Congratulations on making it all the way to summer! You may already be looking at your preschool-aged child and thinking about adventures that you can have together. Here are some activities that have a hefty dose of fun and learning.
One of the best things that you can do for your child is to instill a love of story and language. So head over to the Hoboken Public Library , Jersey City Public Library or your own local library. Or try an independent bookstore like Little City Books , Word Bookstore , or Little BOHO Bookshop .
Check out some of these excellent authors/illustrators:
Nursery rhymes can get stuck in your head, and that’s a good thing! They promote language acquisition and speech development. Build memory. Cognitive ability. They’re often full of sequencing, math, and counting. Let those rhymes get stuck in your head. (Or set them up on Spotify ! YouTube has plenty as well!) Make up some hand and body motions for extra fun and memory support. Here are some of our favorites:
Children need nature and nature needs children. There’s a growing body of research that indicates that exposure to nature is important for healthy childhood development . Below are some ways to explore nature together in the city.
Preschool students love dramatic play. Pretending and acting stories out engage language skills , as well as social and emotional learning. As children act out what they have observed in the world, their learning becomes consolidated in the brain. Joining your child in the dramatic play increases all of these benefits!
Not only are art activities fun and engaging, they help children develop critical fine motor skills . Did you know that using scissors engages the muscles children will need when they begin to write? While working on crafts, children learn how to follow directions and work through procedures. In open-ended art activities they learn to use symbols to represent their ideas. Art experiences increase academic success !
Playing with oral language (talking aloud) not only increases a child’s ability to use language, it increases a child’s ability to understand language. Both build the foundation a child needs before learning to read.
Lots of families participate in summer reading programs or incorporate books into their daily routines. But sometimes we forget that math lives outside of the classroom too. Children begin to understand counting, shapes, and patterns quite early and summertime practice with these concepts is key.
While oral language is important for building literacy, preschoolers are ready to work with language on paper as well. Children learn how to express meaning as they grow in the ability to compose a drawing. And soon they become interested in playing with writing and letters too.
There are lots of great children’s songs. You probably know some from your own childhood. Or you may prefer more parent-friendly options, like songs by Hoboken’s own Fuzzy Lemons! Make up some dance moves and have fun! Going on a trip? Replacing some device time in the car with music and singing will boost your child’s learning and your whole family’s mental health . Here are some easy favorites: