Set up a science center to allow preschool children to engage in free exploration. Place a water table in your center area to let children explore water properties. In the center, provide buckets and pouring utensils. Place gears that move when water is poured on the table to let children experience how water has force. To provide variation, set out "sink-or-float?" items for children to test. Children should guess what will happen before dropping items in the water and then test their predictions to see if they were correct.
Have your child pick out seeds to plant in an indoor container. Let your child put potting soil, seeds and water into the container. Talk with your daughter about what she thinks will happen with the seeds. Observe the changes to the growing plant with your child. When the weather warms, you can plant your starter outside to continue to watch.
Another activity to teach your child is what happens when fruits decay. Place a piece of fruit, still in the peel, outside for your child to observe the decay. As it rots, share with your child how this happens and what will happen next. Websites such as PBS Kids website have science games that you and your child can play online to extend her learning.
Help your child learn numbers by counting objects every day. Young children need to see the tactile object to connect to the numerical number. Begin with counting to ten until your class has grasped this concept, and then slowly introduce new numbers in groups of fives. Help your pupils to gain mathematical language by introducing concepts such as larger than, smaller than and equal to. Compare items with your class, such as two different sized blocks or two different balls. Help the children to understand which item is bigger.
A great place to teach your child math skills is at the grocery store. Invite your child to count items that you buy in multiple quantities. Pay for small orders with cash. Show your child how to count out the dollars for the order and have him hand the money to the cashier. If you receive coins back, give these to your child to place into a piggy bank at home. To help your child learn numbers, let your son play with modeling clay and shape out the numerals. This also will help strengthen his fine motor skills while building his number sense.