Art Music Drama

Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Crafts

When little hands do crafts they are also doing lots of learning, as well as having fun and playing. These are some of the strategies and skills: crafts

  • organizing, deciding, trying different options
  • fitting, matching, placing, planning
  • cutting, gluing, coloring
  • learning to use art/writing tools
  • talking, explaining, using related words and vocabulary
  • problem-solving, comparing, evaluating, counting
  • using and caring for different materials, cleaning-up

Children are also developing their fine-motor skills and eye-hand coordination. They are nurturing their own creativity and taking pride in their accomplishments. Not only can their hands be proud of their work, but so can their hearts and minds. Oh, how could I forget the pride of their parents and caregivers, too? What crafts does your child like to do?

Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Drawing

Instead of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, for some kindergarten readiness learning and fun draw on some paper. (You are allowed to groan at that joke if you remember the book by that title.) Drawing can help the development of brain connections and small muscle control.

hand-artThis is a drawing of a hand. Tracing around a hand with a felt marker will leave a line on paper and on a hand! Drawing is also great practice for attention and focusing skills. As children draw, they are playing, stimulating imagination and representing what they see around them. Pictures on paper encourage visualization, that is creating pictures in the mind.

After your child draws a picture of a hand, you can print the word hand underneath and  then read it together. This helps your child understand that written words on a page have meaning. While this seems obvious to us, it is something your child has to figure out for later learning to read.

Talk about colors, too. Isn’t this quite a handful of early learning? And lots of fun?

Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Drums


Hands can make all kinds of rhythm and rhythm makes all kinds of brain connections for early learning and kindergarten readiness. Drumming is a favorite activity for young children. Pots and pans and wooden spoons can make just as satisfying a sound as a real drum.

As far as rhythm goes, it’s no wonder that kids like to explore and create rhythm. After all, it’s pretty basic. Just think of such natural rhythms as heartbeats, breathing, walking, running, and language.

drum-funDrumming uses some basic musical concepts, too like fast, slow, loud and soft. If you and your child each have a drum, you can play a very simple rhythm which your child can copy, like an echo. This is very helpful for kindergarten readiness, because it encourages careful listening and attention. Rhythm also encourages both physical and mental development.  It’s not easy to coordinate movement to a beat.

You may need to use some earplugs and have a Plan B. Do you agree that, usually a few minutes of drumming goes a long way?

Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Painting

Kids love using their hands to paint and painting is definitely a kindergarten readiness learning and fun activity. Adults think of paints and crayons as tools for creating art. For kids, paints and crayons are more than that. They are tools for discovering and learning through play. What are some of these learning and kindergarten … Continue reading Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Painting

Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Playdough

Playdough is not just a toy, it’s also a tool for lots of kindergarten readiness fun and learning. Plus, it is inexpensive, easy to make, and appeals to kids of all ages. Below are some of the ways that playdough can help develop brain connections and other skills. It helps with: fine motor dexterity and … Continue reading Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Playdough

Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Singing

Another handy idea for encouraging your child’s kindergarten readiness is singing. A hand song that is loved by kids is, of course, The Hokey Pokey: You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out… Do you know the song If You’re Happy and You Know It? The first verse goes: If you’re … Continue reading Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Singing

Kindergarten Readiness Rocks! Chalk is a Rock

Chalk is a soft porous rock that can be used for some kindergarten readiness learning and fun. I just discovered on Pinterest (some hours ago) several new ideas to add to old favorites. Drawing on the sidewalk, or driveway when the cars are safely out of the way, is great for really big pictures or giant letters. … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness Rocks! Chalk is a Rock

Kindergarten Readiness Rocks & Goes To Olympics

It’s almost the Opening Ceremonies and time for some kindergarten readiness and Olympic fun. I remember 2 years ago at the Winter Olympics when one of the symbols was the Inukshuk. This figure is made out of rocks and is used to point the way to others. The inukshuk is an ancient form of communication … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness Rocks & Goes To Olympics

Kindergarten Readiness Rocks! Rock Art

Encouraging kids to draw, color and make pictures helps with all kinds of brain connections and kindergarten readiness. Instead of crayons, this activity uses rocks. During a play-date afternoon, a 3 year old, 7 year old and 11 year old all made rock pictures. Creating pictures can be considered play because it is very much an internal … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness Rocks! Rock Art