Motor skills are movements which are carried out by the body when the brain, nervous system and muscle groups work together. Gross motor skills refer to the larger movements the body makes. Preschool students can focus on gross motor skills by completing activities such as jumping from one location to the next, throwing bean bags, hopping on one foot and animal walks where the students walk like different animals.
Fine motor skills work on the smaller movements the body makes. Children in preschool can complete activities include tracing letters and numbers, stringing beads or pasta, placing pennies or coins in a slot, placing pegs in a peg board, opening and closing containers, scissor tasks and manipulating clay.
Cognitive activities focus on brain-learning concepts. In terms of preschool, this includes basic concepts such as learning about numbers and lettering. Preschool activities include counting blocks, drawing a color wheel with different colors and spelling their own name with letters. One counting idea includes placing numbers 1 through 12 on the bottom of an individual egg holder inside an egg carton. Students must then place the number of dry beans at the bottom of each egg holder.
It is important for preschoolers to learn how to interact with their fellow classmates. One idea is to encourage "free play" where you put out stuffed animals and other toys so students play with them at will. Students must learn to share with their friends. This also allows kids to use their imagination when playing with the toy or stuffed animal. Another idea is pretend play where students play in a faux kitchen, or dress up as a character and pretend to be that person. Dress-up ideas include doctor, mailman and serviceman.