Activities

At the beginning of the year, be sure to teach the children all of the different routines in small group. For example, take five or six children into the dramatic play area and show them all the different materials available for them to use.

Sit on the floor with one child's back against you and another child facing you. Help the children hold hands and rock back and forth as you sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

During large group, read A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats. Talk to the children about what a letter is; many of them may not be familiar with the concept. Show them a letter you have received.

Encourage the children to experiment turning a liquid into a solid.

Place several rubber ducks in a tub of water. Have the children use large and small strainers to scoop up the ducks. After a few minutes, have them trade strainers with a friend.

Show the children examples of road signs. Use the signs to facilitate a discussion about the need for traffic signs and road rules.

You will need construction paper, markers and other art materials for this activity as well as printed copies of the classroom rules. Have the children color and decorate their papers. They can use markers, stickers and crayons.

Rules can be helpful

Rules can be good

They help us behave 

The way we should

We follow the rules

And we don't do wrong

The world's a happier place

When we all get along

Include the children in creating rules for the various learning areas. Post rules in each area.

During outdoor time, use paper plates and have the children each stand on a paper plate. Play some music. When the music stops, have the children run to stand on a plate.

In the dramatic play area, using real pots and pans, potholders and cooking utensils, have the children model safety when cooking. Talk about the stovetop eyes and oven. You can discuss the temperature of drinks and cookware during small group..

Read Play it Safe by Mercer Myer; Safety on the Playground by Lucia Raatma or any other book about safety. Discuss the book and have the children share their own experiences on staying safe. This could be done in large group.

During ourdoor time, visit all play structures (inside and outside) and discuss the safety rules for each piece of equipment.

Mark your calendar for safety events throughout the year, such as Fire Prevention Week. Practice the drills that go along with these safety weeks. You want to make sure the children feel comfortable and do not see these drills as a threat.

Make it a habit to talk about safety even though the infants do not fully understand. Talk about things being “safe” or “unsafe.” such as when you take away a broken toy with a sharp edge, tell the infant how sharp edges are “not safe.

Go on a safety walk outside. Discuss the importance of looking both ways for cars, staying with the group and using walking feet during outdor time.

Sing this favorite song during your closing group time. Have a child come forward and describe an item of his/her clothing.

Have the children help you create a timer to help them take turns. You will need two clean, dry 2-liter soda bottles, a tornado tube and salt. Have the children help pour the salt into one of the bottles.

Collect pairs of similar objects, such as blocks, bowls, spoons or vehicles, that differ in one characteristic. For example, you might have two blocks, one red and one green; or two spoons, one wooden, one metal.

Provide picture cards in the writing center area for the children to identify and sort into groups beginning with the same sound.