A homemade shaker hones a preschooler's creativity and works his fine motor skills. It also provides make-believe play; your preschooler can pretend he's a musician in a band. Give him an empty and clean water bottle and several piles of small items, such as dry cereal, sequins, glitter, sand and jelly beans. Have him fill the bottle and provide a small funnel and a spoon to pour in the sand. Securely seal the bottle with the cap then tape it up.
This activity helps hone color recognition, memory and fine motor skills. With acrylic paint and a paintbrush, help your child paint each separate compartment of an egg carton with a different color. On top of the egg carton, paint different circles above each compartment and write the name of the color in the circle. These colors should be the same as the color painted in the compartment directly underneath. Next, assemble a pile of small, different-colored trinkets, such as buttons, marbles, candies, beads or glass stones, and have your child sort the trinkets according to their colors. Have her place the trinkets in their respective color compartment as well. Ask her to name the color of each trinket she picks up, as well as show her the word on the lid that corresponds with that color.
Matching halves involves basic shape recognition and matching skills. On a pair of wooden craft sticks, draw a shape in the middle, ensuring that one half of the shape is on each of the sticks. Both halves should be the same color. Repeat for multiple pairs of craft sticks so that you have eight pairs, with different shapes and different colors for each pair. Place these sticks in a mixed up pile and challenge your child to pick up the sticks to find the matches and make the full shape. During the game, help him name the shapes and discuss the characteristics of each, such as round or pointy. For multiple children, have each child take a turn drawing a pair of sticks. If it's not a match, he puts those back in the pile, and the next player takes a turn. If it is a match, then he sets the pair aside, and the next player takes a turn. Continue until all the pairs are matched.
This activity helps your child hone her creativity, as well as fine motor skills. On the back of a paper plate with a pencil, help your child draw a spiral so that it is 2 inches wide. In the spiral and using markers, encourage her to draw her favorite parts of the season, such as snowflakes, or flowers or leaves, as well as her favorite outdoor places or animals. Once she's done, assist her to cut the plate along the penciled-in mark with safety scissors. Help her make a hole in the middle of the plate and attach a long piece of sturdy twine. Select a spot outside where she'd like to hang the spinner. She'll then see how wind can move items, and you can discuss with her how that relates to an object's weight.