Activities

Read Guess How Much I Love You? board book by Sam McBratney to the infants. Emphasize words. For example, stretch hands up high when talking about how "much;" say, "soooo much.

Add books about affection to your reading area such as Hug by Jez Alborough; Hug Machine by Scott Campbell and Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. Provide discussion during and after reading the books.

During outdoor time, group the children according to a specific characteristic such as blond hair, brown eyes or tall children. Tell the children, “Guess My Rule!” They must see if they can come up with how the children were grouped.

Hide a paper shape inside the book you are reading during large group. Give children clues to guess the shape. Describe attributes, “It has four corners.” Or compare it to everyday objects, “It's the shape of the clock on the math shelf.

During large group, sort half of the children into two groups by one attribute; for example, wearing long pants versus wearing short pants. The other half of the children try to guess the attribute used to sort the children.

Provide an opportunity for the children to describe locations of objects or people within the classroom. For example, “I am thinking of something that is closer to the block center than the art center. It is above the book shelf.

Place four or five edible items with strong aromas, such as coffee, onions, lemons or cinnamon in separate containers. Have the children shut their eyes and identify each item by smell.

Gather various flavors of gelatin dessert. Put a little powder of each flavor on a plate for each child. Have him/her dip bananas into the gelatin dessert powder. It will change color. Let them guess what the flavor is.

Fill a large container with small objects from the classroom and fasten the lid. Ask a child to come up front. Show the container to the child and say, for example, “I spy something black and you use it to fix hair.

Display several different rhythm instruments with a variety of sounds, such as sticks, drum, triangle, maracas or a tambourine. Identify each instrument.

During morning meeting, encourage the children to share something that is going on in their lives at home. For example, a child might have recently gotten a baby brother/sister and would like to share an experience or their feelings.

Tape black construction paper over a pair of child- sized sunglasses. The children take turns wearing the glasses as they try to guess the object that is placed in their hands. Encourage the children to use four of the five senses.

Describe an object you have hidden under a blanket and let the children try to guess what the item is.

Give one child a card with a picture of a community worker in the safety or health fi eld. The child will give clues as to what this person does and the other children guess which community helper is pictured on the card.

Have one child secretly think of another friend in the small group. The other children will ask questions such as, “Is it a boy?” or “Does he have brown hair?” to try and guess the secret friend.

As the children gain experience with estimation, you want to begin to anchor their “best guesses” to benchmarks of five and 10. Show them two jars, one with 10 marker lids inside and one with a different amount.

Invite interested children to join you in the science center for this fun cooking project.

Take push toys, grocery carts or scooter boards out in the hallway on a rainy day and encourage the children to interact with one another.

Play hand-clapping games (they take a lot of practice) such as "Miss Mary Mack":  Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack  All dressed in black, black, black  With silver buttons, buttons, buttons  All down her back, back, back  She asked her mother, mother, moth

During large group teach children the following song with hand gestures:
My hands can talk in a special way These are some things they help me say:

“Hello”(Wave)
“Come here” (Beckon)
“It