Including a preschool morning basket in your homeschool is a great way to start the day with beauty and goodness. But what should you include that will help develop a love of learning in your little one?
When we first started homeschooling, we’d gather together to read aloud and enjoy art, music, and prayer time. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was the beginning of our homeschool morning basket.
Morning baskets help set the tone for the day. They are a great way to help your days flow better and fit in subjects that can often get pushed aside. While they can (and should) be used by all ages, preschoolers especially will benefit from having that time to spend with you each day.
What Should You Add to a Preschool Morning Basket
The most important aspect of teaching your preschooler at home is creating a love of learning. Morning time gives you the opportunity to spark an interest in learning from your preschooler.
When you are considering what to add to a preschool morning basket, first consider topics your preschooler enjoys as well as what you’d like your child to learn. When children are interested in a topic, they’ll be excited to learn more and will enjoy the time spent learning about it.
1. Read Aloud Books Are a Must in Your Preschool Morning Basket
To begin, one thing that should always be included in a preschool morning basket is books. These books may include stories from a children’s Bible, a book of poetry, and favorite picture books.
You can choose a monthly topic for learning, such as flowers or community workers, and then head to the library to check out books about that topic or search your home library.
Additionally, you can choose books based on your child’s current interests. Books about current events, seasons, and upcoming holidays also make great choices for read-aloud books to include in your morning basket.
2. Quiet Activities to Keep Hands Busy During Read Aloud
You may notice when you read to your little ones that it’s hard for them to sit still and listen for very long. One way to help with this fidgeting is by giving your preschooler quiet activities to keep their hands busy while you read.
A favorite read-aloud activity for my kids has always been food. It’s hard for them to disrupt a read-aloud when they are eating! So read-aloud time at our house begins with a snack.
Once they are done eating, they can choose other read-aloud activities to do while they listen. Drawing or coloring, playdough, and puzzles are all fun choices that preschoolers enjoy. An added benefit is that these activities work on preschool fine motor skills as well.
3. Hands-On Activities to Develop Preschool Skills
Other fun things to include in a preschool morning basket are hands-on activities. Choose activities based on preschool skills you’d like your little one to work on.
You can include cutting and pasting crafts or activities in your morning basket. A fun way to include activities is to do one that relates to your read-aloud. For example, after reading a book about flowers, your little one can create a flower by cutting and pasting paper. Or you can take a walk outside to see how many flowers you can find.
4. Nature Study is Perfect for Morning Time
Preschoolers love getting outside and learning about the world around them. That makes nature study a perfect addition to a preschool morning basket.
One way to do a preschool nature study is by choosing a topic and gathering a few books on it. After reading, do an activity based on the book. Nature walks are also great activities for nature study.
For example, after reading books about seeds, take a nature walk and see how many different types of seeds you can find. Then have your child plant a seed or two in a cup of soil to watch it grow.
5. Add Fine Arts to Your Preschool Morning Basket
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Finally, art and music are additional activities that are great for your morning time. Art with little ones can be as simple as exploring watercolor or clay. My preschooler also enjoys preschool chalk pastel video lessons. Art can be woven into the topics from your read-aloud or nature study as well.
Additionally, music is also such fun for little ones. Online music classes for preschoolers are a great way to introduce your little one to music. Make instruments together and use them when singing songs. Listen to classical music pieces while your preschooler paints.
To sum up, when you homeschool preschool, use that time to cultivate a lifetime of learning. You want to encourage that by getting your little ones to love learning. A preschool morning basket helps you by sharing beautiful literature, nature study, and activities that include your child’s interests. You and your children will enjoy learning while building relationships and memories.
