Ideas for Preschool Summer Fun
Ocean and Beach Crafts
Jellyfish
Children glue streamers to the edge of a paper plate. Attach a second plate on top of it with glue or staples. Children decorate the plates as the Jelly fish body.
Sand Art
Have children use glue to draw a picture on construction paper. Top with colored sand of their choice and shake excess sand off.
Wave Bottles
Fill a plastic soda bottle half way with water that has been tinted with blue food coloring. Then add vegetable oil. Secure the bottle’s cap tightly. Just tip the bottle to make waves!
Sun Fun
Sun Painting
Place various shaped flat objects on a dark piece of construction paper. You can cut out shapes and designs or use common objects like a ruler or key. Place paper in direct sunlight for a few hours. Show children how the sunlight faded the paper, leaving dark silhouettes.
Oh Mr. Sun
Oh Mister Sun, Sun,
Mister Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me
Oh Mister Sun, Sun,
Mister Golden Sun,
Hiding behind a tree…
These little children
Are asking you
To please come out
So we can play with you
Oh Mister Sun, Sun,
Mister Golden Sun,
Please shine down on..
Please shine down on…
Please shine down on me!
Camping Science
- Gather leaves and have pictures of trees – have the children match the leaf to the correct tree.
- Set up an aquarium and learn about fish.
- Animal Tracks – Set up animal tracks on the table and have children match plastic animals or pictures to the correct tracks.
by 
us? For infants and toddlers, blocks help with motor development as they try to stack them or reach out to knock over towers. Blocks offer the chance for problem solving as children try to figure out how to balance sides of the construction to ensure success. They are wonderful for mathematics as we help children count them out, and when given other items to use with blocks (ex. cars to drive under block arches), imagination becomes ignited! Working together is practiced when there is block play. Infants come together, with an adult’s guidance, to learn the concepts of “taking turns” and “waiting,” (two things that can be difficult for young toddlers), and to share in the ultimate joy when the tower comes tumbling down! Blocks can be used to also teach shapes, colors and to discern sounds made by different materials. At all ages, block play is a powerful teaching tool.
