Preschool Sorting Activity

When thinking about new learning aids for the classroom, most teachers overlook their personal recycle bins and old craft supplies. There are an abundance of activities that require few materials, but offer variety and hours of fun. Sheryl, preschool teacher and creator of the blog Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, suggests gathering your old spools (or asking your local craft store for their empties) for some sorting fun! Sorting Ideas

  1. Invite your preschoolers to sort the spools by color.
  2. Ask your students to sort based on the size of the spool.
  3. Do a combination of the first two. Have them first sort by color, then break every color down by size.

For younger children who may not get the hang of sorting, even providing a bunch of spools and various containers with lids that they can fill up, empty, fill up, empty, etc. will keep them busy. As they play you can discuss how the spools sound when they're dropped into each different container (plastic, tin, glass, etc.), encourage fine motor skills by helping them to put the lids on the containers, and even promote color recognition. An inexpensive learning aid that provides hours of entertainment!

 Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds: Sorting Spools