Put 2–3 small objects that start with the same letter as a child’s name.

Pull out one at a time and guess the sound.

Give green paper, scrap tissue paper, crayons, glue.

Prompt: “What would grow in your garden?”

Write a child’s name on a strip.

Show a few objects or pictures: “Does banana start like Ben?”

Sort into “Same Sound” vs. “Different Sound.”

Place 3 familiar objects or letters.

Have them close eyes—remove one—“What’s missing?”

Materials: Scrap construction paper, glue sticks, large paper

Prompt: “Make a picture using only ripped pieces!

Builds fine motor skills and encourages decision-making.

Materials: Leaves, twigs, flowers, glue, paper

Prompt: “What can you make with what you found outside?”

Great for sensory and science connections too.

Materials: Crayons or markers

Prompt: “Make a scribble… now turn it into something!”

Supports imagination and flexible thinking.

Materials: Empty boxes, scissors, tape, markers

Prompt: “What can you build?”

Frees kids to engineer their own ideas—build houses, spaceships, towers.

Materials: Goldfish, grapes, crackers, etc.

What to do: Count out 2, then 3, then 4 snacks together before eating.

Talk about: “You have 3 crackers—let’s count them together!”

Materials: Dot stickers or cards with dots (1–5), toy animals or blocks

What to do: Match the number of objects to the dot card.

Materials: Small bag, counters (pom-poms, bears, etc.)

What to do: Pull out a handful—ask “How many?” Count together out loud.

What to do: “Find 3 things that are soft!” or “Can you bring me 4 blue toys?”

Reinforces quantity and classification.

Materials: Playdough, number cards with dots (or no cards!)

What to do: Roll “3 little balls” or “4 snakes”—count as they make them.