Rhyming games are effective learning activities for preschoolers with developmental delays and can be incorporated into any type of lesson, from math to the alphabet. One type of rhyming learning game is to put the preschoolers into a circle formation and start a counting game where you rhyme each number with a word. For instance, you might say, "One is for fun. Two is for blue. Three is for tree" and so on. Each student gets a chance to participate in the rhyming game, which helps them learn how to count from one to 10. Another type of rhyming game involves the alphabet. You can play a game where you say the letter A and the students have to tell you a word that rhymes with A, such as hay, say, day or way.
Balls make effective and economical game props for learning games in the classroom. You can tie a ball game into a learning game for kids with developmental delays while giving them a chance to develop their motor skills, too. One idea for a ball game is to form a counting circle and start a ball toss with one large bouncy ball. As you toss the ball to the preschooler, you count, "One." When the preschooler bounces the ball back to you, the preschooler has to say, "Two." The ball is bounced to a second student, as you count, "Three." The next student bounces the ball back and says, "Four." This game can also be played as a rolling ball game, instead of a bouncy ball game, depending on the level of motor skills of the students.
Musical games are effective for helping students remember, due to the sing-songy nature of the games. One game idea is to write songs for kids to sing during their lesson. You can have them repeat the songs until the tunes are memorized and the lessons are learned. For instance, you might teach them to count to five using the tune from "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Another musical game concept is to have the preschoolers answer the questions you ask them in a song.
Coloring games give preschoolers who have developmental delays practice handling crayons and paper while learning new information. Pass out a worksheet with a picture on it for the kids to color. You can tell the students to only color in the letter A when they find it in the picture. This is a learning game for kids to identify the letter A. Students also could color in the objects in the picture that start with a certain letter.