Do you have a toddler, preschooler, or primary grade student who needs some fun (and simple!) learning activities for rainy days, snow days, and unexpected school closings?

I’ve compiled a list of our easiest mix & match activities using just a few craft supplies you probably already have on hand.

These (screen-free) open-ended play activities are PERFECT for parents who:

• have children who just stopped napping
• work from home and need to get one thing done
• need a quiet activity for older siblings while nursing

Be sure to bookmark this post so you can find it easily whenever you need a quick and easy learning activity!

Read on for our favorite preschool learning activities using craft supplies!

SCREEN-FREE LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Note: we are not anti-screens, but we know sometimes you need something quick and easy that your child can do independently!

These mix and match activities use just a handful of materials you probably already have around your house:

• craft pom poms
• clothespins
• craft sticks
• UNO cards (numbers 0-9 only)
• straws
• pony beads
• string
• playdough
• rainbow noodles

Young children crave fun and novelty. Offering just two or three of these materials at a time (on a bright tray) increases the likelihood that they will be drawn to the activity and engage for a longer period of time. But, have patience if your child struggles with playing independently. (This blog post will help with independent play skills.)

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Pom Poms

• Sort pom poms by color (muffin tins or empty egg cartons are great for this)
• Transfer pom poms from one container to another using clothespins (extra learning: pull an UNO card to tell you how many pom poms to move)
• Drop pom poms into an empty jar

Clothespins & Craft Sticks

• Write numbers (0-9) and letters (A-Z) on clothespins
• Put numbers pins in order (more challenging: just do odds or evens)
• Use a permanent marker to write your phone number on a craft stick, and then have your child match the numbered clothespins
• Spell out your child’s name with clothespins
• Clip the correct number of pins onto UNO cards (0-9)

More Craft Sticks

• Add round Velcro dots to each end of 10 craft sticks, and use them to make shapes, letters, and more

Straws

• With supervision, ask your child to cut 10-15 straws into 2-3” pieces
• Click here to see 10 more activities using straw pieces

Pony Beads

• Lace pony beads onto a string or pipe cleaner (extra learning: practice patterning with different colors)
• Add a small bowl of pony beads to a tray with playdough
• Choose a numbered clothespin or UNO card and put that many beads on a pipe cleaner
• Add a funnel and jar to a bowl of pony beads

Rainbow Noodles

• Sort noodles by color (using a muffin tin)
• Lace the noodles on a string 

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Which of these learning activities will you try first?