Activities

Provide each child with a character cutout from The Napping House by Audrey Wood. As you read the story, encourage the children to stack their characters on a “bed” (pillow) in the center of your circle.

As the children get ready for naptime, read I Love You, Good Night by Jon Buller. The children can learn some very silly and some very sweet ways to say, "I Iove you.

Provide opportunities for the children to get personal belongings from cubbies, such asa blanket and stuffed animal. Encourage the children to point out which blankets and animals belong to each friend.

Have the children help put out their own mats, cots and/or blankets before naptime. After naptime, have them help put everything away.

Take a nature walk with the children and point out things they hear, smell, touch and see. Place masking tape, sticky side out, on each child's wrist to make a bracelet. Have the children collect items to add to their sticky bracelets.

Make a bracelet out of masking tape for each child. Place the sticky side up. Go on a nature walk and have the children stick small leaves and flowers on their bracelets.

Create a Nature Café. Take the children on a nature walk during outdoor time. Give each child a brown bag and encourage them to pick up items found in nature such as small stones, sticks and leaves.

Ask the children to collect a variety of sticks. Give each child a ball of play dough and encourage them to create a stick sculpture by placing sticks in the play dough. The children can pull them out and try again.

During outdoor time, ask the children to collect a variety of sticks. Give each child a ball of play dough and encourage them to create a stick sculpture by placing sticks in the play dough. Children can pull them out and try again.

Give the children buckets and encourage them to find nature items, such as leaves, small sticks or bugs. Place the nature items in a bucket. Encourage the children to look up and down for items.

The children will need chalk and items that are found outside. The children will write the numerals zero through 10 on the sidewalk, with your help if needed.

On a large poster board, display five or six common items found in your outdoor area, such as a leaf, rock, stick, grass or acorn. Give each child a basket.

Give the children nature cards and have them partner up by matching their cards. For example, “If you both have a picture of a bluebird, stand up and hold hands.

During outdoor time, have the children go outdoors and draw what they observe. You might use clipboards, paper and pencils. Use these drawings to promote discussion about each other's observations.

Gather lightweight paper (recycled copy paper works well) and old crayons without the wrappers.

During outdoor time, provide paper and remnants of crayons with the paper wrappers removed. Encourage the children to explore texture in art by creating rubbings.

Generate a list of objects for the children to find during outdoor time. Tell the children that, by the time you count to 20, they should find and bring back something fuzzy, beautiful, rough or a piece of litter.

Listen to a recording of nature sounds and have the children draw what they think of when they hear the sounds. Provide paper and crayons or colored pencils for their work. Model descriptive language as they talk about their creations.

Take the children on a nature walk and encourage them to find nature items such as leaves, rocks, pine cones and branches. Provide a large, clear plastic bag for the children to drop their items into.

Go on a nature walk and take your journals. Stop now and then to listen to nature sounds. Have the children draw what they see and hear.