Please don’t skip “Getting Ready for Preschool”
It is not our job to rush children through their childhoods. We have tips and ideas to get ready for Reception, for when the time is right. Please do not rush your child’s time away. At Little Hearts we are firm believers of being in the moment for and with the children. They will develop at their own pace and with the right guidance and support, when it comes for them to start Reception, they will go with all the enthusiasm and love for learning that they need to make the transition as smooth as possible.
“Can we practice writing my name together?”
Let’s write my name in big letters, and I’ll try to copy it. You can show me how to hold the pencil properly, and we can use lots of colours!
“Let’s play a game where I match letters with phonetical sounds!”
You can say a letter, and I’ll try to make the sound it makes or find something that starts with that letter. It’s like a treasure hunt for sounds!
“Can you help me learn to count to 20?”
We can count together, first with our fingers, and then with objects like buttons or toys. You can make it into a race to see how fast I can count!
“Let’s play with shapes and puzzles!”
We can put together puzzles or use blocks to make shapes. You can ask me to find a circle, square, or triangle. This helps me get ready for math in school!
“Can we practice sitting still and listening to a story?”
Let’s try sitting quietly while you read me a story. I’ll practice listening and waiting until the story is done before talking. It’s like practicing for story time at school!
“Let’s talk about my feelings!”
You can ask me how I feel when something happens, and I’ll try to tell you. This helps me understand my emotions and talk about them at school.
“Can you show me how to tidy up?”
If we clean up my toys together, I’ll learn where everything goes and how to keep things neat. It’s like a treasure hunt!
“Can we play a game where I listen and follow directions?”
You tell me to jump, hop, or sit, and I’ll try to follow what you say. This will help me learn to listen better at school.
“Let’s use with scissors and glue!”
I can cut out shapes and stick them together. It helps me practice using my hands and being creative. Just make sure you’re there to help me!
“Can we play the “Who Am I? game?”
You can describe an animal or object, and I’ll try to guess what it is. You might say, “I’m a big animal with a trunk, and I live in the jungle. Who am I?” It’s like a guessing game that helps me learn about the world!
“Let’s Play the ‘Animal Walks’ Game!”
You can ask me to walk like different animals—like a bear walking on all fours, a crab walking sideways, or a frog hopping. These moves make me use my tummy and back muscles while pretending to be my favourite animals!
“Can We Play a ‘Balance Beam’ Game?“
We can make a pretend balance beam on the floor using tape or a long piece of string. I’ll try to walk along it without falling off, like a tightrope walker. It helps me balance and makes my core muscles work hard to keep me steady!
“Let’s Play ‘Ball Pass’ with Our Feet!”
We can lie on our backs with our feet in the air and pass a ball back and forth using just our feet. It’s like a soccer game, but upside down! This game helps me strengthen my tummy muscles while having fun with you!
“Can We Do a ‘Superhero Plank’ Challenge?”
We can pretend to be superheroes flying through the air by holding a plank position (like a push-up, but staying still). Let’s see how long we can stay in our superhero pose! It helps me build strong muscles in my core, just like a real superhero!
“Can We Play with Playdough Together?”
We can roll, squish, and shape the playdough into different things like animals or pretend food. You can show me how to use my fingers to pinch and mold the dough. It’s like creating my own little sculptures and makes my fingers strong!
“Let’s Do a Buttoning Race!”
We can take a shirt or jacket with buttons, and I’ll try to button it up as fast as I can. You can time me, and I’ll see if I can get faster each time. It’s like a challenge, and it helps me practice using my fingers to do up buttons, which is important for getting dressed by myself and develops my fine motor skills!
These activities are fun and will help me get better at using my hands and fingers, build strong muscles that will make me ready for all the physical activities and are great for helping me get ready for all the learning I’ll do in Reception class!