Social-Emotional Development
Star Gazing
Cut stars out of cardboard boxes and wrap in aluminium foil. Attach the stars to the underside of a table and cover the table with a blanket. Lie
under the blanket with your child and talk about the stars. Use a flashlight to reflect light in different ways.
Cognitive Development
Star Gel Bags
Fill three resealable plastic bags with blue hair gel. Cut six small stars from a plastic plate. Place one star in the first gel bag, two stars in the second bag, and three stars in the third bag. Seal bags tightly. Count the stars in each bag with your child. Match each bag to a numeral written on a piece of paper.
Language Development
A Galaxy of Stars
Sing the song, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. If possible, read the book or join BrightPath Storytime for this story. Expand the song with new words by changing “little star” to any or all the following:
“Great Big Star”
“Yellow Star”
“Shiny Star”
Physical Literacy
Star Bean Bag Toss
Draw small stars on paper and cut them out. Place the stars on the floor in different spots. Gather several bean bags, rolled up socks or scrunched up newspaper balls. Model tossing the bean bag onto the stars. Describe your actions “I’m throwing the bean bag onto the star far from me”
Creative Activity
Sidewalk of Stars
Using sidewalk chalk, encourage your child to colour stars on the sidewalk or driveway. Draw the exterior frame of a star and encourage your child to decorate the inside with different colour chalk. Connect the stars with lines to make a constellation. Introduce new words to your child (constellation, big dipper, galaxy, universe)
Additional Resources
TumbleBook Library has a large selection of books, both fiction and non-fiction, that are read aloud. There are also some French and Spanish titles available. You will find some National Geographic videos and games on this site, too. You do not need a library membership to access.
https://calgarylibrary.ca/read-learn-and-explore/digital-library/tumblebook-library/
https://handsonaswegrow.com/activities/preschool-activities/ – Find a variety of activities to try with your 3-5-year-old on this website. The activity categories include learning, creativity, gross motor and fine motor.