6 Summer Choices for Preschoolers
Hi Parents! Yes, it's that time of the year again and school will soon be out. When my children were younger, and even now, the last day of school/preschool was often a time of deep thought. As a family we did not always spend the whole summer traveling. Being that we have over 50 days of summer holidays in the UAE, it is always important for me to have a plan for the children while they are at home.
Here are some of my favourite things to do
Create a plan - please consult the children, if they are old enough.
Find interesting and engaging puzzles. I always loved a company called 'Toys for Life'. They had uniquely challenging games and puzzles. From chunky 2 dimensional dinosaur scenes, to skeletons, parts of the body and world maps. Lots of indirect learning. I have recently discovered Montikids. This has engaging and creative resources, as well, nicely packaged, so you don't have to think through what not to get. If this ends up being one of your options, you are welcome to use our voucher code- HOPE123.
I am an avid storyteller and we always had a summer story. Clearly it was a really long book, or series of books. Story-time in my home still remains part of the way in which I communicate with my children. In the past story-time was not limited to reading books, I'd make stories up, based on the events during the day or week and create extremely colourful characters. Lot's of fun and a way to build in life skills and lessons, culture and values. There's another blog post on this site about storytelling.
4. Board games. You can tell, that I am fairly traditional in terms
of entertaining children. Board games work wonders. They build team spirit, allow for every child to use their voice and, with games like monopoly, build mathematical skills. Clever...
They are usually reasonably priced and last for years. Some of my recommendations for younger children are:- Candyland, Boggle (once they start reading 3 letter words), Junior Scrabble, Guess Who, Connect Four, Ludo, Triomino's, Ker-plunk, Frustration, and Draughts/Checkers. There are so many more.
5. Beaches and pools. This is very important in the UAE, we simply have to keep cool. Summers are particularly warm and humid, so outdoor play becomes a bit of a challenge. However, if children are up bright and early, time at the beach is still an option, as long as you stay safe and take along the usual beach gear - buckets, spades, large balls, breakfast etc. Alternatively, depending on whether you have access, a pool can be considered. I have also found either option suitable in the evening after 4.30 pm, UAE time.
6. The last thing I will mention is 'concrete learning'. I use this term cautiously, as with pre-schoolers it's simply not quite, developmentally appropriate. I know that. My research also reminds me that because summer is a fairly long break away from the routine of school/pre-school, it's good to keep young minds busy.
Here is an app that I discovered recently that's a guide and tool for parents of preschoolers, to boost healthy growth and development. It's also useful for children with special educational requirements. Click here - 'Learn and Play; Tip-a-Day'.
I trust this post has been useful. If you require any further information with respect to the last point, we do have short workshops for parents introducing resources that will provide ample breaks from the ever tempting digital device. If you have an existing mother and child group, we'd be happy to arrange a visit.
Have a happy summer and stay safe!
Patricia Mezu is the Director of Professional Minds and a trained Montessori Directress.
www.prminds.org | +971509218035