Preschool Halloween Resource - Painted Pumpkins

If you like Fall and Halloween as much as I do with all the
decorations, costumes, and fun for all, I want to share this preschool Halloween resource I found. I think you'll love it just as much.

My preschoolers absolutely love decorating their own pumpkins for fall decorations, for Halloween or Thanksgiving. They control the image--fun, scary, or just unique to them.

Parents had as much fun receiving these as the kids did making them. The best part is that they don't spoil like carved jack-o-lanterns and can be used for display for the season.

The feedback I had last year from all the families suggested I should share this here for everyone.

Check out this website:


http://preschool3.learnitnow.hop.clickbank.net/


This incredible ebook gives you and your kids the ability to make
Halloween Pumpkins or even Thanksgiving Centerpieces that will be
the envy of everyone who sees them!

Even better--these pumpkins will last SO much longer than carved
jack-o-lanterns. Not days but weeks longer!

Imagine setting up a classroom for an Open House, an October/Halloween party for your kids and having the best classroom ever!



I hope you enjoy this preschool Halloween resource as much as I did. Please send me any holiday ideas you have and I will be sure to share them here.

Until next time,

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


P.S. If you would like to receive my free newsletters for ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

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

Toddler Preschool - Hands On Play

If you're classroom includes toddler preschool age children, it is important to remain aware of developmental expectations of two year olds.

Your two year olds experience play and activities much differently than your three and four year olds. If you keep the following tips in mind you will provide the best learning environment for your toddler preschoolers.

Hands-on experiences are the best kind of play. They learn much quicker than if they are told or “talked to”.

**This is also an excellent reason why it is better to not do worksheets at this age.

Toddlers need to have playmates around. Even though they may not play with another person at this age, they are always paying attention to what is going on around them and what their peers are doing.

Their emotions are close to the surface. Think of them as a light switch—one minute they might be happy and suddenly they are sad; they can go from calm to agitated in a second. Your best approach is to stay calm yourself and be patient.

Activities, projects, and play time allow us as teachers and caregivers to share valuable time together in a meaningful way. We can observe how they are learning and where we can enhance their opportunities.

If you like these toddler preschool teaching tips, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

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

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Preschool Counting Games - Number Cruncher and Number Hunt

Teaching preschoolers with games is a perfect match. These preschool counting games require them to be involved physically as well as mentally.

Any time you can engage your preschool kids in an activity is teaching them how to listen to directions, follow sequences, and to work as a team in addition to learning the mental skills you are teaching.

Number Cruncher
In this game, one student is the cruncher and everyone else is a number. Give each child a number to hold and the cruncher must go around and try to tag the numbers, but they must get the numbers in order. For example, the cruncher must get 7 before he can get 8 or 9. When all the students have been “crunched,” you can pick a new cruncher and start from scratch.


Number Hunt
Make a set of number cards, 1-5 or 1-10, depending on your children’s abilities. I like to make the cards resemble a shape, for example I use circles and decorate them to look like cookies and put one number on each card. Hide these cards around the room before they arrive.
To start this, tell them that the number cookies are hidden around the room and that they need to find them. Once they find the numbers, they will need to decide if they have found them all. To do this they will need to put them in order. For older children, they will know how to count to ten but for younger ones you can have the numbers on the board and they can match their “found” numbers to the ones on the board to see if they have found them all.

If you like these preschool counting games, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

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

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Preschool Fall Activities - Pine Cone Owls and Edible Art

These are two preschool fall activities that your children will learn from and enjoy while doing them. They will ask for them again and again!

If you live in an area where you can go on a nature walk and collect pine cones, be sure to do so. If not, you can purchase these at a crafts store.

I use this lesson to teach the letter O, to teach shapes and to discuss owls. We talk about what they look like, what they eat, how they sound. I show pictures of owls and how there are many different types of owls. One of my readers just sent in this Pine Cone Owl idea. Thanks so much.

Next use the apples for multiple topics as well. Use them for nutrition, to talk about shapes, to use them for color recognition (apples are in many colors). Use your imagination and have fun.

Pine Cone Owls

Use pine cones to make baby owls. Just take cotton balls and pull them apart. Stuff them in between the pine quills. Then cut out eyes and wings and feet and have your preschoolers glue them on to the pine cones. They are so cute.


Edible Apple Designs

This is a snack and art project all rolled into one! Need: apples, yogurt of different colors (you could buy the kind that is already different colors or add food coloring to vanilla yogurt), & paper plates.

Slice the apples in different shapes. Pour a few kinds of yogurt that is different colors or use vanilla yogurt and add food coloring to it, onto a plate for each child. Give each child a paper plate to create an edible masterpiece. Show them how to dip the apple into the yogurt and create prints on their plate. They can eat the yogurt and apple work of art!

If you like these preschool fall activities, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

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

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Preschool Back to School Activities - Personalized Placements

Here is an idea for preschool back to school activities that is as good for you and your staff as well as for your preschoolers. This is a personalized way for you to get to know unique likes of your students and for their friends to get to know their classmates.

This idea was one of the hundreds sent to me recently. Try using this idea or modifying to fit your own situation.

It is a way to work on fine motor controls such as cutting and gluing. They can learn site words or how to identify their own names. Tracing letters reinforces alphabet skills as well.

Personalized Placements

I sent a paper placemat with the child's name written on the top. Parents work with children looking through magazines & ads, to cut and glue their favorite foods or just draw them on the mat. When they were returned, we laminated the placemats and each child uses his/her during meals/snacks. This works great with name recognition for everyone and while we're waiting for our lunch, we trace our names with our finger!


If you like these preschool back to school activities, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

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

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Preschool Fall Themes - Apple Harvest Time

Here in the US, when we think of fall we think of turning leaves, apple picking, and pumpkins in the field. Try these preschool fall themes using apples.

You can use these for circle time, for math activities, and for color recognition. The possibilities are numerous here and I have found that my preschoolers even come up with their own ideas!

Circle Time-

tell everyone to bring an apple for show and tell. Have everyone present their apples to the circle, and note the different colors, sizes, and shapes of the apples. Make a chart on the wall of how many apples are red versus green versus yellow, small versus big, round versus oval, stem versus no stems, etc.

How Many Apples Tall am I

teach children about different ways of measuring people- inches, centimeters, etc. Get each child to lay down on the ground and measure how many apples tall they are. Compare everyone’s results on a chart, tallest, shortest, most common, etc.

Snack time - Apple Pizza

1- Give each child half a toasted hamburger bun or English muffin. Have them put apple sauce for the sauce, cream cheese for the cheese, and cinnamon on top for the spice. Toast the apple pizzas in the oven for one or two minutes to warm the applesauce and to melt the cheese.

If you like these preschool fall themes, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

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

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Preschool Pirate Theme Activities - Pirate Ships

One of my favorite units in preschool are preschool pirate theme activities. I usually find that my preschoolers enjoy it so much that it extends beyond the one week slot I set aside for any given theme.

I have many ideas that I have collected over the years. The children are a wonderful resource as well and often suggest clever ideas of their own.

Here is an idea one of my readers sent to me.

It is easy to put together and I guarantee your preschool kids will love it.


Table Pirate Ship

For a ship I have used (for Columbus day in the US) a table turned upside down.

If you want to put a flag up you can use a bit of clay or playdough at the bottom of one of the legs to stick a flag inside.

They walk on the bottoms of the tables and use their decorated papertowel tubes or a Pringles can to use as a telescope....Land HO!!!!

You can also make a jolly roger flag instead and you can drape streamers around the legs to enclose it on three sides if you want. It is just an alternative to looking for a big enough box. I found that it worked quite well.

If you like these preschool pirate theme activites, you'll love the other ideas in the Preschool Planner as well.


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 Crafts for Fall - Tree Painting and Wreaths

It's September and school has started back here in the US. With the imminent change in seasons I am suggesting a couple of preschool crafts for fall for you to try.

Preschoolers love painting, hiking, collecting special items on a nature walk. Take all of these activities and combine them to create a Fall mural for your classroom or for them to take home and share with their families.

You can use these craft ideas while teaching colors, numbers or counting, directions and spatial relations, and observation skills.

Fall Tree Painting

Materials- red, orange, yellow, and brown paint, white paper

1- Give each child a piece of white paper. To make the base of the tree, use a paintbrush to cover one arm and hand including the fingers with brown paint. Press the painted arm and hand down on the page to make the base of the tree and the branches. Have the children wash their arms and hands before continuing.

2- To make the leaves, paint the tips of the fingers red, orange or yellow. Press the fingerprints in the trees for leaves.

Fall Wreaths

Materials - paper plate, brown paint, glue and items collected on a nature walk outside.

Give each child a paper plate and have them paint them brown. After the paint dries, cut a 3-inch hole in the center of each paper plate. Glue the collected items from the nature walk to the paper plates. These items can include leaves, pine cones, acorns, flower petals, grass, etc. Decorate each wreath with a colorful bow and display in the classroom for the rest of the week.

If you like these preschool crafts for fall, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

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

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Preschool Music Activities - Paper Plate Dance

These preschool music activities were sent to me recently. A universal love of preschoolers is music. Add music to activities and you create a favorite time for them.

You can incorporate these into your lesson plans on counting, following directions, listening skills and more.

Use your imagination and try them.

Worthy of note is safety here. Always talk about safe ways to move about when trying these activities so that no one gets hurt.

Paper Plate Dance!

Both my 3's and 4's love dancing on paper plates. Put on some good music, put a paper plate under each foot, and s l i d e to the music. Good for following directions - forward, backward, to the left, to the right, can you go in a circle?

Musical Plates!

Also, a game similar to Musical Chairs. Walk around a circle of paper plates. When the music stops, ask 1 or 2 children to look under their plate and tell what's under it. It can be a color, shape, number, letter, or whatever else you are working on. Again, fun, easy, and educational.


If you like these preschool music ideas, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

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

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.

If you prefer lessons which have ideas for the Toddler Age, go here to the second volume of lessons. There is an entire bonus section devoted to TODDLERS.

http://www.preschoolwhiz.com/v2.html

Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com