Activities

Tune: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
We're so glad to have you back, 

have you back, have you back

We're so glad to have you back

We missed you very much
Hope you're feeling better now, 

better now, better now

Ho

Use a globe or map in social studies to encourage the children to locate different places that have been discussed in class. Prompt the children to ask questions.

During outdoor time, read Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks. Have the children call out a food they don't like and say what they would rather eat.

Place a variety of objects in your water table or in individual tubs of water. Examples include small rocks, shells, plastic animals, bottle caps or large buttons. Make sure some items will float and others will sink.

Set out a large box or basket to make a “car.” Show the children how to take their favorite animals or dolls for a “ride” by pushing the box around the room.

Provide homemade pom-poms made from newspaper strips and small cardboard tubes. Roll a section of newspaper and slip through a tube. Fold over on end and secure with tape. Cut the longer end into strips.

Create a bank in the dramatic play area. Use a cash register, old checkbooks, an Open/Closed sign and expired/ old ATM cards. Use a cardboard box to create an ATM where children can withdraw or add money.

Reading books such as Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman again and again gives children the confidence to read. Young children will begin to look and point at the simple text as they say the words, "Go, Dog, Go," or "Hello, Goodbye.

Read Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman. Point out and encourage the children to repeat the word "fast" when it appears. During active play, encourage children to re-enact the story.

Tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" 
We had lots of fun today,

fun today,

fun today

So let's all say "Hooray!"

See you all another day

During small group, provide children with picture cards of foods you might bring to a picnic along with a picnic basket or bowl.  Use one syllable words such as:  milk, pear, peach, meat, cheese, bread, pie, corn, rice, beans or peas.

Place props throughout the classroom so the children can act out familiar roles such as being in a grocery store, at the dentist or at a birthday party. Place baskets, shopping bags, a cash register and pretend food on a shelf.

Give the children props to act out the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears": three stuffed bears, three bowls, three chairs, three beds. Encourage the children to change their voice inflections as they tell the story.

You will need a sheet of construction paper with a line drawn to divide the page in half, ten counters and a die for each child. Have the children put all the counters on the upper half of the paper.

Tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Now it's time to say good bye, say good bye, say good bye
Now it's time to say good bye 
Good bye to all our friends We have had a busy day, busy day, busy day
We have had a busy day

Look at the wordless book Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day with the children. Talk to them about the expressions on the faces of both the dog and the baby.

Read Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition by Lizzy Rockwell. This book explains the concept of nutrition.

Read Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat or a similar book that discusses nutrition in a fun way. Every time you read about a food that is nutritious have the children pat their tummies and say, “yum, yum.

Good morning, good morning

How are you today?

Say good morning, good morning 

In a very special way

Let's say it like a duck*

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack
(repeat three times)
Let's say i

Hello, neighbor, what do you say?

It's going to be a happy day!

So greet your neighbor

and boogie on down

Give 'em a bump and turn around
(or sit right down)