Activities

Have the children color a brown paper bag and use yarn to make a kite. You can add streamers or ribbon if desired. Take the kites outside to fly. Explain that many children fly kites to celebrate special days.

Put aluminum foil on the classroom easel and let the children paint on the foil. This is similar to Metal Tooling done in Central and South America for holiday celebrations.

Provide paper and paints in squeeze containers. Fold each child's paper in half. Ask him/her to squeeze or drip a small amount of paint on one side of the paper. Add several colors if desired.

Give the children each a piece of paper.

Carry the infant or crawl alongside the infant as you guide him/her on a tour of the room. Point out things as you tour, such as the outlet, and say, “No, no.” Or point to the door and say, “Closed.

Have one child go in the middle of your group and create dance moves. Have the remainder of the group follow the leader. This could be done in large group.

Make cards of different movements (marching, walking, jumping jacks or windmill) for the music center. One child will hold up the card and the other children will do what the card says.

Ask the children to do a specific motion to get to various locations on the playground during outdoor time.
Suggest, “Run to a spot next to the slide. Crawl under the

picnic table. Skip to the door.

Walk around the room with the children behind you. Encourage the children to imitate your actions as you walk. For example, wave your arms over your head or do marching steps. Older children may want to take turns being the leader as well.

During outdoor time, choose a child to be the leader. The child will choose motions and the other children will copy as they follow the leader.

Model how to play “Follow the Leader.” Walk around the room and encourage the children to follow you in a line. Say, “Watch me and go where I go.” Make it harder by adding actions. Clap your hands, wave or extend your arms to the sides.

Sing a song with the children, encouraging them to follow your hand motions.

Before outdoor time, provide an opportunity for children to draw pictures on cards, sequencing the steps to completing an outdoor activity.

Add train tracks and trains to the block center. Have the children put the tracks in sequence for the train to follow.

Print out letters in a variety of fonts to add to those cut from magazines in art center. Encourage the children to find letters in their names, both upper and lower case and create a name collage.

Print out letters in a variety of fonts to add to those cut from magazines in the art center. Encourage the children to find letters in their names, both upper and lower case and create a name collage.

Ask the children to bring in a variety of food boxes to create class books. Cut the front panels from the food boxes and bind them together and encourage the children to read them. Place the finished books in the classroom library.

Read stories with the children about healthy food choices and discuss which are healthy foods and which are “sometimes” foods. Book examples include Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert or The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

Place a collection of toys in front of the children, including pretend food and non-food items, along with two bins/buckets. Designate one for food items and one for non-food items. Have the children help sort the items into appropriate bins.

Label brown paper bags by food groups, with pictures. Divide the class into two teams. During outdoor time, set up an area outside. On one end, place bags labeled with the food groups and on the other end place the food items.