5 Easy Ways to Incorporate Learning
into Everyday Play
You might’ve heard the famous quote, “play is the work of childhood.”
Play is not just fun and games for preschoolers. It's the foundation of their development. Through play, they learn about the world, develop crucial cognitive and social-emotional skills, and build confidence. When you play together, your preschool child is learning constantly.
Play-based learning is simply when children learn while playing. It doesn’t have to be complicated or require specialized toys. Looking for simple ways to incorporate preschool learning activities into your child’s day to support their growth and development?
1. During Everyday Tasks
Play can be found in the everyday and you might find that your preschooler loves performing meaningful tasks. Framing these activities so that they’re helping you is a great way to motivate your kiddo.
- Turn laundry folding into a matching game. "Can you find all the socks that match the color of this one?"
- The next time you head to the supermarket, let your child help you as you shop for groceries by choosing fruits and vegetables and putting items in the cart. Ask them to read your shopping list and cross off the items as you collect them. Some grocery stores even have child-sized carts.
- Make getting the mail memorable. Each day, you can watch for the mail person and collect the mail together. Talk about what might be coming or who your child could send mail to. Your child could write postcards or small cards to friends or extended family.
- Spend time in the kitchen together, whether they’re helping to make their snack in the morning or making crafts that use food items.
- Make chores fun. Sing the “clean up” song with your child as they clean up their toys or room.
2. Have Dedicated Sensory Playtime
The five senses – sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing – are like a playground for your child’s brain. When your child’s play activities engage their senses intentionally and in a fun way, they support sensory awareness, fine motor skills, language development, cognitive growth, and problem-solving abilities.
- Gather a variety of fabrics or lightweight scarves and let your child explore their textures. Fabrics can be played with in a variety of ways. Your kid can play dress up, dance and move with them, or use them as props during imaginative play.
- Create your own sensory bin. Want to get seasonal? Try these ideas for Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day.
- Get outside and touch grass (no, really!). Nature exploration is chock full of opportunities to engage your little one’s senses. It can be as simple as taking a walk and playing I-Spy or going on a scavenger hunt.
3. Encourage Safe Risk-Taking
Risk-taking is a normal part of growing up and as a preschooler, it looks vastly different than what a risk might be for you. When introducing safe risk-taking to your child, you’re actually telling them, “I trust you.”
- Offer your child choices. Provide a selection of toys and activities and allow your child to choose what they want to play with. Let them decide how they’d like to play.
- Create a safe play space. Set up a designated play area where your child can explore and experiment without fear of breaking anything or disturbing others.
- Observe and support, but resist the urge to step in. Be with your child as they play and gently guide them when needed, but mostly let them explore and discover on their own. Of course, always be aware of their safety and intervene when safety is a concern.
4. Avoid Overwhelming Your Preschooler
Sometimes the best way to let your child explore is just to let them be. Let them try on their own, let them find ways to play, and in doing so, you’re helping them learn.
- Let your child have downtime. Allow for unstructured playtime where your child can freely explore their imagination. You don’t have to schedule every moment of the day or fill time needlessly.
- Be aware of overstimulation. If your child seems tired or fussy, it's time to wind down and allow for some quiet time. Helping your child regulate their own emotions is a skill that will help them in stressful situations throughout their life and can be taught early.
- Limit distractions for you and your child. Switch the television off. Put your phone on silent (really silent) and place it out of sight. Turn music down. Let your kiddo focus on playtime without distractions that take them out of the moment.
- Have some intentional one-on-one time. Play a game, work together to complete a puzzle, or read out loud in your cozy reading corner.
5. Believe that Failure is Fine
Remember, the goal is to create a fun and engaging learning environment where your child can grow and thrive through play. Allow them to explore and try on their own.
- Let your child try. Encourage them to try new things, even if they don't succeed at first. Avoid making judgments. Just let them play and explore.
- Offer words of encouragement when they need it. Let them know that it's okay to make mistakes and that learning comes with practice.
- Celebrate small victories. Acknowledge their efforts and celebrate their accomplishments, no matter how small.
- Use multiple colors, overlap the hearts, and make patterns.
- Create a designated drying area in your home, away from high-traffic areas so your child’s artwork can dry without being smudged.
- Put the artwork on display in your home.