Here are 30+ Kindergarten activities for hands-on learning.
Learning in kindergarten is done through movement, conversation, and play. We can support that learning at home with kindergarten activities for hands-on learning.
What our kindergarteners need is playful, hands-on activities – not computer-based learning. We don’t need our children stuck in front of a screen responding to voice commands for most of their education.
Five and six-year-olds need to move their bodies, dig hands deep in new textures, and manipulate objects to develop a deeper understanding of how things work.
Simply put, Kindergarteners need opportunities to connect hands-on learning to the world around them. We even created these Kindergarten activity cards to help keep the learning through play continue at home.
We can help our five and six-year-olds learn with this list of 30+ Kindergarten activities for hands-on learning.
RELATED: Play-based learning is super important. That is why we created this list of 50 KID ACTIVITIES AT HOME.
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Communicating ideas
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Conversation and collaboration
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Exploring interests
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Opportunities to problem-solve
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Creating playful environments
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Encouraging imaginary play
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Opportunities to construct and build
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Moving their body through rough-and-tumble play
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Building empathy
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Exploring new textures
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Encouraging a growth mindset and embracing challenges
Just like we look for new activities to inspire our thinking as adults, we must do the same for our 5-7-year-olds.
RELATED: New to homeschooling? You’ll find these HOMESCHOOLING QUICK TIPS practical and helpful.
What a child should learn in Kindergarten can vary from state to state, but most states use the Common Core Standards.
According to the Common Core, these standards help create clear and consistent learning goals to help prepare children for life.
They are to keep parents and teachers on the same page to work together for common goals. 41 out of 50 states have adopted the Kindergarten standards.
In this case, we have access to what our Kindergarteners will learn throughout the year.
READ THE KINDERGARTEN COMMON CORE STANDARDS HERE.
Furthermore, I can help you implement hands-on learning activities with this list of 30+ Kindergarten Activities.
Literacy, hands-on learning activities for Kindergarten are some of my favorites.
First, let’s take a look at the Kindergarten literacy categories:
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Read-Aloud
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Writing
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Oral and visual communication
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Phonics, spelling, and word study.’
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Independent reading with peers and adults
Here are my FAVORITE LITERACY MANIPULATIVES for young learners.
25+ Activities to Help Pencil Grip – Hint, it isn’t tracing letters!
The Best Books for Kindergarten – A FANTASTIC collection of read-aloud.
Stamp a Story – Writing together using stamps to lead the story plot.
Alphabet Sort– Taking a closer look at the lines and curves of letters.
Building Word Families – Taking a closer look at words that rhyme.
What I Like – A conversation starter using stickers.
Drive and Park – A hands-on way to assess letter sounds or recalling letter names.
Splash the Alphabet – A movement game to review letter names and sounds.
Color Word Car Park – Learning to recognize color words through movement.
40+ Back to School Books – The best booklist to build comfort and confidence!
Hands-On Story Sequence – Using blocks to retell the beginning, middle, and ending of a story.
14+ Book Activities to Retell a Familiar Story – Hands-on activities to help retell familiar Kindergarten stories.
How Balance Can Improve Reading – A little practice can go a long way!
Math Learning Activities for Kindergarten
Did you know that Kindergarten math activities typically fall under the following categories?
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Counting and cardinality
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Operations and algebraic thinking
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Numbers and operations in base ten
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Measurement and data
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Geometry
Next are my favorite Kindergarten math activities for hands-on learning.
START HERE: my favorite math manipulatives for young learners.
Kindergarten Money Activity – a DIY coin bank you need to make.
Indoor Mini-Golf – Create a mini-golf course using train tracks.
DIY Rainbow Board Game – A simple board game using dice and markers.
Build a Shape – A hands-on 3D shape exploration.
What is a Ten Frame? – Using objects to understand a group of ten better.
Pour to the Lines – A measurement game using colored water.
Magnetic Measurement – A measurement game using magnetic tiles.
Domino Addition Track – Using dominoes to practice simple addition facts.
Hands-On Number Line – Using shoes to become familiar with the number line.
shape activities – Using shapes to create pictures.
Indoor Graphing Game – Use socks to understand Kindergarten graphing better.
Count Up – A hands-on number line with cubes.
Pattern Practice – A fun way to create patterns with objects you have at home.
Let’s look at growth mindset activities for Kindergarten.
A growth mindset for all children is an important aspect of learning. We can begin to implement growth mindset activities for five and six-year-olds to encourage reflection and goal-setting.
This is what allows a child the opportunity to fail and brainstorm ways to persevere and succeed. A growth mindset develops with time and strategies that adults can model.
Here, we are encouraging Kindergarteners to take risks and encourage questions. As parents, caregivers, and teachers, our job is to use phrases that acknowledge the work behind the product.
Last but not least, here are growth mindset activities for ages 5-7.
Rainbow Weave – Incorporating art into hand-eye coordination.
Can You Stack It? – Making predictions with blocks.
Can You Build a Home– A thinking and design game with Legos.
Block Play – An open-ended building game for strategy.
Giant Tic-Tac-Toe – Engage in a game with rules with your Kindergartener.
Chalk Board Game – Outdoor game for number sequence and sportsmanship.
How to Paint with Kids – Understanding the process of art exploration and expression, how to get your Kindergartener started with painting, and the supplies needed.