Kids love to explore their world! These fun activities for kids need no special materials or preparation; all they need is an inquisitive mind and a playful spirit.
Language development is key to raising strong readers and writers. Language activities might sometimes seem silly, but word play is at the foundation of developing strong language skills.
These mini language games can be played anywhere, and are especially great when waiting in line, going on a long car ride, etc.
What rhymes with (pill, bed, tap, ball, stop, go, day)?
How many (color) words can you think of? (wet words, yummy words, scary words, loud words, funny words)
Think of 5 things you could do with a… (suitcase, toothbrush, lipstick, rope, magnet, etc.)
What would you do if… (your hair turned green, you were the size of a pencil, your toys came to life)?
What’s the opposite? (happy, mom, up, over, in, hot, stop, Mr., aunt, rich, pretty, friend, white, noisy, hello, new)
How many words can you think of that start with a (b)?
Ask uncommon questions about common things. Ex: bread: Why is the crust darker than the middle? Why is toast harder than bread? What do people put on bread? How could you make a sandwich if you didn’t have bread?
Fun Counting Activities for Kids
Number sense is at the heart of how we think about math. Kids with good number sense can tell if an answer is reasonable, and develop an intuitive sense of time, weight, measurement, and other math concepts. These fun activities for kids will give them a good start in developing number sense skills.
How many (cans of food, pennies) do you think we have? Count them and see how close you were.
About how many (DVDs, shoes) would fit in this box?
How many (pencils, tennis balls) can you pick up in one hand?
What are 3 things that happened today (yesterday, this week)?
Hold both of these and tell me which is heavier.
What things can you do in one minute? What can you do in one second?
This bag weighs a pound. What are some other things that weigh about a pound?
Science is all around us, though we may not think of the world that way. Things that grow and things that breathe, the food we eat and the rocks we walk on, the weather, the trees that feed and shelter us, even the soap we bathe with–all these things are part of science.
Try these fun activities for kids to help them see science all around them and to develop an inquisitive mind.
Fun Science Activities for Kids
Look through a glass of water to see everything magnified. Put your finger in the water to see it get fat. Water acts like a magnifying glass.
Can you tell which way the wind is blowing? Hold a strip of paper up to see.
Predict what will sink or float during bath time. Give your child a piece of aluminum foil and some pennies and try to keep them from sinking.
Close your eyes and try to eat or get dressed. Try to identify objects by feel with eyes closed.
Hold your nose while eating. Can you still taste your food?
Dry off your tongue with a towel. Can you still taste food?
Talk about changes that happen in the kitchen. Beans that soak overnight get bigger. Things that you cook get firmer. Bread left out too long gets moldy.
Ask questions about vegetables. Did it grow above or below the ground? Was it part of the stem, the flower, the leaf, or the root?
As you can see, learning activities don’t have to be complicated or involved. Sometimes it’s just a matter of looking at your world through new eyes.
