Activities

Sit an infant up on the floor across from you. Gently roll a large ball to his/her right side and have him/her roll it back to you. Next, roll the ball to his/ her left side and so on, alternating sides each time.

Make a cube with different positional words such as on, in, under, beside, behind and in front of an place it in the math center. Give the children a small container without the lid and a small animal or doll that can stand up.

Provide a small group with one die, a sheet of paper with a 5"x5" grid and dot paint. Have each child take a turn rolling the die. Encourage him/her to call out the number of dots without counting.

Sit on the floor with the infant. Place a small ball near the infant and encourage him/her to roll the ball. You may have to model this a few times. Be sure to give directional words as you model, such as, "Roll the ball to me.

Roll a ball slowly for the infant to “chase.” This will keep him/her alert and engaged.

You will need several pencils and a rectangle unit block for this activity. Lay several pencils on the table or rug, about an inch apart and parallel to each other. Demonstrate how to roll the block over the pencils, similar to a wheel and axle.

During outdoor time, sit on the ground across from a child. The teacher will say a phrase, and then the child and teacher will repeat the phrase while rolling a ball back and forth on each word.

Sit on the floor across from a child. Roll a ball slowly toward the child and say, “I'm rolling the ball slowly. Can you roll the ball slowly?” Acknowledge the speed of the ball as you roll it back and forth with the child.

Place a ball on the floor in front of the infant. Encourage nonmobile infants to roll the ball with their hands for you to return it to them. Encourage mobile infants to roll the ball and then crawl or walk to get the ball after they roll it.

Use a large ball. Place the infant on the ball with their tummy on the ball and your hands holding him/her securely.

Recall the story of Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins. Have the children create a paper-bag puppet of Rosie. The teacher retells the story using positional words while the children use the puppets.  This could be done in small group.

Read Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins and have the children repeat the positional and directional cues from the story. This could be done in large group.

Ten Little Fingers: 100 Number Rhymes for Young Children by Louise Binder Scott is a good book for all sorts of rhymes. Here's one to try.

Provide consistent “routine talk” from day to day for a variety of activities. Each day when it's lunchtime say, “It's lunchtime... time to eat!” so the infants associate that specific phrase with the time of day and the action.

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.