Teaching kids essential life skills is a great way to help young children learn basic skills that they’ll use as they grow into young adults. From personal hygiene to developing decision-making skills, you can teach many of these starting at a very young age.
Younger children learn in different ways, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t help them develop the essential skills to help with their future success! Even older children can learn basic life skills as a reminder from some of the necessary life skills listed below.
Help your children learn problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence, and communication skills in the easiest way possible!
Part of the reason I chose the Preschool curriculum I did (and you should too, it’s only $20!) is because it emphasized teaching life skills for kids, like making your bed, using a knife and scissors, knowing your address and more.
So, it has me thinking about what life skills kids, especially preschoolers should know, and some smart ways of teaching life skills to kids. So, I put together a great list of resources on how to help teach your preschoolers some important life skills. Enjoy!
Important Life Skills for Kids to Learn
Check these out as the first step in helping your child learn kids life skills! You’ll find a list of important life skill options listed below that are great for young people to learn.
- Teaching Your Kids to be Independent from The Things I love Most (and her follow-up post)
- Gardening with Kids – Making it a Fun Family Activity from How Does Your Garden Grow?
- Scissor Cutting Skills – Why They’re Important and How to Learn Them from Makeoversandmotherhood.com
Practical Life Skills for Kids
A great idea to help your child learn is to teach them basic kitchen skills!
- How Baking Can Be Summer Reading, Writing, and Math Practice! from The Kitchen is my Playground
- Knife Skills for Kids from Toddler Approved
- How to Teach Kids to Load (and Run) the Dishwasher from What’s up Fagans?
- How to Teach Kids to Unload the Dishwasher Without Breaking Anything from What’s up Fagans?
Critical Life Skills for Kids
Teaching younger kids basic information to help with dangerous situations is important! An important skill that is a good idea is listed below.
How I Teach Kids Their Last Name and Phone Number with one easy trick from Your Modern Family
- 10 Tips for Teaching Kids About Good Touch and Bad Touch from B-Inspiredmama.com
- Teach Kids How to Plan and Host Their Own Parties – from What’s up Fagans?
More Simple Life Skills for kids
From social skills to self care, it’s important to talk to them about new life skills that they can use as a building block for their future. The more that they practice, the more that they will become second nature.
How to Make Friends at School from One Creative Mommy
Goal Setting for Kids: Turn Short-Term Goals into Long-Term Habits from One Creative Mommy
Money Management Life Skills
Want to teach your child problem solving skills? Learning money management is great for their bank account and even a future job interview.
- Raising a Little Entrepreneur from The Things I Love Most
- How Grocery Shopping with Kids Can Increase Their Financial IQ from Queen of Free
- Great Ideas to Teach Kids About Money from Queen of Free
Hygiene and Household Chores Skills for kids
Teaching simple tasks is a great place to start! From sorting their own laundry to helping to prepare their own lunch, these are great ideas for young kids!
- Toddler Teeth Care for a Better Dental Start from B-InspiredMama.com
- Self-Help Skills for Preschoolers: Keep Calm and Get Dressed! from Howweelearn.com
- Tips for Teaching Your Child How to Tie Shoes from ICanTeachMyChild.com
- Teach Kids to Clean Up after Themselves from What’s up Fagans?
- How to Get the Kids to Clean Up After Play from PowerfulMothering.com
- Teach Children to Clean Their Rooms from One Creative Mommy
- Easy Chores to Teach Toddlers Responsibility from Maryland Momma’s Rambles and Reviews
- Regular Chores for 3-Year-Olds from What’s up Fagans?
- The Age-By-Age Guide to Teaching Kids How to Do Laundry from What’s up Fagans?
What life skills for kids and preschoolers did I miss? How do you teach life skills to your kids?
Sarah Nenni Daher says
What a wonderful set of resources, Katelyn. Thank you so much for putting it together. Pinned!
Heidi says
So many great ideas in one place, Katelyn! Thanks for sharing some of mine. Pinning!
robbie @ GOING GREEN MAMA says
AND…that it’s OK not to get it right the first time!
Katelyn Fagan says
Yes!! Good point! I definitely don’t hold my kids to my personal standards, and am thankful I am not a perfectionist!
Marilyn Clark says
Katelyn, you are sharing some great lessons! My kids are older and you’ve really rounded up some of the best “life skills” that need to be taught!