When I think of a playdate there are two things that come to mind. A chance for the kids to play with other kids AND a chance for me to chat with other Moms. That’s why when I’m dreaming up playdate ideas I make sure that the plans involve a little parent/kid time but also allow plenty of time for the kids to play and explore on their own.
5 Perfect Preschool Playdate Ideas
Scavenger hunt. Everyone loves a scavenger hunt! Plan a unique scavenger hunt that the kids can play over and over. This sense of touch walk would be a great way to get the wiggles out at the beginning of the playdate. Once you’re back home you can suggest they continue the search in the backyard.
Another fun scavenger hunt is this rainbow toy hunt from Hands on: As We Grow. Just make sure you follow the sharing rules and get your little one’s approval before sending their friends to rifle through their toys.
Pretend Play Area. Setting up a pretend play area before the other kids show up will be more prep ahead of time and less work during the actual playtime. Some fun pretend play areas we’ve enjoyed are backyard explorer and pretend campground. As a bonus you could send all the playmates home with some of the props!
Craft Time. Set up a couple of crafts. Plan to spend a little time explaining and assisting. Once everything is underway, let the kids explore the materials together and come up with their own creations.
Science Experiment. A playdate is the perfect time to experiment. A great material to play with is baking soda and vinegar. Make a backyard volcano, give Baymax some extra energy or enjoy some seriously messy fun with fizzy paint.
Or head out back and have some creepy-crawly fun. 100 Backyard Activities is full of awesome activities perfect for learning about those little critters that share our backyard space. (affiliate link)
Obstacle Course. If you know the guests are busy kids then an outdoors playdate will help everyone relax and have fun. Set up an obstacle course like this pool noodle course from Learn Play Imagine or try a balancing relay. Once the kids have had their fun with that… challenge them to create their own course.
What is your favorite playdate activity?
Lisa Thakkar says
May 29, 2015 at 7:59 amHow does the Bring Your Friends entry work? I shared on FB, but it doesn’t give me a place to click to show I did it? I would love to share with 10 friends, but I’m not sure how to do that…Thanks!
Jillian says
May 29, 2015 at 12:59 pmHi Lisa!
You can click on any of the three share icons (FB, Twitter or email) and it will cue you what to say to your friends. Change the text to whatever you prefer to say about the giveaway (or leave it as is). Once you officially share it with friends via one of those methods, you’ll get 10 extra bonus entries.
Thanks for entering!
Jill
sangeetha menon says
May 30, 2015 at 4:40 amI liked the idea of preparing a pretend play area before the children arrive. Kids will be very excited to see all the preparations and the guests will feel more welcome