Activities

Sing “If You're Happy and You Know It.” Encourage participation by modeling actions and using statements such as, “Clap your hands. Clap with me.” Repeat the activity and pause to allow the children to clap and sing.

Begin large group with this poem:
When I am sad, I want to cry.
When I am proud, I want to fl y.
When I am curious, I want to know.
When I am impatient, I want to go.

Read Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion. Talk about all the ways Harry gets dirty. Ask the children to think of times they got really dirty. Have the children look closely at the pictures and name some of the things they see.

Place a variety of hats and jackets in the dramatic play area to encourage the children to pretend to be community helpers, such as a firefighter, police officer or construction worker.

Sing this fun song “Have You Ever Been Fishing” with the children and make it silly when you get to the hootchy kootchy dance.

Give each of the children in the group a puppet. These can be regular hand puppets or ones that you have made from paper bags or socks. Old gloves make great finger puppets.

Read From Head to Toe by Eric Carle. Invite the children to copy the animals antics as you read. This could be done in large group.

Sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” through one time and encourage the children to make the hand motions. Sing slowly and pause to give the children a chance to imitate.

Sing this song with motions and encourage the children to follow along:
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

Eyes and ears and mouth and nose

H

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Knees and toes. 

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Knees and toes.

Sing the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” with the children, and encourage them to copy your movements. Playing a CD is a great way to get the children familiar with the words and the tune, but also sing it with them without the CD.

With the children standing, instruct them to listen as you call out words and their sounds. When the first sound is introduced, have the children place their hands on their head.

While an infant is lying on the floor on his/her back, hold a colorful object in his/her line of sight. Move the object up and down, as well as side
to side, encouraging the infant to move his/her entire head.

Use the dramatic play area to create a restaurant. Include menus, plates, cups, utensils, a server uniform and food items to serve.

Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Make a list of the healthy and non-healthy foods. Have the children help make their own book

of healthy foods and non-healthy foods using magazine cutouts or actual food labels/cutouts.

Bring in a variety of healthy foods for the children to taste that they may not usually eat such as carrots, radishes or edamame.  Invite them to wear animal headbands and pretend to eat like that animal.

Invite a local dentist or dental hygienist to visit your classroom. Ask him/her to show the children the proper brushing technique using a big plastic model. At circle time, sing “This is the way we brush our teeth...

Your movements and the sound of your voice can be soothing to an infant. Hold the infant in your arms and walk around the room. While walking, tell him/her what you are doing. Describe the surroundings to the infant.

Bake heart-shaped cookies with the children. Encourage them to frost and decorate a cookie to give to other children or to their families.

Teach this heart healthy song to the tune of “B-I-N-G-O”:
My body has a special pump,
It pumps the blood around - O
H-E-A-R-T, H-E-A-R-T, H-E-A-R-T, It pumps the blood around – O.