Activities

Sing the following song during large group and have the child come to the middle of the circle when his/her name is called.

Have a simple ritual for the children to put up their belongings as they enter the classroom. Assist the children with putting their bags and jackets in their cubbies.

Upon arrival, sing a good-morning song to each infant using his/her name and welcoming him/her to the classroom.

Begin each day with a daily ritual. The children respond to routine, and following one will ease the move from home to school.

Begin each day with a daily ritual during large group. The children respond to routine, and following one will ease the move from home to school.

Read the familiar story Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Have the children recall the sequence of the story. Have pictures or props from the story on hand, and let the children manipulate those as you put the story in sequence.

Look at Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann with a few children. This book has pictures but no words. Encourage the children to tell you the story about what happens at the zoo.

Hold the book Good Night Sun, Hello Moon by Karen Viola so the infant can see the pictures. Have the infant to touch the pages, and help him/ her turn the pages and generally become involved in the process of reading.

Tune: “Frere Jacques”
Wash your hands, wash your hands

With one squirt, with one squirt

Rinse them very quickly

Rinse them very quickly

Goodbye dirt, goodbye dirt

After reading Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinkin and Tom Lichtenheld, have the children list the trucks in order of how they said goodnight. Talk about what types of jobs the trucks do during the day.

Discuss with the children how some people make goods to earn money and how some people provide services. Chart things/jobs that provide goods and what things/jobs are services. This could be done in large group.

Read the book Gossie by Olivier Dunrea. When you are finished, talk about how Gossie felt when she lost her red boots.

Read Gossie by Olivier Dunrea about a duckling that loves to wear red boots all the time, until one day she can't find them. Encourage the children to turn the pages in the book so they can can help Gossie find her beloved boots.

Gossie by Olivier Dunrea is a duckling that loves to wear red boots all of the time until one day she can't find them. Encourage the children to turn the pages in the book so they can can help Gossie find her beloved boots.

Tune: “Frere Jacques”
Grab a tissue, grab a tissue

If you sneeze, if you sneeze

Do not use your finger, 

Do not use your finger

Or your sleeve, or your sleeve

Sing "Down on Grandpa's Farm." Give the children headbands or small props of different farm animals.
We're on the way, we're on the way;

On the way to Grandpa's farm.

Here are Grandpa's glasses

Here is Grandpa's hat

Here's the way he folded his arms

And here's the way he sat
Here are Grandma's glasses

Here is Grandma's cap

Here is the way she folds her hands

And lays them

After reading a book with unique names for grandmothers such as Jan Brett's The Mitten; Our Granny by Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas or Abuela by Arthur Doros, talk about children's names for their grandmothers.

Have the children participate in a daily graph. Pose a simple question that the children can answer when they enter the classroom in the morning such as, “Do you have a sibling?” or “Do you have a pet?” In large group, discuss the data.

Create a graphing mat out of a shower curtain with two columns. When presenting a question have the children stand on the mat on either the yes or no column.