Extracurricular Activities and Preschool at Home

So far in Unit 3 of the how to teach home preschool series we’ve developed an annual calendar that will serve as the big picture for planning your home preschool activities. However, before we get too much farther along I want to caution you not to spread yourself too thin when planning. As we discussed in the section on using activities you already do together at the basis for preschool at home many things we already do together are valuable ways to teach young kids.

Extracurricular Activities and Preschool at Home

When you are planning home preschool, it’s important to review the additional activities your child will be participating in outside of the home. These activities definitely play a role in your child’s overall education, so think about your child’s extracurricular activities and preschool at home as you think about your long-term plan.

They do not have to be structured extracurricular activities. In fact, I think open-ended activities with less structure can be especially beneficial for preschoolers. Below are some examples of activities you might include in your home preschool schedule.

• Local library story times and workshops
• Playgroups (If there aren’t any in your area, create one! Meetup.com is a great tool for that.)
• Preschool Co-ops
• Classes at local kids’ gyms
• Workshops at local science centers
• Church programs
• Traditional extracurricular activities like gymnastics, dance, soccer, baseball, basketball, etc.

Task 1: Write down any additional activities your family will participate in. Note the related skills your child will be learning through these activities (don’t forget the Additional Preschool Concepts we discussed in Unit 2). It might also be helpful to add these activities to your long-term calendar especially if they are activities that don’t happen year round (for example a seasonal story time or nature study playgroup that meets in the spring).

This is Unit 3, Lesson 2 of the Guide to Getting Started with Home Preschool. Return to the main Teaching Homeschool Preschool page or proceed to Unit 3, Lesson 3: Develop a Weekly Home Preschool Schedule.