Fun Family Activities for Pre-Schoolers is filled with information and enjoyable ways to support the development and learning of your preschool child. The activities in each of the eight sections are based on the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards are are designed to help your child develop skills that are important for kindergarten. They were developed by a group of Rhode Island parents, teachers and other early childhood leaders in hopes that mothers and fathers, grandparents and caregivers will use these activities with the preschool children in their lives.

Play, Play and More Play
Children learn best through play. When you begin to use these activities, your child will learn new skills and develop a love for learning. Most are designed to fit into your day-to-day activities.

Design Your Own Treasure Box
Some families have created a Treasure Box to hold their activity cards. Try using a child's shoebox, a tissue box, or other household container as a special holder for the cards. Use paints, markers or crayons with your child to decorate the box. Personalize your Treasure box with photos of your child. Use your imagination and have fun.

Create Your Own Activities
We enourage you to create activities to ad to this packet. Talk with other parents and your child's teacher to come up with new ideas. Then, use the back of the cards or make additional cards to write down your very own family activities.

Before You Begin
Think about the ways you want your child to grow and learn during this important timee in their life and then write down your answers to the following questions:

• What are your child's favorite toys and activities?
• What are some of your child's strengths?
• What do you most want your child to learn?

As you review each section of the packet, keep your answers in mind and choose activities that match your child's interests. Select activities that are not only fun, but will help your child learn the skills you think are important.

When It's Time For Kindergarten
As your child is getting ready to enter kindergarten, think about the activities you have enjoyed together and the ways your child has grown and developed. Write down your answers to the following questions. Share this information with your child's kindergarten teaher to help them get to know your child.

• What activities in this kit did your child enjoy the most?
• How does your child learn best?
• What are some of the new skills that your child has developed over the last year?
• In what ways would you like to see your child continue to grow and develop?

Acknowledgements
We want to extend our sincerest thanks to the parents, teachers and early childhood leaders who drew from their expertise and experience as parents to come up with winning ideas to incclude in this first edition of Fun Family Activities for Pre-Schoolers