Activities

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.

Place three food items that the child enjoys in front of him/her.

Tape a large piece of butcher paper on the floor, with a tray of paint nearby. Remove the children's shoes. Have the children, one at a time, step into the paint and make footprints on the paper. As the children step on the paper say, "One, two.

During large group, ask the children “Have you ever seen the footprints you make with your boots when you walk in the mud or snow? We are going to walk in the snow. First, let's pretend we are putting on our coat, now a hat and don't forget mittens.

You will need pipe cleaners and an O-shaped cereal like Cheerios. Have the children make a loop at the end of a pipe cleaner and thread cereal on it until it is almost full. Secure the end so the cereal doesn't fall off .

You will need two plastic berry baskets and yarn. Help the children cut the yarn into pieces 4- to 6 inches long. Place the yarn in a berry basket. Cut the bottom from another basket for a lid.

Help the children make bird feeders out of pine cones by rolling the pine cones in a mixture of vegetable shortening and oats and bird seed.

Tell the children they can paint with many kinds of objects. Provide a variety of items such as forks, straws and toy tires. Talk with them about which were easiest and hardest to paint with.

During outdoor time, play Four Corners on the playground. Label each corner with a different feeling, such as happy, sad, mad and scared. Have the children start in the middle of the playground.

During outdoor time, draw a four-square grid on the pavement with sidewalk chalk. Tape a picture in each square. The children take turns bouncing a ball in the squares and naming a word that rhymes with the picture.

Use flannel-board characters for familiar stories. As you tell the story, substitute a different character for one that belongs. For example, have one of the Three Little Pigs come and sit beside Miss Muffet instead of the spider.

Cut out the center of a paper plate, one for each child. Vary sizes of holes. Have the children view their environment through the frame during outdoor time. The frame helps children focus on specific elements. Have children describe what they see.

Play music and have the children dance freestyle while the music is playing. When you stop the music, show the children a picture of a pose, such as standing on one leg. They should freeze in that pose.

Take large construction paper shapes that have been laminated outside, during outdoor time. Spread out the shapes. The teacher will call out, “Go!” and the children will begin to walk from shape to shape.

Have the children stand in a circle.  Model a motor movement and have the children copy you.  Point to a child to be the new leader.  The new leader models a movement for the class to imitate.  Continue until each child has had a turn.