numbers in everyday situations – stairs to climb, apples on a tree, pages in a book. Children can practice counting and recognising written numbers.
Remember, a positive and playful approach is key! By incorporating these activities, we can make starting school a joyful and successful experience for all children.
Don’t forget to check out our Supporting School Readiness guide for even more ideas and resources!
🏫Looking to Plan and Organise Learning for the Entire Academic Year?
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