Your preschooler may have the notion that learning ends after the school year, but you know that summer vacation just holds a different type of learning for them. There are many ways you can extend their Montessori preschool experience and put together educational games throughout the summer for your child to play. They may not even realize they’re educational! Here are a few ideas for educational games for your preschooler to play this summer.
Planning a family event
One day over the summer, have your child plan the family gathering they have always wanted. Let them explore their current interests and share them with the rest of family. It can be a helpful start to provide them a timeline for the planning process, such as a week, so that they have enough time to plan the events and prepare whatever they need. It’s also helpful to provide some initial concepts to build on, such as a barbecue, family sporting day, or game night. The event itself might be a bit different than normal but get ready for some creative new activities. It is a great way for children to practice key planning skills such as imagining events that are exciting to them, organizing the steps to bring those plans to fruition, and explaining those concepts to others.
Sharing collections
Creating collections is a great way for children to organize their interests and understand what it is about individual pieces they find exciting. Whether it be leaves, rocks, toys, apps, or something else, the process of creating a collection involves some level of curation. The curation process is about understanding what one finds interesting and organizing pieces that showcase what they enjoy. Allowing children to present their collection and explaining why they valued one item over another and how each item fits into their collection is a terrific educational experience that aligns with the Montessori philosophy.
Word games
Word games are great activities that are quick and simple to do on the go. From playing together to find objects in sight that start with the letters of the alphabet in sequence, to each of you choosing a word of the same length and racing to see who can find words written around you that start with each consecutive letter in your word, there are many ways to play words games with young children. They help reinforce vocabulary as well as memory as you hold multiple words and counts in your mind to finish the game.
The teachers and staff at the Montessori School of Flagstaff Westside Campus encourage you to get outside this summer and have with your preschooler while educating them at the same time. If you are looking for a hands-on, encouraging school environment for your child to learn, contact us today.
This article originally was originally posted on the Happenings in Education blog at: https://happeningsineducation.blogspot.com/2018/06/educational-games-to-play-this-summer.html.
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