Activities

Place different size PVC piping in the block center.  Observe the children using these items for building and constructing unique toys and tools.

Give the children PVC pipe that is at least 3" in diameter and some ping-pong balls.  Encourage them to connect the tubes and slide the balls inside them.

Collect a variety of PVC pipes and connectors. Encourage the children to figure out how to put the connectors on the ends of the pipes to connect them together.

Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Mary Elting is a wacky alphabet book that gets children thinking and talking. It's perfect for small group reading and discussion.

Provide non-traditional tools for the children to use while at the art center. Instead of paintbrushes, encourage the children to use Q-tips®, their fingers, stamps, pieces of sponge or other materials as they work.

Create a question of the day.  The question should have a yes/no answer and lead to some type of conversation, reaction, interest, curiosity or simply make you laugh.

Have the children dictate answers to a questionnaire, such as a special book made for Mother's Day. Model as you write what the child says.

Use a cookie sheet or magnet board and up to five plain magnetic shapes – nothing fancy.

Use a cookie sheet or magnet board and up to five plain magnetic shapes – nothing fancy.

Tune: "London Bridge"
Let us quiet down again

down again

down again

Let us quiet down again

That's much better

Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know it"
Put your finger over your lip like this

Put your finger over your lip like this

Close your mouth with a zip

Put your finger over your lip

Put your finger over your lip like this  

Read the book Quiet Loud by Leslie Patricelli. As you read, call attention to the sounds that are quiet and the sounds that are loud.

Create a “feed me” puppet that resembles a robot. Gather a variety of different objects and have them at the table for the children to see. Introduce Rob to the children, talking in a robot voice.

Create a rabbit hole using a hula-hoop balanced on top of four cones during outdoor time. The children can pretend to be foxes and rabbits. The fox chases the rabbits and they must jump into their rabbit hole to keep safe.

Take cars and ramps from the block area outside for the children to have car races during outdoor time.

Have the children experiment with cars and ramps. Discuss why they believe some cars went faster and others slower.  This can be done in small group.

You will need dice and buttons. Create a grid, 1x20, on two sentence strips. Encourage the children to work in pairs. Have one child roll the die and place that number of buttons on his/her grid.

Use a spoon to lightly sprinkle tempera paint powder onto paper, being careful not to make large clumps. During outdoor time, place the paper outside in the rain. The raindrops will create an interesting texture and blend the colors together.

After a rainy day, give the children medicine droppers and small plastic cups to collect rainwater samples, during outdoor time. Draw a fill line on each cup so the children have a goal of how much water to collect.

Read Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. Provide a variety of art material and invite children to create their own rainbow fish or what they would look like if they were rainbow fish.