In setting up a home preschool or kindergarten, many parents wonder about the kinds of resources they should have. Answers are many and varied, as one house may have different living situations and needs, differing learning styles and preferences, as well as different resources available to them.
The following list should be seen as a guide, and not a list of absolutes. As well, some items may not appropriate for smaller children, or for your particular child .
- Books! Picture books, board books, chapter books, all kinds of books.
- a library card
- a play kitchen
- a small dollhouse with people and furniture
- a cash register complete with money
- a set of tools
- a doctor kit
- a dress-up box of accesories, including things like wings, tiaras, purses, hats, jewellery
- dress up costumes (old clothing will do)
- a bin of small dishes
- a bin of pretend food or empty food boxes
- wooden blocks
- a box of people, figurines, army men
- a box of animals and dinosaurs,
- small cars and a play mat or garage for the cars
- a box of playdough cutters and squeezers
- play dough
- lego or duplo bricks
- musical instruments
- Cuisinaire rods, wood blocks 1cm wide by however many cms up to 10, one color for each size
- Patternables, wooden shapes in hexagons and trapezoids, including a set of colored sticks
- a box of fraction manipulatives,
- various kinds of flash cards
- card games like UNO
- a desk or small table with chairs
- a child-sized upholstered or soft chair
- a box of crayons, pencils, pencil crayons, markers, scissors, glue
- paper in all colors sizes and textures,
- access to craft supplies like feathers, glitter felt, pipe cleaners etc.
- paints & brushes
- puzzles
- board games
- various sizes of wooden or plastic containers
- cardboard boxes
- various sizes of funnels
- a magnifying glass
- magnets
- magnetic letters
- a doll stroller
- a baby doll
- puppets
- puppet theatre
- a telephone (not hooked up)
- scrap wood pieces, a small hammer & nails
- buttons, fabric, ribbons
- dried rice, beans, legumes, pasta shapes
- shelves and storage containers
- various sizes of balls
- a small broom, dustpan, sponge, duster
- large pieces of soft, lightweight fabric, neatly hemmed
- a tape recoder with microphone
- seeds, dirt and a pot
- pets
Please do not be discouraged by the cost of all these items. Many can be picked up second-hand, passed on from another family, bought as holiday presents, or even made. In the making of some items, like a dollhouse and people to live in it, can be an adventure in itself, and many things can be discoverd and explored.
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