Homemade Games And Toys For Preschoolers And Toddlers

Leaf Matching Activity for Preschoolers (Printable Included)

Jackie Currie — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 16:28:54 +0000

Hey Lovely!

The vibrant colours and falling leaves in our yard have inspired me to make this terrific leaf-matching activity for toddlers and preschoolers.

It's great for teaching kids how to match colours, patterns, shapes and sizes. It will also strengthen fine-motor skills and co-ordination.

It's super-easy easy to make too! I've even included a free leaf-shape printable in case you need it.

Click the link below to check it out! x

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How to Make a Homemade Light Box

Jackie Currie — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 13:25:00 +0000

Hey Lovely!

Have you ever wished for a lightbox or a light table in your daycare, playroom or classroom?

They're so expensive to buy, right?

Well, I'm going to show you how to make one for under 10 bucks using a plastic container and an inexpensive LED light.

It will provide your kids with hours of fun and learning for under 10 bucks!

Click the link below for the easy instructions!

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Pretend Paint Palette for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 02:50:36 +0000

Hello! Hello!

Finally getting back into the swing of things now that summer vacation is over! I hope you had a terrific summer!

I wanted to share this simple idea for pretend play with you.

I made these pretend paint palettes for my toddlers and preschoolers, and I can't tell you how much they love them.

They were so easy to make, and they provide hours of open-ended, imaginative, creative play.

They're a must-have for any play room or classroom!

Click the link below to check them out!

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Homemade Mitten Matching Activity for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:26:59 +0000

I have a super-cute, super-easy homemade activity to share with you today.

This mitten matching activity is really easy to make, and it's great great for helping toddlers and preschoolers develop their matching skills and their fine motor skills.

My 2 and 3 year olds LOVE matching the colours and patterns and pinning the little mitts together with mini clothespins.

This will be an activity that your kids will go to time and time again this winter.

Click the link below to check it out.

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70+ {Awesome} Homemade Toys You Can Make for Your Kids

Jackie Currie — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 07:22:40 +0000

Whether you're sticking to a strict budget or just like to give hand-made at Christmas, making homemade toys and games for your kids, grand-kids or students is the best!

From dollhouses and homemade block sets to puzzles, playfood and games, here are 70+ ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

Click the link below to see them all.

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5 Homemade Puzzles for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 13:00:15 +0000

For National Puzzle Day today, I’m going to show you some fun and easy homemade puzzles for toddlers and preschoolers, and we’ll talk a bit about why puzzles are so good for a child’s mental and physical development. Most young children love doing puzzles. As toddlers they usually start out with wooden shape puzzles. Then...

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Paper Plate Tambourines for Kids to Make and Play

Jackie Currie — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 14:10:42 +0000

The hooligans had a terrific time making these simple paper plate tambourines. We’re working on our A-Z paper plate crafts collection, and these were perfect for the letter “T”. The decorating process was a lot of fun, and these tambourines really sound great when you jingle and shake them! They’re a great to add to...

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Homemade Story Stones

Jackie Currie — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 13:00:42 +0000

Ok, I have a WONDERFUL little project to share with you today, and if you're a creative teacher or caregiver or parent, you will love it.

I made these story stones for my daycare, using stones collected from the beach, and cut-outs from magazines and fabric swatches.

They were really fun and easy to make, and I can't tell you how much the hooligans LOVE them.

These stones help them to construct a story-line, aid in narrating a story, prompt them to think creatively, help them gain confidence when speaking in a group.

So, not only are they a valuable teaching/learning tool in our daycare, they're also really fun to play with.

When you're at the beach this summer, collect a bucketful of smooth stones so you can make a set of these for your classroom or daycare!

Check 'em out!

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Bottle Babies – Loose Parts for Play

Jackie Currie — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 11:16:48 +0000

Bottle Babies: inexpensive, open-ended loose parts make a great addition to an indoor or outdoor play space. I first learned about Bottle Babies over at Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School. Inexpensive, easy and fun to make, bottle babies are similar to discovery bottles or I Spy Jars. They make a wonderful, open-ended addition to any...

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Magna Doodle Drawing Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Mon, 27 May 2013 02:30:13 +0000

Make learning fun with a Magna Doodle! Here are 5 Ways to use a Magna Doodle as a teaching tool with toddlers and preschoolers. Letter recognition, number recognition, matching skills, cognitive skills, critical thinking and more! We’ve had our original Magna Doodle (affiliate link) for over 15 years. It’s dented and dinged, and the screen is...

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Homemade Magic Kit

Jackie Currie — Mon, 13 May 2013 02:09:51 +0000

Make a homemade magic kit for your toddlers and preschoolers using basic household items and supplies. With the hat and magic wand, they’ll feel like true magicians. This activity will provide hours of imaginative pretend play. Remember the 5 minute magic wand that I showed you the other day? Well, this is the magic kit that...

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Flat People – a Homemade Paper Doll Family

Jackie Currie — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:00:12 +0000

Flat People Dolls are kind of like paper dolls but they’re made from a cereal box and a toilet paper roll. You can make a whole family of homemade dolls for your kids to play with for zero cost. Remember the simple joy of playing with paper dolls when you were a child? Well, you...

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Homemade Block Challenge Puzzle for Kids

Jackie Currie — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:05:22 +0000

Use wooden building blocks and a wooden tray to make a challenging puzzle activity for preschoolers. I love making homemade puzzles for the toddlers and preschoolers in my daycare. We’ve had quite a few over the years: name puzzles, toy puzzles and puzzles made from cereal boxes. Today I came up with this homemade block...

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Easy Fine Motor Drop with a Wrapping Paper Tube

Jackie Currie — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 23:48:27 +0000

Turn a wrapping paper tube into a cardboard drop zone fine motor activity for toddlers! For your convenience, I’ve included Amazon Affiliate links in this post. What do you get when you combine a sturdy cardboard tube and a roll of funk-a-delic Duck Tape? A Cardboard Drop Zone! Ok before we get started, I have...

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Easy Homemade Light Box

Jackie Currie — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:45:50 +0000

Want to know how to make an inexpensive, easy homemade light box? These homemade light boxes are super for individual or group play, and they’re small enough to take on the go! You can whip up one of your own in a under a minute, using two simple items! Pop on over to CBC Parents to...

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Indoor Cardboard Hopscotch – a Rainy Day Activity for Toddlers

Jackie Currie — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:57:41 +0000

Make a cardboard hopscotch for a fun indoor activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Great way to burn off steam when you’re stuck inside on rainy days. When the weather is nice and we’re playing outside, the kids get lots of gross motor activity doing all of their favourite things in the backyard. It’s not so easy for...

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Homemade Cardboard Construction Set

Jackie Currie — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:55:25 +0000

Make a cardboard construction set for kids to build and play with, using sturdy cardboard pieces from your recycle bin. Great STEM activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Building and constructing with recycled materials is a lot of fun. It gets kids using their fine-motor and critical thinking skills and it’s a super way to repurpose...

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Homemade Shape Puzzle

Jackie Currie — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:30:43 +0000

Use items from around your home to make a homemade shape puzzle! If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to keep your hooligans entertained, our homemade shape puzzle is sure to be a hit! It’s simple to put together, and you can make one of these just about anywhere! Pop over to CBC...

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Homemade Name Puzzle to Teach Your Child to Spell His Name

Jackie Currie — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 01:03:16 +0000

This homemade name puzzle made from cardboard and coloured paper is a fun way to teach preschoolers how to spell their name. I love making homemade puzzles for my daycare kids, and every year, I make each of my preschoolers their own personal name puzzle that they can play with and put together whenever they want. When...

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Easy Homemade Matching Game for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:20:35 +0000

If your toddlers and preschoolers like doing puzzles, they’ll enjoy this homemade matching game. You can make it in minutes, and they’ll play with it over and over. It’s a terrific activity for developing critical thinking and matching skills and shape recognition. I love making toys and games for my daycare kids, using things we...

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