by Eve Fasham

Created on: July 07, 2008   Last Updated: August 01, 2008

Pre school aged children are at a very special age where they are like sponges, ready to learn and absorb new information and one of the best ways for them to learn is through good quality play. Many children of this age will be attending day care settings or pre schools, and will be accessing quality play already, where as some will be staying at home until they go to school.

Drawing from personal experiences of working with this age group, I have compiled some fun, simple and low cost activities to do with your pre school child at home. As well as being great fun, not just for the child, but for adults too, they will help your child's development in all areas.

Messy and creative play is great fun and can incorporate all sorts of materials. Set up a messy play area for your child, with a large wipe down mat on the floor, and enjoy.
Paint is lots of fun, and does not just have to be used with brushes. Try using hands and feet to make patterns, or printing with objects. Some lovely pictures can be made using potato cut outs, Lego or Duplo, wooden shapes and cars to print with.

Play dough is also great fun, and good for sensory and physical development. Once the basic had been made, try adding other things like paint, glitter, oats or other textured ingredients to give it a special feel.

One of my favourite messy activities is gloop, which is made mixing corn flour and water. You can also add colouring for a nice effect. Let your child gradually add the water and mix it with their hands, and watch their faces! Remember to have a go yourself if you have never tried this activity. It is also great for teaching basic science to your child.

Now for a really messy activity cook some pasta or spaghetti lengths, and let them go cold. Then add paint to the pasta and get stuck in. This is a wonderful sensory activity and can also be used to make prints on paper.

Finally why not do junk modelling? Every household has recyclable materials that can be used to let your child's imagination flow. Provide boxes, tubes, scrap materials, plastic bottles, paint, glue, sticky tape and safety scissors. Your child can explore and use their imaginations with the materials and is developing sensory, physical and creative skills as they play.

One important thing to remember is that your child's creative play does not need to have a perfect result such as the masterpiece painting or a proper model. The most important thing is that they are learning as they play and developing their skills and

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