Outdoor activity is a lot of fun, but weather and other factors mean that some days are limited to what can be done inside. The good news is that there are plenty of preschool-appropriate games to play that help early childhood development while offering hours of engaging activity.
Memory Games
Memory games are a great way to improve cognitive skills and concentration among young children. For Montessori preschool students, you can create a memory game by using cards or pictures with pairs of objects, animals, or shapes. You can lay them out face down, and the children can take turns flipping over two cards at a time, trying to match the pairs.
Board Games
Board games are a great way to encourage socialization and teamwork among young children. For Montessori students, you can choose age-appropriate board games that are fun and educational. Some popular board games for elementary Montessori students include Scrabble Junior, Uno, and Monopoly Junior.
Simon Says
Simon Says is a classic game that is great for improving listening skills and motor coordination among young children. For Montessori students, you can modify the game by giving instructions related to Montessori concepts, such as “Simon says touch something that is red and round” or “Simon says hop on one foot three times”. Keep in mind that Montessori is very much a sensory learning method, and adjust the gameplay to suit.
Charades
Charades is an exciting game that promotes creativity and imagination among young children. For Montessori students, you can use simple words related to Montessori concepts, such as “tree”, “butterfly”, or “flower”, and have the children act them out without speaking. Other students can guess what the child is trying to portray. Combining music and movement this way is a similar activity where children can act out what they perceive in the music or lyrics.
As a play-based educational system, Montessori preschool routinely uses the kind of activities that are presented here to bring ideas to light for young students. From building math or science skills to expanding vocabularies, indoor activities have plenty of room to be exciting and educational at the same time.