Gross Motor Activities for Preschool - Balance & Coordination

June is almost here and it is always fun to think of outside fun with my preschoolers. Here are a couple of gross motor activities for preschool that your children will love.

The focus of these is for balance and coordination. You can modify these to the age level of your students. While the main focus is developing gross motor skills you can add other elements to these. For example, try counting to see how long someone can stay on the tight rope or say letters of the alphabet.


CIRCUS TIGHT ROPE

You will need two pieces of string or long strips of masking tape (about 6 feet or 1.8 meters long).
Create a circus tight rope on the ground with the string. Next show them
how to walk on this by placing one foot in front of the other.
Then have them try. (You will probably need to hold their hand
the first few times until they get the idea of balancing.)
***An alternative for younger children is to put the two strings about 4 inches apart and ask them to walk carefully between the lines without stepping on the edges. Great fun, concentration, balance, etc.

WATER BALLOON TOSS
Fill balloons with water and give them to the toddlers. Gently play catch with the water balloons. You can fill them with varying amounts of water to show how some are lighter than others.

***One variation is to draw targets on the sidewalk with chalk and have them toss the balloons at the targets. You could put a letter or number in the targets and then ask them to try to hit a particular letter or number.
Good for eye-hand coordination and gross motor skills.

Providing hands on ways to learn and connecting concepts with everyday life and their environments are my favorite ways of teaching preschoolers.


If you like these ideas, you'll love the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

Check them out:

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

Enjoy and remember to send in any ideas you wish to share and I will post them here.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

PS: If you would like to receive my free newsletter for more ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Preschool Shape Activities - Circle Time and Snack Time

These are a couple of my favorite preschool shape activities that I have used for years. The children love playing the game of "I Spy". It is always fun to see how they see their world and how they interpret the shapes of things in their surroundings. They have a fresh approach and it never fails to surprise me.

Children also love the opportunity to be chefs and to prepare their own snacks. Provide them with the necessary ingredients--all cut in the different shapes that they will learn--and let them create their own snack!


Circle Time-
To begin, have sample shapes of a circle, square and triangle. Show these to your preschoolers; explain the special qualities of each and then make one observation of your own from the classroom of each shape. Next begin playing “I Spy” where you ask them to find a particular shape. One at a time let them secretly pick something that’s a square (or other shape) and let the others try to guess what it is. This serves as an introduction to the concepts of the square, circle and triangle.


Snack Time- Shape House
1- Give each child a piece of bread (square) for the base of the house. Next, give them a slice of cheese cut diagonally to form a triangle for the roof.
2- Next, give the children a piece of lunch meat, and have them roll it up into a tube for the door. Finally, give each child two circular pickles for windows, and have them assemble the pieces to form a cute and edible house.

Providing hands on ways to learn and connecting concepts with everyday life and their environments are my favorite ways of teaching preschoolers.


If you like these ideas, you'll love the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

Check them out:

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

Enjoy and remember to send in any ideas you wish to share and I will post them here.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

PS: If you would like to receive my free newsletter for more ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Preschool Recycling Curriculum - Nature Walk and "R" Collage

It is never too early to begin teaching our children that we need to protect our earth. I introduce preschool recycling curriculum ideas throughout the year.

Preschoolers love to feel empowered and showing them how they can make a difference in their own world is a perfect place to start. Whenever you can, take time to go outside to observe the environment. Ask your kids to be detectives and point out all the details that they see. Next ask if what they notice is good or do they see trash or something that needs improvement. This leads us to the Nature Walk below.

Craft- Nature Walk and Collage

Materials- nature materials gathered on walk, paper bags, glue, scissors, paper

1- A major part of this unit was exploring the world we live in and how we affect nature and it affects us. Take a nature walk around the neighborhood and observe the different things that are growing in different places. Give each child a paper bag and encourage them to collect things for a nature collage.

2- Once the walk is finished, return to the classroom and give each child a piece of construction paper for their nature collage. Use glue to stick the collected items to the construction paper.


"R" for Recycling Poster Collage

3 R’s poster collage (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)- Give each child a piece of paper with a giant letter ‘R’ on it.(I prefer to make the bubble letter so that they can use the inside of the letter as well as the outline.)

Instruct the children to paint the exterior of the ‘R’ with colored paint. Decorate the ‘R’ with recyclable and reused materials like newspaper, magazines, junk mail, and old scraps of T-shirts. Also add materials from outside like pinecones and grass to simulate the environment that we are working to save.

Have fun with these ideas and please continue to send me more or to leave a comment.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


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 Children - Taking Turns

Working with preschool children requires compassion, creativity and ability to help them learn social skills. One of the more difficult things for young children to learn is HOW TO TAKE TURNS.

Try using your circle time to start a discussion on just how hard this can be. Perhaps you have a new toy for the classroom. Use this as your introduction for the toy and how everyone will get a chance to play with it.

Questions for circle time could include: What does taking turns mean?, Why do we need to take turns? and How do we decide when it is time for someone else to have a turn? Take notes on their answers and write them on the board.

Next, let the children decide how to do the following:

* determine the order in which each child gets a turn
* decide the length of each turn (perhaps counting, or playing a song)
* other things to do while waiting a turn

Last and definitely not least is to ask them how they feel when they have to wait. Ask their help in providing alternative things to do while waiting to make this easier for them.

Suggestions could be: looking at a picture book, playing with clay or play dough, or even building with blocks.

Taking turns is something we all have to do throughout life. What better time to start teaching this skill than in preschool? I believe providing them with a foundation is one of the most important jobs we have as preschool educators.

Send me your ideas and tips and I will share them here for all.

Thanks for stopping by.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


PS: If you would like to receive my free newsletter for more ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Preschool Math Activities - Number Match Up Game

These are preschool math activities that can be done over a couple of days or all in one day and in different stations.

The children are making their own set of match up cards, using their skills of counting, matching numbers you may give them if they are not able to count up to 10 yet, counting out stickers and pictures.

I like to introduce this in Circle time and then move on to make the cards and to play. You can make this into a game for individuals or make a class game or partner game depending on ages and skill levels.

Number Match Up Game

Give each student 2 sets of 10 index cards.
Write the numbers 1-10 on the board for all to see and say them with the class. Have them take one set of cards and write one number on each card.

**If they are not yet able to write the number, have stickers or stamps available with the numbers and they can select the correct number and put that on the card.

Next take the second set of cards and have them put one picture sticker on one card, two on the next card, and so on until they get to a card with 10 pictures or stickers on it.

Preschoolers can then play their own matching game by placing the cards face down, (4 rows of 5 each is easiest), then turn over two cards. If the card with pictures matches the corresponding number, they keep them and try to match all the pairs of pictures and numbers.


Have fun with this and enjoy the game! Learning by doing is the best way to teach numbers concepts and making it fun is the best.


Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


PS: If you would like to receive my free newsletter for more ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Preschool Dramatic Play Activities - Indoor Pond

These are preschool dramatic play activities that can provide days of activities for your preschoolers.

Imagination and play are key to learning with this age group. Involve the kids with the construction and then participation in the following idea. I got this idea from one of my parent helpers years ago and have used it every year since then.

Indoor Pond

Need: blue paper or blue fabric, various size boxes, brown paper, black paint, pictures of ducks, empty cans, pictures of fish or fish patterns to color, and lots of imagination.

Make a pond in dramatic play. First put down a sheet of blue paper or fabric. Have the children make rocks to go around it by covering boxes with paper bag paper and sponge painting them black.

They can also make fish to put in the pond and add magnets to them and the children can fish for them using poles attached to magnets on a string. Attach the pictures of the ducks to empty cans that have been covered with green paper.

Activities: Feed the Ducks: give the children pieces of crumpled paper to (pretend bread) into the coffee cans.

Science activity: have various size magnets and have the children predict and experiment to see which one is the strongest to put on their fish or which one can move the ducks!

Other ideas: counting, color recognition, motor skills.

I hope you have fun with this idea.

Send me your ideas and I'll post them here for all of us to share.


Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


PS: If you like these ideas be sure to check out my Preschool Lesson Plans:

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

Preschool Themes - What's Inside

One of my favorite preschool themes is taking the idea of "what's inside" and looking at everyday objects. This helps children learn about their world and to develop healthy curiosity.

This is an excellent way to "reuse or re-purpose" even the broken items in your classroom. Everything has multiple uses and this is another one of my "green" ideas to use everything as a learning opportunity.


This is something that is perfect for circle time. I must add that caution must be used and depending on the object you take apart. If there are small parts, the teacher will handle them.

What's Inside

Need: something that can be taken apart (flashlight, battery-operated toy, old clock, radio that no longer works, etc.), Screw Driver


See if you have something in your classroom or home that no longer works. Show the children that you are going to look inside to see how it is made and to see what is inside.

Some of them may be able to take out screws, depending on age and ability. Next see if you can put it back together--with their help and guidance remembering how it came apart! Children find this fascinating and it holds their attention.

Depending on the object and/or the age of your preschoolers, you might be able to leave the toy or object with the screw driver in an activity center and let them try to do this on their own or in small groups. Use your imagination as well as safety discretion.

Have fun with this and enjoy the month!

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


PS: If you would like to receive my free newsletter for more ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Preschool Crafts for Mothers Day

Are you searching for special preschool crafts for Mothers Day? It's May 10th here in the US and I have had many requests.

I have been flooded with creative ideas from my readers worldwide and wanted to share these two simple, inexpensive ideas for you to try.


May I Tag Along

Great Mothers Day and or Fathers Day gift idea that I have done. I actually thought of this one myself :)
Cut poster board into a "tag" design (like you would for luggage).
On one side write "May I TAG along", on the other side glue a picture of the child. Punch a hole at the top and put ribbon through. Parents loved it!



Handprint Flower

Trace handprints on desired color of construction paper for the flower.
Cut handprints out
Wrap bottom of cut handprint around a green straw and tape securely so that fingers of cut handprint form the flower petals.
Cut a leaf out of green paper and wrap around middle of straw and secure with tape.
Can make a bundle of flowers and decorate small empty can with brown paper and stamps/stickers/etc and ribbon and fill with flowers & green Easter grass for a Mother’s day gift.

I hope you enjoy these ideas. They are simple, fun and your preschoolers will love them. Send me any ideas you wish to share and I will publish them for all to use.

Thanks,

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


PS: If you would like to receive my free newsletter for more ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Ocean Preschool Themes - Create a Sea Creature

It isn't necessary to live near the ocean to introduce this other part of our world to your preschoolers. Here are a couple of ideas for ocean preschool themes for you to use with your kids.

Preschoolers are fascinated about the ocean, lakes, rivers--all bodies of water. Use these ideas to begin your week lesson on Under the Sea. Use your circle time to talk about oceans, fresh water and salt water (even offer a "taste" sample) so that they get the idea of different kinds of water.

Sea Life Backdrop-

Bring in an old white sheet for the children to decorate as a large under the sea backdrop. Fill a number of spray bottles with water dyed with food coloring including green, blue and purple. Spray the sheet with the colored water to create a tie-dye underwater effect.

Use this backdrop for the next project!

Create-Your-Own-Sea-Creature-

Have the children use their imaginations to invent a sea create out of construction paper, markers, paint, and other supplies from the craft supply closet. Once all the sea creatures are finished, tape them to the backdrop and have each child give their creature a name and introduce it to the class.

These ideas are no fail, imaginative ideas for all ages from two year olds on up. Have fun with these, add your own ideas and best of all add your children's ideas and watch the fun.


Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


PS: If you like these ideas be sure to check out my Preschool Lesson Plans:

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