Preschool Lessons for Spring - Springtime WIND

Hi Everyone,

Here are a couple of ideas that go together beautifully. One is an activity to make windsocks and you follow it up with a talk about WIND. With good questions, you can create a lively discussion and make a wall mural as well.

WINDSOCKS

Need: Small cardboard tubes (toilet paper rolls)
Springtime pictures cut from magazines
Glue
Yarn or ribbon or crepe paper

Start by going through some magazines and having children cut or tear springlike pictures. Next, let your children decorate the cardboard tubes by gluing on the pictures. Help them glue several long pieces of ribbon or thin strips of crepe paper to one end of their tubes. At the other end, make a hanger by tying on string or yarn. Have the children hang their windsocks outdoors to see which way the wind is blowing.

Discussion -- How Do We Know the Wind is There?

You begin by explain to your children that wind is moving air. Then talk about how WIND is invisible so what are the signs that tell us it is windy. Give them clues such as clouds moving in the sky, wind chimes ringing, leaves or paper blowing across the yard.
Let them give their answers and write them on the board. You can follow up the discussion by illustrating their answers. This can be done by cutting out more pictures from magazines, having them draw their answers, or you can illustrate.

I hope you enjoy my ideas as much as I enjoy sharing.

If you enjoy these ideas, check out my Preschool Lessons at:

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html

Bye for now,

Mary

Preschool Lessons - Mud Bricks

I don't know about you but I am SO happy to have the warmer days and LONGER daylight hours! It recharges my "batteries" for sure and I notice that the kids are in the same mode.

Here is an outdoor activity that kids love to do--it involves MUD. What could be more appropriate for springtime?!

Mud Bricks

Kids love mud and you can teach them to make their own bricks that they can use later for other projects. Best of all--all of the materials are FREE; just go outside and they are there in nature!

Need:
Large container(s) to mix the mud
Dirt
Handfuls of grass
Water

Take the dirt, grass and water and stir together in the container until you have a thick clay-like texture.

Next let the children form small rectangle shapes to look like bricks. It is best to keep them small because they dry quicker.

Leave them out in the sun to "bake" or dry. Once they are dry and hard they can use them for other projects. (This can take a day or two.)

Hint: Place these on a tray to dry so that if the weather turns rainy you can easily bring them inside to continue drying.

Until next time, enjoy the spring!

Mary

P.S. Looking for NEW IDEAS for your classes but don't want to spend your free time planning--Check out my preschool lesson plans:

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html

Preschool Lesson Plans for Spring - Kites

Hello,

Finally! Spring is at the doorstep and time for more sun, more energy and lively

times outside.

We all need to get out and enjoy ourselves.

I have some fun things to do inside and out--just in case the spring rains keep us in

a day or two.

I'll be sharing these with you over the next few days.

We think of KITES when we think of spring--here are some ideas for kite pictures and kite-making.

Pictures

Need: Diamond Shape Template, paper,bowtie pasta, glue, markers or crayons

Have
the children trace the diamond shape on their paper. Some may need help
holding the template still. Let them decorate their kite anyway they
would like. Show them how to draw a line from one of the ends of the
kite to look like the tail.

Next, they glue the bowtie pasta on the tail to decorate the tail of the kite.

You could decorate a wall or bulletin board with their creations.

Simple Flying Kite

Need: Plastic grocery bag, yarn, stapler, tissue paper

Make
this "guaranteed" to fly kite by stapling strips of tissue paper on the
bottom end of the grocery bag (try to be sure there are no holes at the
sealed end of the bag). Next tie yarn onto each handle of the bag. Go
outside and let the kids run with their kites. They don't fly high like
a real kite but they are guaranteed to fill and "fly" as the kids run
with them.

Success rate is guaranteed!

Please let me know how you like these ideas and share any new ones you use. I'll pass them on to everyone.

More spring ideas to come.

Mary

Preschool Crafts- St. Patricks Day Ideas

Spring is so much fun for everyone--it lifts our spirits and renews our energy. St. Patrick's Day fun provides ideas to fill many craft times and the end results make for a bright, happy and very GREEN room. What better color for spring than GREEN!

I have two tried and true ideas to suggest to you using a similar theme. You can decide which one is easier for your kids to do. OR you could do both!

Shamrock Placemat/Picture

Need:
White Card Stock
Shamrock cookie cutters, varying sizes are great
Green crayons or markers
Green tissue paper
St. Patrick's Day stickers

Give each child a sheet of card stock. Let them use the green crayons or markers to trace around the cookie cutters to make the shamrocks. Younger ones will need help with this to hold the cookie cutter still. Next let them color them in if they will use it for a placemat. They can also add some of the stickers to it.

If they are making a wall hanging, let them spread some glue inside the clover design. Next, they tear off pieces of the tissue paper, wad it up and then stick it onto the glue inside the design until the entire clover is filled in. A great 3D design to hang on the wall.

I'll share more of my ideas with you this week so check back often.

Bye for now.
Mary

Preschool Activities--Let's Play Restaurant

This is an activity that you can stretch out over a couple of days and give the kids active participation in the planning, creating and finally doing!

The plan is to make menus for their own pretend restaurant. Next they will learn about setting tables (keep it simple here--not a four course meal). And the final days they take turns being the waiter, the cook and the customer.

You use this as an opportunity to talk about healthy food choices, different kinds of food, favorite foods, and favorite restaurants.

Materials Needed:

Pictures of vegetables, fruit, dinners from magazines or Sunday food flyers.
Glue Sticks
Paper
Fake food items (optional) or great imaginations!
Paper plates, cups and napkins

Activity:

One day is spent cutting out the pictures for the food. Talk about what should go on each page--maybe just two items per page. Label the picture so they can see the word and the item.
Staple the pages together to make the menu. You should make several.

Next day the kids take turns setting up the restaurant and taking turns being the waiter, and the customer. The waiters set the table with a plate, cup and napkin.
This is also a memory game for them because most preschoolers cannot write. It is fun to see if they remember the order.

It is a fun way to talk about food choices and general health.

You can then have snack time when the tables are set up and everyone gets to have something real to eat.