Preschool Valentine Crafts - Mouse Heart Valentine

The requests for new preschool valentine crafts ideas has been overwhelming the past few days!

This fun, creative idea was just sent to me to share here for all of you--very cute and excellent for teaching many skills.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. Send pictures also if you have them!


Mouse Heart Valentine

Cut out two heart shapes, one larger for the body and one smaller for the ears. Fold the larger heart in half (child can write a message, their name, or leave blank), and at point end glue a very small fuzzy ball (or just make a dot with a marker) for the nose, make a few whiskers off the nose with a marker.
Then glue on a googly eye in proximity to the nose. Next place a dot of glue at the base of the small heart (leave this one open) for the ears and glue in proximity of the eye.
Use a lollipop (flat ones work best) and tape it to the inside of the larger heart with the stick end sticking out of the rounded larger heart (this is the tail). Glue or tape heart shut and you have a valentine.

This is a good craft for practicing tracing, cutting, fine motor skills with the gluing and placement of the features.



If you like these preschool valentine crafts, 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 Playdoh Activities - Fruity Play Doh

February is here and the groundhog saw his shadow this morning! Here in the US this is a fun myth that is supposed to signify a full 6 more weeks of winter. What better time to introduce some new preschool playdoh activities!

I realize that there are numerous recipes for Play-doh for preschoolers. I always find the homemade kind the most fun and creative. Check out the recipe below for one of my favorites.

Fruity Play Doh
1/2 cup salt
2 cups water
Fruit drink mix (Kool-Aid)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons alum.

Combine the salt and water in a saucepan and boil until the salt dissolves. Take from the heat and add the fruit drink mix. Add the oil, flour and alum. Knead until smooth. This will last two months in an airtight container or zip lock freezer bag.


Let the children help to knead the dough and to manipulate it. This is relaxing for them and helps them to focus. I use the playdoh to teach colors, numbers, shapes, counting, fine motor skills, and letters.

Be sure to have the playdoh available with as many tools as possible. I have cookie cutters of the alphabet, numbers, shapes, objects, etc. I have small rolling pins, garlic presses, potato french fry cutters, the sky is the limit here.

BEST TIP: Practice using scissors with the playdoh. The doh slices easily and grips the scissors better than paper giving them the fine motor feel of how to cut.

If you like these preschool playdoh 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

Preschool Alphabet Game - Name That Footprint Letter

Teaching the alphabet and letter recognition is one of the basics of preschool teaching. I love to physically involve my preschoolers while teaching them and I use this preschool alphabet game to teach letter recognition.


Name That Footprint Letter

1. Cut out footprints with light brown construction paper. You will need one footprint for each letter you wish to practice. You may want to make these out of tagboard as they will be stepped on.
2. Print letters of the alphabet on each footprint to help the child identify whichever you choose. Choose one in the same for each footprint (like all numbers or all letter etc.)
3. Laminate the footprints or cover them with clear contact paper.

Place the footprints in a line on the floor. Don't put the letters in alphabetical order or you'll get the "A,B,C's" sung to you.

Choose a number of footprints appropriate for the skill level and attention span of your students. Some children are not ready to recognize all 26 letters at once or to wait in line very long for a turn.

Children form a line behind the first footprint.

The first child walks the footprints, saying the sound or each letter's name before it is stepped on, trying to get to the end without making a mistake. If a child does make a mistake, tell him the correct letter name and let him continue.

When a child gets to the end of the footprints, he sits down to watch the next child in line. Listening to their peers reinforces their own letter recognition also.

Variations:

Instead of letters you can put numbers, shapes, or even different colors by pasting a piece of colored paper on the footprints. Then they can say the number or color or shape as they step on the footprint.

If you like this preschool alphabet game, 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 Science Activities - Dinosaurs and Birds

If you enjoy teaching science to preschoolers as much as I do, you will want to try these preschool science activities with your class.

The first one combines a favorite topic for all preschoolers--dinosaur--with another favorite interest which is eating and digestion. This was sent to me recently by one of my readers and is so much fun. Your kids will love this!

Use this activity also to show how dinosaurs digested their food the same way that birds digest theirs. This can be done in a circle time activity and also for gross motor skills and following directions when coupled with music.

Dinosaurs & Digestion
To demonstrate how plant eating dinosaurs digest their food (Same process can be used for a bird unit!) put one or two large lettuce leafs in a jar half filled with water. Place three or four 1-2 inch rocks in the jar and screw tightly shut. Pass around having the children shake the jar up and down and all around. This process will smash the lettuce to a pulp rather quickly "digesting it". Dinosaurs swallowed small rocks with their food (birds swallow sand and gravel).

To make it more fun, put on music such as Greg and Steve's "Freeze" song, or any other song you wish, to add dance to the process. Every time they say freeze or any time you stop the music, have the children pass the jar to a friend. Great movement and exercise and gets the job done quickly!

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

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


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

Winter Activities for Preschool - Balloon Snowman and Snow Painting

January weather has left no doubt that winter is in full swing. If you are looking for some winter activities for preschool look at these ideas.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending me these great ideas that they are using with their children. There are indoor and outdoor activities here that can certainly add to your projects for the day.

All hands on activities are ways to teach colors, textures, counting, science and learning to work together on projects or classroom decorations.


Balloon Snowman

Blow up small balloon.
Dip in white paint.
Press onto blue construction paper (press harder to form large circle for base).
Press a second time for middle section (don't press as hard).
Press a third time for head (least amount of pressure).
Glue on precut rectangle for scarf (construction paper).
Glue on precut top hat (black construction paper).
Using black paint, dip Q-tip and dot on eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons on body.
Black marker to draw stick arms.

Children have fun building their own snowman!


Outdoor Snow Artwork
Idea #1
You need a cookie sheet, different colored tempera paint in cups, and paintbrushes. Take children outside in the snow and have children pack the cookie sheet with snow. Let them paint on the snow using the paintbrushes. Take a picture with a camera for a keep sake.

Idea #2
Prepare food coloring and water in spray bottles. venture outside on a sunny day and have your preschoolers Work together to build snowmen. Let them take turns spraying the clothes on the snowmen with the different colored water. Creative and lots of fun. The children especially enjoy watching the colors evaporate or change during the weeks to come.


Snowflakes
Cut a green pepper in half crosswise. Let the children dip the pepper into white paint and press down onto dark blue colored construction paper. Add glitter to the picture before the paint dries.


If you like these winter activities 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 Classrooms - Special Tables and Snowflake Artwork

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Welcoming a new decade is always energizing. This is a time to look at your preschool classrooms and give some new energy to your class.

Here are a couple of ideas that you can use to jump start this change.

Special Table
Have a “special table” set up to change as often as possible (weekly or more) although they may be used throughout the year it is fun just to allow the children to have a different focus as well as your theme etc.

You can use puppets, stuffed animals, colored stones, rocks, phones, unusual toys, hole punches, keys and locks, plants, fish, animal, shells, tools, scarves, musical instruments, cash register, clothes pins, tape measures.

You get the idea--anything can be used. There don't have to be many, just something different for a week or so that is not being used for any other reason in the room. Make a list so it is always available for you to jog your memory.


Snowflakes Art

Cut a green bell pepper in half crosswise. Let the children dip the pepper into white paint and press down onto dark blue colored construction paper. Add glitter to the picture before the paint dries.

Hang around your room or on the bulletin board for winter wonderland decorations.

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

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


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

Christmas Crafts for Preschool - Ornaments and Instant Christmas Trees

Glad to be back and offering more ideas for Christmas crafts for preschool.
Sorry for the time away-the flu was much more than I could have imagined!

Good to be back and having fun during this special time of year. I have received so many wonderful ideas from my readers and want to share a couple of them.

I chose these because they are ideas that even your youngest preschoolers, even toddlers, can do! Give them a try and let me know how they work out.


Ornaments
Need---clear plastic 16 oz cups, permanent markers, and for the adults who help, an oven set at 400.

Take a clear plastic cup and have children color the cup with permanent markers.
Place the cups in an oven (400 degrees), and watch the cups melt. Once they are flat, the cups can be removed.

These make a great Christmas ornament; make a hole in top for hook.

**Really nice if oven is accessible with students, so children can watch the process of the cups melting.


Easy Christmas Trees

Need--Sugar cone ice cream cones, vanilla or green frosting, multi colored rice crisp cereal.

We do a really cute craft at Christmas with my prechool class. The students make a Christmas tree using sugar cones, vanilla frosting and colored crisp cereal.

Cover the cone completely with the frosting and simply roll the cone in a pie plate full of the colored crisp cereal. Let it set for a few minutes and you haev an instant Christmas tree!!! Set aside an area on a table and
create a holiday scene.


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

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


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