12 Learning Activities to Prep Your Child for Kindergarten

As your baby turns into a toddler and then your toddler nears kindergarten, it can evoke a lot of emotion. Bottles and diapers are replaced by skinned knees and adventures. It seems like overnight, your sweet baby looks like a full-on kid. You researched and found the best ways to keep your baby happy, healthy, and growing. Now it’s time to prep your budding 5-year-old for kindergarten.

You can do many learning activities to help get your kids ready for kindergarten. Many of them take a few minutes a day, too, and are so crucial for their development. From a schedule to reading and learning kindness, these activities are easy for your 4-going-on-5-year-old to grasp. Keep reading to learn more ways of helping your child prep for school. There’s even a bonus tip for big emotions about the transition for you and your kiddo both.

1. Getting on a Schedule

When school starts, your child will have to get up at the same time and get ready Monday through Friday. Many fights and tears are shed in the morning trying to get out the door. Start the practice early and get on a schedule so it’s not a surprise when school starts. Set a consistent bedtime and a routine each night. For example, take a bath, brush your teeth, get in jammies, read, and go to bed at 8 p.m. each night.

2. Practicing Letters, Numbers, and Words

Working with your child on education activities sets them up for success in the classroom. It gives them a headstart in recognizing some key elements they will be exposed to in kindergarten. Practice counting and recognizing numbers. Practice letters and sight words. Use flashcards or a chalkboard and easel at home. You can even start by writing their name so they know that word first.

3. Reading Every Day

Since you’re already working on a daily schedule, add reading to the list. Reading every day is actually one of the most important things you can do by way of a learning activity. It helps foster a love of reading through connection because you’re modeling as something you do and enjoy. Hearing stories, looking at the words, and seeing the corresponding pictures strengthens your child’s language and literacy skills as well. Stories can also help kids learn appropriate behaviors for different situations through their favorite characters.

4. Identifying Colors

Part of your kid’s early childhood development is being able to identify colors. Start by casually identifying colors in normal conversation with your kid. It can be as simple as phrases like, ‘Do you want to wear your purple or yellow shoes today?’ As you hold them up, your child can point to them. They will start to associate the color with the object. You can do this with many things in their environment.

5. Working on Puzzles and Blocks

Turn off the tablet, limit screens, and get the kids working on tactile fun. Puzzles, building blocks, and even legos help your child build their logic skills. They learn through trial and error how the pieces go together. Shape sorter blocks, and puzzles help your child begin to learn shapes and also help with spatial awareness. Help them identify their names while you play too.

6. Learning Emotional Regulation

Help your littles learn emotional regulation. This is a skill that is largely modeled as well, so work on your own emotional regulation as well. Help them work on using healthy coping strategies for big feelings. You can teach them how to talk about their feelings and show them their feelings are valid. Work on empathy and how to treat others with kindness as well.

7. Gaining Independence

Part of going to kindergarten is becoming a big kid. They are doing more and more things on their own apart from you. Work with them on gaining independence. Empowering them to feed themselves at lunch and use the bathroom by themselves is a start. Trusting them with more chores will help bolster their confidence for school too.

8. Developing Self-Care Skills

As with gaining independence, working with your kids on developing self-care skills and healthy habits. Good hygiene is part of this. Two big things are washing your hands after going to the bathroom and not picking your nose. Covering your mouth when you cough is also important. As part of their routine, brushing their teeth and learning to take a bath by themselves are also good skills.

9. Taking Responsibility

Learning how to take responsibility is a huge life skill. In fact, it’s one that keeps building throughout life. If your child gets in trouble, teach them how to own up to their mistake. Responsibility extends beyond that too; teach them they are responsible for their actions and words. Being kind and doing what you say you will do are too big things littles can work on. They can also be responsible for their things and keep track of their own shoes and backpacks.

10. Knowing Your Phone Number

One way to set your child up for success is to make sure they know mommy and daddy’s real names. In case of emergency,…