The toddler years aren't just about tantrums. Young children are developing so many skills they'll need in school - from fine motor skills to literacy.

Usually, not at the same time.

Education.com has done just that. It put together a series of nine activities in cutting, pasting and drawing for prechoolers, all based around different letter recognition activities. Here's a sample:

Clothes pegs turn into letter holders into a fun Letter-to-Word matching game.

Simple household items can make for an engaging Phonics Scavenger Hunt.

The site provides information for parents from kindergarten readiness to college prep, complete with a plethora of downloadable activities and worksheets - in various languages.

But far be it from us to play favorites.

Parents looking for creative projects can also check out @activitieschild, which tweets them all day long. A few recent ones: “How to Make: Spinning Water Feature,” “Cooking with kids,” and “Free Printable Dot to Dot Pages.”

Preschool teachers might want to check out @worksheets4Kids where they can find free materials on alphabet activities, learning to tell time, the seasons and even practicing scissor skills.

And then there’s always pinterest. A search for “toddler and preschool activities” turns up options for tactile, hands-on and creative ideas to keep a preschooler learning while having fun.

Like 10 messy moments every child should have and Kid Clapping Games.

                 

And even toilet paper roll tube painting. Then close the computer, flip the cover closed on your iPad and have some screen-free fun with the kids.