Activities for Preschool Children for Groundhog Day

The winter in the US and Canada this year has been particularly cold and snowy with most of us forced to stay inside! On February 2nd, the US and Canada celebrate Groundhog day. Here are activities for preschool children for Groundhog Day!

According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end.

If on the other hand, it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly "see its shadow" and retreat back into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks.

One of my readers sent this activity in for all of us to enjoy. Great for gross motor skills, following directions and just having fun!

Groundhog Tunnel Play
With Groundhog Day just around the corner I wanted to share this idea that my kids love.
I place a tunnel on the floor and they take turns crawling through pretending to be the Groundhog.
I sit at the exit end with a flashlight and a cloud shape and a sun shape that has a hole in the middle.
If the cloud is covering the flashlight there is no shadow so we say an early spring is on the way Hooray!
If the sun is in front of the flashlight there is a shadow so we say six more weeks of winter Oh NO!

Sometimes we do this after making a Groundhog Headband or mask that they can wear while crawling through the tunnel but they like to do this without one just as much.

I do hope you have fun with this one--wonderful imaginary play for all! If you liked these activities for preschool children for Groundhog Day, check out the other ideas in my 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:

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Inside Preschool Activities - Action Cube & Obstacle Course

January in the US for most of us means finding as many inside preschool activities to do that teaches, motivates and uses the pent up energy that results from "cabin fever". Preschoolers need to be active. They learn best when they are physically involved in the lesson.

All of my readers are sending in wonderful ideas to share and here are a couple of them that use the "learn by doing" philosophy that I use every day.

Circle Time Action Cube
This activity is a circle idea which involves a largish cube with a picture of a child jumping on one side, sitting on another, hopping on another, hands high in the air on another, crouching on another, lying down on another. The children take turns rolling the cube and everyone does the action.
Animals could be put on each side and the children be that animal on the roll.
OPTION: It could be a small group activity too where each child does the action individually - turn taking.

Literacy Obstacle Course
One thing I like to do when constructing the obstacle course for the class is incorporate literacy or numeracy learning–for example:

·Design obstacle course in a different shape each time (or number or letter) – children get a kick out of guessing.
·Write numbers, letters, sight words, or draw shapes etc in hopscotch squares for children to identify
·Place numeral, number representative, letters for sounds, shape etc cards around the course for children to identify.

If you like these inside preschool 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 Activities - Name Recognition

Happy New year to everyone! I'm back and so excited to share more ideas with all of you. We can all use preschool alphabet activities and this one is simple and easy and captures their attention.

So many people have sent in new ideas to me the past couple of months.

I find that some of the simpler ideas can be the most fun while teaching our preschoolers; that is what teaching preschool is all about! Having fun and learning all at the same time.

This idea for learning letters of the alphabet and name recognition is perfect.

All kids love singing a familiar song but changing up the words to personalize it make it ever better.


New variation of the BINGO song

This idea is one I do with my three year olds. During greeting time, we sing this song to the tune of Bingo.

"There's a little girl here we're glad to see and Greta is her name o, G, R, E, T, A, G, R, E, T, A, G, R, E, T, A, and Greta is her name o."

Explain to the children that you would like for them to stand when you call their name. I have a card with their name spelled out, and as I say the letter, I point to it so the children would hear the letter and see it.

The young children are learning to spell and recognize their names.
We all have a ball with this activity.

If you like these preschool alphabet activities, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner and give them 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 Play Based Learning - Reading, Imagination, Counting

As you know my primary philosophy of teaching preschool is to use preschool play based learning. That is how children learn and really understand what we are teaching them.

Here is an idea that was sent to me recently that uses this concept perfectly, even better, the kids loved it! You use the story to teach reasoning, counting, rhyming and imaginative play.

Reading Time
We read the story entitled, GOLDILOCKS HAS CHICKEN POX. The story was a hit! It was one of those that the children wanted to "read again and again" so we read it for 3 days and focused on different aspects each time (rhyming words, reading for pleasure, comprehension).

Next, we decided to get large pieces of bulletin board paper (white) to trace the their bodies on. I put the paper on a rectangular table in the room and told them it was like playing doctor. They were imagining that they had chicken pox as I traced around them, 1 at a time.

After I traced each child's body in pencil, I let them work on the floor with it any way they wanted with markers, crayons, glue, and other art materials. Many of them drew chicken pox on their bodies and counted them (math).

This is a great example of open ended, child centered, process learning! We hung their "bodies" around in the room and in our hall way. They also traced one me and worked together to decorate it. Much Fun!

I tried this with my class and the reaction was the same. Teach your preschoolers while letting them experience the concepts and, most of all have fun.

If you like this idea for preschool play based learning, 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 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:

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

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