The Preschooler: Your Child, 48 to 62 Months

Your preschooler is a great companion, a real buddy, an independent and astonishingly competent person. Only occasionally will you catch glimpses of the little one with whom you lived so recently. Here are some activities to try:

Mark on a door frame how much you child has grown and then measure it.
Cut out paper snowflakes or paper dolls.
Decorate a small box with paint and macaroni for tiny treasures.
Decorate a large box with paint or magazine pictures as a treasure box to store toys.
Shop at a different grocery store and talk about how things are the same and different.
Cut out coupons from the paper together and then sort them by groups.
Talk about your feelings and the feelings of playmates and of people in stories and on TV.
Watch TV with your child and talk about real and fantasy during commercials.
Fly paper airplanes.
Make cookies or sandwiches.
Plan and pack a bag lunch to eat outside or during a walk.
Help your child joyfully anticipate kindergarten.
Become part of pre-school library hour.
Attend school concerts and plays. Your child will be fascinated watching "big kids."
Walk by the kindergarten rooms, the bathroom, and the library each time you visit school with your child. Encourage the "my school" feeling of ownership with your child.

It's never too early to read with your child...

Arthur's Nose by Marc Brown
The Bus Stop by Nancy Hellen
Each Peach Pear Plum: An I Spy Story by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Feelings by Aliki Hattie
The Fox by Mem Fox
Making Friends by Fred Rogers
Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham