Activities

During drop-off time in the morning, establish a routine transition to ease separation.

Read the book Bye-Bye Time by Elizabeth Verdick. Establish a ritual, such as a deep breath and a big wave, that the children can use to tell their parents good-bye when they are dropped off in the morning.

Provide large calculators in the math center for the children to explore and generate numbers for them to copy.

Provide the children with a template for a phone to copy from, as well as a small cardboard rectangle. Have them design their own phone and practice calling 911.

Invite the children to act out actions that friends call out such as “do the baseball player or do the bunny.” This could be done in large group.

Using old cell phones, have the children practice dialing 9-1-1 and pretend speaking to the dispatcher. Model appropriate language for a call to 9-1-1. Then, on chart paper, help the children make a list of why they might call 9-1-1.

Read the book Calm-Down Time by Elizabeth Verdick. As you read the story, model deep breathing for the children and have the children practice taking deep breaths.

Create calming bottles using empty water bottles, glitter, glue and water in the science center.

Grab your camera and lead the class on a shape hunt during outdoor time, taking pictures as you go. For example, you might find a hexagon in the support for a climbing structure, a circle on a tricycle tire or a triangle on the corner of the sandbox.

Use the dramatic play area to set up a nighttime campground. Put black paper on the walls and ceiling, with a moon and stars. Add a tent, camping supplies and flashlights.

Create a campfire out of paper towel rolls and tissue paper. Give the children cotton ball marshmallows on a stick to roast while listening to a fable or legend.  This could be done in large group.

Read Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes. During large group ask the children about key points from the story.

Read Head to Toe by Eric Carle and point to the different animal actions illustrated on each page. Then read the book a second time and model the action for each animal. Say, “I am a camel. I can bend my knees.

Label a box or tub as the “Fix-It Box.” As toys and books need repair, place them in the box. Also include tape and simple tools the children can use to repair the items. Offer the children the opportunity to assist you with repairs.

Sit with the infant on the floor and make soft sounds to him/her. As the infant responds, mirror the sounds back to him/her.

You will need pattern blocks and picture cards you have made of the pattern blocks in a design. For example, three yellow triangles stacked on top of each other.

Use pattern blocks and pattern block cards to make pictures and provide an opportunity for the children to match the shapes. An easy task would include the entire shape outlined and colored in with the matching color of the required block.

During large group, play songs by Hap Palmer such as “Touch” or “Shake Something” from the album Getting to Know Myself. These songs encourage the children to move body parts in a variety of ways. Continue the game while waiting in line.

Provide several dressing boards with items such as zippers, laces, snaps, buttons with buttonholes and buttons with loops. Have the children use these to practice the skills needed for independent dressing.

Give the children a small bowl of M&Ms or Skittles. First, have them sort the candy by color. Provide a graphing sheet for each child.