Preschool Activities for the Summer Before Kindergarten
The summer before kindergarten is an exciting time for preschoolers! Many of them have been attending preschool classes and are eagerly awaiting their first day of kindergarten. In this post, Iโm going to share some Kindergarten Readiness Activities that help students channel this excitement while keeping their skills sharp! Keep reading for engaging summer activities that will help your preschoolers get ready for kindergarten.
The Summer Before Kindergarten: Engaging Readiness Activities
Kindergarten readiness activities arenโt intended to extend preschool until the first day of kindergarten. Instead, they are a great way to help students keep their existing skills sharp while giving them a preview of what they will be working on in kindergarten. When preschoolers see that the activities are similar to what they did in preschool, it can go a long way in easing any anxious feelings about kindergarten.
Here are some important readiness skills that preschoolers can practice during the summer before kindergarten:
Basic Colors and Shapes
Itโs very helpful when incoming kindergarten students can recognize basic colors and shapes. This makes it easier for students to follow directions and navigate the classroom. There are so many instances when colors or shapes are used in directions! For example, students might be asked to get a red folder out of their cubbies or draw a picture inside of the square on their papers.
These printable color books are a fun way to help students practice identifying basic colors. It also provides vocabulary practice, since they can name the common animals and objects on each page. Students will also be improving their fine motor skills as they color each page.
This fun summer-themed activity combines shape and color practice! After identifying and tracing the different shapes on this worksheet, students will follow the key to color in each shape.
Letter Recognition and Formation
You can help preschoolers hold on to the letter knowledge they gained during the year with alphabet activities for the summer. A simple letter tracing activity can easily become a fun letter hunt! Parents can name a letter and students can find the corresponding letter on the paper. The worksheet can be placed in a sheet protector to make it reusable! Students can use a dry-erase marker to trace each letter, then erase and try again!
In addition to the letter formation worksheets, these letter mats can be used for letter formation and letter identification practice! Each card has space for students to decorate the large letters with glitter, pasta, torn paper, or even sand. This creates fun tactile letters that students can trace with a finger. The letter outlines also make a great playdough mat for creating letters! There is also space for students to practice tracing and writing each letter.
These letter books are great alphabet practice for incoming kindergarten students! Each printable mini-book has space for students to trace the focus letter several times. There is a simple sentence on each page with a picture of something that begins with the focus letter. Students love coloring each page!
Name Writing Practice
Name writing is another important kindergarten readiness skill. This is a task that can be daunting to many new kindergarten students since they will write their names multiple times per day at school! This is why the majority of the summer activities in my kindergarten readiness packet include an opportunity for name practice.
In addition to practicing the actual spelling of their names, this also helps students build handwriting stamina, practice letter formation, and build the habit of putting their names on their work.
Numbers and Counting
Preschoolers often enter kindergarten with a wide range of experience with numbers and counting. Some students are working on counting by rote to 10, while others can count to 100 and have mastered one-to-one correspondence. This is why itโs helpful to include counting and number practice during the summer before kindergarten.
Students can practice identifying and writing numbers with a reusable worksheet. Just put a number tracing activity in a sheet protector and students can practice number formation with a dry-erase marker. The addition of the marker instantly ups the engagement factor for number practice!
Just like the alphabet practice worksheets, students can also do a โnumber huntโ by tracing or pointing to the correct number after it is said. They could even place the correct amount of small beans or other manipulatives on each number.
Using School Tools
One of the most beneficial skills that preschoolers can practice during the summer before kindergarten is to practice using school tools. When young learners are comfortable holding a pencil, cutting with scissors, and using glue, they are able to focus more on the skills being practiced with those activities. Otherwise, most of their mental energy will be used as they try to safely use their school tools!
This is why itโs always a good idea to include some cut-and-paste activities in a summer packet. Since these activities are intended to give preschoolers a taste of kindergarten, itโs a good time to encourage students to practice using a variety of school supplies. Kindergarten teachers are so grateful when even a handful of their students can safely use scissors during the first week of school!
Printable Activities for the Summer Before Kindergarten
All of the activities pictured above (and more!) can be found in one easy-to-prep Kindergarten Readiness Summer Packet. You can mix and match the different activities that you would like your students to practice during the summer before kindergarten. This resource is perfect for preschool teachers that want to help their students keep their skills sharp over the summer! Itโs also great for kindergarten teachers to hand out at registration or during the first part of the school year.
If youโd like to take a closer look at everything included in this resource, you can click below to find it in my shop.
Kindergarten Readiness Summer Packet | PreK and Preschool Review
Save These Kindergarten Readiness Tips and Resources
Be sure to save this post so you can quickly find it with youโre looking for kindergarten readiness activities! Just add the pin below to your favorite teaching board on Pinterest. Youโll be able to quickly find this resource to support your preschoolers in the summer before kindergarten.
