There are many ways that you can use the fall season to increase your child’s vocabulary in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Speech and language experts say that your child must hear and say a word 17 times before they master it. You can use the beautiful autumn temperatures to go outside and teach your child by using different preschool activities. According to experts at Colorado preschools, building children’s vocabulary is everyone’s responsibility.
Visit a Farm
Autumn is a great time to visit a farm. There are so many vocabulary activities for preschoolers that can occur there every day. There are several farms in the Colorado Springs area open to the public. These include:
- Anderson Farms
- Happy Apple Farm
- Long Neck Pumpkin Farm
- Miller Farms
- Pantaleo Farms
- Venetucci Farm
- Wishing Star Farm
Each of these farms is set up differently. Many offer the opportunity to pick your own apples from their orchards. Or you can pick pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. These activities can teach vocabulary to preschoolers like orange, crunchy, dry, and scratchy. Some farms offer fun performances geared for preschoolers where words are introduced to children. Other farms offer the opportunity to interact with animals. This is where you can talk about how animals’ coats feel or their colors. Chances are that your child will be having so much fun that they don’t even realize that they are learning.
Go on a Hike
Autumn is the perfect time to take your preschooler on a hike. To keep your preschooler engaged, consider making it a scavenger hunt. This allows your child to look for specific items while they build their vocabulary. Concentrate on words that will help increase your child’s vocabulary like big, small, orange, red, dry and crunchy.
There are many possibilities around Colorado Springs including:
- Garden of the Gods Park
- Red Rock Canyon
- Cheyenne Mountain State Park
- Midland Trails
- Helen Hunt Falls
- Mt. Hermann Trail
If you are afraid that little legs cannot handle a hike yet, then consider heading to one of the local parks. You can still talk about different color words and textures. Consider making a big pile of leaves and jumping into it for a fun activity that your child is sure to remember.
Explore a Museum
Many Colorado Springs museums are planning special activities this fall. This makes them great places to build your child’s vocabulary. Speech and language development takes place in a Colorado Springs preschool, it also happens in the real world.
Consider building aviation vocabulary words with a trip to the Peterson Air and Space Museum. It is a delightful place to introduce words like flying, planes, and weather. Depending on your child’s level, you may even be able to introduce some specific terms. This includes propellers, wheels and nose gear at the museum.
Fall is a great time to go to the Penrose Heritage Museum. Your child can see 31 horse-drawn carriages and 13 motorized vehicles. Use this experience to build transportation vocabulary like drive and tires.
The Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum is where over 60 vintage motorcycles are featured. It is always a great place to build your preschooler’s vocabulary.
The Halloween Train Ride at the Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a fun activity where you can teach a lot of vocabulary words during the two-hour ride.
Fall is a great time for visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo because of Boo at the Zoo. While your child is having fun, you can also help them build their animal vocabulary. Additionally, this event is a great time to teach manner words like please and thank you. Extend your teaching by visiting the May Natural History Museum. They have a large insect collection your children will adore, and you can talk about size and color words.
Fall is the perfect time to plan activities to teach vocabulary to preschool students. Take your child to a u-pick orchard, explore pumpkins where they grow and introduce fun farm animals. There are many hiking paths in the Colorado Springs area that are perfect places to help your child build their nature vocabulary this autumn. Finally, do not overlook visiting the area’s other museums filled with child-friendly activities. It all helps your child to build their vocabulary naturally.