Learning Through Play Made Simple

The resource for parents and teachers who want easy, meaningful activities that build school-readiness skills.

🎨 Explore these early learning topics 🧩

Woman and child doing a cutting activity together — A collection of themed activity ideas covering all learning areas for 150+ preschool themes.

Cute bear vector with text overlay - music, songs and rhymes. — Action songs, finger rhymes, transition songs and more music games and activities.

Vector of children playing. Text overlay - Games for kids — Simple indoor and outdoor games, group games, quiet games and classic favourites for children.

Young girl writing. Text overlay - Early literacy and numeracy — Pre-reading, language and pre-writing activities, plus early numeracy concepts such as counting, shapes, patterns, number recognition.

Child's hand threading beads. Text overlay - Gross and fine motor skills — Gross motor games and activities, plus fine motor ideas like playdough, threading, cutting and process art.

Buckets and tools in the sandpit. Text overlay - Learning through play — Simple child-let play ideas, construction activities, pretend play, sensory play, puzzles, messy play and more hands-on ways to learn.

Drawing of two bunnies. Text overlay - Stories for kids — A collection of short stories, bedtime stories, poems and classic tales to read aloud at home or in the classroom.

Child playing with construction toys. Text overlay - Child development — Info on developmental milestones, social and emotional skills, sensory processing, school readiness and early childhood growth.

5 Year Old Drawing

The Stages of Drawing Development in Children: 0-6 Years

Child doing Grandmother's glasses rhyme

10 Finger Plays for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Playing broken telephone, a listening game

17 Simple Listening Activities for Kids

Elephant and lion in the path

4 Short Funny Stories for Kids (with a PDF)

Kids with music notes

40 Classic Preschool Songs with Lyrics

children sitting around for carpet time at preschool

21 of the Easiest Carpet Games for Circle Time

Cornhole game

18 Simple Movement Activities for Preschoolers

Drawing of children and teacher holding hands in a circle

The Top 10 Good Morning Songs for Preschool (Recommended by Teachers)

Everything You Need for Learning Through Play

The Learning Through Play and activity planners

Shop Fun Printables

Printable Puzzles Empowered Parents

Early Literacy Cards

Circle time and routine cards

Tanja McIlroy

Hi and Welcome!

I’m Tanja McIlroy, the creator of Empowered Parents.

As a former teacher, my passion is sharing information with parents and educators on child development and the importance of learning through play in the early years.

My website is filled with simple ideas and play-based activities for 3-6-year-olds.

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