If you aren’t in the early education space you may not be immediately wowed by great new easel activity ideas but… for those of us who teach preschool or kindergarten, homeschool our littles, or work with small children in any capacity we recognize the novelty of easels and their important role in physical development. Wait, I shouldn’t just say physical development because no sphere of development stands or develops alone. I’ll get more into the benefits below. Just trust me these vertical surface activities are SO fast to set up, incredibly appealing to young students, and beneficial!
Why Vertical Surface Activities Are Vital For Early Learners
I’ll keep this as brief as I can; when young children use vertical surfaces like whiteboards, magnet boards, chalkboards, walls, and windows as a working surface, it naturally works on developing a multitude of important skills and strength. The eventual skills it is most notably beneficial for are fine motor and handwriting. Let’s break it down:
Easel activities naturally place children’s wrists and hands in the correct hand posture needed for a good pencil grip, builds strength in their backs, shoulders and arms as they reach up and across the wall, easel or board.
Vertical surface activities like easel activities also help to develop core strength which helps with sitting not just being able to do it but being able to do it comfortably without moving all around. Yes, we want our students to move a lot, but we also want them to be able to be still without having to use up all their energy on being somewhat still. If they use it all up on the physical act of sitting, they aren’t engaging in whatever activity is going on.
That’s the quick answer… now to the awesome easel activities! If you want some whiteboard activities that have all these same benefits, check them out here!
Easel Activities For Preschool & PreK
Sticky Face – this make a face activity boosts all we talked about above as well as more refined fine motor skills.
Sticky Tree – Felt leaves adorned this sticky tree activity. This was a huge hit with my toddler class.
Add the feathers on the turkey or you can add seeds to a watermelon, spots to a ladybug, whatever fits your students. Thin paper or foam works best on this contact paper.
Color mixing at the easel. I love using two colors of paint and allowing my students to explore color mixing on a canvas.
Paint Your Name. Use smaller brushes and have children paint their names!
Self Portraits with markers! I made the head and they filled it in!
Crayon resist. Start by having your students draw on white paper with a white crayon, then paint over with thin dark paint. The white crayon underneath will pop through.
Prompted painting. This prompt was paint something LOUD. How cool is this volcano?
Free draw & write. Some children FREEZE when you tell them to paint something, or refuse altogether. Always give options, never push, and if a child doesn’t want to paint or draw, encourage them to write.
Finger Paint. Who says you need to use a brush?
Find more great everyday preschool activities
Everyday Preschool In The Classroom by Allison McDonald
This book is a must-have for preschool, prep, and pre-K teachers. It has over 150 effective, everyday hands-on learning activities you can do using materials you already have in your classroom. Allison walks preschool teachers through more than just the instructions for every activity; she also explains the educational benefits. With this resource, you can meet your students where they are and make your preschool classroom a place filled with fun and just the right learning for every student.
Everyday Preschool In The Classroom teaches you how to:
* make the most of simple everyday activities
* adapt activities for different ability levels
* use the same materials for multiple activities
* make learning engaging and fun for every student
* links to free printables, trusted resources, and an online library full of ideas!
What is included in the book?
* literacy activities to help preschoolers build strong early literacy skills
* math activities that stretch beyond counting and number recognition
* science and engineering activities that spark curiosity and problem-solving
* art activities focused on the process of making art and exploring colors
* sensory play that integrates into any preschool or pre-k curriculum
* fine and gross motor activities that can be done in any classroom
* social emotional learning to support preschool students’ development beyond academics.
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