An A-Z of early years activities

Early Years An A-Z of early years activities

By Gabrielle Nash follow her on Instagram @thelondonishmum The minutes and hours can pass slowly when you are entertaining a child under 5. So here is a theme for every day of the alphabet to help you out when you need new activity ideas!

ANIMAL HUNT

Go searching for the tiny creepy crawly kind, the chirpy in the tree tops kind and the more exciting kind found in zoos and farms!

BAKING

Save those overripe bananas and bake some muffins. Or let little hands enjoy rolling out some biscuit dough. Anything with different textures will entice and help introduce your little one to unfamiliar foods.

CARDBOARD BOX CREATION

Save the next one you get. What can it be? A pirate ship, a car, or a doll’s bed? Colour it in or cut it up – it doesn’t matter!

DEN BUILDING

Build one indoors with chairs and sheets or head to a local wood or park and gather large pieces of wood. It doesn’t have to be a work of art to spark the imagination. Is it just a den, or is it a cave for monsters?

ENVELOPE ENDEAVOURS

Pop in photos, stickers, a letter or card and send to a friend or family member. Kids always love sticking the stamps on and visiting the post box.

FILM FUN

Enjoy a film at home and make a game of it! Make popcorn, print off ‘cinema tickets’ (maybe even ‘charge’ entrance!) and settle down with a family favourite. Perfect for a rainy day!

GARDEN GROWING

It does not have to be big! You can create a garden suitable for kids very simply; a patch of soil for digging or planting some flowers or veg, a few old bowls and spoons for mud pies and access to a bucket of water!

HIKING

Okay, maybe not up Ben Nevis, but get your kids excited about a little ‘hike.’ Pack a small bag, grab a snack, fill a water bottle. Staying active with your kids is key to healthy living.

IMAGINARY PLAY

It is so easy, with few props needed and little ones LOVE it when you make up a game. Get them to be a patient at the doctors, the receptionist at the dentist or taking their dog to the vet.

JUMBLE SALE JOLLIES

Get your little one involved with going though old things that need passing on to charity or selling at a jumble sale. Help them understand we need to pass things on to other people who need and want them to make way for new clothes and toys.

KICKABOUT

Never underestimate the benefits of getting out to your local park for a kickabout with a ball – plus some running, jumping, sliding and shouting!

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

… is the best way! Playing i-spy on a country walk helps to identify letters and sounds. Spotting different coloured cars, teaches younger ones their colours!

MUD MESS!

Yes, it is messy, but it’s amazing fun for little ones. Get them making mud pies in the garden or doing some mud mark making on a wet walk.

NOISE

Bang old pans with infants, pick out a tune or rhythm with bells or drums with older ones. Sing songs loudly; clap hands softly.

OUTDOOR PAINTING

Collect leaves or stones and paint them! Add some food colouring to bubbles and ‘paint’ windows – it will wash off!

PUZZLES

Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination, as well as a quiet way of sharing a special few minutes together.

QUIET

It’s essential for everyone’s peace of mind! Try encouraging your little one to find fun in quieter things, such as books or colouring.

READING

When you settle down with a story at the end of the day, make it special. Try different voices to captivate your child’s imagination. Develop that love of books as early as possible.

SAFARI SPECIAL

Place some toy animals (or pictures of animals) in unusual places around your home and garden. Then take a piece of paper and pen and go on safari with your little ones, writing down the animals you see. Try out your best David Attenborough impersonation. They will not get it, but it will make you giggle.

TREASURE TIME

Make a map and hide some ‘treasure.’ Throw together some pirate accessories or costumes (make a paper hat, or grab a toy sword) and navigate through your home/garden/park to find the treasure. Don’t forget to battle those pirates along the way!

UNDER THE STARS

As the evenings draw in, there’s a great opportunity to get a wow moment from a toddler by looking outside and showing them all the twinkling lights from galaxies far, far away.

VIRTUAL FUN

There are going to be times when being at home is the only option, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Go online and try: a virtual roller coaster ride, a journey through the Amazon or even a rocket launch! (Visit https://bit.ly/3aUCP46 for our lockdown issues for some great virtual fun).

WATER WISE

Whether it is the warm bubbly kind in the evening bath or the cold splashy kind from a sprinkler, a wise person once said: when a child is grumpy “just add water.”

X-RAY

Take a roll of paper and draw round your child. Stick it on the floor and, as you draw in some bones, talk to them about bones in their body and what they help you do.

YOGA

They are never too young to learn how to pause and breathe. There are some great options on Youtube with fun kid friendly themes.

ZZZZ….

For many children, it’s hard to unwind at bedtime. Why not try to make it into more of a game, albeit a relaxing one. “Where has the toothbrush gone? It’s tucked up in bed with your pyjamas, let us get them on now.” Or: “What are your toys doing? They’re all sitting down to listen to this bedtime story.”