Activities

Provide a large plastic bowl and spoon along with some large buttons or plastic lids. Make sure the buttons and lids are too large to be a choking hazard. Encourage the children to stir the objects in the bowl.

Provide or create jingle bell wristbands and anklets using VELCRO® closures. Play the song “Stomp and Clap” from The Learning Station's Physical Ed CD. Encourage the children to use the body parts that will make their jingle bells ring.

Blow bubbles and encourage the children to pop them with their feet when the bubbles reach the floor.

Cut a large stop sign with eight sides out of cardboard and let the children paint it with red paint and sponges. Write STOP on it with a white paint. Explain what the sign means and why we have signs for safety.

While an infant is on his/her back, move their legs back and forth (as you recite the chant).

Introduce a simple game of "Stop and Go." On the playground, call out various instructions such as walk, hop or run. Have the children move from one side of the playground to the other following your instructions.

Create two signs, one for STOP (red octagon with the word STOP written in white) and one for GO (green circle with GO written in white).

Demonstrate the stop, drop and roll procedure for a small group of children. Lightly tape orange paper (representing fire) to a child's clothing. Have the child demonstrate the procedure until the paper falls off.

Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" 
Stop, look and listen

When you cross the street

Use your eyes and use your ears

Then just use your feet

Create a cloth bag with bright colors or a fun pattern.  Add small items to the bag such as small cars, keys, a doll, a spoon, a piece of ribbon, etc.

Attach pictures from favorite stories, such as "The Gingerbread Man," to homemade blocks made from tissue or cereal boxes in the block center. Encourage the children to identify main characters, retell stories or develop an alternate ending.

Create a story bracelet for “The Three Little Pigs.” Then, using plastic beads and pipe cleaners, help the children create their own bracelets to use as props for retelling. Once upon a time there were three little pigs.

Include props from familiar stories such as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” in the reading center and have the children make up new endings.

Gather props for If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff and read the story as the children interact with the props. When you are done with the story, provide the children with apples for a snack, as described in the book.

Read one of Richard Scarry's books such as Best Word Book Ever with a few children. The book encourages them to browse and to ask and answer questions about many different things.

Tune: "Sing a Song of Sixpence" It's time to watch and listen,
We're going to read a book.
We'll sit down on the rug 
and use our eyes to look.
We'll look at all the pictures
and hear the story, too.

Read an animal book, making various animal sounds. Watch for the infant's response. Repeat favorite sounds.

Provide magazine pictures the children can look at to create their own story. This can be done in small group.

Collect several smooth stones and paint different facial features on the stones. Have the children use the stones to make up stories. Be sure to include facial expressions and features that demonstrate emotions such as happy, upset or surprised.

Provide picture cards of a star (the character), the earth (the setting), and a question mark (the plot). After reading a story, encourage the children to identify the main character and setting, and retell a few events.