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9 easy preschool activities for fall



Things to do at home with your preschooler

Things to do at home with your preschooler


Fall is here and you may be wondering what to do to keep little ones busy during the day. As a former preschool teacher and stay at home mom to preschoolers I know how hard it is to keep young kids busy. They really make their own kind of busy but giving them some fun structured projects to engage with provides stimulation and gives a mom a break.

Over the years I have learned what kinds of activities preschool kids love. Every child is a born explorer so give them the tools they need to get the job done. You don’t have to go crazy with kits, subscriptions or a ton of supplies. Easy to find items around your home are enough to keep your tiny humans busy.

Here are my go-to favorites that kids love:

Shaving cream paint – kids love the feeling of smooth, creamy shaving cream. It is inexpensive, and one can will last through several rounds of fun. Help your child fill a tray, or a bowl with cream and add in anything from food coloring, sprinkles, beads or other small objects. Point out colors and shapes they are using to reinforce learning those concepts. If you have children that still put things in their mouths skip the tiny objects and let them just play.

Nature painting – allow the kiddos to collect fun things during a walk or hike. Use those found objects at home as painting tools. Leaves, pine cones, rocks and sea shells all make amazing prints when painted and pressed against paper. Blades of grass, cat tails and ferns make cool paint brushes.

Paint with bubble wrap – it makes for a unique texture. Just allow your kiddo to paint the bubble side of the wrap, flip it over and press on paper. You have instant art with texture and pattern.

Make your own fossils – kids love dinosaurs so use them to make a fun fossil print. Simply press your favorite dino into play dough and you have an instant fossil.  Press the tail or head into the dough to leave a fun imprint for your tiny Paleontologist to explore. (You can also use any of the found items from your nature walks to make an imprint of nature).

Apple painting – going apple picking this fall? Why not save one or two apples to use for your next art project? Simply slice an apple in half and lie it flat on a paper towel. This will absorb some of the moisture. Then dip into paint and make stamps with the apple.

Decorate a pumpkin – your little one may be too young or squeamish to carve the flesh of a pumpkin, but they can certainly color a pumpkin with paint or markers, or glue on gems. This makes for a one of a kind fall masterpiece.

READ MORE: Find a pumpkin to decorate here

Go for a color scavenger hunt- pick up some paint chips (cards) at a local hardware store. Bring them with you on your next nature walk and have the kids find items that match the color.  You can also use this activity inside on days you don’t feel like going out.

Get in the kitchen – preschoolers love to be in the kitchen! They don’t care about things being perfect. They just care about the process. Mixing, stirring, sifting and of course eating are all interactive experiences for little ones. Pick an easy recipe you know your kid will love, make it together and enjoy the simple act of eating it together. If you are worried about using the stove pick a no-cook recipe.

Make some noise – borrow an instrument, shake some maracas, or turn up the tunes and just dance. Kids really know how to connect with the joy of music. Join in and dance like no one is watching for some silly fun in your day.

You don’t need a lot of bells and whistles, or to join expensive groups to keep little ones engaged. Remember to keep it simple, everything is washable and messy memories last longer than perfect moments.

The Whatever Mom is a full-time wife and twin mama living on coffee and wine. She enjoys the pure rush of cleaning the BIG potty between loads of laundry. It is her dream that moms everywhere accept and embrace the Whatever Mom philosophy which can be found here. You can also find her musings and popular shares on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest. 



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