Activities

Read If I Were a Moose by Patrick Kleinen.  Talk about the questions Coopie asked his mom and how his mom responded.  Have the children work in pairs to come up with a different ending to the story.

Sit or lie on the floor with the infant and imitate his/her movements. For example, if the infant is learning to roll over, you roll over. If the infant is up on all fours rocking back and forth, then you do the same.

Give a child an activity to do, but leave a portion of the activity out of his/her reach so the child has to ask for it. For example, give the child the lacing cards, but leave the laces on top of the cubbies.

Have the children think about something they wish they could do and then discuss how an adult could help them. For example, Jazmine wantsto learn to jump rope. Then brainstorm with the children about how an adult can help Jazmine learn to jump rope.

Provide nature guidebooks such as Audubon's Guide to North American Birds for the children to use during outdoor time. Encourage them to look at the plants and animals they see on the playground and find them in guidebooks.

Show the children two books and ask them which one they want to read today. Encourage the children to point or use simple words.

Read the book Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli. Talk to the children about what you are reading such as, “We eat blueberries but not blue crayons.

Gather fresh fruit items. Cut hard fruit such as apples into bite-sized pieces. Encourage the children to cut soft fruits, such as bananas, into small pieces using a child-safe plastic knife or spoon.

During feeding time, have the infant snuggle near you while eating. Make faces and sounds as you talk about the food being yummy, warm, delicious and good for a growing baby.

Read Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham. Have one teacher read the narration and another adult read Moose's words using exaggerated expression.

Staple small pieces of paper together for the children to create their own magazine, also known as a “zine” (pronounced “zeen”). Talk about what they would like their zine to be about and assist with words and pictures.

Place a variety of stuffed animals in a row. Encourage the children to point to the different animals and identify each one by the sounds the animal makes.

This is a partner game.  Have children stand facing a partner with arms crossed.  Take the partner's right hand in your left hand (and vice versa).  Sing the song while bending your knees to the beat.

The block area is often a place that can cause conflicts over materials such as cars and trucks. Ensure that there are multiple cars and trucks available for play to promote positive peer interaction.