Some things happen for a reason. My preschooler was the star student, and that meant we needed to print family photos. (email me if you have a system for this!) Since we spent way too long at CVS trying to figure this out before heading to school, my five-year-old missed his morning centers. Guess what the center was? Yep, pizza decorating using felt. No problem, I told him. We can make this preschool pizza decorating activity into an easy Breakfast Invitation.
RELATED: New here? A Breakfast Invitation is a preschool learning game to begin the day with play. I have all the details written in this post explaining what is a Breakfast Invitation.
Keep preschool activities simple
When I think of preschool activities, I want ideas that require low prep and are fun for my child. These two requirements lead me to hot tea and typically a little watching from the sidelines. Activities for kids are a win for us all!
And if you are new here, we call these learning activities for kids Breakfast Invitations. They are simply learning games for toddlers and preschoolers to begin the day with play.
Does this activity have rules?
Children typically have an idea and need the freedom and flexibility to run with it. As I created this activity, I thought, I will add a gluestick! This will make a terrific gluing activity for kids.
Do you know where this story is going? Yep. My preschooler poo-pooed the glue stick. His reasoning? Because he wanted to make a few variations, and if it was glued, he could not rearrange the toppings.
Once I listened to my child’s reasoning, it made complete sense.
Rather than force the gluestick and hover until he finished, I sipped my hot tea and chatted about the paper olives I cut the night before.
Here’s the important part: My preschooler didn’t want to use a gluestick, but yours may! Same with cutting. Keep an extra pair of child scissors and construction paper for your child to get creative.
RELATED: Use this guide how to introduce scissors to kids.
My preschooler also had some ideas of his own.
I forgot the pineapple (I have never seen him eat pineapple pizza) and the white swirly things (onions). Together, we grabbed some yellow and white paper to add pizza toppings.
He also mentioned I forgot the cheese, and we drew in the yellow marker cheese lines together. Kids are so funny!
PRO TIP: Keep a stack of construction paper nearby for additional ideas.
How does this connect to learning?
Oh, how I enjoy sharing the backend of simple toddler activities and preschool play prompts!
Here, children are practicing:
- artistic expression – see my art activities for kids
- conversations about colors
- decision making
- fine motor skills
- quantity – how many peppers will you put on the pizza?
Supply List
This pizza decorating activity doesn’t require much! I like to keep supplies to a minimum to allow maximum concentration. Too many supplies can become distracting to the little learner. I know as an adult, I, too, become overwhelmed with too many parts and pieces.
Days with Grey participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
White Paper Roll
This paper is a staple in our home. Place it on the table or a verticle surface. So many uses!
Construction Paper
The funny thing about construction paper is that sometimes it leaves out purple! This pack has everything you need to make Valentine’s hearts.
Glue Sticks
Purple glue sticks are an excellent way for toddlers to see what they are gluing.
Setting up this preschool pizza decorating activity
It is time to get this preschool pizza decorating activity set up! And with my technique of cutting multiple pizza toppings at once, we will be done in a jiffy.
I like to set the activity up the night before and leave on the kitchen table for my child to come down to in the morning.
- Tape the white paper to the table.
- Use something round to trace a circle for the pizza.
- Draw lines to make pizza slices.
- Add yellow dashes to represent the cheese.
- Fold a piece of construction paper to cut more than one topping at a time.
- Place all paper pizza toppings to the left of the paper.
- Invite your child to decorate their pizza.
Topping List:
- cheese
- green peppers
- olives
- onions
- orange peppers
- pepperoni
- pineapple
- spinach
- tomatoes
What to chat about as your preschooler plays
Sometimes kids like to talk as they work; other times, they like us to take a backseat and not interrupt. As a busy mom, I can relate to not wanting interruptions. You don’t have to be talking for children to learn. Oftentimes, they are making connections we didn’t even realize. See where the activity takes you without limiting expectations.
FAQ
Preschool should be a time to create and explore new ideas. We want our early learners to transport objects, discover color combinations, sort, classify, design, connect, and investigate new ideas. We can do this with hands-on preschool activities – NOT worksheets. Use these preschool activity cards with your child.
Teaching hands-on is following a child’s interest and learning style. It allows children to use their hands and mind to make connections through investigation and problem-solving. A child that loves to move will incorporate more gross motor activities. If your child works on pencil grip, slow down and review the fine motor activity list.
Creative learning ideas for preschoolers involve movement, the senses, and play. Preschoolers enjoy exploring their environments and repeating play patterns. Hands-on preschool activities include sensory play, letter/sound recognition, counting, art, outdoor exploring, simple science experiments, and more! I have everything organized in this list of 101 preschool learning activities.
