Parents should provide preschool-age children with materials that encourage creativity. Dress up clothes, finger paints, crayons, blank paper, colored chalk and musical instruments introduce them to the arts. Playdough, bubbles, balls, blocks, dolls and toy trucks allow them to play and explore. Parents shouldn't try to direct children's play with creative materials -- telling them what to color, for instance -- as this can lead them to think there is one right way to do something. Instead, preschoolers should be given the freedom to play as they choose, which helps them develop their imaginations.
Activities that stimulate the senses help educate preschoolers. Looking at touch-and-feel or picture books introduces them to colors, textures and shapes. Taking walks in nature and observing flowers, insects, clouds and sunsets teaches them about color, sound and smells. They can learn about textures by playing with sand or water. A box filled with science supplies -- such as a children's microscope, magnifying glass, compass, magnets and a scale -- allows them to learn through experimentation.
Much of preschoolers' learning happens when they participate in their family's daily activities. Parents should involve preschoolers in the things they do throughout the day, such as cooking dinner, setting the table, folding the laundry, sweeping the floor or planting a garden. Toys that allow preschoolers to model what their parents do -- such as a vacuum, a play kitchen or a set of dishes or tools -- helps them practice the skills they observe throughout the day.
While there's no need to give preschoolers worksheets to complete, there are age-appropriate ways to introduce them to academic subjects. Preschoolers can begin learning about numbers by counting the things around them, such as the number of stuffed animals on their bed or the number of cookies they get for dessert. Reading books for fun helps inspire an interest in reading. Putting together puzzles, which allows preschoolers to practice manipulating small objects, may help them develop better handwriting.