Happy Summer! Whether you are out for summer or have a couple more weeks, the 2022-2023 school year's end is near. 

As we are finishing up Spring and preparing for Summer, I wanted to look back on my favorite activities from the year and share why I love them. All five of these activities can be done year-round, so make sure you save or pin the post for future planning! 

Activity #1: Jello Taste Test 

I shared a lot about our 5 Senses Unit on the blog (you can read about Taste Week specifically here), and this jello taste test activity was SO fun! 

My little ones learned how to use their taste buds to guess what flavor of jello they were eating. 

Why We Loved It

As a teacher, I loved that the preparation was fairly minimal and inexpensive. It only required making jello and then printing and laminating the cards. Since I chose to make individual cups of jello, it was also a fairly mess-free activity! 

The kids loved it because they got to smell and taste jello- what’s not to love?! This would make a fun snack-time activity because it can be done with a small group or the whole class. 

You can see more about the Jello Taste Test on TikTok and all of my other Taste activities in my 5 Senses Weekly Lesson Plan on TPT. 

Activity 2: Volcano Eruption

If you ask my littles what their favorite activity was this year, they will hands down all say the Volcano Eruption. 

@preschoolpackets It’s all about contained mess stations! I love sensory play in the classroom and letting the kids engage in messy play! #sensorybin #sensorybinideas #toddlersensoryplay ♬ Naughty - Alisha Weir & The Cast of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

 Why We Loved It

This fun Science/STEAM experiment from the Dinosaur Week curriculum was pretty simple to set up. All you need is baking soda, food coloring and white vinegar, and some squirt bottles. 

The kids loved seeing how big the volcano could get depending on how many drops we added. I loved that this science activity also focused on numbers and counting. 

Activity 3: Ant Observation

I shared all about the Ant Observation Activity from my Bug Unit on the blog before but wanted to touch on it again because it was such a hit. We set out various foods and watched our tiny ant friends to see what the most popular treat was. See it in action on TikTok here. 

Why We Loved It 

This simple science activity kept my littles engaged ALL DAY long, and with preschoolers you know that is no simple feat. Not just toddlers though, Ant Observations can be used with any age group and you can always extend it however meets your classroom’s needs.

It was great for sparking conversations about bugs and food. And one of my favorite things was the simple fact that it got us outside! This is the perfect activity for a nice day and requires no prep other than cleaning out your fridge. 

Activity 4: Life on the Pond Play Dough 

We LOVE both play dough and sorting tray activities over here, and the Life on the Pond activity from the Pond Week Unit combines both! 

@preschoolpackets We will definitely be doing this activity again! The kids had so much fun creating their own Pond! 🐸 #pondthemepreschool #preschoolathome #homedaycare ♬ Forest / Nature / Birds / Environmental Sound(1329509) - TrickSTAR MUSIC

Why We Loved It

The littles loved that this center was open-ended and play-based. I loved watching little imaginations go wild creating their own little pond worlds. 

I also loved how the real-world images helped guide the kid’s play and sparked lots of great conversations. 

Activity 5: Ocean Clean-Up Sensory Bin

We did this activity for Earth Day this year, but it would also be great for summertime too! Littles ones learned about keeping our oceans litter-free by using tools to clean up their sensory bin “oceans”. 

 Why We Loved It

The kids loved getting to play with water as usual, but they were also very passionate about making their oceans look pretty and clean for their sea creature friends. 

I loved how we could tie it into real life and talk about why we always throw away our trash. A bonus was the easy prep and as simple as it was it kept my little learners' attention for an hour! You can see it in action on TikTok. 

As I mentioned at the top, all of these activities could be used throughout the school year, so save this post for your future plans. And if you did any of my activities this year, please share your favorites with me on Instagram or Facebook!