Educational Ideas for Young Children

Educational Activity Ideas for young kids

I compiled this list of things to do with my kids to make my time with them more productive and to make "no screen time" not so miserable for them--and just to reiterate that learning can be lots of fun!  Feel free to add your ideas too!

When in the car:

Count:

To 1000

To 200 by 10’s, 2’s and 5’s

Count backwards from 100

Backwards from 100 by 10’s, 5’s, and 2’s

Recite the Articles of Faith or learn the names of the 12 Apostles

Sing Primary songs really loud with all the windows rolled down

Memorize a classic poem

Play the “I spy” Alphabet game to learn letters.

Count how many American flags you see while driving down the freeway in a city

At Home or in the backyard: 

Have a fashion show

Learn fractions by following a recipe for chocolate chip cookies

Build a fort

Learn the value of coins and dollars by playing “store”

Learn about liquid, gases, and solids by freezing, steaming and playing with water

Build an ant farm

Learn to crochet   (Thanks, YouTube!)

Write a 5-minute speech or talk on any subject of your choice

Do yoga for half an hour together

Design the floor plan of a dream house or dollhouse

Build a dollhouse or a birdhouse/feeder

Build a castle or fort using cardboard boxes duct-taped together

Make paper dolls

Choreograph a new dance and perform it for Daddy. 

Have a spelling bee

Learn to count to 20 in another language

Interview an elderly person

Carve something out of a bar of soap

Write and illustrate a poem or children’s story

Invent a silly product, then film a commercial for it

Paint an outdoor or indoor mural together.

Learn and chart your family history.

Do each other’s hair, makeup, nails, etc. and hold a beauty pageant

In the spring time, make a fairy garden, or with boys, a dinosaur land using small planters or newspaper-lined baskets and real plants.

Build a mini city or neighborhood or farm with sidewalk chalk and toy cars