Across the country, parents are discovering the benefits of online Montessori preschools. A great Montessori-style virtual preschool is the best of both worlds, providing your child with a great head start on their educational career while allowing you better access and more oversight in their learning.
However, an online Montessori kindergarten class will also typically expect a parent to be an active participant in the educational process. You’ll be able to get more hands-on with your student’s education and encourage them even when they aren’t taking online classes. After all, the point of Montessori-style education is to build a child’s love of learning!
Here are a few fun and educational activities you can do with your child to encourage their growth and development.
1. Bowling for letters
The setup for this is easy: just get a bunch of disposable plastic cups and write a single letter of the alphabet on each. Then set them up in whatever pattern you like. Have your child toss a small softball at the cups, then challenge them to identify which letters they’ve knocked over.
If your child already knows their letters well, change things up by naming a letter for them to aim for.
2. Pillow jumping
If your kids need to burn off some energy, this is great. Get some paper plates and some pillows, enough to cover a fair amount of the floor. Write a single letter on each plate and tape one on each pillow. Then challenge your child to jump from pillow to pillow without touching the floor, while saying the letter or sound for each pillow they jump on.
3. Magic letters
This one is fun because it also teaches a bit about the physical properties of objects. Take some blank unlined white note cards and a white crayon. Use the crayon to draw an “invisible” letter on each card – be sure to press down hard. Then give your child some paint and brushes and invite them to draw on the card. As they paint, the hidden letter will be revealed. Ask them what the letter is.
4. Alphabet rocks
This takes a little preparation since you’ll need to find 52 small rocks that will fit in your child’s hand. If there’s a park nearby, this could be a fun outing! Then write the full alphabet, upper and lower case, across the 52 rocks. Once that’s done, give your child the rocks, and start writing simple words on cards for them to recreate with the rocks.
It seems simple, but kids tend to love the weight, texture, and variety of the rocks, which are more engaging than basic plastic letters.
There are so many ways you can supplement your child’s online Montessori preschool education. Get creative, and you can be a positive part of their early growth!
