A 4-year-old is a lot of fun to be around. They are very curious and love to ask questions about what they see, what they hear, what they smell, or what they feel. These children have not been taught many things yet so parents must teach them the basics at home. In this blog post, we will talk about what to teach a 4 year old at home, so that he/she can grow into a responsible young adult!
Teach them the alphabet and their ABC’s
The reason you should do this is so that when they start to learn how to read, it will be easier for them because they already know the alphabet and their ABCs.
Teach them numbers
Teach them about counting and numbers up until 20 or even 30 if possible! This is important because in school we count with numbers. And there are also number words that help us add, subtract, multiply, divide, etc.
The more knowledge a child has on these topics before starting preschool/kindergarten (which begins at age five), the better off he/she will be academically throughout his lifetime!
Teach children songs
Help your four-year-old memorize songs such as “the itsy bitsy spider” or any other song of choice. Memorizing songs not only helps children learn new information but it also helps them to remember the lyrics. This will help immensely when they get older and have to memorize poems or even songs for singing competitions, school performances, etc.
Teach them how to brush
Teach your four-year-old how to brush their teeth properly! Teaching your child this at a young age will make it easier than trying to teach them later on in life. Because you need patience with little ones who are not quite ready yet. If you start early, then by the time he/she becomes a bit older they should know all there is about brushing one’s teeth correctly.
Teach your child the difference between right and wrong.
This might be a difficult concept for four-year-olds but you can help them by saying things such as “Do you think we should hit our brother?” or even better yet, ask them if they would want someone to treat them that way (hurt their feelings). Then explain why some people don’t like being treated that way since everyone is different and has unique personalities. Teach your children not only what behavior is good but also teach him/her about thinking before he/she acts.
Because sometimes this action could hurt somebody’s feelings which means no one likes getting upset. So let’s try not to make anyone feel bad etc. You get the idea! Finally, teach your child how to say sorry after making a mistake. This makes the other person feel better because he/she knows that you understand what you did was wrong. And that apologizing is not just saying “sorry” it’s actually meaning it!
Teach them about their family members
Especially grandparents, uncles, aunties, etc so they become familiar with who all these people are when they meet them later on in life. You can even describe to him/her where certain relatives live if possible (This will come in handy for younger children).
Get a coloring book and teach them how to color in the lines
Or even better yet, teach them how to color with markers or crayons if they are still little). Many children struggle coloring in the lines and learning this skill now will make it easier for them when they go to kindergarten.
Get a set of colorful pens and let your four-year-old try writing (with supervision). You should also teach your four-year-old basic things such as colors, shapes, sizes, etc.
These are things that preschoolers will learn about. So if you introduce them to your four-year-old at home then he/she won’t feel left out when these topics come up during class time!
Involve them when making your dinner
Have them help you make dinner by handing you things or setting the table. This is a great way to keep your four-year-old entertained while also teaching them things that they can do around the house.
Play games with them
Have a scavenger hunt around your house, play hide-and-seek outside, etc. Keep the games simple, but make sure they are fun.
Finger puppets are great too because kids love playing with them and it’s not only entertaining but also interactive for everyone involved (even mom or dad!). If you’re crafty then making these finger puppets together would definitely help encourage imagination in their playtime alone!
When it comes to making crafts, let your child do whatever they want, and don’t worry about perfection! If you show a lot of enthusiasm for what they make, this will encourage their creativity even more. When my daughter is painting she wants me right beside her telling her exactly where the brush needs to go on the paper. Otherwise, she says that I am not paying attention to her project enough (spoiler: she’s right).
Make sure not to limit yourself; let their creativity flow. Let them try new things without making comments about whether something will work or not (you never know!). Then go around afterward talking about what did and didn’t work well. You can do this while cooking with them or when doing art projects.
Teach your four-year-old to swim
Swimming is an important skill when it comes to certain activities. If you live near a beach or any body of water, then this would be the perfect opportunity for him/her to learn how to swim! You can even teach them in their pool if that’s what they prefer. Since many children like staying close by while others want more space (especially older kids). This will make summertime fun and active instead of boring because all they did was sit around doing nothing!
Kids love to play in the water, so make a point of playing with your child at bath time or take them swimming. Swimming is great exercise and it can also help kids relax after an exciting day! Teach your children how to swim even if they are young (it’s never too early). If you teach them when they are younger, this skill will come naturally by the time that they need it for school activities like sports days and field trips involving water.
Introduce new words to their vocabulary every day
Have conversations with your child about what they see in everyday life. So that they can learn from context rather than just being told something verbally all of the time. This is a great way to see if they understand what you are trying to say. If your four-year-old tells you that the sky is blue then chances are, he/she understands!
Ask them how many siblings they have or if their mom has brown hair like his/her own etc. This will be interesting for both of you and also helps make him/her aware of certain things in life (however simple it may seem).
Kids especially enjoy talking about themselves so this would definitely help with making conversation between children and adults alike. Ensure that these conversations aren’t limited though. Because once again, kids love hearing stories from others too!
Introduce Books
Let’s talk about books. Reading not only up new worlds for your child but also gives them a chance to imagine new things without actually having to experience them. It’s like watching an action movie or reading about someone else’s life!
Books are great because they have colorful pages, sometimes sounds and of course, words that your four-year-old can learn more from. You don’t need any fancy books either. Just go into the library and browse around for something you think he/she might enjoy. Or ask the librarian if she has some recommendations based on what type of stories interest your child (such as animals, princesses, etc).
Ask them questions
Asking questions is always good especially when kids love answering these types of questions about their favorite toys or friends at school etc.
This will encourage conversation between all parties involved so not only will your four-year-old learn more about the world, but they’ll also be able to make friends with ease.
Conclusion
What else can I teach my four-year-old? There are many other things you could teach your child. But this list is just a few examples of what kids should be taught for being prepared for school/kindergarten in the future. The more knowledge they have now, the better it will be later on since there’s always new information coming around every day. And it would be nice if children didn’t struggle with learning something because their parents never taught them how to do it or even why they should know it.
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