I’m bored! This is the dreaded statement we sometimes hear from our kids when they’re home, and while we didn’t have half as many choices growing up as it seems our children do when it comes to things to do, sometimes it seems like they run out of things to do faster.

Being bored is actually very good for our children as they learn to navigate a world that is constantly throwing information at them, vying for their attention and your resources.

But activities that stimulate their development don’t need to be fancy or screen-driven. Here are some curated summer activities, many of them found through Pinterest that encourage learning through all areas of development. During your child’s preschool years, we know that children learn best through play activities so summer lends itself naturally to so many ways your child is growing. Read on to discover some fun new summer activities for you and your children. Have fun!!

  

Fine motor skills:

1. Freeze dollar-store toys in water to make ‘ice eggs’. Have your children chip away at the ice with a spoon to free the toy.
2. Make Moon Sand out of flour and baby oil, and watch your child have fun.
3. Whether you thumbtack paper to a tree or use an easel, it’s always fun to squirt liquid watercolors onto paper!

 

   

Science:

1. Color different colored squares on a white paper bag for a fun Color Scavenger Hunt, or even print out a Nature Scavenger Hunt.
2. Rain Clouds in a Jar: Use droppers, shaving cream, and food coloring for a fun lesson on weather.
3. Some of the science behind rockets may be a little advanced for your preschooler, but it’s never too early watching a Bottle Rocket fly into the air!
4. DIY Water Wall: Using a peg board, zip ties, and recyclable materials, you can make a fun water activity, your very own STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) project!

 

  

Gross Motor skills:

1. Make your own Backyard Obstacle Course using pool noodles, hula hoops, boxes, and anything else you have lying around your house!
2. Using ground marker spray, you can turn the classic game, Twister, into outdoor fun while supporting gross motor skills and balance.
3. If you’re willing to put in a little work for a gross motor-oriented, fun, watery/sensory experience, there’s the DIY Water Blob. It’s perfect for a summer morning or evening activity!

 

   

 

Math skills:

1. Making a Memory Game from paper plates using numbers or shapes is an easy and fun activity you can do with your kids to support their math skills.
2. You can use buttons as Watermelon Seeds for this counting game.
3. Similar to the Nature Scavenger Hunt, finding Numbers in Nature will support mental math as well as rote-counting and one-to-one correspondence.

 

Language and Literacy:

1. Fill a tub with rice, sand, cornmeal, or any other filler type material, hide magnetic letters and voila, you have a Letter Hunt.
2. Simple Journals for preschoolers: can my 3 year-old really handle journaling? Using a variety of writing utensils, along with stickers and other simple materials, your child can start recognizing their name and drawing simple shapes.
3. Whenever we can make learning a sensory experience, preschoolers become more engaged. This is along the same lines as our Letter Hunt, but using ice cream sprinkles.