The weather has turned and all the delights of spring are underway. Flowers are blooming, we can hear baby birds in the nest, and we can finally get outside for more playful learning adventures. Spring offers many opportunities to learn and explore the world around us. This month’s “Ways to Play Every Day Activity Calendar” has a variety of themes to explore with your preschoolers.
Ways to Play Everyday – May Activity Calendar for Preschoolers!
The FREE May activity printable calendar can be used in various ways by educators in the classroom as by parents of preschoolers at home. The May playful learning activities encourage daily learning, creativity, and hands-on exploration. As will all the monthly calendars, you can mix and match activities, choose the ones you think your own preschoolers will enjoy, or just use the monthly calendar as a guide to inspire your curriculum and playful learning adventures.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of each activity in the May calendar, along with with links to corresponding activities, printables, and book lists you can use to supplement the suggested themes within the calendar.
Playful Learning May Activity Calendar for Preschoolers
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- Place some flowers in a paper basket on a neighbor’s porch for May Day (save a few flowers and learn about the Parts of a Flower through play).
- Print dish brush dandelions on paper.
- Make floral scented playdough with this recipe.
- Explore with a flower themed water sensory bin.
- Make floral decorated maracas in honor of Cinco de Mayo using this tutorial.
Books for this week’s activities
The Reason for a Flower
The Dandelion Seed
Dandelions
Planting a Rainbow
Marco’s Cinco de Mayo
- Throw cotton balls to create a painting.
- Make homemade bouncy balls with this recipe.
- Play balloon tennis.
- Get moving outside with one of these 6 ball games.
- Make art with a ball, a box, and a lot of shaking.
- Play a few rounds of laundry basket skeeball.
- Practice taking turns by playing this pom pom/craft ball game.
Books for this week’s activities
Froggy Plays Soccer
A Big Guy Took My Ball!
Duck & Goose
Yellow Ball
Ball
Vinny the Soccer Playing Dinosaur
Watch Me Throw the Ball!
- Read a book about moms.
- Practice number sequencing with this free puppy math puzzle.
- Match baby animals to their mothers with this free printable puzzle.
- Create baby chicks out of playdough as seen here.
- Build a bird’s nest out of sticks and playdough.
- Practice ABC matching with the 3 kittens who lost their mittens.
- Paint with plastic figurines of baby/momma animals.
Books for this week’s activities
The Perfect Nest
Are You My Mother?
The Cow That Was the Best Moo-ther
First the Egg
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Three Little Kittens
Good Night, Baby Animals: You’ve Had a Busy Day
- Go on a picture book scavenger hunt using this printable.
- Spend some time exploring your local library.
- Create your own bookmark.
- Read your favorite book with a stuffed animal.
- Draw a picture about your favorite book.
- Make your own book using this free printable.
- Retell a favorite story as seen here.
Books for this week’s activities
Lola at the Library
We Are in a Book!
But Excuse Me That is My Book
The Library Book
The Best Place to Read
Reading Makes You Feel Good
Library Mouse: A World to Explore
- Dig for dinosaurs in this excavation sensory bin.
- Hatch your own dinosaurs using this method.
- Practice ABC matching with this dinosaur ABC game.
- Imprint plastic dinosaurs with this homemade fossil dough.
- Excavate dinosaurs out of ice using this tutorial.
Books for this week’s activities
Dinosaur Farm
Oh My Oh My Dinosaurs
Dinosaur Roar
How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?
10 Terrible Dinosaurs
10 Little Dinosaurs
We hope your own preschoolers enjoy learning and playing along with us in May! To print the FREE May Activity Calendar for Preschoolers, download here: Ways to Play Everyday May Activity Calendar for Preschoolers
The Preschool Toolbox is pleased to have Andie Jaye as a valued contributor. Andie is a former preschool teacher turned stay-at-home mom of 3 kiddos. Her blog, Crayon Freckles, focuses on creative learning and play ideas, as well as parenting topics. Andie strives to be honest in her approach and experiences in parenting to let other moms know that they are not alone in their struggle. In her free time, she writes children’s books in hopes of publishing someday. You can follow Andie on Pinterest or on Twitter.