Turn Play Into Learning for Your Preschooler

Written by: Sonia Strueby, M.A., CCC-SLP, Founder of Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center
Originally Published: July 11, 2019 | Updated: August 31, 2026

A whole new batch of kids will be heading into preschool and kindergarten this fall, and for many parents, that brings up questions like “Is my child ready?” “What do they need to know?” and “What can I do to help?” The good news is you can turn play into learning with tools you already have. Here are simple, fun ways to build literacy, math, writing, and social skills right at home.

What Does “Kindergarten Ready” Actually Mean?

It’s easy to picture readiness as a checklist of academic skills, but according to NAEYC, readiness is really about the whole child, not just isolated skills like reading or counting. A child who’s confident with letters but shy in groups is just as ready as a child who’s socially outgoing but still working on pencil control. Independence, following routines, and emotional confidence matter just as much as academics. Keep that in mind as you read through these activities: they’re meant to build a well-rounded foundation, not check off a rigid list.

Turn Play Into Learning: Literacy

One of the best things you can do for early literacy is simple: read together. Reading exposes your child to key concepts, like the idea that letters have sounds, letters build words, and a story stays the same no matter who reads it aloud.

• Point out the title. Show your child where the title is on the cover, read it aloud, and talk about what the book might be about based on the title and the artwork.
• Point out individual words. Look for salient words, often bolded, in a different font, or larger than the rest of the text. These are frequently sound words (like “boom” or “squish”) that are spelled just how they sound. Talk about how “boom” starts with the “B” sound, and have a contest to see who can say it the loudest!

Turn Play Into Learning: Number Awareness

There’s more to numbers than counting. Preschoolers can also build number identification and one-to-one correspondence, the understanding that each number represents a real, physical quantity.

• Number scavenger hunt. Pick a number, write it on several pieces of paper, and hide them around the house or yard for your child to find.
• Count objects around the house. No prep needed: make a list of things to count together, like doors, windows, or chairs, and walk through the house counting as you go.
• Dice game. Roll a die, have your child count the dots, then do an activity matching that number, like building a block tower, drawing shapes, or doing that many jumps or claps.

Turn Play Into Learning: Writing

Writing supports both social and academic success. Your preschooler isn’t expected to write the whole alphabet correctly yet, but you can absolutely start building early writing skills at home. Their own name is a great place to start, even just the first letter at first, working up to the whole thing. Writing their name is both motivating and genuinely useful heading into school.

• Tracing with a finger. Write your child’s name on paper and have them trace it with their index finger. For an extra step, glue cotton balls over the letters and trace again over the texture.
• Making letters with Play-Doh. Write a letter on paper and have your child mold Play-Doh directly on top of it, one letter of their name at a time.
• Writing in whipped cream. A fun, sensory twist: spread whipped cream in a pan and use a finger or plastic knife to write letters (just watch out for snacking before the writing’s done!).

As you go, talk about the sound each letter in their name makes, it reinforces literacy and writing skills together.

Turn Play Into Learning: Social Skills

Getting along with other kids is a huge part of preschool. Learning to share, cooperate, and play together matters just as much as literacy, math, and writing.

• Play a game together. Choose your child’s favorite game with a winner, and let the outcome go both ways naturally. Talk through what to say when they don’t win (“Good game,” “That was fun,” “Let’s play again”) and what good sportsmanship looks like when they do.
• Facilitate sharing. Play together with their toys, and talk through the words they can use when they want a turn with something, or what to do when another child wants a turn with what they’re using. Practicing these scenarios ahead of time helps them feel more prepared in the moment.

When Should I Seek Help?

Kids develop these skills at different speeds, and that’s completely normal. But if preschool isn’t going as smoothly as hoped, or a daycare or preschool teacher has raised concerns about your child’s play or communication skills, Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center can help. We offer free screenings across all of our services, speech, language, writing, math, and dyslexia, at our offices in North Liberty and the Des Moines metro.

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are here to help. Contact us with any questions, or check out our guide on preparing for preschool and kindergarten for more tips, and we’ll assist you in any way we can.