Activities

During outdoor time, set up an outdoor farmers' market with shopping carts, play fruit and vegetables, purses, bags, cash registers and play money. The children can act out the roles of cashier and customer in their outdoor market.

Play the “Fast And Slow” song by Maple Leaf Learning on the Songs for Learning 2 CD. Provide dancing scarves. Have the children follow you as you follow the directions in the song.

Have the children build several ramps of different heights in the block center.  Encourage them to take turns driving trucks and cars on the ramps to see which is the fastest or slowest.

During outdoor time, talk with the children about what causes them to swing higher or kick a ball farther.

Have children select their favorite book from the classroom library and bring it to the group.

In a large or small group, ask each child to name a favorite color, animal or song. Chart the results. Have the children illustrate their choices, and then talk about whose are the same and whose are different.

Provide large sheets of butcher paper, paint in pie tins and feather dusters or pine tree branches with needles to use as brushes. During outdoor time, encourage the children to make designs and creations on the paper.

During outdoor time, provide large sheets of butcher paper, paint in pie tins and feather dusters or pine tree branches with needles to use as brushes. Encourage the children to make designs and creations on the paper.

Encourage the children to act out familiar stories, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, using the equipment in the play space during outdoor time.

Sing "Apples and Bananas" as you feed the infant. Emphasize a word or sound and use facial expressions to help the infant realize that a spoonful of food is being fed to him/her.

This activity is based on of the book The Hungry Thing by Jan Slepian. You will need a “feed me” puppet and a variety of plastic foods. In a growly monster voice say, “Boy, am I ever hungry; I think I would like some apples.

During snack time, provide the infant with family-approved food items, such as applesauce, puffs or bananas. Encourage infant to explore the texture of the food as you narrate his/her experience.

Provide small plastic bowls, cups and spoons, along with teddy bears. Have the children take turns feeding and serving the bears. Model these actions. Use words such as, “Time to feed Teddy. Teddy, eat some cereal.

Give each child in a small group a baby doll. Gather an assortment of play food. Say, "Let's feed the babies. Give them two strawberries. Count with me. One, two. Now let's give our babies one cookie. Ready? One cookie.

Take leftover or stale bread from the kitchen outside. During outdoor time, break into small bits to feed the birds. Watch to see if the bread is eaten.

Set up a dramatic play area as a dog kennel. Provide a variety of stuffed dogs, bowls and leashes, and use small blocks as doggie snacks. Model for the children and hold a block near the doggie's mouth, saying things like, “Here you go, doggie.

Read “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” to the children. Using a puppet and small figures of the animals mentioned in the story, encourage the children to retell the story.

Let the infant know it is time to drink his/her bottle. Hold bottle in front of the infant and ask, “Geri, are you ready for your bottle? Here is your bottle, Geri.” Look for the infant to reach or make noises in agreement.

Create a prop box in dramatic play that has materials you might use to comfort or care for someone. Include a soft toy, a blanket, a book to share and toy doctor supplies. The children can build empathy by role playing with one another.

Provide picture cards showing faces with a variety of emotions. You can download and print some from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning at Vanderbilt University.