DESTRESSING
Your Kids When They Get Home shift theater will give them an outlet to express their anxieties through imagination. Paper bag puppets are quick and easy to make. Kiddos, though, will need some adult help. Necessary supplies are paper lunch bags, glue, scissors, construction paper, and crayons. Let preschoolers get creative and make whatever characters they desire for their puppet show: a pig, a dog, a cat, a princess, a monster, or a superhero.
Shaving Cream
We tend to think of stress as only an adult affliction. However, preschoolers can suffer from it, too. This is especially true when their normal routines get uprooted. As any preschool teacher will tell you, little kiddos love keeping a regular schedule, comforted by knowing what will happen next. Here are some activities that will help parents create a comfortable routine for their preschoolers at home, making them calmer and more content during the coronavirus pandemic.
Playdough
When I taught preschool, playdough was a staple in my classroom just like crayons, paints, paper, glue, and scissors. I made it available for children to use every day for two significant reasons: 1) it’s safe and familiar, helping them relax and feel in control and 2) it builds strong hands and enhances dexterity, so they’ll be able to hold a pencil correctly and comfortably when they get in kindergarten. Basic Playdough Recipe: 1 cup cold water
1 cup table salt 2 teaspoons Canola Oil 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch add food coloring They can toss in glitter flakes and sequins to make it sparkle. They can add different spices to make it smell good. They can blend two food colorings to create new shades. They can collect materials found around the house so they can make imprints, designs, and patterns: cookie cutters, bottle caps, straws, dried pasta, pebbles, feathers, pinecones, and toy cars. During the coronavirus pandemic, playdough can bring serenity to the lives of preschoolers. When stored in an airtight container, it will last for weeks and provide hours of enjoyment. I strongly recommend making it a part of a youngster’s daily routine during this stressful time.
Paper Bag Puppets
During difficult periods like this, preschoolers engage in pretend play to make sense of their world. Helping them create paper bag puppets and setting up a make-
Preschoolers learn best through hands-on sensory activities. When they explore the world through their five senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight), they feel in charge, engaged, and content. While many sensory activities are messy—painting, mud and sand, splashing in the water—playing with shaving cream gets a child cleaner. Generously spray shaving cream on a flat surface—a table, cookie sheet, tray, the bottom of a bathtub, a window, or glass door. Mix in a few drops of food coloring if you wish. Then let children use their fingers, straws and paintbrushes to write or draw. Let them drive their Hot Wheels through the foam. Give them dinosaurs or animals for pretend play in the “snow.”
Blocks
Blocks are a fun, developmentally appropriate tool to enhance math skills in little ones. Kiddos discover so much about measuring, comparing, balancing, and counting while playing. Parents can further enhance play by asking questions: • How many blocks did you use to make that tower? continued on next page
Backpack Connection
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