Preschoolers are little sponges, eager to make new observations about the world around them. A fun game to teach a class of 3- and 4-year-olds classroom rules invokes interactive storytelling. Choose two puppets or stuffed animals to interact during a story that models classroom rules. Have the puppets talk to each other and act out a rule such as why children should keep their hands to themselves and sit quietly on the carpet during story time. Have one of the puppets show what happens when this rule is broken. Preschoolers may laugh at the sight of one puppet poking at the other puppet, but when asked to model a better choice, all students can participate. Allow more outgoing students to verbally respond with better choices.
Putting away toys is never more fun than when everyone sings the room clean. Little feet and hands will move faster when the clean-up song is sung to a familiar tune such as “I’m a Little Teapot.” The teacher can also play a song, encouraging children to finish picking up by the time the song ends. To add to the fun, the teacher can close her eyes and wait to be surprised when the preschoolers encourage her to peek at the clean room.
Nothing motivates kids to play by the rules faster than a weekly classroom job chart highlighting their name. Pull names out of a hat so students are surprised at who gets each job. Putting up student pictures on the chart is also a treat for little ones. Teach preschoolers four or five basic classroom jobs such as circle time helper, garbage patrol, door holder and librarian. Having a job enforces a preschooler’s sense of responsibility and encourages children to follow the rules of keeping a tidy and efficient classroom. Decorate the chart to make it more fun to look at, such as posting student names and photos in the windows of a spaceship or as apples on a tree.
Government-sponsored websites offer a variety of games that provide safe and accurate information in a fun forum for preschoolers. Online interactive games with familiar characters from books, movies and television are targeted to help preschoolers with emotional development and common safety rules. Children can advance to more difficult games as teachers determine the preschoolers' level of learning.