preschool homework ideas

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75 Awesome Preschool Activities

When planning learning activities for preschoolers, it isn’t one size fits all! Preschool teachers and parents like yourself need to have preschool activities for lesson plans that are easy for young students to understand, many who are not yet reading, and are FUN! Here are some simple and playful preschool activities your preschoolers will love!

How To Make Preschool Fun

Your time is limited, so your preschool activities for the school year and beyond must be easy to set up and provide valuable learning experiences for the youngest students.

Create a lifelong love of learning with these simple preschool learning activities! We have made it easy for you and divided the activities into STEM, including science and math, art, and literacy. Plus, you’ll find plenty of sensory-rich experiences.

Making preschool fun for kids involves engaging their curiosity, creativity, and natural desire to learn through play and exploration. Here are some easy tips to make preschool a delightful and enjoyable experience for young children:

1. Create a Colorful Environment

Use bright and cheerful colors in the classroom. Decorate walls with educational posters, art, and children’s work to create an inviting atmosphere. Colorful preschool art is fun to display!

2. Hands-On Activities

Incorporate hands-on activities like painting, crafting, building with blocks, playing with playdough, simple science activities or engineering projects, and sensory bins. These activities stimulate creativity and fine motor skills.

4. Thematic Learning

Plan lessons around fun themes like animals, seasons, outer space, or community helpers. This approach keeps children engaged and excited about learning.

5. Read Books

Regularly read aloud to kids. Use expressive voices and props to bring stories to life. Add books to different thematic units. Check out these preschool book activities.

6. Outdoor Play

Outdoor playtime is essential. Set up a safe and stimulating outdoor play area where children can run, jump, and explore nature. This helps develop gross motor skills and a connection to the environment. See our fun exercises for preschoolers.

What Is Playful Learning?

We have found many fun ways for kids to play and learn together! Playful learning is about creating joy, wonder, and curiosity. Developing this sense of joy and wonder starts at a young age, and adults are a big part of that.

Set up invitations to discover and explore!

• This fosters a huge sense of success in young learners when they make a new discovery. Undoubtedly, they will want to show it to you repeatedly.
• Many early foundations in literacy, science, and mathematics can be achieved through play instead of worksheets.
• Learning activities improve social skills and aid language development.

Set up preschool Science Centers for different themes and let the kids explore a new theme every 1-2 weeks! We have printable packs to help you get started.

Kids love to share what they are doing with you. If you listen and ask questions, they will too! If you encourage them to think about an idea, you will be amazed at what they can develop.

Questions you can ask…

• What do you think will happen if…
• What is happening…
• What do you see, hear, smell, feel…
• What else can we test or explore?

75 Hands-on Preschool Activities

Never run out of ideas for fun preschool activities at home or in the classroom. What do preschoolers learn? They learn about the world around them!

Sensory Bins

Sensory bins are a popular choice for sensory play in preschool! You can easily pair them with different themes or books to create a sensory-rich learning experience. Try one of these sensory bin ideas or create your own!

You can learn how to assemble a sensory bin, the best sensory bin fillers, including non-food fillers, and how to clean up the mess with our How to Sensory Bin Guide.

• Pumpkin Sensory Bin
• Apple Sensory Bin
• Tropical Summer Sensory Bin
• Dinosaur Sensory Bin
• Butterfly Sensory Bin
• Ocean Sensory Bin
• Dr Seuss Sensory Bin
• Spring Sensory Bin
• Garden Sensory Bin
• Rainbow Sensory Bin
• Space Sensory Bin
• Winter Sensory Bin

Sensory Activities

Besides sensory bins, kids can also explore a variety of tactile play materials and sensory play recipes that are on the messier side!

• Rainbow Spaghetti
• Kinetic Sand
• Cloud Dough

Playdough Activities

Engage your preschoolers in learning with our free printable playdough mats you can download! From weather, rainbows, flowers, bugs, and more, playdough mats are an excellent activity for improving fine motor skills, language development, as well as awesome sensory play for young kids.

Make up a batch of our favorite no cook playdough , or try one of these fun playdough recipes ! Kool-aid playdough, Jello playdough, fairy dough, super soft dough and more. Then pair it with one of these playdough mats below!

• Bug Playdough Mat
• Shape Playdough Mat
• Rainbow Playdough Mat
• Recycling Playdough Mat
• In the Garden Playdough Mats
• Weather Playdough Mats
• Flower Playdough Mat

Science Activities

We love playful hands-on science activities around here. Preschool science offers room for play and exploration without adult-led directions. Kids will naturally start to pick up the simple science concepts presented just by having fun conversations with you!

Below is a list of fantastic preschool activities and themes introducing chemistry, physics, earth science, and biology!

• Explore Shadows and Light
• Friction and Forces
• Bridge Building and Community Helpers
• Nature Exploration
• All About Me Collage
• 5 Senses Sensory Station
• 5 Senses What’s Inside Game
• 5 Senses Taste Test
• Baking Soda Science
• Seeds and Plants
• Weather Fun
• Sink or Float
• Dinosaur Fossils
• Is It Magnetic?
• Four Seasons Activities

Math Activities

Preschool math focuses on introducing young children to fundamental mathematical concepts in a playful and hands-on manner. The goal is to build a strong foundation for later mathematical learning by making math engaging, relatable, and fun.

Early math skills start with lots of playful opportunities that don’t have to be extensively planned ahead of time. Check out these simple preschool activity ideas using everyday items.

Read more about Preschool Math Concepts and Activities here. Our Preschool “I Can Explore Math” pack is done for you!

• Counting 1-10
• Snap cubes number recognition
• Transportation number mats and game
• Number pattern blocks
• Art with shapes
• Gingerbread I Spy Number Mats

Printable Math Games

Our printable board game pack is a fantastic opportunity to give it a try! Add a single die to the game. When kids roll and count spaces, they are having fun working on counting and one-to-one correspondence (as well as turn-taking).

Try a free Roll a Reptile game to get started (add your own die for math play).

Art Projects

Preschoolers need the freedom to explore and experiment. Art allows children to practice a wide range of skills that are useful not only for life but also for learning.

• Blow Painting with Straws
• Bubble Painting
• Cinnamon Salt Dough
• Corn Painting
• Finger Painting
• Fly Swatter Painting
• Edible Paint
• Handprint Flowers
• Ice Cube Art
• Magnet Painting
• Painting with Marbles
• Rainbow In A Bag
• Salt Painting
• Splatter Painting

Looking for more fun and easy preschool art ideas? Check out our process art activities , famous artists for kids as well as these easy homemade paint recipes .

Printable Preschool STEM Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle !

What’s Included:

There are 12 fun preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series! This is also a growing bundle. Buy it now and receive all future updates!

Includes: Math, science, shapes, 5 senses, all about me, fall, apples, pumpkins, farm, winter, and more!

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates  as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost, and book suggestions add to the learning time. 

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fun & meaningful learning every day

THE Best Way to Handle Kindergarten and Preschool Homework

Shared by Mary Catherine 30 Comments

Learn how to create a meaningful preschool homework plan for your students using a homework calendar. Be sure to check out the rest of my free preschool printables next!

Below I’ll share how to incorporate a preschool homework calendar into your plans. These homework activities are perfect for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students.

Be sure to note that this isn’t a “traditional” homework plan. Not by a longshot! Instead, it’s focused on hands-on, age-appropriate activities (rather than inappropriate worksheets and such).

“Miss Mary Catherine, what about homework? Her brothers have homework most nights, and I could really use some help in that department.”

Questions like this one aren’t unusual at preschool and kindergarten Back-to-School Nights or Meet the Teacher gatherings. At least not for me.

Parents want the best when it comes to their children’s education, and it’s often assumed homework is an integral part of that.

But early childhood educators want to do what’s developmentally appropriate and best for their students – and research has shown that traditional homework doesn’t fit into that. So how to do we merge each of these viewpoints?

Table of Contents

Do We Really Need Preschool Homework?

As I mentioned above, I’ve noticed that many parents ask about homework. I think some people assume school and homework go hand-in-hand. I’m referring here to the traditional view of homework, with kids sitting down at the kitchen table to fill out pages and pages of worksheets.

I’m inclined to disagree with that, especially when it comes to early childhood students. Young kids need hands-on learning experiences , both at home and at school, to grasp important early learning concepts. I most definitely don’t think the traditional worksheet homework is appropriate for young kids.

Listening to books read by their parents, free play time at home, and maybe some additional hands-on learning activities are more along the lines of the kind of homework I recommend.

The BEST Way to Handle Kindergarten and Preschool Homework

So we’ve established that sit down, pencil to paper homework isn’t that great for preschool and kindergarten. How, then, should homework be handled?

My suggestion: create a preschool homework plan centered around monthly activity calendars.

Explain the research to the parents, and have a quick chat about developmentally appropriate practice . Stress the importance of down time after school, and encourage daily reading snuggled up with the kids.

At this point, parents might still want something more. That’s where the homework calendars come in.

Kindergarten and Preschool Homework Calendars

The printable homework calendars I’ve sent home are definitely not preschool worksheets . They include a variety of tasks that kids can do – sometimes with their families, and sometimes on their own. My goal is for my students, and their parents, to see how learning can take place in a wide variety of ways. Additionally, kiddos with older siblings love having their own “homework” to complete like their big brother or sister.

To put together homework calendars for your students, brainstorm ideas that cover topics such as:

• Fine motor skills
• Gross motor skills
• Helping others
• Self-help skills

Try to keep the daily activities simple, with some ideas the kids can do on their own and some they can try with their parents or siblings. Some of the calendar ideas can relate to your preschool themes , seasons or holidays, or everyday helping tasks.

These homework calendars can go home in their personalized folders at the beginning of the month, with the kids returning them at the end of the month. They can also just be used as suggestions when parents ask about homework for preschool kiddos.

Preschool Homework Ideas

As I mentioned earlier, using monthly calendars for preschool homework is NOT like traditional paper-and-pencil homework. The calendars are meant to be filled with developmentally-appropriate activities kids can do at home.

If you need some ideas to add to the calendars, here you go:

• Go for a walk outside and count the trees.
• Tell your family about what you did on the playground today.
• Listen to a family member read a book.
• Try to do 5 jumping jacks.
• Draw a picture of your favorite animal.
• Sing a song to your family.

As you can see, these are simple and very appropriate activities for young children. And none of them are focused on tracing the number 1 twenty times.

I’d love to hear your thoughts now! How do you handle preschool homework (or kindergarten homework)?

A Year’s Worth of Preschool Homework Calendars

I’m so excited to share with you how you can get a hold of the rest of the calendars now! I’ve received a lot of wonderful emails asking for an entire year’s worth of calendars. Thanks so much for reaching out – I love hearing from you!

So here it is – a full year’s worth of editable homework calendars. It’s a set that includes homework calendars for every month of the year. Each calendar is an editable printable, and there are three versions:

• One has seasonal clip art,
• One has non-seasonal clip art, and
• One doesn’t have any clip art. Each month has a version that’s already full of activity ideas, along with a blank version (but you’re able to edit every single version).

Click on the image below to get your own set of preschool or kindergarten homework calendars from Preschool Teacher101:

Be sure to join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101’s waiting list . Members get access to all we have to offer – fully-developed lesson plans, digital games, dramatic play packs, circle time song activities, STEM challenges, and so much more!

Free Printable Preschool Homework Calendar

I’m happy to share one of my homework calendars with you. It’s even editable! That way, teachers (and parents!) can put their own spin on the homework.

How to Use the Activity Calendar

Grab the September homework calendar PDF and open it up. Click on any of the editable areas and make your own changes. You can change:

• The directions at the top of the calendar
• The date (just the number)
• Each of the homework tasks within the squares

Then print out the calendar and share with your students’ parents. You’re welcome to leave everything the way I’ve written it too. That’s what I am loving about editable PDFs – the flexibility of customizing documents.

Take a look at the homework calendars in action in the video below:

Get the Free Printable

This free printable preschool homework calendar is available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community . If you’re a member, fill out the form below and the download links will be sent to your inbox. If you’re not a member, you can join us by entering your information in the form. Then you’ll receive the printable as a welcome gift!

You can also access the form in a new tab if you’d prefer.

Supplies to Keep at Home

Our homework calendars have some great examples of short learning prompts to give to challenge your children with. On top of those prompts, I think it’s really important to spend quality time playing with your children each day as well.

But it can be difficult to bring out our-inner child to play with our actual child. That’s why I’ve created this list of some things to play with your kids. Check it out below!

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

• Build with blocks
• Play with toy vehicles
• Pretend play with various play sets
• Play dress up with costumes and masks
• Work a puzzle
• Play age-appropriate games with the whole family
• Bounce, throw, and kick playground balls back and forth
• Color in coloring books or draw pictures
• Read stories
• Draw with sidewalk chalk
• Create crafts
• Let your child decide!

Just follow your child’s lead and the two of you are sure to have a blast! Remember – your child will cherish any time you spend with them. They’ll cherish that quality time even more when you’re investing in them and doing something they love. So don’t worry about embarrassing yourself or looking silly. In my book, the sillier – the better!

Originally published August 8, 2016

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August 8, 2016 at 10:52 pm

What a great idea and the clip art- so cute! I could definitely use this with my little ones!

August 9, 2016 at 12:39 am

Thanks so much, Dana!

August 9, 2016 at 9:27 am

will you have the rest of the months available? this is good!

August 9, 2016 at 10:46 am

Thanks so much, Mary! I’ll be working on the rest of the months soon, yes. Glad you like it. 🙂

August 9, 2016 at 5:21 pm

I would love to win this CD! I am a preschool teacher and would use it for my class. 🙂

August 9, 2016 at 6:39 pm

Wonderful, Stephanie! It’s pretty awesome. 🙂

August 9, 2016 at 7:01 pm

Thank you so much. This calendar is perfect for “homework.” I’d love to buy the rest of your calendars, if you chose to create them!

August 9, 2016 at 9:19 pm

You’re so sweet, thanks Christina! I’ll be working on the rest of the calendars soon! 🙂

August 11, 2016 at 8:48 am

What an awesome calendar and a fun way for “homework” I would use the CD for my preschool room!

August 11, 2016 at 5:00 pm

Thanks, Olivia. 🙂

August 11, 2016 at 2:08 pm

As a kindergarten teacher that is reticent to give “homework,” this calendar is perfect! I can’t wait to utilize it and to see the future months.

I love making different signs and worksheets for my classroom to make things cute and bright and the Kiddlywinks CD would be perfect! No more searching! Thanks so much!

August 11, 2016 at 5:01 pm

Thanks, Maegan! It is a pretty versatile clip art collection! 🙂

August 11, 2016 at 11:33 pm

What a great idea. This is my kind of homework!

August 12, 2016 at 10:02 am

Thanks so much, Danielle!! 🙂

August 12, 2016 at 1:24 pm

Great giveaway! I would love to win and use for these for creating printable for my Homeschooling students.

August 13, 2016 at 9:51 am

Thanks, Jenny! 🙂

August 25, 2016 at 8:21 am

I would love to have the kidillywinks CD for newsletters and preschool activities. I love all of DJ Inkers ciparts and fonts! This CD has some really cute things! Thank you for the homework calendar!

August 26, 2016 at 10:36 pm

Glad you liked it! 🙂

September 19, 2016 at 2:30 pm

Hi!! I really like this calendar! Do you have the rest of the months? I have parent’s who WANT their children to have homework. So I have been looking for easy things to “assign” my 3s. Your calendar is PERFECT!!

September 22, 2016 at 12:11 pm

Thanks, Mary! 🙂 Yes, that’s part of why I started setting up homework too – parents and kiddos who want it coming home. I just updated this post so it has links to where to find the year’s worth of homework calendars , along with where to check out the Preschool Teacher 101 community .

September 19, 2016 at 3:19 pm

I absolutely love this Calendar and want to start using it with my preschool class. I look forward to seeing the other month Calendars that you create! Thank you so much for this!!! It’s such a great way to get the parents more involved.

September 22, 2016 at 12:09 pm

I’m so glad that you like the calendar, Sarah! I just updated this post with the information about where to grab the year’s worth of calendars –> Here at Preschool Teacher 101’s shop . I’d also love for you to check out the resource of Preschool Teacher 101 here .

September 24, 2016 at 9:51 am

Hi Mary Catherine! Love your blog! What a lovely job you’ve done. Was hoping to print out the calendar for use at home, but when I click the link it’s a blank template. Is there another link for the filled out version? Thanks so much and looking forward to following you! 🙂

September 24, 2016 at 8:35 pm

So glad you stopped by Fun-A-Day! 🙂 Here’s the direct link to the printable – https://fun-a-day.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Sept-Cal.pdf . It should pop up as a PDF with the ideas already in there (although you’d be able to edit it). Click in a box to change up the text if you’d like to. 🙂

September 27, 2016 at 1:51 pm

I want to buy your homework calendars but can’t figure out out to purchase them. I am able to put them in a cart but that is all. Do I have to purchase a membership in order to buy them?

September 28, 2016 at 10:41 pm

No, you don’t have to become a member to get the calendars. Once you’ve clicked “Add to Cart”, select “View Cart”. Then click on “proceed to checkout” and enter all the details regarding billing. If you are doing those steps and it is still not working please let me know specifically where you are having trouble, so I can help. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the calendars! 🙂

July 31, 2017 at 5:06 am

Any early childhood teacher that has had child development knows that that kind of pressure on young children is not age appropriate. I would not put recommend a preschool or kindergarten that required their students to do real homework.

I have sent home games that children really like and want to share with parents. I have also suggested games and activities that parents can do with their child to help develop a skill but I always emphasized the need to be careful not to force a child to do an activity.

July 31, 2017 at 11:21 am

Love your ideas! That’s why I like the activity calendars – suggestions for families but no stress if it gets done or not. Definitely no traditional homework (I honestly don’t like it for elementary school either).

September 29, 2022 at 11:12 am

How can I get October- May homework calendars? I will pay for them if you have them for sale on your site. I love your philosophy about hands-on age appropriate activities to foster the love of learning.

October 4, 2022 at 9:49 am

Hi Kristen! You can get an entire year’s worth in our Preschool Teacher 101 shop here . They’re all editable and come with variations for you to choose from. Thanks so much for the kind words! That’s exactly what these are meant to be – hands-on activities that encourage kids and families.

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125 Free Pre-K and Kindergarten Printable Worksheets

Most Pre-K or Kindergarten teachers will agree that not all free printables are created equal. Today I’m sharing more than 125 of my favorite free pre k and kindergarten worksheets from Pre-K Pages!

Visitors are always asking me if I have printables for certain themes or topics and my answer is usually “somewhere.” Now you no longer have to hunt for all of the best freebies, you can find them right here in one convenient place.

125 FREE PRE-K & kindergarten printable WORKSHEETS

But having free printables is only half the battle, you also need to print them. It’s just like washing your car, you can almost guarantee it will rain afterwards. The same is true for printing, as soon as you hit the “print” button you’ll get that dreaded message that your ink is empty or running low.

That’s why I’m teaming up with HP to tell you all about my absolute all-time favorite printer, the HP Envy 5540 wireless all-in-one printer . This printer is Instant Ink compatible, which means it automatically knows when your ink is running low and ships more ink directly to you! How cool is that?

Not sure why you want or need Instant Ink in your life? I explain it all HERE !

Free Printable Bingo Games

Whatever theme you are currently teaching in your pre-k classroom, it’s always fun to have a game for your students to engage in. And these free bingo game printables will help accompany your lessons.

• Bug Bingo Game
• Christmas Bingo Game
• Community Helper Bingo Game
• Dinosaur Bingo Game
• Easter Bingo Game
• Fire Safety Bingo Game
• Halloween Bingo Game
• Pond Bingo Game
• St. Patrick’s Day Bingo Game
• Thanksgiving Bingo Game
• Transportation Bingo Game
• Valentine Bingo Game
• Western Bingo Game
• Winter Bingo Game
• Zoo Bingo Game

Free Math and Counting Pre K Worksheets

All of these math and counting worksheets are perfect to use in your preschool and kindergarten classroom throughout the year! Any one of these counting printables would be a great accompaniment to one of these counting activities .

• Counting Book
• Christmas Counting Mats
• Gingerbread Counting Mats
• Halloween Counting Mats
• Fire Safety Counting Mats
• St. Patrick’s Day Counting Mats
• Thanksgiving Counting Mats
• Valentine Counting Mats
• Winter Counting Mats
• Apple Counting Book

Free Christmas Pre K Worksheets

These printables would be a fun addition to your Christmas theme in your pre-k and kindergarten classroom.

• Cookies for Santa Letter
• Christmas – You’ve Been Jingled Printable
• Christmas Gross Motor Game
• Christmas I-Spy Literacy Activity
• Christmas Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell Printable
• Christmas Reindeer Roll ‘N Stamp
• Christmas Rudolph 1:1 Grid Game
• Christmas Treat Bag Toppers
• Christmas Tree Math Printable

Free Dramatic Play Pre K Worksheets

After you have set up your dramatic play center in your pre-k classroom, then these dramatic play printables are a perfect addition to your center. And be sure to use one of these dramatic play ideas when looking for a theme for your dramatic play center.

• Animal Shelter Dramatic Play (and Service Learning Project)
• Ice Cream Toppings Signs
• Pet Tags for Vet Clinic Dramatic Play
• Pizza Restaurant Placemat
• Pizza Shop Employee of the Day
• Thanksgiving Feast
• Chinese Restaurant Takeout Labels
• Christmas Elf of the Day Printable for Dramatic Play
• Space Theme Meet the Crew Poster
• Pumpkin Spice Labels
• Printable Dramatic Play Center Labels
• Dramatic Play Punch Cards

Free Easter Preschool Printables

When it’s Easter time, then one of these preschool printables will accompany any Easter activities you choose to have your pre-k and kindergarten students engage in.

• Easter – Bunny Says Game
• Easter – Where’s Peter Rabbit Positional Words Game
• Easter – Fun Bunny Listening Game
• Easter – Oviparous Egg Hunt
• Easter Treat Bag Topper
• Easter Visual Discrimination

Free Fairy Tale Pre K Worksheets

• Gingerbread House Directions
• Gingerbread Man Character T-Chart
• Gingerbread Visual Discrimination
• Goldilocks Word Cards
• Jack and the Beanstalk Character T-Chart
• Jack and the Beanstalk More or Less Printable
• Jack and the Beanstalk Roll Say and Write
• Little Red Hen Comprehension Activity
• Little Red Hen English Muffin Pizza Recipe
• Little Red Hen Sequencing Activity
• Little Red Hen Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
• Little Red Riding Hood Comprehension T-Chart
• Three Little Pigs Class Book
• Gingerbread Man Science Experiment Data Collection Sheet

Free Fire Safety Printables

Teaching about fire safety is an important topic to cover in your pre-k and kindergarten classroom, and one subject that your students will love learning about. And these fun worksheets will help reinforce the fire safety activities lessons you are teaching.

• Fire Engine Alphabet Clothespin Activity
• Fire Safety Hot Cold Classification
• Fire Safety Scavenger Hunt
• Fire Safety Stop, Drop, and Roll Sequence
• Fire Truck Counting Game

Free Graduation Printables

When celebrating the end of the year, and your pre-k and kindergarten graduations then one of these graduation printables will help make the day the best one every for your students!

• End of the Year/Graduation Printable Sand Bucket Tags
• End of the Year/Graduation Printable Seed Packets
• End of the Year/Graduation Printable Treat Bag Topper
• Summer Activity Bingo

Free Halloween Printables

Halloween is always a much celebrated and anticipated holiday for your pre-k and kindergarten students. Any of these Halloween worksheets will be a great accompaniment to your Halloween activities in your classroom.

• Halloween – 5 Little Pumpkin Play Dough Mats
• Halloween Healthy Treat Toppers
• Halloween I-Spy Literacy Activity
• Halloween Positional Word Book
• Halloween S’More Treat Toppers
• Halloween Visual Discrimination
• Halloween You’ve Been Booed Sign
• Pumpkin Sensory Bag I-Spy Printable

Free Nursery Rhyme Printables

When reading nursery rhymes to your pre-k and kindergarten students, you might like to accompany your reading with one of these nursery rhyme printables.

• Nursery Rhyme Fluency Sticks
• Nursery Rhyme Number Cube
• Nursery Rhyme Bingo
• Nursery Rhyme Certificate
• Nursery Rhyme Diploma
• Nursery Rhyme Tracking Chart
• Nursery Rhyme Notebook Cover
• Nursery Rhyme Four Corners Game

Free Party Planning Printables

• Birthday Bag Labels
• Christmas/Winter Party Planning Guide
• Easter Classroom Party Planning Guide
• Halloween Class Party Planning Guide
• Valentine Classroom Party Planning Guide

Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables

If celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in your pre-k and kindergarten students then one of these worksheets will be a great accompaniment to your St. Patrick’s Day activities in your classroom.

• St. Patrick’s Day Number Hunt
• St. Patrick’s Day Syllable Activity
• St. Patrick’s I-Spy Printable

Free Thanksgiving Printables

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to teach in your pre-k and kindergarten students then one of these worksheets will be a great accompaniment to your Thanksgiving day activities in your classroom.

• Thanksgiving Old Lady Emergent Reader
• Thanksgiving Race to the Top
• Thanksgiving Turkey ABC Clothespin Game
• Thanksgiving Turkey Body Thanksgiving Turkey Positional Words Book
• Thanksgiving Visual Discr mination
• Pumpkin Pie in a Cup

Free Valentine Printables

In addition to these free Valentine’s Day printable to celebrate the holiday to teach in your pre-k and kindergarten students, one of these Valentine’s Day ideas will be perfect to use in your classroom.

• Valentine Beginning Sounds Game
• Valentine From Your Teacher Card
• Valentine Heart Syllable Activity
• Valentine Heart Valentine Visual Discrimination
• Valentine Treat Bag Toppers

Free Winter Printables

When it’s winter outside, integrating these printables into your winter themed classroom will help bring the season alive!

• Winter – The Mitten Characters Classification
• Winter – The Snowy Day Pocket Chart Activity
• Winter Hot Chocolate Picture Recipe
• Winter Mitten Visual Discrimination
• Winter Snowman Listening Game
• Winter Snowman Treat Bag Topper

More Free Pre K Worksheets

• Trailblazer: Pre-K Curriculum Planning Guide
• Dinosaur Fossil Checklist
• Mother’s Day Sugar Scrub Labels
• Apple Visual Discrimination
• Fall Harvest I-Spy Literacy Activity
• Farm – Where is the Cow? Book
• Pet Supply Scavenger Hunt
• Play Dough “I Can” Task Cards
• Printable Play Dough Recipe
• Alphabet Puppy Chow
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Recording Sheet
• Bag Quilt Swat the Bugs Cards
• Alphabet Soup
• Alphabet Wikki Stix Cards
• 3D Shape Songs
• Insect Classification Activity

Disclosure of material connection: This blog may receive some form of compensation for sharing this information with you. Pre-K Pages only recommends products or services we believe will be helpful to our readers.

8 thoughts on “125 Free Pre-K and Kindergarten Printable Worksheets”

Thank you for this treasure of printables !!! You are helping out so many by sharing !!

Thanks again, Donna

Vanessa its an exhaust yet an exciting list of activities!! Thank you so much for this gesture. Love the ideas and the printable sheets.

It was long process to download all the free printables, but well worth it. Thank you so much for all the wonderful printables, I can’t wait to use them with my son.

You are so inspiring and kind. Thank you for helping us to be better with amazing sources and advice. Love these printables.

THANK YOU!!!! you are so nice by sharing all the resources! Have a GREAT DAY!!

Can you put me on the waiting list – Teaching Tribe

Hi Marybeth, you can add your name to the Teaching Tribe waiting list here: https://www.pre-kpages.com/the-teaching-tribe/

Thank you so much for all these free printables. I will have a lot to do with the kids of my home daycare !

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This Reading Mama

20+ FREE Learning Packs for Preschool and Kindergarten

By thisreadingmama 23 Comments

I am over the moon excited to gather all of my learning packs for preschool and kindergarten into ONE SPOT, making them easy to find and access when you need them!

Looking for more free resources for teaching preschool? Here are ALL our Preschool Printables !

*This post contains affiliate links .

Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Activities

My goal in creating these packs is three-fold: 1- developmentally appropriate, 2- hands-on, and 3- FUN. The activities you will find in each pack are the same kinds of activities from Reading the Alphabet , a free 31-week reading curriculum for emergent readers.

In each pack, you’ll find:

• emergent readers (many packs have more than one) with predictable text and supporting images
• syllable counting and identification within words
• rhyming activities
• beginning letter sound matching 
• print awareness concepts
• tracing activities
• lacing cards (great for fine motor)
• cutting and scissor practice
• making patterns
• number identification (for 1-20)
• counting (by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s)
• beginning addition mats  (with manipulatives)
• a craft related to the topic
• some packs include concept sorts for science or social studies objectives, too!
• recommended read aloud texts to accompany each pack

The important thing to note about these packs is that many of the activities are tiered, meaning if you are teaching the same child two years in a row, the activities can grow with him/her from one year to the next!

The activities are not meant to be static pages, but pages that kids can cut out, glue, read, stamp, cover up, or manipulate in some way. Think HANDS-ON.

Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Packs

Click on any of the images below to view and/or download the packs. Feel free to pin any of them for later, too!

FALL Learning Packs

WINTER Learning Packs

SPRING Learning Packs

SUMMER Learning Packs

Find ALL our Preschool Printables !

Enjoy teaching! ~Becky

Want MORE Free Teaching Resources?

Subscribe to my newsletter to get exclusive hands-on activities and printables delivered right to your inbox!

Join thousands of other subscribers to get hands-on activities and printables delivered right to your inbox!

November 10, 2014 at 5:34 am

It is always so neat to see the packs all together!

November 10, 2014 at 1:20 pm

Thanks. I think it helps me to find them all, too. 😉

March 17, 2020 at 6:29 pm

Is there any way you could print them and send them to me I have a kindergartner who is out of school for 3 weeks due to the school closing for the corona virus

March 23, 2020 at 7:02 am

Hi Sallie, I know this is a crazy time. I’m not able to print and mail things from my site to readers. I just don’t have the time or resources to do that. I’m sorry.

September 24, 2015 at 11:23 am

I am so grateful for you being willing to share your talents!!! You’ve done an amazing job!!

September 24, 2015 at 11:53 am

Thank you so much, Caroline! 🙂

May 17, 2016 at 1:04 pm

I have just absolutely loved using resources from your website not only with my first grade classroom but also with my two year old. It’s so amazing to find such a great hands on resource from someone who is willing to share a lot for free!! I was wondering if you have already created, or might create in the future, an interactive math notebook? I have been searching for one and just can’t find one I’m sold on yet. I figured if you had one I would probably love it!!!!! Thanks, Dana 🙂

May 17, 2016 at 1:31 pm

I don’t, but it’s on my goal list! 🙂 Thanks for the sweet comments!

September 7, 2016 at 3:10 pm

These are AMAZING! I have had your site pinned for a while but had not looked at it. I cannot wait to use these in my small reading groups! Thank you SO much!

September 7, 2016 at 3:13 pm

You’re welcome! I’m glad you can use them. 🙂

February 18, 2017 at 8:18 pm

Have you ever thought of writting a lsson plan for Prek using your learning packs? I teach in a preschool and that would really save so much time. Just wondering if you might have something like that available. Thank you

February 20, 2017 at 5:55 am

I honestly have not thought of creating a lesson plan/scope & sequence, but could put that on my “to-make” list for one day.

May 26, 2021 at 7:31 am

Your work has been so helpful to my family. I can’t thank you enough.

May 12, 2022 at 2:18 pm

Glad to hear!

April 17, 2018 at 11:20 am

I so happy I found your website I was looking for something to start using with my 3 year daugther and 4 year old goddaugther. You are so talented and thank you so much for sharing all these packets so that it makes it much easier to get our kids ready for school.

April 17, 2018 at 6:17 pm

I’m just thankful and feeling blessed that you can use them!! 🙂

May 28, 2019 at 4:11 am

I love these resources! I have worked in South-East Asia doing teacher training for the last 7 years and I have helped start a school for children who have been orphaned or abandoned as well as the surrounding community. We don’t have a large budget but I would love to be able to share your curriculum sets with our teachers. They have been on my TPT wish list for a few years now but our budget has been really tight. I know this is a strange question but is there any chance I could get a discount or access to them for the purpose of teacher training? If you would like to know more about the schools I work closely with, please email me. Thanks for sharing all these resources for free – now its time to take a few hours to download them all!

He is faithful. He provides.

May 28, 2019 at 2:01 pm

I run sales several times a year on various products from my shop, so if you are a subscriber, you’ll know when those happen. As far as the 3 curricula I have, I do have lots of freebies from them. In case you don’t have the exact URL, you can find them at these links:

1. Learning the Alphabet freebies: https://thisreadingmama.com/free-abc-printable-packs/ 2. Reading the Alphabet freebies: https://thisreadingmama.com/free-reading-curriculum/reading-the-alphabet-prek-curriculum/ 3. Learn to Read freebies: https://thisreadingmama.com/free-word-family-books-short-vowels/

Hope that helps some!

March 17, 2020 at 8:46 pm

Thank you so Much this is going to help us on the upcoming day. be blessed ❤️

You’re welcome! 🙂

October 26, 2020 at 9:02 pm

Thank you so Much 11 activity book prek free https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ebook-Activities/Price-Range/Free

[…] Reading Mama has 20+ FREE Preschool and K learning packs. Each of these packs […]

[…] https://thisreadingmama.com/preschool-kindergarten-free-learning-packs […]

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25 Phenomenal (& Free) Preschool Homeschool Resources for Activities and Printables

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Is homeschooling your preschooler in your future – either by choice or necessity? Preschoolers are at such a fun age and are so open to learning! But teaching them is a lot different than traditional education. If you need help homeschooling your preschooler, here are 25 outstanding resources for lesson plans, activities, crafts, games, videos, printables – and all are FREE . Keep reading to check them out!

The Magic of a Preschool Child

When my twin boys were babies – it was magic. Even though it was tiring and a lot of work, I felt like I was living in this sparkly bubble of motherhood, where every stage was better than the last.

Then came toddlerhood.

Probably starting at about 18 months, my boys tested every level of grit I had (or thought I had). They were so darn cute and so fun to watch develop, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t begging God patiently waiting for that phase to pass.

Then they turned 4.

Oh my goodness, it was like we all got a fresh start in life. It could be that 3 was extra crazy – you know, something like picking up our whole lives in New York and starting over in Tennessee. That might have had something to do with it.

Or that things started to click when they started preschool at almost 4 years old.

But let me tell you, I LOVE this stage. It has its challenges, but instead of praying time would speed up, I’m begging it to slow down a little. Their sweetness and innocence and cleverness and affection. Oh my word. Please make time stop.

The Gift of a Quality Preschool Education

My boys are in a preschool they love. I mean, love . They always ask if today is a school day.We sort of hit the jackpot on that by accident. I knew nothing about the school when we enrolled  – just that it came up on a cold Google search, it was the cheapest to send 2 children to and they had a mid-year opening for both.

But we truly lucked out. And as it turned out, it’s a learn through play program. Lots of hands-on learning. No worksheets, but everything to get ready for kindergarten next year.

Enter the Quarantine

So here we are. Our schools are on a 2-week spring break, so I knew I’d be home with the boys. However, our schools are officially closed until the end of the month, and it could possibly be another 2 weeks after that.

While I felt zero pressure to homeschool during our break, if we are going to be out of school for a little longer, well, homeschool is definitely on the table.

I was a high school English teacher for 15 years before I had my sons, so I’m no stranger to education. But there are reasons I chose to teach the big kids and not the little kids. And to be honest, I’ve never had any desire to homeschool.

Well, it seems like we are all sort of left with no choice but to homeschool for a while. And I’m definitely going to need some help.

Resources for Homeschooling Preschoolers

I’ve seen so many great homeschool resources on Pinterest and on Facebook. And a lot of preschool material too. But a lot of what I’ve seen is mixed in with K-6 or K-12. I thought it would be helpful to have quality preschool homeschool material at my fingertips, not mixed in with the rest. And did I say ‘ free ‘?

And I thought it might help you, too.

25 Phenomenal (& Free) Preschool Homeschool Resources for Activities and Preschool

We all know that teaching preschoolers is a lot different than teaching elementary children. They are learning so many new skills socially, emotionally, physically – as well as mentally. They really are in a class by themselves.

The websites I’ve listed below are so well-rounded. They have activities, crafts, songs, movements, listening, cooking, games, printables, videos … SO many things to keep a little guy or girl occupied, entertained and learning at the same time.

I hope these sites will help you during this time. And to be honest, it’s opened the door a teeny, tiny crack toward homeschooling. I’m not there yet, for sure, but as we’ve seen through this pandemic, even the most unexpected things can happen.

And after your learning time, if you still need some activities for your kids, here are 70 indoor activities, including a handful of outdoor activities you can do safely while social distancing + a free printable.

Crazy times we’re living in, but chaos and insanity is sort of a mom’s wheelhouse, so I know we’ll be OK!

OK, let ‘s check out those sites.

25 Websites for Preschool Activities & Printables

Play to Learn Preschool

This is a group on Facebook that is offering live preschool classes every day at 11 am! They also have downloads to print that go with the lesson. Amazing resource!

Busy Toddler

Busy Toddler is one of the best sites out there for activities. A goldmine. These indoor activities are perfect for toddler and preschoolers! They totally get 'learn-through-play."

123 Homeschool

This site has over 3,000 free printables for preschoolers along with activities and crafts! Perfect to keep your preschooler busy and learning! This mom has raised 6 preschoolers and she knows her stuff!

Highlights Kids

Highlights has a LONG history in everything education for kids! This link is for the recipe and crafts. Right at the top menu, check out the Explore and Games tabs for more videos and games for the little ones!

Scholastic has a plethora of resources for online learning for preschoolers! It's broken up by day and topic, with videos, stories, and activities to go along with it!

Discovery K12

This is a site that hs a full curriculum for preschoolers. You need an account to access the materials, but it's free to make one!

Your preschooler will definitely need to get the wiggles out! This is a great site for movement and mindfulness activities! There are movement videos along with games that require them to get up and move!

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is the gold standard when it comes to online learning, even for preschoolers. A free account is needed. Khan Academy has a Kids Youtube channel as well.

Little Spark Company

If you prefer Montessori type learning, his site offers beautiful printables, even for little ones. You need a subscription but it's free, and definitely worth it! You can see more on their Facebook page.

Literacy with the Littles Printable Bundles

You can get an abundance for free printable bundles from Teachers Pay Teachers. Yes, they're free!

Nomster Chef

There are all kinds of learning for preschoolers - why not cooking? This is an adorable site of illustrated recipes for kids! Perfect for preschoolers!

Novel Effect

This is a story-telling site where the stories are read with special voices, music, and sound effects. Perfect to stimulate a preschooler's imagination!

The Kiwi Co, the subscription box company, is offering free activities and DIY projects for preschoolers on their site! They know their stuff when it comes to activities where kids will have fun and learn, too.

PBS Learning Media

This site has early childhood lesson plans, along with games, activities, interactive lessons and videos that go along with it. These lessons are also aligned with state and national standards. You can also print out lots of support documents, and your kids will see their favorite PBS Kids friends helping with the lesson!

Turtle Diary

This site is an AMAZING resource that is very easy to navigate! You'll see tabs for activities, crafts, games, coloring sheets, worksheets, stories and more! For preschoolers!

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool

This is a complete, free, all-in-one Christian homeschool resource. You need an account, but it's free to sign up!

Free Children Stories

You'll find stories on videos here, read aloud for your preschooler! No sign-ups or downloads needed.

Life.Church Videos

If you want to add Bible stories to your preschooler's curriculum, you can find Bible stories on video! It includes a teacher (think "Blue's Clues" set-up) with a cartoon star and caterpillar that help the story or lesson. There's also a sing-along as well as a worship song. Well-rounded.

The Crafty Classroom

This is the jackpot for free thematic preschool printables! Over 30 themes to choose from, with games, worksheets, art projects, and instructional videos as well. This is so professionally put together.

Preschool Inspirations

This blog is written by a veteran preschool teacher and has an enormous set of resources included monthly themes, lessons, crafts, corresponding printables... beautifully done and explained.

If you've watched any kid TV, you've seen ABC Mouse commercials! They are offering free access during the quarantine! Contact your local school district for the coupon code for your area as codes are district-specific!

Preschool Express

You'll find all kinds of activities, crafts and games - many themed lessons that are very simply explained. Check out all their 'stations' on the left sidebar!

Planes and Balloons Free Printables

Here, you can find 400+ FREE printable worksheets and activities. They are arranged by skill - counting, letters, shapes, colors, scissors, etc.

Living Life and Learning Free Preschool Printables

You'll find over 80+ free printable here, from counting cards to puzzles to tracing sheets to coloring ...a fantastic and beautiful selection!

Homeschool Giveaways

Over 200 free printables for preschoolers here! A wonderful assortment, and there are also Bible lessons in the mix as well!

Homeschooling the Preschoolers  – the Help & Resources We Need

I hope you found some great resources to keep your little one busy! I’m praying this is over sooner than later, but if we find ourselves as ‘teacher-mommy’ a little longer, there are so many resources out there to help and resources we need.

More Activities for Kids

If you need a few more options for your preschooler or older child, here are some Easy Treasure Hunts you can do – in the park, in the car, or at home (those are #1, 2, and 5 on the list). Also here are some fun woodworking projects you can do with kids as well, just to try out a new skill.

And with Easter around the corner, here are some Easter crafts that are adorable and super-fun to do with your child! And if you want to get a jump on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, you can get Mother’s Day crafts for Grandma here and Father’s Day crafts here!

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment!

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56 Preschool Activities and Games for Learning and Fun

Simple and budget-friendly!

Preschoolers are all energy and curiosity, which is perfect because preschool is all about learning through movement and play. Here are our favorite preschool activities and games that will keep your preschoolers busy, engaged, and learning.

Preschool Activities for Reading

Reading in preschool is about exploring language, letters, and, eventually, words. Create opportunity for young readers and writers to explore on their own, as well as with you, every day.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Read aloud every day

Read-alouds are perfect preschool activities you should do daily. Try reading aloud with the whole group, small groups, and one-on-one. Reading boosts students’ language and prepares them to learn to read and love it. Some of the best picture books were written with preschoolers in mind, including classics like The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, and modern favorites like Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter and Boxitects by Kim Smith.

Here are our favorite books to read with preschoolers.

2. Create a letter parking lot

Create a parking lot with capital letters and write lowercase letters on cars. Students drive the cars to park so that the lowercase and capital letters match.

Learn more: ABC Parking Lot/Pre-K Pages

3. Make a book

Preschoolers will love to read books they write and illustrate. Start on the first day of school by having them make a book all about themselves. Then, record what they learn about anything and everything. At the end of the year, send the books home with students as a memento.

Learn more: Bookmaking/PreKinders

4. Play kick the cup

Write letters on cups, then have students use a ball to knock the cups over. This combination of gross motor and literacy skills is an activity that students can do during literacy centers or recess.

Learn more: Kick the Cup/Fun Learning for Kids

5. Do interactive writing

Use a writing prompt, which could be a question from a book or a general question that you want students to discuss. Then record students’ responses to create a bulletin board or book. Interactive writing—when you model writing students’ contributions—shows students how writing works and that they can be writers.

Learn more: Early Literacy Activities/Fun-a-Day

6. Play syllable Head and Shoulders

Help students practice breaking words into syllables by saying words and tapping their head, shoulders, knees, and toes for each syllable they hear. So, for the word banana, they would tap their head (ba), shoulders (na), and toes (na).

7. Practice rhyming with blocks

Rhyming is a cornerstone of phonemic awareness, a skill kids need to learn to read. Practice rhyming with activities like:

• Put rhyming words on blocks and have students stack the rhyming words together.
• Write rhyming words on the board or draw pictures of rhyming things on the board. You say one word and students use a fly swatter to swat the rhyming word or picture.
• Put images that rhyme in a row on the floor and have students walk along the row, saying the rhyming words as they go.

Learn more: Rhyming Activities/My Teaching Cupboard

8. Mail pretend letters

Provide students with paper, envelopes, and a mailbox and encourage them to write letters to you, each other, or characters they’ve read about.

Learn more: Mailbox Literacy Activity/No Time for Flash Cards

9. Explore an alphabet sensory bin

Fill a sensory bin with letters—form, magnet, paper—and other sensory items, like beans, beads, rice, or corn and have kids explore.

Learn more: Letter Sensory Bin/No Time for Flash Cards

10. Match magnetic letters

Put paper with letters on it on a cookie tray, then have students match letter magnets to the letters on the paper. When students have mastered matching letters, use paper with pictures on it and they can put the letter magnet of the first sound on each picture.

Buy it: Magnetic Letters at Amazon

Learn more: Magnetic Letter Activities/No Time for Flash Cards

Preschool Activities for Math

Preschoolers cover a lot of ground in math, including number sense, graphing, patterns. These activities give them important work in math foundations and let them work independently as mathematicians.

11. Match shapes and colors with blocks

Using the blocks in your block center, trace shapes onto butcher paper. Have students use blocks to match shapes and colors, and combine blocks into new shapes. Create patterns with the blocks and have students extend the patterns beyond the page.

Learn more: Block Shapes and Colors/Hands On As We Grow

12. Count patterns and numbers with bears

Counting bears are a must for every preschool classroom. Use them to teach for a number of preschool activities that focus on sorting, patterns, and number sense.

• Use counting bears (or any colored counters) to create and extend AB, AAB, and ABC patterns.
• With counting bears and number strips, students count out the number of bears to match the number on each card.
• Have students sort the bears by color, size, or another attribute they see.

Buy it: Bear Counters at Amazon

Get it: Number Strips at Fun Learning for Kids

Learn more: Bear Counter Activity/Teaching Mama

13. Sort pom-poms

Create space to sort by color, and have students sort pom-poms. Start with two colors and work up to six. Students are practicing basic classifying and fine motor skills.

Learn more: Pom-Pom Sorting/Teaching Mama

14. Use counting mats

Use play dough and a counting mat for students to practice making numbers and completing 10-frames. As they get more mature, students can use a marker to trace the number and complete the 10-frame.

Learn more: Free Dough Mats for Counting/Life Over C’s

15. Learn symmetry with LEGO bricks

A LEGO board and a pile of LEGO bricks are a great way to start teaching kids about symmetry. You can start them off with a pattern on one side and have them build the same pattern on the other side. Then have them create their own symmetrical sculptures.

Buy it: LEGO Building Board at Amazon

Learn more: LEGO Symmetry/Fun Learning for Kids

16. Practice geometry with Popsicle sticks

Put out a bin of Popsicle sticks and see what students will make—shapes, patterns, bridges. Point out the lines, angles, and other geometric features that they’re creating.

Learn more: Geometric Shapes/Little Bins for Little Hands

17. Teach numbers with mini eraser 10-frames

Ten-frames teach number sense, and mini erasers are fun. Use your favorite mini erasers or other counters (buttons, pom-poms, little LEGO bricks, Unifix cubes) to teach numbers starting with 0 to 10.

Buy it: Mini Erasers at Amazon

Learn more: Printable Ten-Frames/Fun-a-Day

18. Graph with dinosaurs

Using a graph and markers, students roll the dice 10 times and record which dinosaurs they get on a graph.

Learn more: Dinosaur Graphing Activity/Artsy Momma

Plus, get more graphing activities here .

19. Measure hands and feet

Trace students’ hands and feet, then have them measure them with Unifix cubes. Anything can be a unit of measurement in preschool, as long as it’s standardized. So, add Unifix cubes, Matchbox cars that are the same length, small Duplo blocks, and more to the measuring center.

Learn more: Measuring Activity/Little Bins for Little Hands

20. Compare weights

Provide students with a bucket balance and different things to compare. Which weighs more, dried blueberries or fresh? Corn kernels or sunflower seeds? Toy animals or LEGO bricks?

Buy it: Bucket Balance at Amazon

Learn more: Bucket Balance/Little Bins for Little Hands

Plus, get more math games for preschool here .

Preschool Activities for Social-Emotional Learning

Preschoolers need lots of teaching and support to learn how to make and keep friends, solve problems, and manage the big feelings that come their way.

21. Play friend bingo

Since your preschoolers will come to school likely not knowing anyone, use bingo to help them learn names and routines. Create bingo cards using images from around the school, friends’ faces, and teachers’ faces. Then, play friend bingo by having students put cubes or buttons on the pictures when you name them.

Learn more: Friend Bingo/PreKinders

22. Use your cozy corner

When preschoolers are having big feelings or need a break, a classroom cozy corner is a space to calm down. Once a child is calm, you can talk to them about problem-solving and rejoining the class.

Learn more: Cozy Corner/Preschool Inspirations

23. Toss a get-to-know-you ball

Spend some time getting to know students and helping them learn about each other with a ball toss game. Using a soft ball, throw or roll the ball from student to student. When each child has the ball, they say their name and one favorite thing. Repeat this activity as necessary throughout the year.

Buy it: Soft Soccer Ball at Amazon

24. Make choices with green and red boards

Preschoolers are learning a lot about the impact they have on themselves and others. Reinforce good and bad choices with “red” and “green.” Teach which choices are appropriate and not appropriate for school, then when students have made a red choice, talk them through which green choice they could have done instead.

Learn more: Green and Red Choice Boards/Pocket of Preschool

Preschool Activities for Gross Motor Skills

Use these ideas to help preschoolers develop body awareness, strength, and flexibility, while working on following directions and, of course, having fun.

25. Play with parachutes

Parachute games and activities help preschool students learn how to cooperate and work together. Have students hold on to the parachute and all lift at the same time to create a mushroom. When they stand around the parachute edges and walk in a circle, they can make a merry-go-round. Practice listening by playing fruit salad; give everyone a fruit name (apple, banana, etc.). Then lift the parachute and call out a fruit. The students who are that fruit must run under the parachute to the other side.

Buy it: Parachute at Amazon

Learn more: Parachute Games/Kid Activities

26. Exercise with dice

Roll a number die and a die with an exercise assigned to each side. Have children do the exercise the number of times shown. For indoors, try toe touches, arm flaps, jumping jacks, side-to-side jumps, twists, and star jumps, or choose movements that fit the physical needs of your students.

Learn more: Exercise Dice/Education.com

27. Do body bridge poses

For a fun, core-strengthening, and cooperative task, ask some children to hold poses like hands-and-knees, plank, or Downward Dog while other children drive cars and trucks under the “bridges” those poses create.

Learn more: Body Bridges/The Inspired Tree House

28. Walk on a homemade balance beam

Challenge students to construct homemade balance beams using spare boards. For an indoor option, use large wooden blocks. Can they walk all the way across? Can they go backwards? For students who might find it difficult to balance on a raised surface, use masking tape lines on the carpet or cut pieces of cardboard boxes they can use to make a path.

Learn more: Balance Beams/Hands On As We Grow

29. Cross the river

Arrange floor spots in a line that snakes across your classroom. Invite children to be “ants” who have to cross a “river of hot chocolate” by stepping on “marshmallows.” Have them hold hands in a line and work together to get across. Vary the activity by moving some marshmallows closer or farther apart, so children have to use different tactics.

Buy it: Poly Spots and Adventure, Play, Peace by Nancy MacPhee Bower at Amazon

30. Spend time in Savasana

Yoga is a way for students to slow down, move their body in different ways, and stretch. Use videos like Cosmic Kids Yoga or books about yoga to lead students through yoga sequences.

Learn more: Toddler Yoga/Yo Re Mi Kids

31. Play Yogi Benders

Another yoga idea: Call out two body parts and tell students that only those two parts can touch the ground. Try “one foot and one hand,” “two knees and two elbows,” “one bottom and one finger,” or “two knees and one head.” For an adapted version, have two or three students share a large exercise ball and work together to try to hold the ball still using certain body parts.

Buy it: Yoga for Children by Lisa Flynn at Amazon

32. Play Hula-Hoop Islands

Place Hula-Hoops around your classroom. Play music and ask children to move around the hoops. When the music stops, they must stand inside a hoop. Take away a hoop each time you stop the music. In the end, how many preschoolers can fit inside one hoop?

Learn more: Hula-Hoop Islands/Outdoor Movement Project

33. Do Hula-Hoop movements

Set up a line of four to six Hula-Hoops across the floor of your classroom. Have students wait behind the first hoop, then call out directions for how to move through the hoops. Try bunny-hopping, giant-stepping, tiptoeing, or scurrying like mice. Play music with different tempos to encourage students to move at different speeds.

Learn more: Hula-Hoop Games/Learn Play Imagine

34. Play Land, Sea, and Air

Designate one area to be the “land” and one area to be the “sea” using your rug and floor tiles or masking tape. Students must hurry to the correct area when you call out “land!” or “sea!” and jump as high as they can when you call “air!” Keep students laughing with surprise commands like “earthquake!” and “tornado!”

Learn more: Land Sea Air Game/What Do We Do All Day?

35. Do indoor relay races

Stuck inside because of the weather? Set up an impromptu relay race. Ask students to carry bean bags or other objects on different body parts across the room. Or try this partner relay activity in which two children must work together to hold a ball between themselves.

Learn more: Wacky Relay/The Inspired Treehouse

36. Play indoor tennis

Get some wiggles out and spark some laughs by setting up this “tennis” game with balloons and fly swatters. Students can try to pass balloons back and forth or work together to swat balloons into a bin, cardboard box, or across a masking tape line. For an adapted version, use large traffic cones as stands for the balloons.

Learn more: Balloon Tennis Activity/Little Bins for Little Hands

Preschool Activities for Fine Motor Skills

Preschool is all about working those pincer fingers, the small muscles in the hands that kids will use to write later on. This means activities are more about squeezing, pinching, grasping, and releasing than holding a pencil and writing.

37. Paint with pom-poms

At the painting station, pom-poms make a great tool. Have students pick them up with their fingers and paint, or create a pom-pom brush by using a clothespin or tweezers to pick up a pom-pom and dab it around. Let students make their own painting or give them tracing pages to “trace” with paint.

Learn more: Paint With Pom-Poms/Fantastic Fun and Learning

38. Squeeze tweezers

Tweezers or tongs are a staple in many early childhood classrooms. They’re great for strengthening pincer muscles, and they’re versatile. You can get them in any size, from large tongs to small tweezers, which works for all kinds of hands. Some ways to use tweezers:

• Sort objects into piles or bins by color (pom-poms, beads, etc.).
• Give students a pile of seeds or beans and have them sort them by type.
• Have students use tweezers to place objects (pom-poms, marshmallows, cotton balls) on a line or letter.
• Put a pile of yarn in a bin (not tangled) and have students pull out the “spaghetti” piece by piece.
• Have students use tongs and colored beads or pom-poms to cover designs.
• Using a Connect 4 game, have students play or fill the game using tongs.

Buy it: Learning Tongs at Amazon

Learn more: Ways To Play With Tongs/Mama OT

39. Write with shaving cream

A tray and shaving cream are all you need. Put a dab of shaving cream on each tray and have students spread it out. Then, they can write letters, numbers, and shapes and “erase” it each time. Add food coloring to the shaving cream to match a theme or mix it up.

Learn more: Shaving Cream Writing/Gift of Curiosity

40. Pinch water droppers

Water droppers (or pipettes) are another way for kids to use their pincer grasp and strengthen eye-hand coordination as they pick up the water and transfer it from one place to another. One center idea: Put out a cup of water, a water dropper, and a bunch of bottle caps. Students transfer the water from the cup to the bottle caps.

Buy it: Water Droppers at Amazon

Learn more: Water Play With Eye Droppers/Learning 4 Kids

41. Cut and cook

Preschoolers love to learn how to do everyday activities with real tools. Teach students how to safely use a knife to cut up soft, manageable fruit, like bananas. Then, use the bananas for snack time or a recipe.

Here’s a recipe for banana pudding.

Learn more: Slicing Skills/PreKinders

42. Make a mosaic

Cut-up squares of paper and a blank paper canvas provide another versatile way for students to practice pincer grasp and get creative. Provide cut-up paper squares for students to use to make a mosaic design, or have students cut paper into squares before they make their mosaic. Give students ideas for how to craft their mosaic, or let them do their own thing.

Learn more: Mosaic Pattern Art/Hands On As We Grow

43. Cut and Paste

Being able to use scissors is a skill that will serve kids well when they’re in kindergarten and beyond. Give your preschoolers lots of practice using scissors with tasks that ask them simply to cut, not necessarily on a line or with precision. For example, put pages from a magazine at a center and have students cut them any way they choose. They may cut out images or just cut the pages to shreds. For students who are learning to use scissors, loop scissors are a good starting place.

Buy it: Safety Scissors and Loop Scissors at Amazon

44. Try finger plays

Finger plays are beneficial for so many reasons. Once you have a favorite finger play, change it up so that students are using their thumbs, forefingers, and pinkies to act it out. Here’s a favorite finger play:

45. Hide-and-find items in modeling clay

Add small items to your modeling-clay station to encourage hide-and-find exploration. All that squeezing and pushing is great for fine motor development, as well as persistence.

Learn more: Play Dough Activity/What Do We Do All Day?

46. Add water beads to the sensory table

Mix up the water play table with water beads. Playing with animal toys and other fine motor toys in the water beads adds a sensory experience. (Note: Do not use water beads if any students still put things in their mouths as these should not be eaten.)

Buy it: Water Beads at Amazon

Learn more: What To Do With Water Beads/Artful Parent

47. Play finger soccer

Have pairs or small groups play “finger soccer” on the rug, using only their index and middle fingers as “feet” to move a small ball. You can even make felt jerseys!

Learn more: Finger Soccer/Your Kids OT

48. Feed a monster

Create a “monster mouth” out of a flip-top container and ask students to use clothespins or large tweezers to pick up puffballs or other small items to “feed” the monster. They won’t want to get their fingers nibbled!

Learn more: Feed a Monster/Therapy Fun Zone

49. Hang the laundry

String up a clothesline in your pretend play area and have students use clothespins to hang a doll’s laundry to “dry.” If you’re short on space, set up a tray clothesline like the one illustrated above.

Learn more: Hang Laundry Activity/PreKinders

50. Make snowballs or peas in a bowl with clay

These two preschool activities are perfect for mixing pretend play with fine motor skills practice. First, gather a collection of plastic animals and tell students they are preparing for a BIG snowball fight. Then show students how to roll small balls of modeling clay in between their thumbs, middle fingers, and index fingers and make a stockpile for each animal. Or set out a bowl and spoon and ask students to roll “peas” to make a bowl of pea soup.

Learn more: Playdough Snowball Fight/OT Mom Learning Activities

Preschool Activities for Science

Preschoolers are curious about the world and how it works. Science activities teach them how to ask questions, what happens in a process, and how to form and test hypotheses.

Check out these preschool science experiments .

51. Make bubbles

Are you looking for preschool activities for kids who love bubbles? Try making your own bubbles using dish soap and water and see how big you can make the bubbles, or how long bubbles will last before they pop.

Learn more: Make Giant Bubbles/Make and Takes

52. Do a penny boat challenge

One way to teach creating hypotheses is to build aluminum foil boats and test which sink and which float. Which boats do students think will float? How many pennies will it take to sink each ship?

53. Color flowers

Study how plants work with a classic experiment. Put white flowers (carnations, roses, and tulips all work) into cups, each filled with a different food coloring and water. Over the next few days, watch how the flowers change. Be sure to leave one cup without food coloring as a comparison.

Learn more: Color-Changing Flowers/Fun Learning for Kids

54. Make a water wall

Use everything from plastic bottles to toilet paper rolls along an outside wall or any vertical surface to create a water wall.

Learn more: Water Wall/Happy Hooligans

55. Make a rain cloud in a jar

During your unit on weather, or any time you want a cool experiment, create a cloud in a jar.

56. Raise and release butterflies

There so many different butterfly activities that are perfect for preschool students. In the spring, read about butterflies and raise your own. Then plan a party to release them.

Buy it: Butterfly Kit at Amazon

Get even more ideas with Tips and Tricks for Teaching Preschool.

For more articles like this, be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters., what are your favorite preschool activities share in the weareteachers helpline group on facebook ..

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40+ Activities for Preschool at Home

by Jaimi Erickson | Aug 9, 2015 | activities | 8 comments

This back to school season is an exciting one for me. My husband and I have made the choice to homeschool our preschooler rather than send her to preschool 2 days a week. We did send our oldest to preschool for two mornings a week when he was 4 ½, but our situation is different now-where we live, how much preschool costs in our area, and the needs of our children. Each of us has to decide if paying for preschool is worth it for our child.

Now for the 40+ Preschool Activities!

GROSS MOTOR

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I am very much grateful for your effortsto putt on this report. This guide is extremely informative, updated and transparent. Can I expect you may post this sort of another article in near future?

King regards, Harrell Valenzuela

Yes. I am updating weekly. 🙂

Great ideas!

Thanks, Leslie!

Thanks Jaimi for sharing this post. I home-school my children and this will help me cover all areas of learning! Please keep posting more fun learning activities.

You bet! I love sharing simple activities that teach. You are amazing with all you do. Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to sharing more!

My daughter is going into Kindergarten but I think some of these would still be great activities for her. Great list.

Thanks, Rachel! I hope you enjoy them with her. 🙂

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• Early Childhood – Human Development Psychology - […] Erickson,J. (2015,August 9). 40+ Activities for Preschool at Home. Retrieved from https://thestay-at-home-momsurvivalguide.com/2015/08/40-activities-for-preschool-at-home.html#ixzz5Aj… […]
• Etfu Blog - Sidewalk Chalk Address Labels [...] e convenient size and durability of the personalized book. It is very sturdy-it [...]
• How to Teach Toddlers Colors - The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide - […] you are teaching preschool at home, this is a great teachers manual for teaching […]
• Teaching Preschool at Home for Non-Crafty Moms - The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide - […] recently tried M is for Monster Preschool in a Box themed kits. They are a great resource for teaching preschool…
• Practicing Addition Busy Bag - The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide - […] were nearing kindergarten age-around 4 to 5 years old. We did it for fun; just as another of our…
• Cupcake Topper Math Facts Activity - The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide - […] is a simple game to set up as an after school activity, or a great table activity for your…
• Seeking Balance as a Stay-at-Home, Work-at-Home Mom Blogger - The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide - […] it without having to charge you a thing! You get mom motivation, activities for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school…

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Hi, I'm Jaimi!

Hi there! Welcome to my little corner of the internet. My name is Jaimi, and I am a mom who loves to encourage other mothers in the season of raising children, making a home, and staying focused on the end goals of motherhood.

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Building skills & learning at home: parent handouts (aka fun homework for preschoolers), share this post:.

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Parents are a child’s first teacher.  Building skills and learning at home is paramount for kids of all ages to be successful.  I created Building Skills & Learning at Home:  Parent Handouts to give parents fun and simple suggestions and games/activities that they can do at home.  These activities help their child reinforce skills at home using materials they already have around their house.

This post contains affiliate links.

Learning at Home parent Handouts

The activities are fun and hands-on using materials families already have at home.  You don’t need to send anything home but the handouts!  It’s super simple: just print and send home! Print on colored paper to make them stand out (and hopefully less likely to get lost).

Preschoolers DO NOT NEED worksheets sent home as homework.  Preschoolers NEED to learn through play WITH their families.  These handouts will give them tons of ideas to continue the learning at home through play.

Parent handouts are great to send home

• at the beginning of the year
• parent nights
• parent-teacher conferences
• before summer vacation
• in students’ homework folders or backpacks anytime during the year

Every year, I always send them home at fall and spring parent-teacher conferences.  I also send them home randomly throughout the year, attached to my newsletter or reading logs.   Often, an individual student will need reinforcements at home, or a parent requests additional support ideas.  The handouts work great then, too!

Parent Home Notes Included:

• Reading at Home (2 pages)
• Writing at Home (2 pages)
• Learning about Letters at Home (2 pages)
• Math at Home (2 pages)
• Fun Fine Motor at Home (2 pages)
• Playdoh & Goop Recipes (1 page)

Go grab Parent Handouts from my TPT store by clicking on the photo below.

All you have to do is just print it and send it home!

Like it? Pin it!

hey, i’m jackie!

I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum. 

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Home » Easy Prep Homework For Kindergarten

Easy Prep Homework For Kindergarten

Homework in Kindergarten: is it a good idea and how you should do it to make it valuable to your students and their families? Take a look at this monthly homework  for kindergarten printable and editable calendars .

Giving homework in kindergarten can be hard. You need parental involvement, and it can be difficult for some families to find time to complete it. One of my co-workers wanted a monthly calendar that students could do with their families. I created these editable monthly homework challenges so that families can complete the activities on their own time. They won’t need a lot of materials, and they can easily be done in a few minutes.

Keep reading to see what these are all about !

Homework for Kindergarten Printable Calendars

There are 16 challenges to complete every month. Some of them involve writing, some of the activities are hands-on. There is a mix of literacy, math and science challenges.  You only print and send home 1 page per month, no more worrying about photocopying a whole packet for each student.

They are editable!

I have made them editable so that you can change up the challenges to match up with what you are teaching that month. It is editable in PowerPoint, and all you have to do is type in the activity you want your students to complete.

Most asked questions:

Is this mandatory homework for your students? No. We don’t enforce homework for our students, if parents want something to work on at home, they can do these activities. I don’t believe in punishing kindergarten students for not doing their homework – that’s something out of their control.

What do you do when students bring back the completed homework calendar? We celebrate! We highlight their work to the rest of the class, I put a sticker on it and write an encouraging note and send it back home.

Try It Free

I am offering the Summer Challenges page as a FREEBIE! Send it home to families at the end of the year so that students can keep practicing skills that they learned over the summer months.

There is an editable version of this page included in the  paid product . If you would like to change out the activities to match the needs of your students, you can adapt it to fit your needs.

Find this free download in my  Resource Library !

Get students reading too

Encouraging students to read at home with their families is also very important. I have always sent home some leveled readers with students, on top of these calendars. Read about how I use Reading Log bookmarks to support home reading.

Want to try it out with your class? You can get it in my store now:

Do you assign homework in kindergarten? Let me know in the comments!

Want more daily inspiration for your classroom? Make sure you are following me here, on Facebook and on Instagram !

Subscribe to my newsletter to get weekly emails with tips, tricks and ideas!

10 comments

Do you have these available in Spanish also? I send my homework home in both English and Spanish.

I do not, but they are editable so you can change the activities to Spanish if you would like to use it!

I love this idea and I do want to try it in my classroom. I’m just curious on how you track it to see if they have been doing the things on the calendar. Honor system? Not much parent involvement in my school area. Just seeing how to get my parents and the student show me what they have done the work at home.

I don’t check to make sure all students do it. We do not have mandatory homework in kindergarten, so this is just for families that need ideas for home.

• Pingback: Reading Logs Made Easy! | Creative Kindergarten
• Pingback: How to Make Family Involvement a Part of Your Classroom

I used these and they were amazing. Parents who wanted more homework liked the challenge. Thanks.

That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing!

• Pingback: Homework in Kindergarten [Ep. 8] - Creative Kindergarten
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