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Kindergarten Kickoff Summer Activities

  • JUNE SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

    • Talk with your child about goals. Work with your child to create a goal for the day and one for the summer. Ask your child to draw a picture of their goal and discuss progress throughout the summer.       
    • Go outside with your child and talk about the sun, clouds, and sky. Ask your child to draw a picture and label what is observed.
    • Have a contest with your child to see who can build the tallest plastic cup tower. Discuss why it fell or stood tall.
    • Practice writing first and last names. Ask your child to identify the letters in his or her name.
    • Plant a seed with your child and watch it grow. Discuss the changes, life cycle, and basic needs of the plant. Have your child draw changes in a seed journal.
    • Make an alphabet book with your child. Encourage your child to illustrate pictures for each letter.
    • Practice lacing and tying shoes, zipping, and buttoning clothing. Continue daily. Practice makes perfect!
    • Read a rhyming book. Help your child find and produce rhyming words (including nonsense words: ex. hat, zat, pat, yat)
    • Discuss what is visible and not visible at night. Ask your child to illustrate the night sky.         
    • Ask your child to find five rocks. Describe how they feel and look. Use the rocks to create rock pets. Encourage your child to be creative in his or her design.
    • Play Simon says for an active listening game. Make sure to include actions such as running, hopping, skipping, and jumping, as well as, positional words such as above, below, over, under, and beside.
    • Go on an outdoor color scavenger hunt together. Have your child identify as many colors as possible. Ex. I see a blue car. Take turns and have your child pick a color or theme.
    • Fill a tub with water and gather items to predict which objects will float or sink. Discuss why the items float or sink.
    • Play a board game for family fun. Encourage your child to create a new game to play or have them explain the instructions to you.
    • Play with sidewalk chalk. Ask your child to write letters, numbers, or draw shapes. Have them identify and tell you about their drawings.
    • Read a book about a favorite animal and have your child describe the characteristics of the animal (how it looks, sounds, and moves).
    • Play charades with your child. Take turns acting out motions. For a challenge, have them tell you something that rhymes with your chosen action.
    • Select several different toys. Help your child identify if the objects will slide or roll. Discuss why or why not.          
    • Collect leaves and observe the characteristics. Have your child create a leaf person or animal.
    • Have your child practice counting from 0 to 20. You can add objects such as small toys or blocks to have them count sets of objects.

     

    JULY SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

    • Read a book about Independence Day. Identify American symbols such as the national and state flag. Ask your child to look for these symbols in the real world.
    • Go on a nature walk outside with your child. Ask your child to listen closely and identify the sounds he or she hears.
    • Have your child put a container of ice cubes in the sunlight. Ask your child to describe what is happening and why.
    • Have your child decorate a poster of his or her hero or someone they appreciate. Encourage creativity.
    • Have your child write the numbers from 0 – 10. Continue to practice each day. See if your child can write the numbers counting backward from 10-0.
    • Read a storybook with your child. Help your child retell the story.
    • Have your child write his or her first name. Ask your child to identify objects in the house or outside that start with each letter.
    • Go on a shape scavenger hunt. Have your child look for squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles.
    • Ask your child to help you write a grocery list. Let him or her draw pictures or help write some letters.
    • While grocery shopping, have your child describe the items you are adding to the cart. What color is it? Is it sweet or sour? Is it crunchy or soft? Is it cold or hot?
    • Play with playdough and cookie cutters or make homemade slime. Encourage your child to describe shapes, colors, and textures.      
    • Hula-hoop or jump rope outside. Count the number of seconds your child can hula-hoop or jump. Just for fun, repeat multiple times.
    • Help your child draw a map of his or her room and label objects. Encourage your child to read the room.
    • Have a puzzle day. Encourage your child to complete the puzzle, providing tips if needed.         
    • Relax in the shade and read a book together. Talk about the book with your child.
    • Identify and discuss community helpers and their roles – doctor, mail carrier, dentist, police officer, farmer, teacher, and firefighter to name a few. Have your child draw a picture of a community helper.         
    • Make s’mores or another fun treat together. Create a recipe card with ingredients and directions to share with a family member.
    • Using beans or beads, give your child a set of objects (1-20). Have your child count the number of objects in the set. Repeat the activity with different quantities of objects for extra practice.
    • Have your child help set the table for dinner. Discuss different foods and family members’ favorite foods. Ask your child to tell you which food group each food belongs to.
    • Play hopscotch together and count while playing. Switch the numbers up to practice counting forwards and backward.
    • Enjoy a day at the park. Discuss the sights and sounds around you. Have your child tell you a story about your day in the park.
    • Encourage your child to write as many uppercase and lowercase letters as possible. Continue to practice this daily.
    • Watch your child’s favorite cartoon together and ask them questions about the story and characters.
    • Have your child make a card or draw a picture for his or her new teachers.
    • Have your child draw a picture of something he or she would like to do in Kindergarten.
    • Get ready for the 1st day!

    Set a routine to include reading for 20 minutes each day! Visit the Henry County Library System’s website for events and activities. https://henrylibraries.org/

    For more Kindergarten Ready resources, visit the GKIDS Readiness site at: http://gkidsreadinesscheck.gadoe.org/