Keeping preschoolers busy often seems like a full-time job! These little guys are full of energy and are like sponges. Whatever you want them to learn, they are eager and ready. Combine all that energy with fun games for learning and you’ve got a winning combination! Need ideas?

Here are some fun ways to teach your preschooler language skills without them even knowing it!

Learning academic skills doesn’t have to be done while trying to get your preschooler to sit still at a desk or the kitchen table. Little kids love to go outside and play, so combine something they love with a learning experience.

Take an Alphabet Walk – Tell you little one that you are going to take a walk. While you are on the walk, tell them that you are going to play a game – the Alphabet Game.

The idea is to find something that starts with each letter of the alphabet. A – acorn or ant. B – bird or ball. Go through the entire alphabet, in order, on your walk.

It will help in the beginning if you carry with you a card that has the alphabet letters written on it. Try letting your preschooler mark off each letter as you find something for that letter. You could also let them put a small sticker on each letter too (something small like a star or dot). This isn’t too much to carry and kids love to use markers and stickers.

Also, when you first start taking your alphabet walks, you will probably have to point out objects that start with each letter. Say, "Oh look, there’s a "ball" for the letter B. Buh…Buh…Ball." Show them the letter B.

This helps your child to learn the sounds that each letter of the alphabet makes. So even if you spot the same objects over and over, it is reinforcing the sound of each letter. This may continue for a while, but one day, it will click and your child will begin associating the fact that the letter B makes a "buh" sounds and so does the word bounce, black, bear, etc.

It helps if you brainstorm ahead of time to come up with objects that you will likely see on your walk – it also makes the walk go faster. Doing this several times a week is a great way to teach your child the sounds of the alphabet, plus you get exercise, fresh air, and you get out of the house.

Make a "Big Book" – To make a "Big Book" buy a piece of poster board from your local supply store. Cut the poster board in half. On the "front page" write in big letters "Playing Outside" or anything else you want to make a big book about.

Put the two sheets of poster board together, punch holes in the side and insert rings.

Now, give your child a piece of construction paper or copy paper and let them draw a picture about what they like to do outside. After they have finished drawing, have them tell you about the picture. Let them dictate what the picture is about (in a simple sentence) and you print neatly below the picture.

Explain they our child that you are putting his words in writing. Talk about the shape of the letters. Talk about the sounds that some of the letters make. Explain to him that pretty soon, he will be able to write what he is saying too.

Work on your "big book" at different times (once or twice a week) until it is full. You can add extra "pages" if your child shows a lot of interest in this activity. When your big book is full, you will have a wonderful keepsake that was a fun learning activity.

Children love to learn. The key is to make it fun. Think of activities that they like to do and how you can add learning to it at the same time. Remember to be fun, make it interesting, and enjoy the time you are spending with your preschooler!

Jason Ladock

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