Games preschoolers play
9 Classic Preschool Games That Secretly Teach Life Skills
Remember the last time you were greeted with laughter when you arrived at preschool to pick up your child? They were racing around with their friends and playing a game that you recognized from your own childhood. Best of all, they were having a wonderful time—and learning more than you know.
Believe it or not, classic preschool games are much more than just fun for children. They’re actually an essential part of the learning process, helping kids bond with their friends, burn off excess energy and teaching kids skills that will help them later in life.
To help you see the learning potential in the games that just seem fun, we’ve gathered together nine well-loved American preschool games. Read on to discover how each game secretly models real-world situations and helps kids learn how to live and act.
9 Classic Preschool Games That Secretly Teach Life Skills
1. Duck, Duck, Goose
This kid-favorite is an excellent game for teaching strategic thinking. Participants sit in a circle, and one child walks around the outside tapping each head in turn and saying “duck.” Eventually they pick one child to be the “goose” and run around the circle to try to take that child’s place before the “goose” catches them. If they reach the end without getting tagged, the “goose” returns to their own seat and the original player continues around the circle.
As kids play this game more, they start thinking about how to pick a “goose” (such as someone who isn’t paying attention) who will give them a better chance of getting back to their seats without getting tagged. Duck, Duck, Goose teaches children to plan ahead and gives them immediate feedback on the quality of their decisions.
2. Musical Chairs
This game helps teach kids to resolve arguments peacefully, deal with disappointment and practice patience. Set chairs in a circle, one fewer than the number of children in the game, and then play music as kids walk around the circle. Every time the music stops, children must try to sit on a chair.
Kids who don’t get a chair are out. Then remove a chair and begin again.
As a game of Musical Chairs progresses, children must learn to deal with the frustration of being out of the game, therefore practicing patience and waiting graciously. They must also learn to use their words to work out arguments about whose chair is whose or who got there “first." Be sure to have an adult on hand specifically to ensure conflicts are settled peacefully and to help kids who are no longer in the game stay cheerful.
3. Simon Says
Simon Says is an excellent game for helping kids learn to pay close attention to instructions, while also giving them a taste of leadership. In Simon Says, one kid asks their peers to do silly actions by saying “Simon says tap your head” or “Simon Says jump like monkeys.” Then the other kids will do the action—but only as long as the leader adds “Simon says” to their instructions.
Kids who don’t pay attention quickly discover that if they don’t listen, they’ll be the only one doing the silly action.
That gives them extra motivation to listen closely to the entire set of instructions before getting started.
4. Row Your Boat
Self-awareness is an important skill for children to develop as part of the learning process. That’s one of the reasons we ask children to assess their own learning at Whitby. When children are small, this can start with physical self-awareness. Knowing how to moderate one's body is a very useful skill that prepares kids for later life. The game here is simple: pair children up facing one another with knees bent up in front of them and holding hands. Instruct them to rock back and forth in time to the song “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” They’ll need to work together and keep an eye on their own movements at all times. It works best to play this game with a CD or a song on YouTube, so you can incorporate a "freeze" element by stopping music abruptly. This helps children focus on auditory cues and match their physical movements to them.
5. Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek is a great game for teaching problem solving.
In order to stay hidden for the longest possible amount of time, children have to assess their options so they can pick the best possible hiding spot. This builds spatial awareness, because kids must consider factors such as which hiding places will offer the most cover from the most vantage points. As they gain experience with the game, kids will take an even more in-depth assessment approach, thinking about which spots are frequently used during free play and therefore most likely to be checked first.
6. Parachute Games
Playing with a parachute is a fun way for kids to learn teamwork. Kids stand around a circle, holding a parachute (or large sheet) between them. When a ball or other object is placed on the parachute, kids toss the ball up and down. Kids must move in sync or the ball will fall off the side of the parachute. If playing with a big parachute, kids have to work together to keep multiple balls in play at the same time, or learn how to throw the parachute up so one child can run underneath before the parachute falls.
7. Hopscotch
This classic sidewalk game is perfect for developing critical thinking skills. Kids draw the hopscotch shape on the sidewalk, then take turns tossing a rock underhand at the hopscotch shape. They then must navigate the hopscotch course while avoiding the square the rock landed on. Since it’s often difficult to avoid the square with the rock while hopping on one foot, kids will need to plan ahead to find the best “route” through the course.
8. Red Light, Green Light
Red Light, Green Light is great for teaching patience. After all, children don’t love to stand still. To play, one kid stands facing away at the other side of the field. The goal is to be the first to touch that person, without getting caught moving. When the person is facing away, that’s a green light and kids can move toward them. When the leader turns around to face the group, that’s a red light, and kids must stop moving. Anyone the leader catches still in motion has to go back to the starting line.
To win at Red Light, Green Light, kids need to rein in their impulse to run forward, instead choosing a pace where they can stop instantly if the leader starts to turn. As they near the leader, they’ll also have to learn how to wait for the exact right moment to rush forward. If they misjudge and go too soon, they’ll have to start over from the beginning.
9. Sleeping Lions
It’s important for kids to learn how to stay focused despite distractions. Sleeping Lions is a fun way for kids to learn this important life skill. During this preschool game, all the children lie down and pretend to be asleep. Then one person walks among the group (without touching anyone, trying to convince kids into reacting and opening their eyes. The last kid to still look like they’re “sleeping” is the winner.
Sleeping lions encourages kids to be silly as they try to wake up their peers. To stay “asleep,” kids have to keep themselves focused on not moving a muscle—no matter how their peers try to distract them.
That’s extremely hard for young children to do, and the focusing they practice during Sleeping Lions will help a child later on when they’re trying to learn in boisterous environments.
More Than Just Fun and Games
If you’re like most parents, you want to know your child is in the best possible learning environment at all times. The good news? Many preschool games that seem like they’re just plain fun actually teach life skills. So while your kids might seem like they’re just having fun playing with friends, they’re actually learning skills that will help them succeed later in life.
Games | PBS KIDS
Games | PBS KIDSGames
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Rosie's Rules
Rosie's Slime Shop
Make slime for customers in Rosie's Slime Shop!
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Rosie's Rules
Riding with Rosie
Drive around & be a community helper with Rosie!
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Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
Nature Walk
Join the Tiger family on a nature walk! Explore the sights and sounds in Daniel’s neighborhood, and in your neighborhood too!
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Alma's Way
Alma Train Game
All Aboard with Alma! Build your own subway system to drop off and pick up passengers!
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Cyberchase
Cyber Fashion Challenge
Upcycle clothing into fabulous new designs and see your pieces on the runway.
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Let's Go Luna!
Luna's Seek & Find
Travel to cities around the world and help Luna find wild animals, things to juggle, and more!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
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Hero Elementary
Push Pull Puzzles
Fur Blur need help getting to her snack. Can you make a path for her?
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Team Hamster! & Ruff Ruffman
Team Hamster! Splash Dash
Use tools to fix the water pipes and have a hamster pool party!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Story Creator
Create stories your own way!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkamagine Fashion
Design and decorate clothes for Pinkalicious & friends!
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Hero Elementary
Treehouse Trouble
Sara and Fur Blur need help fixing treehouses around City Town!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier's Museum Maker
New room unlocked! Build your own museum!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Hide & Seek
Hide and seek with Elinor & friends, play by yourself or with a friend!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Story Creator
Create stories your own way!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkcredible Story Maker
Celebrate fall & create new Pinkalicious stories!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkamagine Fashion
Design and decorate clothes for Pinkalicious & friends!
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Nature Cat
Nature Art Box
Use your Nature Art Box to create art with natural materials!
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Alma's Way
Alma Train Game
All Aboard with Alma! Build your own subway system to drop off and pick up passengers!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
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Ready Jet Go!
Rover Maker
Build & drive your own rover on Earth, Moon and Mars!
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Ready Jet Go!
Jet's Planet Pinball
Play pinball and collect all the planets!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor's Nature Adventure
Use binoculars, magnifying glass & more to observe and discover Elinor's world!
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Sesame Street
Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck
Find out where different foods come from to make apple pies, tacos, and more with Cookie Monster and Gonger!
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Ready Jet Go!
Rover Maker
Build & drive your own rover on Earth, Moon and Mars!
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Ready Jet Go!
Jet's Planet Pinball
Play pinball and collect all the planets!
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Ready Jet Go!
Space Scouts
Earn badges to become the ultimate Space Scout!
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Ready Jet Go!
Jet's Bot Builder
Create a robot and travel the solar system!
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Ready Jet Go!
Mission Control
Build a mission controller to control robots and spaceships.
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Ready Jet Go!
Food Farmer
Grow giant vegetables on Earth, Moon and Mars.
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- Halloween Games
- Friends & Neighbors Games
- Space Games
- Dress Up Games
- Engineering Games
- Back to School Games
- Play Together Games
- Feelings Games
- Nature Games
- Music Games
- Animals Games
- Reading Games
- Create Games
- Adventure Games
- Storytelling Games
- Science Games
- Shapes Games
- Dinosaurs Games
- Arts Games
- Rhyming Games
- Math Games
- Spanish Games
- Social Studies Games
- ABC Games
- Measurement Games
- Vocabulary Games
- Food Games
- Routines Games
- Matching Games
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier's Museum Maker
New room unlocked! Build your own museum!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Hide & Seek
Hide and seek with Elinor & friends, play by yourself or with a friend!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Story Creator
Create stories your own way!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkcredible Story Maker
Celebrate fall & create new Pinkalicious stories!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkamagine Fashion
Design and decorate clothes for Pinkalicious & friends!
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Nature Cat
Nature Art Box
Use your Nature Art Box to create art with natural materials!
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Alma's Way
Alma Train Game
All Aboard with Alma! Build your own subway system to drop off and pick up passengers!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
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Ready Jet Go!
Rover Maker
Build & drive your own rover on Earth, Moon and Mars!
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Ready Jet Go!
Jet's Planet Pinball
Play pinball and collect all the planets!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor's Nature Adventure
Use binoculars, magnifying glass & more to observe and discover Elinor's world!
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Sesame Street
Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck
Find out where different foods come from to make apple pies, tacos, and more with Cookie Monster and Gonger!
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Ready Jet Go!
Rover Maker
Build & drive your own rover on Earth, Moon and Mars!
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Ready Jet Go!
Jet's Planet Pinball
Play pinball and collect all the planets!
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Ready Jet Go!
Space Scouts
Earn badges to become the ultimate Space Scout!
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Ready Jet Go!
Jet's Bot Builder
Create a robot and travel the solar system!
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Ready Jet Go!
Mission Control
Build a mission controller to control robots and spaceships.
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Ready Jet Go!
Food Farmer
Grow giant vegetables on Earth, Moon and Mars.
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Hide & Seek
Hide and seek with Elinor & friends, play by yourself or with a friend!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkamagine Fashion
Design and decorate clothes for Pinkalicious & friends!
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Sesame Street
Dress Up Time
Play Dress-up with Elmo and Abby!
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Sesame Street
Elmo's World
Welcome to Elmo's World! Play six different mini-games in Elmo's room.
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Sesame Street
A Job For Me
Explore the jobs that make up a community!
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Alma's Way
Alma Train Game
All Aboard with Alma! Build your own subway system to drop off and pick up passengers!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Ari's Wonderful Ideas
Design your own animal-inspired vehicles!
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Team Hamster! & Ruff Ruffman
Team Hamster! Splash Dash
Use tools to fix the water pipes and have a hamster pool party!
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Hero Elementary
AJs Recycle Rescue
AJ has a mission to to reuse litter in the park and clean it up for his friends to enjoy.
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Hero Elementary
Treehouse Trouble
Sara and Fur Blur need help fixing treehouses around City Town!
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Ready Jet Go!
Rover Maker
Build & drive your own rover on Earth, Moon and Mars!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
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Hero Elementary
Push Pull Puzzles
Fur Blur need help getting to her snack. Can you make a path for her?
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Team Hamster! & Ruff Ruffman
Team Hamster! Splash Dash
Use tools to fix the water pipes and have a hamster pool party!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Hide & Seek
Hide and seek with Elinor & friends, play by yourself or with a friend!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkcredible Story Maker
Celebrate fall & create new Pinkalicious stories!
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Sesame Street
Letter Dance Party
In this game, your child can practice letter recognition and dance with Big Bird and Snuffy.
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Hide & Seek
Hide and seek with Elinor & friends, play by yourself or with a friend!
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Nature Cat
Racing Rapids
Design and build a sturdy boat to race along the rapids with the Nature Cat crew.
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Dinosaur Train
Dino Dive
Dive in with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Roarin Relay
Race with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Leaf Leader
Tug-of-war with dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Pinecone Pass
Play dinosaur football!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
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Sesame Street
Storybook Builder
Create stories with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Cookie Monster!
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Sesame Street
Abby and Elmo's Potty Plan!
Help Abby and Elmo go potty!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkamazing Family Game
Take turns drawing, acting, singing and dancing with Pinkalicious!
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The Cat in the Hat
Builda-ma-loo
Construye una máquina que hace obras de arte.
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Sesame Street
Elmo's School Friends
Play with Elmo and his friends at school.
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Ari's Wonderful Ideas
Design your own animal-inspired vehicles!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Nature Sights & Sounds
Make your own music nature scenes
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Soup's Up
Pick vegetables & make your own soup with Elinor!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Hide & Seek
Hide and seek with Elinor & friends, play by yourself or with a friend!
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Hero Elementary
Super Seasons Snapshots
Observe and snap photographs of animals, plants, and more throughout the seasons.
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Hero Elementary
AJs Recycle Rescue
AJ has a mission to to reuse litter in the park and clean it up for his friends to enjoy.
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Splashtastic Beach Day
Build sandcastles, dance with fish & more with Pinkalicious at the beach!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinka-Perfect Band
Create an instrument then play music with Pinkalicious and her friends!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkalicious Dance Game
It's time to dance! Learn some new Pinka moves with Pinkalicious or play freeze dance with Peterrific.
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Sesame Street
Elmo's World
Welcome to Elmo's World! Play six different mini-games in Elmo's room.
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Sesame Street
Monster Music
Make music with the Sesame Street friends!
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Sesame Street
Letter Dance Party
In this game, your child can practice letter recognition and dance with Big Bird and Snuffy.
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Donkey Hodie
Go Fetch With Bob Dog
Bob Dog is on a mission to become a top fetcher with his coach, Penguin Referee! Go Fetch! With Bob Dog is a fun, claw machine-style game from Donkey Hodie where players use classification, flexible thinking, and visual discrimination to help Bob Dog sort the toys he wants and toss the ones he doesn't as fast as they can. Everyone will dig it!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Ari's Wonderful Ideas
Design your own animal-inspired vehicles!
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Hero Elementary
Super Seasons Snapshots
Observe and snap photographs of animals, plants, and more throughout the seasons.
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Nature Cat
Nature Road Trip
Go on road trip with Nature Cat and the gang!
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Nature Cat
Lost and Found
Bad Dog Bart has stolen all the toys! Can you help find them?
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Nature Cat
Nature Art Box
Use your Nature Art Box to create art with natural materials!
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Sesame Street
Abby's Sandbox Search
Help Abby find the objects hidden in the sand!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Story Creator
Create stories your own way!
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Peg + Cat
The Big Dog Problem
Read a storybook with Peg and Cat!
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Peg + Cat
The Election Problem
The chickens vote for someone to watch them while the farmer is away!
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Sesame Street
Storybook Builder
Create stories with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Cookie Monster!
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Sesame Street
Letter Dance Party
In this game, your child can practice letter recognition and dance with Big Bird and Snuffy.
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Ari's Wonderful Ideas
Design your own animal-inspired vehicles!
- Goals:
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
- Goals:
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Team Hamster! & Ruff Ruffman
Team Hamster! Splash Dash
Use tools to fix the water pipes and have a hamster pool party!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinka-Perfect Band
Create an instrument then play music with Pinkalicious and her friends!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkcredible Story Maker
Celebrate fall & create new Pinkalicious stories!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkalicious Dance Game
It's time to dance! Learn some new Pinka moves with Pinkalicious or play freeze dance with Peterrific.
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Alma's Way
Alma Train Game
All Aboard with Alma! Build your own subway system to drop off and pick up passengers!
- Goals:
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Donkey Hodie
Go Fetch With Bob Dog
Bob Dog is on a mission to become a top fetcher with his coach, Penguin Referee! Go Fetch! With Bob Dog is a fun, claw machine-style game from Donkey Hodie where players use classification, flexible thinking, and visual discrimination to help Bob Dog sort the toys he wants and toss the ones he doesn't as fast as they can. Everyone will dig it!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Splashtastic Beach Day
Build sandcastles, dance with fish & more with Pinkalicious at the beach!
- Goals:
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier's Museum Maker
New room unlocked! Build your own museum!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkcredible Story Maker
Celebrate fall & create new Pinkalicious stories!
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Ready Jet Go!
Rover Maker
Build & drive your own rover on Earth, Moon and Mars!
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Sesame Street
Sesame Monster at the End of This Game
There is a monster at the end of this game and your furry and adorable pal Grover will do everything he can to stop you from playing!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Story Creator
Create stories your own way!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkcredible Story Maker
Celebrate fall & create new Pinkalicious stories!
- Goals:
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Peg + Cat
The Big Dog Problem
Read a storybook with Peg and Cat!
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Peg + Cat
The Election Problem
The chickens vote for someone to watch them while the farmer is away!
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Peg + Cat
The Perfect Ten Problem
Read a storybook with Peg and Cat!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Ari's Wonderful Ideas
Design your own animal-inspired vehicles!
- Goals:
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Nature Sights & Sounds
Make your own music nature scenes
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Hero Elementary
Push Pull Puzzles
Fur Blur need help getting to her snack.
Can you make a path for her?- Goals:
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Team Hamster! & Ruff Ruffman
Team Hamster! Splash Dash
Use tools to fix the water pipes and have a hamster pool party!
- Goals:
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Hide & Seek
Hide and seek with Elinor & friends, play by yourself or with a friend!
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Hero Elementary
Super Seasons Snapshots
Observe and snap photographs of animals, plants, and more throughout the seasons.
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Hero Elementary
Treehouse Trouble
Sara and Fur Blur need help fixing treehouses around City Town!
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Dinosaur Train
Track Stars
Use geometric shapes to build train cars, decorate your train, add passengers, and watch it drive down the track!
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Sesame Street
Elmo's World
Welcome to Elmo's World! Play six different mini-games in Elmo's room.
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Cyberchase
Thirteen Ways of Looking at Half
How many ways can you make a half?
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The Cat in the Hat
Clasificalo-todo
Ayuda Nick y Sally a ordenar las diferentes cosas en Toborrowland!
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Peg + Cat
Super Peg
Join forces with Super Peg and Cat Guy to save Mathtropolis!
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Nature Cat
Hal's Big Dig
Dig for fossils with Hal! What will you find?
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Dinosaur Train
Dino Dive
Dive in with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Dinocar Designer
Design your own dinocar! What will yours look like?
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Dinosaur Train
River Run
Race down the river and collect as many insects as you can!
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Dinosaur Train
Roarin Relay
Race with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Buddy's Big Campout Adventure
Practice being good friends by gathering items to get the campsite ready.
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Story Creator
Create stories your own way!
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinka-Perfect Band
Create an instrument then play music with Pinkalicious and her friends!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkcredible Story Maker
Celebrate fall & create new Pinkalicious stories!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkalicious Dance Game
It's time to dance! Learn some new Pinka moves with Pinkalicious or play freeze dance with Peterrific.
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkamagine Fashion
Design and decorate clothes for Pinkalicious & friends!
- Goals:
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Pinkalicious and Peterrific
Pinkatastic Stickers
Draw your own stickers to create Pinkatastic scenes!
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Sesame Street
Grover's Winter Games
Go skiing, snow boarding and ice skating with Grover!
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Sesame Street
Oscar's Rotten Ride
Help Oscar collect all the rotten trash!
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Sesame Street
The Cookie Games
Compete in ring spin, hurdles, and archery with Cookie Monster!
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Dinosaur Train
Dino Dive
Dive in with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Roarin Relay
Race with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Bridge Builder
Help build bridges so the dinosaurs can get around Troodon Town.
Measure carefully!
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier's Museum Maker
New room unlocked! Build your own museum!
- Goals:
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Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Hero Maker
All new heroes & items to create your avatar!
- Goals:
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Hero Elementary
AJs Recycle Rescue
AJ has a mission to to reuse litter in the park and clean it up for his friends to enjoy.
- Goals:
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Peg + Cat
The Election Problem
The chickens vote for someone to watch them while the farmer is away!
- Goals:
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Sesame Street
Sesame Street Super Salad Diner
Keep your customers happy in this restaurant game!
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Sesame Street
Abby and Rosita's Wand Chase
Join Abby and Rosita on an adventure and learn about new people, places, and things!
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Dinosaur Train
Dino Dive
Dive in with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Roarin Relay
Race with the dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Bridge Builder
Help build bridges so the dinosaurs can get around Troodon Town.
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Dinosaur Train
Leaf Leader
Tug-of-war with dinosaurs!
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Dinosaur Train
Dino Drink
Help! These dinos are thirsty.
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Dinosaur Train
Chow Time
Help feed the dinosaurs by using a scale.
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Sesame Street
Abby's Sandbox Search
Help Abby find the objects hidden in the sand!
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Sesame Street
Grover's Rhyme Time
Travel around the world and make up dances with Grover.
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Sesame Street
A Job For Me
Explore the jobs that make up a community!
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Martha Speaks
Martha Seeks!
vocab bone digging game
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Martha Speaks
Martha's Steaks
a meat collecting game with active verb vocab curric.
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Martha Speaks
Socks in Space
Help Martha collect her socks... in space!
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Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Soup's Up
Pick vegetables & make your own soup with Elinor!
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Nature Cat
Fine Feathered Feast
Help Nature Cat feed the birds in the forest.
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Sesame Street
Sesame Street Super Salad Diner
Keep your customers happy in this restaurant game!
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Sesame Street
Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck
Find out where different foods come from to make apple pies, tacos, and more with Cookie Monster and Gonger!
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Ready Jet Go!
Food Farmer
Grow giant vegetables on Earth, Moon and Mars.
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Ready Jet Go!
Cooking School
Unlock all the recipes by designing kitchen contraptions!
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10 useful games for preschoolers
Comprehensive development of preschool children is most productive through games - vigorous activity, coupled with communication and encouragement from parents and teachers, gives the best result.
We've rounded up ten of the most fun and rewarding preschool games to help develop your child's basic skills and have fun.
For the development of imagination
1. Topsy-turvy tales
The child is reminded of the plot of a favorite fairy tale well known to the child and asked to retell it exactly the opposite. For example, if this is Cinderella, then supposedly she herself did not let her stepmother go to the ball.
2. Hidden pictures
This is a game for partners or a group of children. Everyone draws scribbles and squiggles on their sheet, then the children change drawings among themselves. Now everyone needs to turn other people's scribbles into a meaningful image - understand what the abstraction looks like, and outline the contours so that it becomes obvious to everyone.
3. Who could it be?
A conversation game that you can play with your child on a walk, standing on a balcony or just looking out the window at a crowded street. The essence is simple: we see a passer-by and invent a story about him. Who could he be, what to do, what his name might be. The game actively develops not only imagination, but also insight, intuition, social skills.
For the development of oral and written speech
4. Write a sentence
We make cards (at least 10) with words of different parts of speech. And the child must make meaningful sentences from them.
5. Magic words
We think of certain words or groups of words (for example, with the same letter), we say that they are “magic”, and we come up with a conditional signal for these words - for example, clap your hands knock on the table. Then we read any simple text or invent a story on the go, and the child must respond to each “magic” word with a conditional signal.
For the development of memory
6. Chain of words
This game is for the team. Children sit in a circle, a parent or teacher voices a topic for them to name words on: for example, nature, cities, animals.
The first player calls the word on the chosen topic, the next one says his word and comes up with his own. With each player, the chain of words increases, children need to try to remember all the words in order.
7. What disappeared from the table
We lay out various objects or pictures with flowers, animals, plants on the table. We give the child 10-15 seconds to look at and remember objects or images. Then he closes his eyes, we remove one thing from the table, and the child opens his eyes and must say what has disappeared. With each circle, lay out more objects and cards on the table.
Sometimes the game is not as easy as it seems. Perhaps, over time, the child himself will ask you to tell him how to remember everything so quickly, and will become interested in mnemonics, which will be very useful to him at school.
8. Who is behind whom in the queue
Line up different toys on the table or on the floor.
We tell the child that the animals are in line for the steamer. And suddenly an ice cream man came to them and all the toys ran for ice cream, and when they were bought, they forgot who was behind whom in the queue. The child must help the toys to stand in the correct order. Every time we invent new stories.
Motor Development
9. Draw and sculpt
Most children's favorite pastime is drawing and modeling with plasticine. We give the child an interesting task, for example, to mold or draw mom's favorite flower or dad's car. The main thing is that the child has at hand all the necessary colors of paints and plasticine and space for creativity.
10. How to tie sea knots
There are a lot of videos on the Internet with instructions for tying various difficult knots. We turn the study of knots into a fun game of pirates who prepare the ship for sailing and must properly tie all the masts.
We stock up on comfortable ropes and patience in advance!
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Give these games at least a few minutes in the morning and evening. Choose any or come up with your own exciting activities for the baby! The main thing is that it was interesting and useful to him.
Educational games for children aged 5-6 with parents at home
Games for preschool children are not just fun, but a necessity. Through the game, the child develops, the formation of his personality takes place. The game helps to master the rules, broaden your horizons, develop perseverance, train mindfulness. These qualities are necessary for an older preschool child, especially before entering school.
Any activity with a child must be age appropriate. In this article, we will consider which games are most suitable for children 5-6 years old, and we will understand their classification.
Article content:
- Outdoor games
- Board games
- Educational games
- Educational games
- Advice for parents
- Output
Outdoor games
Outdoor games for children are useful in that they develop reaction, dexterity, endurance, coordination of movements, and add extreme sports.
For preschoolers 5-6 years old, an outdoor game lasts 20-25 minutes. This type of play allows children to throw out the energy that accumulates during the day.
In kindergartens, after an active daytime walk, children have no problems going to bed during the waking hours. This practice can be used at home when you want to put your baby to bed.
- Giant Lilliputians. When an adult says "Lilliputians", the children squat as low as possible to the ground. Hearing the word "giants", they rise up on their toes and pull their hands high up. Make the task more difficult and intentionally confuse the child by naming the word and showing the wrong movement. Playing at a fast pace will encourage the baby to be more attentive and focused, as well as strengthen leg muscles.
- "Do the opposite." For six year olds, this game will be a real challenge to train their attention. An adult shows the movements, and the child must come up with a version in reverse.
If the leader jumped, the participant of the game sits down. If the facilitator stretched his hands forward, the participant hides them, and so on. - Dance Marathon. Host a dance marathon for the whole family. To do this, you need a good mood, incendiary music and at least 2 participants. To diversify the game, the adult stops the music, and the children freeze in the position in which they remain. Music games improve mood, relieve fatigue and strengthen the relationship between parent and child.
Board games
For children aged 5-6, board games are an exciting activity. This type of game teaches the child to act according to the rules, to wait for his turn, to be able to negotiate. The desktops always have some paraphernalia that you can touch: cubes, puzzles, figures. Tactile contact with them develops not only curiosity, but also fine motor skills of the child.
There are board games that are more suitable for girls, for example with the heroines of fairy tales.
It is also important to select desktops for boys taking into account their interests.
- Jenga. A popular game that develops fine motor skills. Suitable for adults and children. It is a set of wooden bars. The game begins with the construction of a tower of 3 bars, 3 more bars are placed on top, but in a different direction, and so on with the whole set. When the tower is built, the participants take out a block with one hand so that nothing collapses. The elongated block is placed on top of the tower. The one whose turn the tower collapses loses.
- Monopoly. The game exists in various variations. Choose a children's monopoly for children from 5 years old. The number of participants is from 2 to 4 people. The main benefit of a monopoly is that it allows you to master the skills of the economy. All players pass the playing field in turn. The roll of the die determines how many steps the contestant must take. The winner is the one who achieves the bankruptcy of other players and becomes a monopolist.
Educational games
Adults should pay special attention to educational games. The child chooses those games that respond to him. Therefore, the parent manages the activities of his child, offers options for games that help develop.
Consider 2 variants of educational games for children.
For the development of intelligence
Logic games combine 2 important functions - entertainment and development. A child who often plays such games is distinguished by lively thinking, a broad outlook, curiosity and sociality.
Examples of mind games:
- Quizzes for which you need to compose questions and prepare prizes for correct answers. For a 5-year-old child, select questions on the topics of fairy tales (“Who left his grandmother and left his grandfather?”), Nature (“When the sun sets, is that called ...?”), Seasons (“What season comes after spring?” ). Ask children 6 years old to answer questions on the following topics: days of the week (“What day of the week follows Thursday?”), household items (“What device helps to count numbers?”), social world (“What do they call people who have a wedding?” ).
- Solving puzzles is a good way for the logical development of children 5-6 years old. It is necessary to teach the child to guess the encrypted word, starting from simple options. As soon as the baby learns the basics, complicate the puzzles, along the way explaining the new rules.
For the development of speech
Word games with children are very easy to organize at home. Clear and expressive speech, the ability to express one's thoughts will help the child quickly adapt to new conditions at school. Why it is so important to pay attention to the development of speech, read the article "How to teach a child to speak: ways, games and exercises."
Examples of what to play with a child to develop speech:
- “Choose a rhyme”. The adult calls the word, and the child comes up with rhymes. Write down all the rhymes and compose a poem with your child. The game allows you to replenish vocabulary and develops literary creativity.
- "Pick a word." The leader throws the ball and calls any part of speech (noun, verb). Participants choose the word that makes sense. For example, "ball" - "jumps", "beautiful" - "doll".
- "Choose an antonym." The facilitator calls the word and invites the participants to pick up the word in reverse, explaining that such words are called antonyms. The game expands vocabulary and reinforces the concepts of the Russian language.
Educational games
Educational games for children develop mental processes: memory, thinking, imagination. The purpose of the cognitive game is to teach the child the knowledge, skills, actions necessary for further development.
For learning to read and write
Learning to read and write begins with your child's familiarity with letters and sounds. When a preschooler learns to hear individual sounds in a word, then he will be able to write. You can develop this skill with the help of games:
- “Name the words starting with the letter…”: the adult calls the letter, and the child selects as many words as possible that begin with this letter.
At the initial stage, use pictures with images of words to help. - "Find the letter": an adult shows pictures with images of letters in different fonts and sizes. The child must find the letter that was asked. With the help of visual memory, a preschooler will remember what the letters look like and will be able to write them on their own.
Math
Math games help children aged 5-6 get ready for school. Introduction to mathematics begins with teaching numbers, counting, and then calculations. It will be easier for a child to master mathematical representations if you pick up entertaining games.
- "Geometric shapes". The game with a 5-year-old child is aimed at developing knowledge of geometric shapes that can be cut out of cardboard. The adult calls the figure, and the child chooses it among the other figures. At the end of the game, build a house or any other figure together.
- "Tell me, what number is missing?".
A game for children who can consistently count up to 20. You must fill in the missing numbers that come before, between or after the given number.
To teach retelling
The ability to retell texts must be trained from preschool age. Do this while doing household chores. Let the child tell what happened in their favorite cartoon or book. To diversify children's activities, use games for five-year-olds and six-year-olds.
- Theater at Home. Choose a story that your child likes. Assign roles and arrange a theatrical performance. Children really like to try on the roles of their favorite characters, so remembering the script will not be difficult. Such an activity will teach the child not only to memorize and retell the text, but also to make the speech expressive.
- "Letter from a forest dweller". For five year olds, playing with an imaginary animal will be a fun way to imagine how this or that character feels.
Prepare a set of pictures with a story, for example, how one day in the life of a hare goes. Invite your child to make up a story from the pictures or complete their own version.
Tips for Parents
- Discuss the rules before you start playing games.
- To avoid injury during outdoor play, instruct and inspect the play area for safety.
- Games with children 5-6 years old form behavior patterns, so choose useful options.
- Use every opportunity for the development of the child: at home, on a walk, in developing circles.
- Sincerely rejoice in the victories of the baby and do not focus on failures. Parental support is important for a child's development.
Read also: what should be able and know a child in 5 years and 6 years.
Conclusion
Playing with a child at home is a great pastime for adults and children.
