Hobbies And Interests
Leaf Sorting
Start this game by asking players to go into a garden and collect a few leaves; insist that each leaf is different. Once collected, ask players to sort their leaves into groups in as many ways as they can. For example, a child might sort the leaves into piles based on size, or perhaps color or shape. Challenge kids to place the leaves in a line, from smallest to biggest or dullest color to the brightest.
Scent Trail
The aim of this game is that kids recognize the scents gardeners smell and learn to describe them. Send the kids into a garden to collect flowers or leaves that have a scent. Once collected, the kids need to group these by their scent. So for example, one group might contain sweet smells, while another could feature stinky leaves and flowers. You can write a description of each group on a piece of paper for reference. Kids can then smell what other kids have collected and see if they agree with the contents of each group.
Beanbag Throwing
You̵7;ll need some beanbags and a collection of containers to throw them into for this game. Theme each container around an animal. Use a metal pail as a cow̵7;s milking pail, a bunch of hay with a hole in the middle to represent chickens, and a wooden trough or similar object to indicate pigs. The aim is to teach preschoolers about each animal̵7;s role on a farm. Give kids the beanbags. When you call out an animal, the child whose turn it is must attempt to throw the bag into the corresponding container. Kids get a point if they land the beanbag in the correct container.
Who Am I
You̵7;ll need a collection of stuffed farm animal toys for this. Put all of them in a bag and on each child̵7;s turn, put your hand into the bag and ask the child to guess what animal you̵7;re touching; you might need to look into the bag yourself to be sure. Give the child clues to help her guess. So if you̵7;re holding a duck, tell her the animal has a beak, or that it̵7;s found near water.
Garden Scavenger Hunt
Set this game up in a suitable garden and teach preschoolers about the tools and materials gardeners use. Give each child a piece of paper containing several pictures of items you̵7;ve positioned in the garden. These items could include bags of compost, pinecones and a spade, for example. Each item is worth a number of points based on how hard to find it is. Allocate the kids a certain amount of time to find as many items as they can and tick each off as they discover it. After the time has elapsed, the child who has earned the most points wins.