Must Haves for Preschool and Kindergarten

Preschool and Kindergarten is an exciting time of exploration. It is also a time when a child is so curious that staying one step ahead is essential to keep all things straight in your head. With new found curiosity and enough energy to tear down an entire house in less than 60 seconds, you need an arsenal of quality items that spark creativity and imagination.

Children of this age tend to get bored fairly easily and need outlets which feed their hunger to explore. Exploration, energy and imagination are the best treasures of a preschooler so enjoy watching your preschooler’s imagination flow with the proper tools. Children need time to create and imagine without lights, sounds, buttons and games which do not enhance but only serve to entertain.

Craft Box Must Haves

• Colored Tissue Paper
• Construction Paper
• Child Safety Scissors
• Oil Pastels
• Clay
• Play Doh
• Colored Pencils
• Washable Tempura Paint
• Washable Watercolors
• Pom Poms
• Washable Markers
• Watercolor Crayons or Pencils
• Crayons
• Plenty of Paper
• Paint brushes and sponges

Toy Box Must Haves

• Tea Sets
• Kitchen Sets
• Building Blocks
• Dress ups/Costumes
• Doll House
• Legos or Megablocks
• Play Figures: Small figures such as animals or people for creative and imaginative play.
• Sand and/or Water Table
• Puppets

Learning Box Must Haves

• Counting Bears
• Tanagram Set
• Wooden Puzzles
• Felt Play Sets and Felt Board
• Foam Dice (I love the large dice the best.)
• Foam Letters and Numbers
• Magnetic Letters and Numbers

Book Shelf Must Haves

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? My First Reader
• Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection (Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks)
• The Story of Ferdinand: 75th Anniversary Edition
• The Story about Ping with Cassette(s)
• Little Bear the Magician./Doctor Little Bear/Bigger Little Bear
• The Little Engine That Could
• Curious George
• Parts (Picture Puffins)
• Aesop's Fables

TIP: Cover your dining room table with wax paper and tape down with packing tape to make a surface where mistakes can happen and it can be easily cleaned up.

Richele is our monthly contributor. You can find her blogging at Under the Golden Apple Tree.