Preschool
Find valuable information on preschool and your child. Read tips on first-day preschool jitters, learning skills, relationships, behavior, discipline, development, and more.
12 Back-to-School Books for Kids of All Ages
Starting the school year is a universally exciting and nerve-wracking time for kids (and their parents!). Whether your child is off to preschool, kindergarten, middle school, or any grade in between, find some classic and new back-to-school stories that will help prepare and excite him for the year ahead! Looking for more? Use our Book Finder tool to search for new books for kids of all ages! read more
Abusive Preschool Classmate
A parent considers removing her child from preschool because of an abusive classmate. read more
Action Steps for Families
Action Steps for FamiliesThere are a number of steps that you and other family members can take to help prepare your young children to become readers and to support the reading habit once they are in school. These include: read more
Activities for Age Two
Activities for Age TwoThese activities will teach children new words and story content, and will enrich and expand children's language and emergent literacy skills. read more
Add-On Stories
Add-On StoriesDirections This is a good game at the dinner table or in the car. One person starts a story and each person takes a turn continuing it. You may want to have each person add a sentence, or choose a "pointer" to conduct the story. The pointer decides who goes next and can stop a person at any time, even in midsentence. You may want to choose a topic or theme for your story, or leave it completely open and see what kind of nonsense results. read more
ADHD and Preschoolers
It's not at all unusual for parents to suspect that their preschooler might be exhibiting signs of ADHD. read more
Airplane Ride Coloring Page
Use all the colors of the rainbow to help make this airplaine picture come to life! read more
Alphabet Book
Alphabet Book Materials Small notebook or loose sheets of paper Crayons or markers Old magazines Scissors Glue Photos of friends and family (optional)Directions read more
Alphabet Playdough
Alphabet Playdough Materials Playdough or modeling clayDirections Help your child form letters out of playdough or modeling clay. Then, have her close her eyes, feel a letter, and try to identify it by shape. As a tasty variation, make some Alphabet Cookies and bake your alphabet! read more
Animal Charades
Animal Charades Materials Variety of stuffed animals PillowcaseDirections Place several stuffed animals in a pillowcase. Close your eyes while your child takes one out and looks at it. Have her put it back in the case and act out the animal, while you try to guess what it is. read more
Another Year of Preschool?
Find out what benefits another year of preschool might have for a four-year-old. read more
Apple Shapes
Apple ShapesMaterials Apples Knife Metal cookie cutters Directions Peel apples and cut them into thin slices. Give your child small metal cookie cutters and let him cut shapes out of the slices. read more
April and Andy the Acrobats
Children will learn about the letter A with this coloring page. read more
Are We Pushing Our Grandson Too Hard?
Special teaching programs for preschoolers are not necessary. Find out what is. read more
Are You Fostering Independence in Your Preschooler?
Take this quiz to find out if you're helping or hindering your child's journey toward self-sufficiency. read more
Artistically Gifted Three-Year-Old
At three years of age, a child is too young to be enrolled in any special programs, despite advanced fine motor and visual skills. read more
As Simple as A-B-C
As Simple as A-B-CSharing the alphabet with your child helps him begin to recognize the shapes of letters and link them with sounds. He will soon learn the difference between individual letters -- what they look like and what they sound like. What you need: read more
Baby Bookworms! 7 Tips for Reading Aloud to Babies & Toddlers
Did you know that reading to your baby can boost his brain power? The American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new policy in June 2014 advising that parents regularly read aloud to kids from infancy through at least age 5 because it stimulates development, supports the parent/child bond, and helps build language, literacy, and social/emotional skills at a critical time in children's lives. Plus, it's just plain fun! read more
Backyard Picnic
Backyard PicnicMaterials Blanket Picnic food Outdoor toys Directions You don't have to trek to the park to have a picnic. Set up a picnic in your own backyard: Spread out a blanket, set up the goodies, and bring out the balls and other outdoor toys to complete the fun. In warmer weather, turn on the sprinkler or fill the kiddy pool for some water play. read more
Beach Day Coloring Page
Have some sunny outdoor fun with this beach-themed coloring page. read more
Beanbag Toss
Beanbag Toss Materials 4-by-6-inch scraps of material Needle and thread Dried beans Ziploc bagDirections The Ziploc bag protects the beans even if the bag gets wet. read more
Bedtime Coloring Page
Color in the picture to help the teddy bear go to sleep. read more
Before Preschool
There are lots of fun, educational activities for children who have a year at home before entering preschool. read more
Berry Picking
Berry PickingMaterials Sunscreen Sun hat Bag lunch Juice Books Directions Every child should pick berries at least once in her life! Kids find strawberries the easiest to pick, as they are low to the ground, easy to see, and have no thorns. read more
Best Educational Apps for Kids of All Ages
Screentime doesn't have to be devoid of any educational value. These popular, award-winning apps for kids help your toddler, preschooler, and school-age child learn about science, reading, and more in a fun, interactive environment. And don't forget to check out our top picks for free apps too! read more
Billy Goat Coloring Page
Use all the colors of the rainbow to help this little goat come to life! read more
Boy Won't Behave in Preschool
What steps can a mother take when her preschooler is rejected by teachers who say they can't cope with him? read more
Bubble Painting
Bubble PaintingMaterials Newspaper Liquid dishwashing detergent Shallow dish Tempera paint Straw Construction paper or other paperDirections read more
Carpet Raceway Activity
Carpet Raceway Activity Materials Books or scraps of wood Matchbox cars or other toys with wheelsDirections Make a raceway or train track on a carpet by laying down books of equal thickness side by side to make a smooth lane, or use pieces of plywood or two-by-fours. (Your raceway can be any length and can be straight or have turns.) This will transform the carpet into a smooth surface for racing toys with wheels. read more
