Aren't you glad that you have the entire summer to prepare your child for kindergarten? It probably seems like yesterday that he or she was learning how to crawl. Now your child will be learning letters, numbers and a whole lot more in the fall. Kindergarten will also mean that your child will be having to share attention with other children. Here are some tips that may help you to prepare your child to be in a different setting.

You're probably already arranging play dates for your little one. However, you can step that up a bit by having some organized activities at your home that involve several children. Set up play stations and learning stations like your child will have in a regular kindergarten setting. For example, one area of your kitchen could be set up with finger paints while another area could be a place for making refreshments for the group. Your den might have a section for playing with toys while another section might have a cozy set-up for looking at story books. Don't forget to read to the group and to have singing time.

A really great thing to do to prepare your little boy or little girl for kindergarten is to enroll him or her in a child care center for the summer months. Consider starting with only two days a week and then moving it to three, and then four days or the entire week. Depending on your child's personality, he or she may be a little shy or scared at first. Don't worry about that. The staff will have had a lot of experience with hesitant children and will know just how to make your child feel comfortable. Help him or her by visiting your chosen child care center while other children are there so that he or she can have an idea of what will be happening when he or she is there. 

Summer should be a great time for your child to be in a child care setting. There will be lots of time to play games outdoors and there might even be water play. If you choose to have your child at the center all day, there will also probably be rest time in the early afternoon. Ask the director if your child can bring a favorite toy, a pillow or a favorite blanket for rest time. After rest time there will be more play time and your child may even be learning letters and numbers as he or she plays.

Don't forget to take pictures of your child's first formal time with other children. The pictures will be part of your child's history of his or her growing up years.