With school getting back into session, it’s time to focus
on filling your days with your preschooler.
If your preschooler is going to preschool or Mother’s Day Out or a baby
sitter for a few days a week, then it’s up to you to fill your time with your
child on the days they’re not somewhere else.
Kids grow up so quickly - although sometimes it doesn’t
seem like it! As a parent you want to
cherish this time with your little one because before you know it, they’re at
school full time and you don’t get to see them all day.
Especially with your child at preschool or Mother’s Day
Out busy learning for a few days, you might want to spend your “off” days doing
something pure fun or make learning a fun experience. Treat your little ones to the simple
pleasures in life and you will be rewarded too as you see the look of joy and
wonder on their face.
Every mom needs their “go-to” list of things to do with
their preschooler. To give you a head start,
we’ve composed a handy list of 10 Things to do with Preschoolers.
10 Things to do with Preschoolers.
. 1. Go
to the Park – every parent knows this one so this is no surprise. You may even
have a neighborhood park you frequent or a city park that’s close by. Try
“mixing it up” a little bit and visit a different park. Young children love to explore so give them a
new place to explore. Try a different city or neighborhood park, maybe even
drive to a close by city. Here’s our
list of parks: Allen City Parks; Frisco City Parks; McKinney City Parks; Plano City Parks; DFW Area Parks
2. Indoor
Play Areas – If your child is good at the “I want” chant then skip the kids’
stores & head straight to the play area at the mall. If your child is young
enough they won’t even know what they’re missing. In addition, Stonebriar Mall has a reasonably
priced indoor carousel that’s fun year round. Collin Creek Mall has a little
indoor train. Here’s our list of indoor
play areas.
4. Take
a trip to Children’s Museums – Large museums can be overwhelming for young kids
so stick to smaller museums or focus only on the children’s section of a larger
museum. Some of our favorites include: Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in
McKinney, The Sci-Tech Museum in Frisco, The Moody Family Children's
Museum section of the Perot
Museum, The Fort Worth Museum of
Science and History Children's Museum
5. Visit
a place that caters to your child’s interest. Is your child interested in
trains? Then the Interurban Railway
Museum in downtown
Plano is a great place to start because it’s small and free. (HINT: They also
have a free & fun story time on Fridays at 10:30am complete with a puppet show!). If your child is a dinosaur lover then he
will get a chance to see what they really looked like at Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary
Animatronic Dinosaur display starting in September.
6. See
some Animals - Does your child
love animals? Then we recommend the reasonably sized Children's
Aquarium at Fair Park. If you feel like making a drive, we also
recommend Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville. Car pool with a friend and you’ll be
glad you took the kids to this smaller sized zoo.
7. Combine an interest in animals with a park. Our
favorites are the Teddy Bear Sculpture Garden in Highland Park and Central Park
in Frisco. These large sculptures capture kids imagination yet can foster an
early appreciation of art.
8. Introduce
your Kids to History – if children are too small they don’t understand there is
a past. A good introduction might be to take them to see the Train Heist in Grapevine at the Glockenspiel Clock Tower on Main Street. It’s fun for small
children to see the figures pop out of the clock at noon. Or take them to Heritage Farmstead in Plano
where they combine history with farm animals and their ever-present “Fun on the
Farm Fridays” with various themes and activities. Be sure to stop by and see the new pigs.
9. Love Legos? – For Lego lovers there are a few options. The Lego store at Stonebriar Mall offers some building activities and LegoLand at Grapevine Mills Mall is complete with rides and lots of Lego fun. Legos are an excellent way to learn visual and spatial skills while having fun and encouraging creativity.
10. Kids
love Art? A trip to a paint your own
pottery place is always a lot of fun, plus they have lots of keepsake pieces to
remember your trip by. A few favorites are Walls of Clay in McKinney, Paint N Party in Plano and Color Me Mine in Frisco. Color Me Mine has story times on Wednesdays at 10am where they coordinate the story theme with a keepsake. Or make some squishy Play-Doh
shapes at home. Bring come coloring books to the park to combine some outdoor
play with artistic expression.
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We hope you find these tips helpful from the Around-Town Mom. Lots more age-appropriate location-centric tips are available in my new book, Kidding Around Town, perfect for filling preschool days!
Kidding Around Town is based on research that shows early involvement and learning encourages brain development resulting in a smarter child. And what parent doesn't want a smarter child?
To assist in this development process Kidding Around Town provides 100s of local destinations and age-appropriate activities to use at these locations to help guide you with your outing adventures. At less than 10 cents per location information, it's a bargain!
To assist in this development process Kidding Around Town provides 100s of local destinations and age-appropriate activities to use at these locations to help guide you with your outing adventures. At less than 10 cents per location information, it's a bargain!
Order your copy today!
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