Activities

Have families bring in an assortment of family photos. Point to specific family members in the photos and have the children identify the family member. Talk to the children about their relationships to each family member.

Lead the group in the song “My Family” to the tune of “The Muffin Man.” Include a child's name and what he/she likes to do with his/her family.
Tell me what you like to do,

like to do, like to do.

Lead the group in the song “My Family.” Sing to the tune of “The Muffin Man.” Include a child's name and what he/she likes to do with his/her family. Tell me what you like to do, like to do, like to do. Tell me what you like to do with your family.

Have the children bring in a picture of their favorite food. As a small or large group activity, sort the pictures into foods that are healthy and foods that are not healthy.

Place a variety of objects, such as blocks, soft books, rattles and stuffed animals, within reach of the infant. Provide time and support as the infant chooses the toy he/she wants to pick up and play with. Say, "You chose the rattle, Jacob.

Have the children remove their shoes and trace their feet. Then have them cut out their foot tracings to compare with the rest of the group.

After reading Steve Jenkins's My First Day, provide the children with art materials and encourage them to draw and dictate to you their experience from the first day of school.

Read My Five Senses by Aliki. This book teaches children what the five senses are and how they can experience the world with their eyes, ears, nose, hands and tongue.This could be done in large group.

Read aloud a repetitive book such as My Friends by Taro Gomi. Afterwards, encourage the children to respond to the book by completing the sentence, “I learned to ______ from my friend, the ______.”  This could be done in small group.

Invite visitors to the classroom on a regular basis. For example, on Grandparent's Day, invite grandparents or other older adults in the children's lives to visit.

My hands upon my head I'll place. 

Upon my shoulders, on my face,

At my waist, and by my side 

Then behind me they will hide.

Recite this chant and encourage the children to copy you and do the motions.
My hands are for clapping,
My arms can hug tight.
My fingers can snap
or turn out the light.

Send home a note with a poster board to the family about one week before you plan to share posters.

Have the children select the picture of their home out of a group of home photographs. Encourage them to describe their home with at least one descriptor: "It's big," or "It has a black roof.

Encourage the children in the science center to invent machines using found objects such as boxes, cardboard tubes, spools, bottle caps and pipe cleaners. Provide glue, construction paper, markers and tape.

Provide refrigerated bread dough and give each child an equal portion. Have the children roll their dough and form it into any shape they want. Once finished, bake. When cool, have the children eat their unique creations.

Create props to use while reading My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman during large group. Use a poster or tri-fold with a large hole cut in it for the mouth. Choose 10 children to help retell the story.

Provide the children with paper that has been divided into fourths. Encourage them to draw the events of their morning in each of the sections of the paper. Have them dictate the details.

Assign certain special jobs for outdoor time such as carrying out materials or parking the tricycles. Have the children explain why their outdoor job is important.

Assign certain special jobs for outdoor time such as carrying out materials or parking the tricycles. Have the children explain why their outdoor job is important.