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It’s Your Life
preschoolers just reach in the pillowcase, pull out a shape, look at it, and say what it is.
We like using a “Mystery Bag”, which is a medium-sized paper sack, and putting all kinds of objects
in it to identify. Sometimes we put objects with two different attributes in the sack, and as the items
are taken out, they are sorted into two different piles (for example, soft/hard, rough/smooth, round/
rectangular, metal/wood).
You can play a “Musical Pillowcase” game, by putting items in a pillowcase and playing some
music which you will stop and start again at random times. You can dance around to the music while
it is playing. Then, when the music suddenly stops, the child reaches into the pillowcase and brings
something out. He is supposed to say what it is. This could be used for developing language and
vocabulary for very young children. You could put in objects that are all similar (such as different types of
fruit, or small toy animals) or you could put in a variety of different things.
I think a good rule to follow in preschool activities is to make it fun. Most homeschool parents want
their children to have a love for learning. This will only come about if they enjoy what they are doing. That
doesn’t mean that they should only be required to do things they want to do. Sometimes a young child
needs to be prodded to do a task just because it is his responsibility, even if he doesn’t want to do it. But
It’s Your Life Magazine • Issue 1