Activities

During outdoor time, have the children gather mud, small twigs, dried leaves and grass in containers. Provide water, four or five ice cube trays and multiple dirt samples such as sand, topsoil and gravel.

Read Fossil by Bill Thomson. Use clay and various items from nature such as leaves, sticks and flowers. The children will gently press items into the clay and leave it outside for 24 hours to dry.

Collect raincoats, rain boots and ponchos for the children to wear outdoors to play in a mud kitchen. Provide large containers with lids that can be used as storage and as a play stove. Use a permanent marker to draw circles to represent the burners.

Tape butcher paper to an outdoor wall or fence. Add water to potting soil to create mud. Have the children use their hands and large brushes to paint mud on the butcher paper. Encourage the children to describe how the mud feels in their hands.

Mix soil and water to create a batch of mud paint, during outdoor time. Provide paint brushes and paper or let the children write on the pavement. Encourage them to write their names or other words they know how to spell.

During outdoor time, make a thin mud from dirt and water and add food coloring. Use plastic spoons to pour the mixture over cardboard to create original art work. Let it dry and display it.

During outdoor time, give children the following ingredients to mix together in whatever proportions they want: dirt (this can be purchased from a home improvement store if needed), water, powdered tempera paint or Kool-Aid.

Add clean soil and a small amount of water to a clean plate or pan for the infant to experience the feeling of mud. Place the infant at the table, and encourage the infant to explore with his/her hands.

Place colored paper in the bottom of each cup of a muffin tin. Give the children large pom-poms of the same color. Encourage the children to place the pom-poms in the matching cups.

You will need a six-cup muffin pan and a container filled with foam letters and numbers. Assist the children in sorting in a variety of ways such as by color, shape, letter or number. To challenge the children, have them sort on their own.

Label each tin with a different numeral, zero through 10, and provide manipulatives for the children to place the correct number in the corresponding tin.

Write numerals, in order, on the bottom of muffin tins and again on the inside and place them in the math center. A one-dozen tin will be numbered one to 12.

Supply the dramatic play area with multicultural dolls and clothing.

Provide dress-up clothing, in the dramatic play area, based on world cultures. Include books and pictures. Invite families from different backgrounds to come in and share with the children.

Inside the dramatic play area display pictures of homes and communities from various cultures.

Provide a clear cup of multi-flavored jelly beans. Have the children taste one or two and describe them using words such as “sweet,” “hard” or “sour.” Have the children sort the remaining flavors into a second set of clear cups.

Play a variety of music from various cultures. While the music is playing, ask the children to describe what they are hearing.

Place your classroom instruments in a large circle on the floor. Each child will sit behind an instrument, facing inward, but not yet touching the instrument.

During large group, place your classroom instruments in a large circle on the floor. Each child will sit behind an instrument, facing inward, but not yet touching the instrument.

Make rhythm instruments with the children to use during music time. Add beans or rice to water bottle shakers or roll up newspapers and tape them with colorful masking tape to make rhythm sticks.