52 games to help your child get ready to start school

Playing helps kids work out how to deal with new situations and solve problems, so why not role play school?

You can be the teacher and act out some of the situations they might encounter together, like reading, answering their name on the register and hanging their coat up.

Want to boost your child’s confidence before starting school?

Taking a drama class can help them learn to speak clearly and confidently – a great skill for the classroom.

Help your child get used to following instructions – there'll be lots of those in the classroom – by playing games such as Simon Says.

Give them instructions such as, 'Simon says clap your hands', 'Simon says hop up and down'. If you don't say 'Simon says' at the beginning of the instruction and they still do the action, then they're out.

Your child will learn phonics as soon as they start school.

And you can help them start to recognise letters by playing ‘I spy’ at your local park.

Point out letters on signs around the park – from ‘do not feed the ducks’ to ‘ice cream’ (which is, of course, guaranteed to be their favourite word!)

Going from the free flow of a nursery to needing to sit down at school can be a challenge.

Help your child get used to sitting down and listening by going to a fun story time session at your local library or children's centre.

From coughs and colds to upset tummies, the classroom is a haven for bugs.

One unusual way to help build up your child’s immunity is by playing in mud.

According to research, being exposed to friendly soil bacteria can boost your immune system. Time to get muddy ...

Gymnastics classes are a fantastic way for your child to develop their coordination and balance … both great skills for school PE classes.

(And the school playground!)

The school day can be tiring for four and five-year-olds. Boost your child’s stamina before they start by taking them for swimming lessons.

Swimming is a great all-round exercise that will also help develop muscle strength … perfect for the playground monkey bars!

A great skill for your child to learn before school is how to dress and undress themselves.

Head to an imaginative play centre where they can enjoy dressing up sessions. Encourage them to put the outfits on and take them off by themselves.

Or you can practise at home by getting them to dress themselves in the morning and having some fun play sessions with dressing up outfits. Check out our fun dressing up ideas for inspiration!

Give your child a head start for school – and their career! – by taking them to a coding class.

Even young kids can learn to code through play, while developing problem-solving skills.

If your child is a fussy eater, you might be wondering how they'll cope with school lunches.

To help develop their tastebuds ready for the weekly roast dinners and fish Fridays, why not sign them up for a cookery class or cook up a few different dishes together in the kitchen?

They can learn more about different ingredients and try a variety of foods, ready for their September start.

These kid-friendly recipes should give you some great ideas!

Or find a kids' cookery class near you.

If your child is daunted at the thought of wearing a school uniform, encourage them to wear it before their first day. To add to the fun, why not go on a walk in your local park?

They can get used to the feel of wearing a shirt and school shoes so they're happy and ready for their ‘first day at school’ photo.

If they're going to be wearing a tie, now's the time to practice putting it on and taking it off!

Starting school is a huge step for your child. Prepare them for what to expect by reading lots of books about school.

Your local library will have a selection to help teach your child about the school day and making friends.

Or check out our roundup of the best books about starting school.

It’s normal for your child to be anxious about making friends at school. They might be worrying already about who they'll play with at break time.

So why not arrange to meet some of their new classmates for a playdate?

A great way to make friends before starting school – and a good way for you to meet some of the parents, too.

If you don't know any parents whose kids are going to the same school, check out your local facebook groups, or head to the local chat section of our forum to meet other families near you.

Climbing is a brilliant activity to help your child learn to focus and concentrate.

Listening to their climbing instructor give advice on how to go up – and down – a climbing wall will help prepare them for listening to their Reception teacher.

In the classroom your child will need to take turns, listen to instructions and learn how to communicate with their classmates and teacher.

Give them a helping hand before their first day by going to an interactive language class where they can learn communication skills through songs and games.

An easy – and completely free – way to prepare your child for school is by getting out into nature.

Research shows that playing outside boosts a child’s confidence and can also improve their memory. Great preparation for learning phonics and numbers!

Why not take your child to see a performance at the theatre?

Not only will it help them learn to sit down for longer periods, research has found taking your child to watch performing arts can help develop their critical thinking skills.

Help your child get a headstart on learning their A,B,Cs by taking them to a preschool phonics class.

They'll love the storytelling and songs, all while getting a headstart on Reception lessons.

Or teach them at home with these free phonics games and activities.

Help develop your child’s hand-eye coordination – vital for reading and writing – with a preschool karate class.

Not only that, martial arts classes will help improve their focus and listening skills as they follow the teacher’s instructions.

School can be a busy place, with lots of children running around. A brilliant way to teach your child spatial awareness is through a dance class.

They'll learn to be more aware of what’s around them as they practice their dance moves … a great skill for coping with the busy school corridors.

Help your child learn more about the world around them by taking a family day trip to a museum.

Seeing the exhibits – from dinosaurs to space travel – is great preparation for what they'll be learning in Reception.

Does your child love singing and playing instruments? Then they're getting school-ready without even realising.

According to research, music lessons can help improve your child’s memory, vocabulary and also boost their IQ. Result!  

From working on projects with classmates to PE lessons, teamwork is a big part of being at school.

Help your child prepare for this by signing them up for a football class. They can enjoy playing in a team while also learning to listen to instructions … and to wait their turn!

In their first year at school your child will be learning to write. So help them develop the fine motor skills needed for holding a pen by encouraging them to play with Lego.

Playing with the bricks helps strengthen your child’s hands and fingers.

If your child is taking a packed lunch to school, they may struggle to open and close their lunchbox.

To help them out, why not take them for a picnic at a country park, the local park, or even your back garden? Let them practise opening their water bottle, yoghurt pot and peeling their own fruit.

We even have loads of delicious picnic recipes to help you create the ultimate spread.

Another great activity to help your child develop the fine motor skills needed for holding a pen is sewing.

Added to that, they’ll learn patience and problem solving skills … especially if the thread gets tangled!

Not only is a family bike ride great fun, it can also help your child when they start school.

According to cycling charity Sustrans, teachers have found that a child who walks or cycles to school is more alert and ready to learn than a classmate who arrives by car.

Check out our roundup of the top bikes for kids, or read our top tips for cycling as a family.

It’s never too early for your child to learn maths.

Get them classroom ready by signing them up for a fun preschool maths club.

Your child can learn the basics of counting and adding up – ready to wow their new classmates!

Or check out these free fun maths games for kids.

Chances are your child LOVES trampolining. And not only is it great fun, as their brain and body work together to help them bounce, they're also developing those gross motor skills.

These physical skills even help with posture … and this will help them sit upright in their chair at school.

Every child loves getting covered in paint, foam and water.

But messy play also helps your child develop their hand-eye coordination (through finger painting) and fine motor skills in their hands (through playdough).

All of which means, the messier the better!

Check out these fun messy play ideas for inspiration!

One of the biggest worries as a parent is how your child will cope using the toilet at school.

Help prepare them by going for a day trip to the beach or a local park and encouraging them to use the public loos or those in a café.

This will help them get used to using different toilets … as well as remembering to wash their hands.

Before they start school, give your child a physical boost. Their gross motor skills help control arms, legs, head and body – all vital for the classroom and playground.

So why not go to a stay and play session where your child can play on the ride-on toys and crawl through play tunnels?

Help your child hone their social skills by heading to an adventure playground.

There they can make friends while building camps or scaling the climbing frames.

Usually free of charge, these playgrounds help children build resilience – offering challenging but safe places to play.

Find a park with an awesome adventure playground near you.

Want to help your child develop their logical brain before they start school? Then head to the beach.

As your child plays with sand and water, they're learning the properties of solids and liquids – a fun introduction to the basics of science.

If you don't fancy the beach, playing with sand and water in the back garden works just as well.

Or check out these fun science experiments for kids.

When your child starts school they'll be learning how to hold a pen and write.

Help them develop their pincer grip by trying bark rubbing using crayons. Just lay a sheet of paper on top of a tree, and encourage your child to rub a crayon over it to see the texture. Try it with leaves and other objects, too!

Another fun activity to help your child develop problem-solving skills is playing with clay.

Head to a pottery class where they can make anything from a pot to a small house – all while working out how to shape the clay and stop it collapsing.

Or make your very own salt dough at home!

What better way to spend a sunny day than by going on a fun treasure hunt?

You can either take part in an organised trail or simply head to your local park to find anything from pine cones to squirrels.

This activity will help your child learn about following instructions and develop their problem-solving skills.

Get your child used to cutting with scissors by doing some arts and crafts at home.

They can learn how to hold the scissors and use them safely, ready for craft projects in the school classroom.

Need inspiration? We have a huge range of arts and crafts activities to try!

Yoga isn’t just for adults!

According to research, not only does yoga help with balance, it can also help improve your child’s focus and memory – both essential for the classroom.

Try a fun YouTube video specially designed for kids such as Cosmic Kids Yoga.

Help your child develop their senses before starting school by heading to a petting farm.

From feeling the different textures of the farm animal’s fur through to smelling the grass, your child will get a sensory overload.

… and encourage your child to pack their own bag for the train journey.

This will help them develop a sense of self reliance and also prepare them for carrying their school bag every day.

If your little one's train mad, check out these great locomotive day trips!

Not only will your child get up close to some amazing animals, they’ll also get a language boost.

Research shows a new event in your child’s life – like going to the zoo – can help improve their vocabulary.

What better way to get your child school ready?

Check out our roundup of the best family zoos in the UK.

You might think your child has got enough to learn in their first year at school.

Yet studies show kids who learn a second language tend to have higher SATs scores when they're older. And the sooner you start, the easier it will be for your little one to learn another language! Time to sign up for a preschool French class ...

Hitting a ball around is great fun.

But playing tennis can also develop your child’s hand-eye coordination and balance.

And when they play in doubles, it helps boost their teamwork skills, too.

A few matches in and they’ll definitely be ready for school.

Another easy way to help your child develop listening skills ready for the classroom is by going on a sound hunt.

Head to a wildlife park or local green space and encourage your child to think about the noises they can hear – from the birds singing to other children playing.

This is a great way to help your child practice mindfulness – and we have plenty of other great mindfulness activities for kids, too.

When your child has school lunches, they’ll need to be able to carry their tray with two hands across the school dining hall.

Help them practise this by going for lunch at a garden centre or supermarket and let your child carry their tray back to your table.

This will also give them a chance to practice cutting up their food with cutlery, too.

Help your child develop communication and social skills by heading to soft play.

According to research, playing is a great way for your child to learn an awareness of other children’s feelings.

They'll also learn to regulate their own emotions – a useful skill for any playground fall outs.

At school, your child is going to spend a lot of time getting up and down from a chair.

To help them do this, they need to develop core strength which will stop them slouching or struggling to sit still.

A fun way to do this is by encouraging them to play on the swings. By swinging themselves, they'll be using coordination and also developing core muscles.

Want to boost your child’s brain power before they start school?

Research shows that exercising for 30 minutes can help your child with both memory and learning.

So why not sign up for a high energy playball class for a brain-boosting workout?

Summer is the perfect time to pick strawberries and raspberries.

Not only is this a great family activity, berries are a great source of antioxidants that can help boost your child’s immune system.

Which means (fingers crossed) they might avoid the dreaded ‘back to school’ bugs.

Find pick-your-own farms near you.

New research has found the single most important trait to help your child learn is curiosity.

So why not help them explore science, nature and the world around them?

Take your child on a woodland walk and encourage them to explore everything from the trees to animal prints in the mud.