5 Fantastic Learning Tools For Preschoolers

Disclosure:This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are 100% my own.


Little minds are like sponges, soaking up everything they see and hear. It’s really important to give your child learning tools that are also fun. You don’t want your child to hate learning, but you also want to take advantage of these years when their minds are so impressionable.

I’m amazed all the time the things I hear and see my boys pick up. They are just so cool! I get asked all the time if I have been homeschooling my oldest or what I’ve done to help him advance so much so I’m writing up this post with a few of the things we’ve used and loved for them.

LeapFrog: Letter Factory

I love LeapFrog! I love all the DVDs they have put out and we own a bunch of them. We started with Letter Factory and grew our collection from there. Letter Factory is a fun story of Leap learning his letters and letter sounds. It’s really basic, but the tunes/songs they use are really catchy and I have found myself singing the letter sounds while washing dishes or something else. haha.

Andrew caught on really quick and within a couple weeks he knew all his letters and letter sounds. He didn’t watch it all day everyday, just a couple times a week starting when he was about 18 months or so. Ben isn’t as clear of a talker as Andrew was at that age, but he knows all his letters and most of their sounds and sometimes will spot them on a sign or in a book and will make the sound. It’s very cool how they’ve caught on.

We also own: Sing and Learn With Us!, Math Adventure to the Moon, The Amazing Alphabet Amusement Park, Math Circus, Numbers Ahoy, Phonics Farm, Word Caper, Storybook Factory, and Talking Words Factory. Like I said, we love LeapFrog and pick up a new one when we see them in the store or see a new one pop up on Amazon.

Brain Quest

These are fun books. They have a variety of questions to help kids learn relationships, shapes, colors, word skills, and more. These are really good for times you need to be quiet, like in church or other meetings. There are several different levels and even workbooks from this brand. Andrew really likes them and got so good at them we had to create our own questions to change things up.

ABCmouse.com   

We love ABCMouse.com! It is awesome. Andrew has learned soooo much since starting. He was playing with his toys a few days ago and started telling me about Jupiter and how it’s the biggest planet…seriously! He has learned how to use a computer mouse and can play/learn independently. I usually have something he needs to do before he gets to play, like clean up toys or put away laundry and he’s happy to do it. Then I’ll just set a timer and let him decide what he would like to do. I ask him to do at least one lesson during that time and he does. The best part is you can have up to 3 kids on one account so Ben gets to enjoy it too.
There are games, coloring, songs, lessons, and lots of other fun activities to encourage learning, creativity, and curiosity. We just discovered ABCmouse.com earlier this year and have been loving it since day 1 !  Be sure to check it out…
ABCmouse.com - Over 3,000 Educational Activities - First Month Free - Click here!

Bob Books

We actually don’t own these, but grandma brings them with her when she comes to visit and they are great. Andrew was reading them to grandma this most recent visit. They are simple and fun. It’s a really great place to start for not only reading but also comprehension. They definitely get kids started on reading and loving it! There are several different sets depending on your child’s level.

Puzzles

We have sooo many puzzles. You really can’t go wrong…well, I suppose you could if you got something too hard and it was frustrating. We started with simple ones like Melissa & Doug First Shapes Jumbo and worked up from there. We have really enjoyed the Melissa & Doug puzzles because they are sturdy wood and well made. Both boys really enjoy this Construction Puzzle Set …

Andrew would do them over and over and over again when we first got it and Ben is starting to as well. We have a United States puzzle that has been really helpful in explaining to the boys where grandparents live, where daddy is going on a trip, or where we are going on vacation. Puzzles really help children develop fine motor skills, coordination, and problem solving. Plus they help to keep a child’s attention and keep them focused on one task, a skill that will help when they get to school.

So there you go, those are my favorite learning tools that I’ve been using for my kids. The boys love learning and I credit these tools for making it fun for all of us.

What are some of your favorite learning tools?

Getting Kids Started on Chores

Each day I grow progressively bigger and bigger (I'm pregnant, in case you didn't know :). And with that I have less and less motivation and energy to get things done around the house. So I had the brilliant idea the other day to get Andrew, who is almost 4, more involved in the daily housework.

I have a general cleaning schedule that helps me divide the work through the week so it’s not so overwhelming. I wrote a bit about it here. Most of my chores still take about 30 minutes, but with a bigger house and bigger family, laundry and vacuuming take a bit longer.

So I made this routine/chore chart for Andrew. I want to start prepping him for school – I may or may not send him to preschool in the fall- so it’s a routine and chore chart in one.

I matched his ‘chores’ to mine so he can help me. (Nina – on Thursday- is the name of our Roomba, the robot vacuum, haha).

On Monday I had him pick up the dirty clothes and towels in the bathroom and put them in the hamper.

Put away the toys, toothpaste, and other stuff that didn’t belong on the counter.

Then because he thinks it’s super fun, I have him be my ‘squirter’. I have him spray down the sinks, counter, and toilet with Basic G. I’m so grateful that it’s non-toxic because there is no way I’d let him do this with any other cleaner. After he gets it all squirted down, I go in behind him to wipe it all down.

I also had him take the garbage downstairs.

On laundry days, I have him move clothes from the washer to the dryer.

I taught him how to put his shirts on hangers, needs a little work, but I’m not going to be picky when he’s helping out.

And now thanks to the Hanging Clothes Bar I made, he can also hang up his clothes!

Then he puts away the rest of his clothes in his dresser.

On ‘Mommy Helper’ times, I’ll have him help me unload the dishwasher (the silverware only)

or do odd jobs for me. Today I just needed him to be my legs and get me stuff that was either upstairs when I was downstairs or something that was downstairs while I was up. I had him throw away a dirty diaper or when it’s appropriate, I have him help with dinner. Simple things.

So there you have it, the beginning of child labor...err...chores, hehe. I think this will really help Andrew, he likes and does really well with structure. I just need something to keep me on track. So far, it's mostly been me teaching him what to do and that's fine. He's only 3 so that's all I expect, but having the chart gives us a way to track our day. If he asks to watch a video or for something special, I'll let him know what needs to be done first and he gets right on it.  :)

What kind of routine or chores do you have your kids do? What incentives do you offer? Hope you're having a great week!

EDIT: Check out this awesome infographic from Suzie @Terry's Fabric. Thank you for sharing Suzie!! Check out her original post HERE

Exploding Popsicle Stick Ninja Stars

Up at girl's camp I was in charge of putting together a craft/service project for our girls. Unfortunately, due to the hot weather or the fact that they're 15 years old teenage girls, not many participated fully. As a result I came home with TONS of extra Popsicle sticks. 

I was putting them away when this idea popped back into my head. I remember playing with these as a kid, don't know when or what the occasion was, but I figured my little boy would have a blast.

Boy was I right!

These are so easy to make. Start with two sticks and make an upside down V.

Put a third stick in the middle of that

Then slide one up about half way, with the two sides on top and the middle stick beneath. (or vise versa, just alternate)

Lastly, use one last stick that alternates opposite of the previous and this will secure the 'ninja star'

Now toss them at the ground and watch them pop apart! 

They're pretty much harmless and the mess is easy to pick up. My little man has been having fun with these for the last couple days and just giggles and giggles when they explode!