Moving from preschool or kindy to big school is a huge milestone for children. And while this transition is often filled with excitement, there’s no denying it can be a little anxiety-inducing for many parents too.
Most parents want to know their child is prepared for the big move to help make the transition as smooth as possible. And while you won’t be able to control every aspect of the move, there are ways you can help prepare your child for what’s to come. That’s where school readiness activities come into play.
These activities are intended to help your child develop the foundational skills and knowledge needed to help them excel in a school setting. From developing social skills and fine motor skills to ensuring their emotional readiness, we’re here to help you get your child ready for big school.
Building Social Skills
Primary school provides a great opportunity for children to socialise with their peers, but to fit in with the rest of their schoolmates, they need to understand the basics of socialisation first.
Social skills provide the foundation for successful interactions and relationships in the classroom and beyond. When children start school, they need to navigate group dynamics, follow directions, share resources, and cooperate with peers and teachers. Strong social skills help children communicate their needs, resolve conflicts, and develop empathy, contributing to a positive learning environment.
Socially adept children tend to adapt more easily to the school routine, handle stress better, and have the confidence to participate in group activities. By fostering social skills before school, you are helping children feel more secure and prepared to succeed both academically and emotionally.
While your children will pick up social skills simply by interacting with you as their parent and watching you interact with others, there are a number of activities you can encourage your child to participate in to further develop these skills.
Playdates or group play
Organising regular playdates or attending group activities allows children to interact with peers, share toys, take turns, and practice communication skills. It’s a low-pressure environment where they can learn to cooperate and resolve minor conflicts.
Role-playing
Pretend play can help children practice different social scenarios, like asking for help, sharing, or inviting someone to join an activity. This builds empathy and teaches them how to navigate everyday interactions they’re likely to encounter at school.
Board games
Simple games with rules, like Snap or Memory, teach children how to wait for their turn, follow instructions, and handle winning and losing gracefully. These games are also great for encouraging patience and cooperation.
Developing Fine Motor Skills
Developing fine motor skills is a key aspect of school readiness. These skills are essential for many of the tasks children will encounter in the classroom. Fine motor skills involve coordinating small muscles in the hands and fingers to perform precise movements. Children need these skills for activities like writing and drawing, cutting and pasting, and getting dressed. Not to mention, the process of mastering these skills calls for concentration and patience, which helps children build their attention span.
Here are some activities to help with fine motor skills.
Drawing
Encouraging children to draw, colour, and trace shapes helps them practice gripping a pencil or crayon and improves hand control. Using different tools, like markers, coloured pencils, or chalk, also builds dexterity.
Puzzles
Handling small puzzle pieces encourages children to use their fingers with precision. These activities also promote problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.
Simple crafts
Simple crafts, like playdough or clay play, beading, and cutting with scissors and pasting, are ideal for enhancing dexterity. As children use their hands more, they’re able to build up strength and develop better hand-eye coordination.
Boosting Cognitive Skills
Developing cognitive skills is a crucial aspect of school readiness because these skills form the foundation for learning, problem-solving, and adapting to new situations. Cognitive skills involve thinking, reasoning, memory, and attention, which are all essential for academic success and overall classroom performance.
Counting and number games
Simple math games, like counting objects around the house or identifying numbers in daily life (EG. house numbers or on a clock), develop number sense and early math skills. Parents can also introduce basic addition and subtraction using toys or everyday items.
Reading
Regular reading sessions not only build language and literacy skills but also improve memory and comprehension. Asking children questions about the story, such as “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why did the character do that?” encourages critical thinking and prediction.
Cooking and baking
Involving children in cooking helps them follow instructions, measure ingredients, and observe cause-and-effect (EG. how heat changes food).
Emotional Readiness
While it’s important to make sure your child has the fundamental skills needed to succeed in school, they also need to be emotionally ready for the transition. Children need to be able to effectively manage their emotions, cope with new experiences, and form positive relationships with peers and teachers. When children are emotionally ready to start school, they’re more likely to feel secure, confident, and able to participate fully in the classroom environment.
It’s completely normal for children to experience separation anxiety when they first start big school. While these feelings can last for several weeks, here are some activities to help your child manage their anxiety and emotions.
Mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Teaching simple mindfulness activities, such as deep breathing or guided imagery, helps children learn to calm themselves in stressful situations. These techniques are useful for self-regulation, especially when they feel overwhelmed in a school environment.
Encouraging independence
Gradually allowing children to handle tasks on their own, including getting dressed, tidying up, or choosing their own activities, builds confidence and self-reliance. These small acts of independence can go a long way in helping children feel more capable when facing new challenges at school.
Talking about emotions
Encourage children to talk about their feelings by naming and discussing emotions. When children feel frustrated, sad, or excited, help them label these emotions (“I see you’re feeling angry. Let’s talk about it.”). This builds emotional awareness and helps them express their feelings appropriately in a school setting.
Establishing Routines
Perhaps one of the biggest adjustments for children starting big school is the change in routine. That said, routines provide children with structure, predictability, and a sense of security, all of which help them adjust to the structured environment of school.
Here are some ways to create a structured daily routine to mimic a school day.
Establish a consistent routine
Establishing daily routines at home helps children become familiar with structure and expectations. Predictable routines around mealtimes, bedtimes, and playtime can ease anxiety about transitions, making it easier for children to adapt to the structured environment of school.
Create a visual schedule
Some children learn best by seeing, which is where a visual schedule can come in handy. Use pictures or icons to represent daily activities (EG. brushing teeth, getting dressed, breakfast, playtime, etc.). Hang the chart in a visible spot and allow children to check off completed tasks.
Use timers and alarms
Using timers throughout the day to signal the end of a task and the start of a new activity can help your child get used to transitioning between tasks like they would at school. Use a timer for specific tasks, like getting dressed or cleaning up. By using a timer, children learn to manage their time while making it a fun challenge to complete tasks before the timer goes off.
Incorporating different school readiness activities helps to encourage a positive and fun approach to school preparation. Not to mention, many of these activities also equip children with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in school. Helping your child to view school as a new and exciting experience can help to make the transition much smoother.
If you need a little extra support determining whether your child is ready for the move to big school, check out our School Readiness Hub or our guide to school readiness.
