What do I do with my 3 year old?

A friend asked me recently for some ideas on how to teach her 3 year old without having to use a ton of worksheets.  This is a great question because while I think that worksheets are great, 3 year olds learn a lot more from hands on experiences/play.  So, here are some things that we've done in the past and things we hope to do this year.  *NOTE* I am not claiming any of these ideas as my own.  I've gathered them from reading other blogs and Pinterest.

Letters:

One thing both my kids really enjoy is homework.  I know, why do I give my kids homework when they have a home-centered education?  Well, it's not the kind of homework you would normally see.  No worksheets.  Since we have a letter each week, the kids at the end of the week have to bring me their designated container with things that they've encountered throughout the week that begins with that letter.  Then, they have a 'show-and-tell' to tell us what they've found.  They LOVE it.

They also like making the letters with playdoh.

Why Superhero does NO MORE than 3 worksheets a week (does not include art)?  Worksheets are a great tool for teaching your child to sit still, concentrate, and practice fine motor skills (hold pencil/crayon properly); any more than that and he's bored and pulls the 'I can't do it'.  I use worksheets for letters.  I usually have sheets with the letter of the week.  Here are some examples (the last one even has cutting skills):

Beginning sounds
I got this from the Target $1.00 section

http://www.4shared.com/file/220185360/20d8fe62/amagnet.html

first school

Numbers:  

I don't usually have worksheets for numbers.  I'd much rather teach them using manipulatives (cheerios in egg cartons, toys, blocks, pom poms, snap cubes, counting bears, etc are some examples).  I also like these cards for number recognition and games (place in order; place in reverse order; match number with pictures, etc)

Eric Carle Flashcards

Shapes and Colors:

We practice shapes and colors by playing the classic 'I Spy' game.  We'll snuggle on the couch (sometimes with a snack) and take turns saying eg. "I spy something that is shaped like a square" OR "I spy something that is blue".  We also use manipulatives (playdoh, etc.)  In fact, Superhero likes to take markers/crayons and make shapes out of them.

I can't stress enough how reading is so vital in exposing kids to information and practice of the above categories.  Some of our favorites for Superhero are:

My m book

My one book

He also gets to pick whatever books he wants (as long as I can carry them;))  I usually read them the books so they know what's going on then when I let them 'read' them on their own (I can get stuff done or spend time with the baby during this time).  It's rather cute hearing them try to read by themselves.

Apps

So, we love our iPad.  It's been a nice addition for school.  There are so many great educations apps out there (ipad, iPod and android).  Here are some of his favorites:

Wee sing ABC

Friendly shapes

Toca Robot

Superhero matching

As I think/find other ideas that he enjoys, I'll post them.