If you are looking for a little entertainment some time, try asking your little ones to tell you how to cure hiccups or a cold. My 6 year old told me that if you eat peanut butter, it sticks to the hiccups and cures them. Who knew? Don’t forget to write down their ideas for future fun. Then if that gets boring, try out the following letter “C” activities for preschool at home!
Fun Letter “C” Activities For Preschool
Some of the letter “C” activities for preschool work well with young children, and some of them are better for older children. If you are beginning with a very young child, don’t be afraid to teach them what a letter C is. They are learning the words for all kinds of objects, why not the letters too?
Show them a C with sidewalk chalk, in the sand, maybe in chocolate pudding, or form the C out of mini marshmallows. Before long, they will be able to recognize the letter and until then you will be having fun.
Practice Your Colors
Buy a bag of M&M’s™ or Skittles™ and sort them into piles of different colors. Then go on a walk to look for the same colors in your neighborhood. If you see something brown, eat a brown M&M™, if you see something red eat a red one, and so forth. Don’t worry about eating too many, the walking helps cancel out the calories.
Clap Your Hands
Clap some short, simple patterns and have the kids clap the patterns back to you. Then let them have a turn starting the pattern. Sing, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and clap on your head or your tummy or your knees.
Fun With Camouflage
Talk about animals that camouflage themselves to blend in with their surroundings and why they do it. Think of some of the animals that live in your area, maybe jackrabbits, grasshoppers, deer, and snakes, and talk about how they use camouflage to hide. Maybe go on a “safari” to look for them. Then decide what clothes you would wear if you wanted to be camouflaged with your surroundings. What about if you lived at the North Pole? In the dessert? In the ocean?
For some extra fun, find a picture of an animal in a magazine, cut it out, and paste it on a white sheet of paper. Then color the white part of the paper to camouflage the animal in the middle. You can do this with objects other than animals too (for example, my 8-year-old tried a picture of a checkered oven mitt and had a lot of fun camouflaging it).
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Read the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Gather each of the foods that the caterpillar ate and eat a bite of each of them. Decide if you are as full as the caterpillar was. Why or why not? Now make your own edible caterpillars by slicing carrots, cucumbers, and celery. Pour a little ranch dressing on a plate in a caterpillar shape and then arrange your vegetable pieces in the dressing. Mmmmm, edible caterpillars. Enjoy your snack!
Constellations At Night
Last of all, since you’re out here where you can “see the stars”, go out at night (even if it’s past bedtime) and look for some constellations like the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and Orion. Teach them the word ‘constellation’ and impress Grandma. The book Find the Constellations, by H.A.Rey (the author of Curious George) is a good reference.
Having Fun With “C” Week
I hope you enjoyed these letter “C” activities for preschool! Have you tried them out at home yet? Or have any other ideas for “C week”? Let us know in the comments! Remember that the object in all of this is to have some fun with your children and help them learn a little at the same time. If the kids are getting bored or lose interest, drop what you are doing and head for the sandbox.
Originally published July 20, 2005 in the Crossroads Journal.
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