Preschool Science Activities - Science, Recycling and Wind Chimes

If you're looking for ideas for preschool science activities, try this fantastic idea.

Science activities get your preschoolers directly involved and my philosophy is having them learn by doing!

This activity gets the children directly involved, teaches creative ways to recycle old items around the house or classroom and teaches about air and its properties. One of my readers sent in this idea to share.

Wind Chimes
I do a science unit on air and its properties. One of the projects in this unit is a wind chime. Have each child gather some items from home (inside and out) with which to create their very own wind chime. I send an explanatory note home to the parents as well as a few suggestions to get them started.

I am going to use plastic lids from food containers (oleo, coffee, sour cream, etc.) so before the day of construction, I will punch several holes through the lids using a hammer and nail and then thread the string through them, attaching them all at the top with a loop.

The children will then help me tie each item to a string. As with store-bought wind chimes, there needs a striker item hanging in the middle. A large metal washer works nicely. My students love this activity and we hang them from our classroom ceiling for all to enjoy for a time. This is also a good project during which to talk about reducing, reusing and recycling materials with the children.

Thanks for sending this idea to share.

Keep your ideas coming in and I'll share them here for all.

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

Check them out:

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:

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Preschool Fall Activities - The Thankful Tree

I want to share these preschool fall activities because they can be adapted for all nationalities and any season.

In the United States, the holiday of Thanksgiving is in November. It is a time for families and friends to get together and share a special meal and talk about what we are thankful for.

This same concept of gratitude and things to be thankful for can be used for any time of year in any country. No need to limit this to one country's holiday event once a year.

The Thankful Tree

We have a Thankful Tree every year that we use for our Thanksgiving Feasts at the preschool.

First we find a really big tree branch and anchor it in a big container or bucket. You can use cement, plaster of paris or even rocks and sand to hold up the branch. Spray it gold and then either buy beautiful cotton leaves or commercial type leaves, or we cut them out ourselves and then decorate them, or buy water color paper leaves and paint them in fall colors. It’s up to your imagination.

Give each child, friend or family a leaf or two and have them write on the leaf what they are thankful for. Of course, your preschoolers can't write but their parents can write what they say. Then hang these on the tree or hot glue it on one of the branches.

It looks great and it a great center piece for a table. It’s a great project for families or even kids clubs. Everyone is thankful for something. This way they can write it down and share it.

Thanks for sending this idea to share.

Keep your ideas coming in and I'll share them here for all.

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

Check them out:

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

Dental Health Preschool Activities - Pretend Dental Visit

I am always trying to include healthy lifestyle activities into my lesson plans. These dental health preschool activities are so much fun. Give this a try; your preschoolers will love it and start to learn how to start taking care of themselves.

I can't think of a better time to teach about and to continue dental care that their parents have begun at home.

This particular activity was sent to my by one of my readers who is a dental hygienist. I've tried it and what a hit!


Pretend Dental Visit

As a Dental Hygienist I love teaching my kids how to brush and floss! Have a talk about visiting the Dentist day.

Read a visiting the Dentist book to your class at circle time; you can get one at nearly any book store in the kid section or the local library. Talk about the proper way to brush and floss their teach.

HINT: Almost any Dentist, if you ask, will give you dental goody bags that have a toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste for kids, just let them know it is for a preschool lesson, I'm sure they'll be happy to donate-if not give you a good deal on purchasing the bags. I show my kids what's in the bag and how to use each item.

To help them understand how to use their goodies, I have 3-4 kids stand in a line and pretend they are teeth! You can get creative by making teeth out of pillow cases or just painting their faces. Next you place a long enough pink fabric ( I use a crib sheet cover that I had lying around) to go over their feet (for the bottom teeth). Have all the children stand really close to each other and use a giant toothbrush (I made one out of a card board box and construction paper) to brush the teeth.

Be sure to brush under the pink fabric which is the "gum tissue"; tooth bugs love hiding under the gum tissue.

Next you floss the teeth; I use a long white shoe lace and demonstrate flossing by taking the shoe lace between the children and flossing from their heads down to their feet, making sure the floss goes under the pink fabric/gum tissue-because again that's where the tooth bugs hide.

You'll probably get lots of giggles! I have a picture I drew of a tooth germ, I call a tooth bug, and we talk about how these little critters cause cavities if we don't brush and floss.


These wonderful ideas are coming to me all the time. Thanks so much for sharing this for all of us.

If you like these dental health preschool activities, 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 Halloween Activities - Halloween Hunt and Bite the Ghost

I have received so many requests for preschool Halloween activities!This is such a fun time for children and preschoolers are part of the mix.

It is important to keep this fun and not too scary. Remember these are 3-5 year olds; try to keep the "scary" part to a minimum but add lots of fun to the event.

Here are a couple of fun ideas that you can use with your class. Preschoolers love treasure hunts and to search the sand table for the large Halloween confetti is so much fun. Then use the "treasure finds" for sorting, counting, color recognition, shapes, etc.

Sand Table Halloween Hunt
This idea is great for 3's-- In your rice or sand table, sprinkle some of that neat shiny confetti--for fall you can use leaves, for Halloween you can use pumpkins or bats, etc. Have children go on a "treasure hunt" in the rice or sand and find the little pumpkins, bats, etc. When they have found all the confetti, each child can count how many they found-- you can also give the kids magnifying glasses to help with their search--the rice table has never looked so neat!


Play Bite the Ghost
Hang string from ceiling attaching other end to a frosted ghost shaped sugar cookie (I write children's name's on them). Children locate their name, place their hands behind their back and bite their cookie until it is gone! This is another version of bobbing for apples but everyone's germs stay on their own cookie and all of the children can (if you want to) play at the same time. This works well with preschoolers that have difficulty waiting, especially on an exciting day of a Halloween party! I place tables below the hanging ghost cookies so that when they fall, the children can pick up the pieces and finish them. This avoids upset to cookies breaking on the floor.


If you like these preschool halloween 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

Preschool Sensory Tables

One of the most frequent requests I get are ideas for preschool sensory tables.

So many of you just don't have the space or means to provide an actual free standing sensory table for your center yet you want to provide the activities that a sensory table offers.

Here is a great idea sent to me recently by one of my readers and it offers a great solution to the problem.

Sensory Table Suggestion

I have limited space, but REALLY wanted to have a sensory table of some sort.

I found that a shallow plastic storage bin with a lid (you can get several sizes of under-the-bed types, some with wheels even) worked really great (on a drop cloth if need be).

It was big enough to allow space for exploration, but small enough to be snapped shut and stored easily.

I could not believe how much the kids loved it! And on a drop cloth you just gather the corners and dump everything back in when you are done which is harder to accomplish with a larger and higher table.

Everyone is sending such wonderful creative ideas for all of us to share.

Keep sending in your ideas and I'll share them here for all.

If you like this idea for preschool sensory tables, give the other ideas in the Preschool Planner a try.

Check them out:

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 Tips - Getting & Maintaining Attention

I hope the beginning of the school year has been good for everyone. So many of you have emailed me asking for preschool tips for getting and maintaining your children's attention.

Try using the element of "surprise" with your children. It is almost foolproof and your kids will respond quickly.

Here are a couple of ideas that have been sent to me from my readers. They use my surprise tactic as well and show just how easy it is to grab their attention.

Hands on Head
When the kids are out of control I simply state loudly, " Everyone, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" Its so funny to see, all of them drop what they're doing and place their hands on their heads. They all think it's fun and quickly the room falls in to control.

Preschool Mad Libs
When my kids get restless during story time or singing time I will often incorporate their names, a silly word or phrase, or leave blanks for them to "mad lib" and give me a noun, verb or adjective to spice it up.
For example:
Ask: "Goldilocks sat down on mama bears chair, but it was too... what?" "Scratchy!"
Sing: "Ryan's workin' on the railroad, all the live long day..."

These egocentric little people are always up for being the star of the show, and unless I let it get too silly they usually stop being so fidgety and can focus on what we are doing.

Keep your ideas coming in and I'll share them here for all.

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

Check them out:

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 Projects - Frozen Paint and Water Painting

I can't imagine a day with my students without preschool art projects. I also find that the simpler activities are just as fun as the more elaborate ideas I have done over the years.

Here are 2 easy, creative ideas that I use often. My readers have sent me similar suggestions and it is such fun to hear these same ideas from around the world!

Frozen Paint
One thing I have found that my preschool classes have really enjoyed is painting with frozen paint. All you have to do is fill an ice tray or popsicle trays with paint. Stick it in the freezer.

Once frozen let the children enjoy painting. School Supply stores also sell containers specifically for this purpose for pretty cheap. I have found that sometimes the painting works best when you let the trays sit out for 1/2 before painting unless it's a really hot day. It can be messy as the paint thaws so do this activity in a water table or outside.

Water Evaporation
Materials: Water, Paintbrushes

When practicing letters/shapes/numbers--anything!
We go outside to the wall or sidewalk.
Give each child a paintbrush and have 2 children share a cup of water with each other.

They listen for the teacher to tell them what to draw. On a sunny day, before they know it, their letter or picture has "disappeared." They love getting to paint and also watching it disappear.

If you like these preschool art projects, 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