Learning experiences for our little ones do not have to be costly. While expensive toys and games can strengthen many skills, it is not always necessary. One thing I have learned throughout this pandemic is that a great deal of learning can take place with everyday items found around the house, even something as simple as cotton balls! Today I’m sharing some great cotton ball activities for preschoolers that involve little prep and as much time as you want.

 

Cotton Ball Activities for Preschoolers

MATERIALS

• Cotton balls
• Construction paper
• Marker
• Straws
• Toys around the house

LETTER WRITING

This is a simple preschool activity with cotton balls that offers tons and tons of learning. Using sheets of construction paper, write down the letters of the alphabet. Don’t waste anything, and use the other side! Write the letters using up a whole sheet of the paper. This way, when you add the cotton ball to form the letter, it is still clear and legible.  

Have your little one use the cotton balls to form the letters. This activity can vary depending on the skill level of your child. At first, keep the activity simple by having your child place the cotton balls over the traced letter. This helps your little one gain a strong understanding of what shape the letter makes and visually. They can practice it several times, and once they have practiced with several letters or even the whole alphabet, they can then move on to a more challenging version.

To challenge your little one, either say or show a letter of the alphabet. Then with the cotton balls, have your child “write” the letter. This is a fun way to test their understanding of what each letter is called while also strengthening their fine motor skills.  

We also had fun spelling his first name with cotton balls. My little one really enjoyed seeing his name in cotton ball “clouds”.

If these 3 Ways to Play and Learn activities are working well for your family, you will LOVE Play into Kindergarten Readiness! This program for 2-3 year olds includes these activities as bonuses! The program itself covers ALL core skills for preschoolers in only ONE twenty minute activity per day. Find out more right here!

MEASURING WITH COTTON BALLS

When it comes to cotton ball activities for preschoolers, this measuring one was a super fun activity that lasted a good part of the day. Using cotton balls, we explored the idea of measurement by seeing how many cotton balls we needed to measure several toys around the house.  

This was a great activity to practice this very important skill and to learn to understand one-to-one correspondence.

It was also a wonderful opportunity to move around the house to find just the right item to measure. Moving around is so helpful when ti comes to strengthening attention and focusing skills. My little one can definitely get antsy if seated too long.

We hunted high and low for just the “right” item to measure and count. We also had a good discussion on how big or small an object is in comparison to another one. My little one had a great time announcing that his favorite book was so many cotton balls big!

I only thought of this as I am sitting down to write, but it could have been a great number writing activity too! 

COTTON BALL STRAW RACE

In this cotton ball activity, I wanted to engage both my boys.  I love when the two interact but often, since the age difference is so large, they need some guidance.

With two straws, a finish line, and of course, some cotton balls, my boys had a blast together with this racing game. I set them up at one end of the hallway and created a finish line on the other. I gave them each a straw and a cotton ball and on my signal, they had to blow their cotton ball to the finish line. The winner would be the one who arrived first.  

I am happy to say that while I was worried that my older boy would be the reigning champion and upset his brother, my littlest one was so focused on still getting his cotton ball to the finish line that he didn’t even notice!

SO MUCH LEARNING…

I feel while being cooped up at home is definitely not what I prefer, it is an opportunity to be creative and find ways my children can learn and have fun. It’s always a bonus when they can work together too!  

These cotton ball activities for preschoolers are fun and simple, and the best part – they are so inexpensive. While I included only three ways here to learn with cotton balls, I am sure there are many more valuable lessons that can be taught. Enjoy being creative and engaging your little one with this incredible learning tool!

Joanna is a full-time teacher and part-time mompreneur with a personalized and custom gift shop. She has a passion for writing and loves creating wonderful memories for her 3 beautiful children. As a huge fan of Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus, Joanna lives by her biggest lesson: “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!” You can find her on Facebook. 

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