Activities

Place four to five edible items with strong aromas in separate containers such as coffee grounds, onions, lemons, cinnamon, cilantro, vanilla extract or chocolate. Have the children close their eye or use a blindfold.

Encourage the children to point to a specific object in a book when asked.

Read How Many Bugs in a Box?: A Pop-up Counting Book by David A. Carter. Gather a variety of small boxes and small plastic bugs. The children can roll a die or draw a number card to place creepy bugs in a box.

Choose a child to pick a daily attribute, such as jewelry, pockets, colors worn or length of sleeves, and count the number of children that have the attribute. The child calls out the attribute and the children stand up to be counted.

Have the children sort 2-D and 3-D shapes and describe the diff erences. Encourage them to look at the faces of 3-D shapes and compare to the 2-D shapes.This could be done in large group.

Read Oh, Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today?: All About Weather by Tish Rabe. Invite a local meteorologist to visit the class and talk about his/her job.

Provide picture cards, in the writing center, for the children to identify and have them create lists of words that begin with the same sound.

Make or use nontoxic play dough and add scented oils. Encourage the children to manipulate play dough with their hands and with tools such as plastic utensils, cookie cutters and rollers.

Make copies of book covers and cover the book titles. Laminate the covers. Encourage the children to make up titles and write them on the covers.

Tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"  What's the weather like today, 
like today, like today?
What's the weather like today?
What do you see outside? Do you see the sun or rain, 
wind or snow, hot or cold?

While inside, have the children look out the window to predict what they think the weather might be like when they go outside for outdoor time. Ask questions to guide their thinking.

While inside, have the children look out the window to predict what they think the weather might be like when they go outside. Ask questions to guide their thinking.

Choose an interesting word during large group that relates to a story or activity the children will do during the day such as float, hippopotamus, enclosure or astonishing.

Before showing a book's cover or the pictures inside to the children, tell them the title and encourage them to make predictions about the story. After reading the book, revisit the predictions to compare them to the actual story.

Have the children predict what they think the weather will be for the next few days. Post the predictions, and have the weather helper chart the weather observed next to the group's predictions.

As you begin to read a book to the children, such as Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell, hold the book upside down. Say, “There's something wrong here.

As you begin to read a book to the children,such as Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell, hold the book upside down. Say, "There's something wrong here.

When a child cries because he/she has a need that is unmet, ask if he/she is hungry or tired. You may need to give clues to the younger children to help them answer.

Read What's Wrong, Little Pookie? by Sandra Boynton. In this story, Pookie is very upset and his mom cannot figure out why.

Sing this song in large group during outdoor time at the beginning of the school year as children are getting to know each other. Sing the song then say five or six children's names. Sing again and say more names.