Hobbies And Interests
Tossing Games
Draw an elephant's head on a large poster board and tape to the bottom of a cardboard box. Cut a hole in the elephant's mouth and lean it against a wall. Have the preschoolers try to toss peanuts into the elephant's mouth. Entice the children to try their best by awarding stickers to each player who makes a peanut in the mouth. Alternatively, use circus peanuts instead of real peanuts. For an educational counting activity, write the numbers 1, 2 and 3 on three buckets. Have the children toss the corresponding amount of peanuts in each bucket.
Crafts
For an easy craft, print pictures of peanuts. Have the preschoolers color the pictures using markers and crayons. Give the children peanuts and a variety of craft supplies to make "peanut creatures." Children can use pompoms, rhinestones, googly eyes, stickers, chenille stems and paint pens to make their creatures. Turn this craft activity into a contest by awarding prizes to the best, most creative, funniest and scariest peanut creatures.
Guessing Games
Fill a jar with peanuts and have each preschooler guess how many peanut are in the jar. The child who guesses closest to the correct number wins a small prize. Another idea is to give each preschooler a gray sock to put on his hand to resemble an elephant's trunk. Place a bowl of peanuts on a table and have the child guess how many peanuts he can pick up with his "trunk." If the child guesses within two peanuts, award him a small prize.
Other Activities
Make a homemade batch of peanut butter for the preschoolers. Blend 2 cups of roasted, shelled peanuts and 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a blender or food processor. Adding 1/4 tsp. of salt is optional. After the mixture blends, allow each preschooler to try the peanut butter. For winter activities, have the preschoolers paint peanuts white to create snowmen. Use paint pens or markers to decorate the peanut snowmen. Preschoolers can also use light brown clay or play dough to sculpt peanut shapes.