Preschool Science - Window Nature Observers

Fall provides so many opportunities to teach preschool science--especially the seasons.

Go for a walk, and begin pointing out things that are changing--of course colors of leaves are the most noticeable.

The weather is changing too so there are many days you can't go outside so here is an option for observation skills.

Window Drawing

As the days get colder we enjoy, drawing on the windows. Use the crayola window markers.

Draw the trees with full leaves and day by day as the leaves fall erase a leaf, until the trees are bare.

I use this as a tool to teach about change, which also includes things around them and the environment.

You can also start a chart next to this and make a mark each time you erase a leaf. Then you can use your marks for numbers and counting fun.

If you like this preschool science activity, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

http://www.mypreschoolplan.com/p/ar.html

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


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

Mary


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

Preschool Games - Preschool Post Office

Here is one of the preschool games I use at the beginning of the year to help my preschoolers remember each others names and to recognize their own name when they see it in print.

This is something I have used for years and the children never tire of it. Learn by doing and playing; your preschoolers will love it.

Preschool Post Office
Set up a post office in your preschool. Cover a box to resemble a mailbox.
Fill the postbox with envelopes containing all the childrens names.

One person plays Postman and hands out an envelope to all the children. The children then take turns opening their envelope and trying to identify the name.

This is great to work on letter recognition and beginning sounds. With or without help from everyone else, once the name is identified the child delivers that name to the correct child and then that child has a turn.

Continue until everyone has received their name.

Variation: Put one of the letters, shapes,or even numbers you have studied in the envelope. Ask who can identify what is in their envelope.


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

http://www.mypreschoolplan.com/p/ar.html

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


Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them here.

Mary


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

Teaching Preschool - How to Get Preschoolers to LISTEN

Fall is just around the corner and all of us are getting ready for our new group of children. Teaching preschool means you are their first teacher and they have no expectations or experiences of what school is all about.

I believe that the sooner you set teach your preschoolers how to pay attention is with a rhyme that they can easily learn and know the expectation when they hear it.

Even better is that they begin to complete the rhyme when you start it and give you their attention quickly.

This idea is similar to one I have used but works even quicker! One of my readers sent it in for all to try.

123 Eyes on Me

When you start teaching your class and the children are not listening just say, "123. They will look at you and wonder what you are doing.

Say to them, when I say 123, I would like you children to say, "eyes on me".
They love it when I say this to them.

They love to answer back and it helps remind them to listen.

I get more done in the classroom setting because if it does start to get out of hand, I will just say 123 - eyes on me .

Once you start doing this they will automatically stop. It works every time! Most important--don't move on until they are quiet.

The whole point is to teach them politely to listen and they will mirror it back to you.


If you like this teaching preschool idea, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

http://www.mypreschoolplan.com/p/ar.html

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


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

Mary


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

Circle Time - Quiet Bottles and Calendar activities

One of the special times each day in preschool is circle time.

It helps to set the tone for the day, to regroup after a boisterous activity and to review the events of the day. So much can be done at this special time.

Here are two wonderful ideas my readers sent it to share. We all can use ways to bring quiet time to the circle. Try the Quiet Bottles. Teaching calendars is so much fun and often challenging so try the Calendar Circle time idea with your kids.

Quiet Bottles
This is an idea that my 3-4 yr old class loves

I saved several of the smaller, plastic Coke bottles to make these.
(I make these in front of the children so their question of "How did you do that?"
is answered by observing.)

Fill each bottle about half and half of water and cooking oil.
Add a few drops of food coloring. Glue the lid back on
and twist tightly. I make several bottles and make them different
colors. The children can hold these during circle time and watch the
"waves" quietly while listening to our story, etc. I remind the
children to be as quiet as their bottle is. The bottle keeps busy hands
occupied instead of bothering a neighbor.

TIP: these bottles are also ideal for calming really hyper children.

Circle Calendar Time

One idea that I like to use during circle time when I do my calendar is:
When counting down the days of the month that have passed I like to incorporate movement, for example, in the month of October we pretended to pick pumpkins for every day of the month that passed.

Each month the theme changes and so do the type of movements. January we snow skied down the slopes, Feb. we did heart beats, March we were dinosaurs, etc... Use your imagination and let the children help decide, it is a fun way to get the wiggles out!

Thanks so much for sending in your ideas. Keep them coming and I will post them for all of us to use.

If you like this idea for circle time, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner a try.

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

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 Art Activities - Hands-On Activities: MESSY & FUN

I can't imagine a day with preschoolers without preschool art activities. These provide direct hands-on learning and can be done indoors or outside.

Here are a couple of activities that have been sent to me for all to try. The first one is using clay--an excellent medium to use at the water table and gives immediate gratification to children. They can learn to make shapes, figure out what shapes can hold things and which can't.

The second one teaches colors, mixing colors, cause and effect of actions and creative ways to use ordinary household items in new ways--Fly swatters!!!


Molding Clay Containers
All this indoor activity requires is:

Molding clay
Water- use judgment, enough to keep wet.

We put the clay and water on the table. Give the children enough to work with.
Wet the area with water(you may want to use sand/water table)
The children begin to create miniature bowls, baskets,(whatever their skill level may be).

Once they have molded their clay into their design, let dry for a couple days. Once dry good. Children can paint them. Fill the with miniature goodies, flowers, etc.

FAIR WARNING-- this can be very messy, but it is lots of fun.

Fly Swatter Art
I have a simple but really fun art experience for the theme BUGS!

I DO THIS ONE OUTSIDE. Smocks are essential. Messy but oh so fun!

You can either draw or print some flies onto large paper for the easels and give the children new fly swatters.

Place some paint onto baking trays, two colours that make a new colour is usually good and they dip their swatt in and swatt the flies.

This teaches hand & eye co-ordination and if the colours get mixed they learn about new colours.

The children love this! You just have to watch the over exciteable ones as they tend to swatt everything or swatt too hard making paint fly everywhere!!


If you like these animal themes for preschool, 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.


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

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

Preschool Nature Activities - Wall Collage & Bird Nests

Here is in the US spring is finally here. I can't think of any better plan than to do preschool nature activities with my kids. These ideas are definitely not limited to the spring time but we are all anxious to get outside and enjoy nice weather--finally after so much snow.

Going outside for walks, observing their world around them, collecting things along the way provide hours of fun learning activities to do in the classroom or outside.

Here are just 2 of my nature activities that are always a hit.

Environmental Wall Collage
we like to walk around outside & find items to put on a giant wall collage. The children find the items, glue it to poster board if they want to or straight on the wall collage.

Next we write a short story on where we went, what we found, and the children get to show off to the parents or guardians. It’s a great way to get them to recognize the environment around them and then the gluing helps with the fine motor skills and the story helps the language & development.

Use this activity before an Open House in your school and all the parents get to see just how busy their children have been!

Bird Nest
Try making bird nests with your class. Go for a walk with your preschoolers and ask them to collect twigs from the school yard. Take your twig treasures inside for your project.

Show them a real bird nest or a picture of one and tell them they will get to make their own nest. You will need a disposable foam bowl for each child.

You will need to cover the inside with craft glue. They put their twigs inside their bowl and then they pour some more glue on top of it. Set them aside for two days (or until the glue has dried.)

After two days show them how to take it out of the bowl and they will have their own personal bird nest. They are so proud of the nest that they made.

If you like these preschool nature 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.


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

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