4 years, 7 months old
Oh, the Things They Can Do!
Play ideas, a book, a song and a little encouragement for your 55 month old, from Maddie.
By Maddie, early childhood educator and Mum
6 min read · Updated
In this guide
Hello there, wonderful parent!
If you've found a moment to read this, you’re stepping into the incredible whirlwind that is month 55. Can you believe how fast your little one is growing? Those seemingly tiny changes; the way they suddenly know all the words to their favorite song or surprise you with a new interest, are extraordinary. It’s certainly a lively time with all the questions, the boundless energy, and maybe a little bit of sass, too.
If school is approaching, it can start to feel like an anxious time; for everyone. Between visits, orientations, and the constant “Are they starting school next year?”, it’s easy to wonder if you’re doing enough to get them ready.
You are. You’ve been getting them ready their whole life.
The conversations at breakfast, dance parties in the kitchen, bike rides, playdough at the table, it’s all meaningful. It’s all building the skills they truly need, not just for school, but for life. While the academic side can feel like the focus when starting school, it’s not the most important part of being “ready.”
Through play, they’re building everything they need: listening, communicating, problem-solving, and learning to manage big feelings.
You might be surprised how much they change over these next few months. One minute they’re not interested in holding a pencil, and the next they’re writing their name and creating masterpieces.
You don’t need structured lessons or complicated setups; they’ll get plenty of that at school. Right now, the best thing you can do is let them play, play with them, listen to them, love them, and enjoy them.
Play isn’t a break from learning; it is the learning.
Among all the busyness, your presence is what matters most. The way you listen, the warmth you bring, and the space you give their ideas, this is what helps them feel safe, confident, and ready to step into school.
Here are a few simple ideas for the month to support that love of learning through play
Activity 1: “The Pretend Café” (Imaginative Play)
How: Set up a simple café using things you already have; cups, bowls, pretend or real (safe) food, paper for menus, a notebook for “orders.” Or if your outside, use sticks, leaves, or air, nothing beats a good old finger and thumb cup of tea!
Let your child be the café owner, waiter, or chef while you (or a sibling) are the customer.
Add little twists to keep the play going:
“Oh no, we’ve run out of milk! What should we do?”
“I ordered toast, but I got soup!” (What could we do?)
“A customer isn’t sure what they would like. Can you help them?”
Why: This kind of imaginative play is full of school readiness skills. Children practise language and conversation as they ask questions, listen and respond, build social and emotional skills through turn-taking and solving little problems, and develop flexible thinking as they adapt their ideas. Writing menus, taking orders and creating signs also supports early literacy through mark-making, symbols and storytelling. It’s practising important classroom skills—but in a way that feels like fun, child-led play. ☕🌱
Activity 4: “Problem-Solving Build” (Loose Parts Play)
How: Use blocks, boxes, magnetic tiles, or recycled materials.
Give a simple challenge:
“Can you build a bridge for your toy?”
“How can we make this tower taller?”
Let them struggle a little, this is the good part.
Why this matters:
🔍 Critical thinking & persistence
💪 Resilience (trying again when things fall down)
🧠 Early STEM thinking (balance, cause & effect)
Song: Five Cheeky Monkeys Swinging in a Tree
Five cheeky monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing Mr Crocodile, “You can’t catch me!”
Along came Mr Crocodile, quiet as can be…
…and SNAP! 🐊
Four cheeky monkeys swinging in a tree…
(continue counting down)
Songs like this might just feel silly, but they’re doing so much behind the scenes; building early maths skills, memory, and confidence with language.
Songs and nursery rhymes are honestly one of the easiest and most powerful ways to build school-ready skills without realising it.
And when children are laughing and joining in? That’s when the learning really sticks.
Book of the Month: It Might Be an Apple
A playful, imagination-filled story that turns one simple apple into a world of possibilities.
A little about the story:
What starts as an ordinary apple quickly becomes anything but ordinary.
Through one child’s curious mind, the apple could be a planet, a creature, a robot… or something completely unexpected.
It’s a beautiful reminder of how children see the world; not as fixed and certain, but full of wonder, questions, and “what ifs.” It also got my girls eating and apple every time we read it!
💛 Why reading together matters for school readiness:
Reading with your child is one of the most powerful things you can do to support them before school.
It’s not about teaching them to read early; it’s about building the foundations:
🗣️ Language & vocabulary (hearing rich words and conversations)
👂 Listening & attention (sitting, focusing, following a story)
📖 Understanding stories (beginning, middle, end)
💛 Connection & confidence (feeling safe to ask questions and share ideas)
Even just a few minutes together, curled up with a book, is building skills they will carry straight into the classroom.
Did You Know?
Did you know that being “ready” for school isn’t really about knowing letters and numbers?
What matters most are the skills children build through everyday play; things like listening, communicating, taking turns, solving problems, and managing big feelings.
These are the foundations that help children settle in, make friends, and feel confident in a new environment. The academic skills will come, often quickly, once they feel safe and supported.
Social & Emotional Tip
As school approaches, it’s completely normal for big feelings to show up, excitement, worry, clinginess, even sudden changes in behaviour.
One simple way to support your child is to name and normalise their feelings:
“It feels a bit funny thinking about school, hey?”
“You’re not sure what it will be like yet.”
Keep it light and open, no need to fix or rush the feeling away.
You can also build a sense of security by talking through what their day might look like, or creating a small, predictable goodbye routine.
More than anything, your calm presence and reassurance help them feel safe enough to take those big new steps 💛
✨ Remember...Through all the ups and downs, the big decisions, the constant “what ifs” and worries; you’ve got this.
Some days you’ll feel like you can manage it all, and other days it might feel like the world is racing ahead and you can’t quite keep up (I have these days regularly).
But at the end of the day, what matters most is simply being present, in whatever way you can. Whether it’s getting lost in a magical game you’ve created together, following a story full of twists and turns, or sharing a silly song and a cuddle on the lounge, it all matters. It’s all enough 💛
You’re doing beautifully.