Activities

Some children may be ready to start writing letters. Write the child's name using a highlighter and encourage the child to write on top of the highlighter. Sit with the child when he/she practices this so you can talk about directionality.

Provide blank musical staff paper and music related stamps in the writing center and encourage children to include them in their writing.

Provide a variety of writing tools, in the writing center, so that the children can notice differences in line width or color intensity. Talk about what kind of marker or crayon they would choose for different tasks.

Have a template with writing tools outlined and ordered from shortest to longest. Have the children match the real tools to the ones on the template.

Provide laminated cards, in the writing center area, with word families. One card set may have “_at” and another may have “_ake.” The children can use a dry erase marker to write a letter in the blank and read the word they created.

Have the children draw what they see in the classroom, such as the bookcases, the tables and the rug. Have one child hide a stuff ed animal and then mark an X on the paper to denote where he/ she hid it.

Talk to the children about things they need help with in the classroom and make a list: opening a milk carton, the really hard fire truck puzzle or buttoning pants are good examples. Create a picture book of these things.

Create a reusable two-column chart labeled Yes and No to use with the children. Place the children's pictures on small blocks. Write a question using picture cues: “Are you wearing socks?” Add picture of socks.

Create a graph with columns labeled “yes” and “no.” Post a question for the children to answer such as “Do you have a dog?” or “Do you like broccoli?” Include picture support for the question.

On a metal cookie sheet, make two columns; label them Yes (attracts) and No (does not attract). On the cookie sheet, place various materials that magnetically attract and materials that do not attract.

Create a chart of situations related to familiar rules and expectations of the classroom. Have the children tell you if they go under “Yes, it is OK to do,” or “No, it is not OK to do.

During outdoor time, play off the children's love for animals and have them develop movements based on different animals like cat, dog or cow. Encourage them to bark like a dog or meow and moo for cat and cow.

For this activity, you will need a container of fruit yogurt, waxed paper, a cookie sheet and a pastry bag with tip. Place the waxed paper on the cookie sheet and put the yogurt in the pastry bag.

Provide several different plastic containers of the same general shape that will fit inside each other (such as small, medium and large-sized yogurt containers). Show the children how to nest them inside each other or stack them like a tower.

Have the children turn to a peer and, as they look at each other, describe how they are different and how they are the same. If time allows, let them switch partners and repeat. This could be done in large group.

Tune: "You Are My Sunshine"
You are my helper, my special helper

Please pass the crackers 

To all our friends.

We are so hungry 

For something yummy.

While holding the infant, quietly sing the song “You Are My Sunshine.” Smile and emphasize the word “happy” as you sing.

Change your dramatic play into a doctor's office.  The children can role play what the doctors say and how the patients feel.

During meals and snack times, provide each child with a child-sized spoon and encourage the children to feed themselves with it. If a child has trouble, hold the spoon and help guide it for the child.

Place the infant on the floor with toys just out of reach. Encourage the infant to reach for and grab the toys. Look for toys that make sound or light up when touched.