Activities

Cut a grapefruit in half and hollow out one of the halves. During outdoor time, put both halves face down outside. Ask the children who they think might like to eat the grapefruit.

Hide plastic bugs outside during outdoor time. Have the children use clothespins to pick up the plastic bugs you have hidden and place them in a paper bag. Have them count their bugs when they are done.

Have the children create two equal lines of toy bugs. Help the children in noticing that each bug has a partner or creates a set. Encourage the children to re-create lines using different numbers of bugs.

Have the children create two equal lines of toy bugs. Help the children in noticing that each bug has a partner or creates a set. Encourage the children to recreate lines using different numbers of bugs.

You will need a large beach towel, a sheet or blanket. Have the children sit in a circle on the rug with their eyes closed and pick one child to sit in the middle.

Cut some simple flower shapes from construction paper or fun foam. Provide bug counters. Give each child one to five flowers and a different number of bugs.

Set up the block area to encourage the children to build and play together. Use masking tape on the rug to make roads for cars or grids for buildings.

Cut 20 pool noodles in half to use as “logs.” With scissors, cut notches in each to make them easy to stack, similar to Lincoln Logs. The children can stack them to build a log cabin. Add props such as buckets, old hats and vests.

You will need Unifix® cubes, a die and a color cube. Have a child roll the die and the color cube to start building a number tower.

In the block area, talk to the children about what they want to create, such as a zoo. Help them think about what is needed to build a zoo such as plastic animals, signs and a variety of blocks to make cages.

Encourage the children to build garages for all of the cars to have a safe place to park, by using three blocks each: one on each side and one for the roof.

Using LEGO®s or LEGO®s DUPLO®s, fit a number of different shapes and colors together to make a tower or other structure. Give the children additional LEGO®s, and encourage them to make a structure like yours.

Encourage the children to be contractors and builders in the block center. The contractor gives the builder directions on how to build a structure: “Place two hollow blocks next to each other. Stand a hollow block up on each end.

In the block center, using masking tape, tape off “city blocks.” Have the children create a building in each city block to develop a city.

In the block center, supply various sizes of large and small boxes and have the children build a structure. Let the children knock the structure down and then build something entirely different.

Have the children build structures with large LEGO®s.Then have them take the structures apart and build something completely different.

Take blocks outside during outdoor time so the children can build a house or building.

Take blocks outside so the children can build a house or building during outside time.

Sit in the block center with the children. Let them know that you are the contractor today and will be helping them build their structures. Give them directions for building using positional words.

Provide craft sticks and masking tape. Encourage the children to construct bridges that stretch from one structure to another in the block center. Show children pictures of bridges in books and photographs to get them started.