Crash, Rattle, Bing, Bang
March 2nd – March 6th, 2015
Lesson Plans for 6 -12 Months
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayLanguage and
Music
Goal:
To experience the natural flow of language patterns / Car Ride
(While seated on adult’s lap)
This is the way the car goes:
Bumpity, bumpity, bump.
This is the way the car goes,
Bumpity, bumpity, bump.
Oh, there’s a hole in the road:
Bumpity, bumpity…BUMP! / Body Part Game
Touch a part of your body (head, face, arm, nose, ear, etc.) & then touch the same part on your baby. Encourage baby to copy your actions.
Language Cards
Copy, print & laminate pictures of cars, trains, boats, & trucks. Talk to baby about them; attach to floor or walls where all the babies can see them. / Funny Sounds
Sit comfortable with a baby and start making sounds like humming, clucking or clicking your tongue. As the babies get older they will begin to mimic the sound you are making. / Blue Wall Display
Locate pictures of real blue objects. Consider balls, blocks, toys, bluebells, blue pansies, blueberries. Laminate the items for durability or place behind protective sheets. Display on a low wall for two weeks. Sit with a baby and talk about the photos. / Choo-Choo Train
This is a choo-choo train
(bend arm at elbow)
Puffing down the track.
(rotate arms in rhythm)
Now it's going forward,
Now it's going back.”
Fine Motor
Goal:
Refine eye-hand coordination / Clapping the Lids
Locate 2 lightweight metal saucepan lids & lightly clap them together. Allow baby to interact with the lids; if baby bangs them together, provide positive reinforcement: “Jorge, you’re clapping the lids together & making music.” If necessary, assist the baby by placing each lid in the baby’s hands & saying “Clap your hands together.” / Cereal Pour
Put some O-shaped cereal in a shallow dish or small cup. Encourage baby to remove the cereal using his fingers. / Popping Apart
While seated near baby, place in his hands two large pop beads which are joined together. Place one of his hands around each bead. Place your hands over his & take him through the motion of pulling the beads apart. Pull hard enough so he feels it. Repeat. / Stacking Cups
Place stacking cups in an area that can be constantly supervised. Let baby examine them but describe what he is doing with them:”Jami, you’re stacking the little cup on the big cup.” Offer suggestions to direct baby toward stacking them one on top of the other. / Toy Grasp
With baby seated facing you, gently shake a rattle in front of baby. “Look at the rattle, Aiden. Do you see the orange rattle?” Baby will attempt to grasp the rattle but may miss it. Continue as long as baby seems interested.
Gross Motor
Goal:
Strengthen upper-body muscles / Basket Throw
Locate a laundry basket with sturdy sides and 4 light-weight balls & place both in a wide-open area. Demonstrate the activity & encourage baby to throw a ball into the basket. Count the number that land inside it. Provide positive reinforcement for attempts & accomplishments. / Crawling Craze
Ensure that you have ample safe, open space both indoors and outdoors for the babies in your care to utilize. Place mats, large boxes and other suitable items out for babies to crawl in and around. / Seesaw
Hold baby on your lap facing you. Rock back & forth as you recite the following:
Seesaw, seesaw,
Back & forth, back & forth.
Seesaw, seesaw,
Up & down, up & down.
(lift baby up & down)
Give a hug, give a hug.
(Hug baby.) / Stop & Go
Turn on lively children’s music and dance with baby in your arms or by holding on to his hands. Sway and rock back and forth. Turn the music off and announce, “Stop!” When you turn it on, say “Go!” and dance again. / Tunnel Trip
Find a box larger than baby’s body so he can crawl through & cut off both ends to make a tunnel. Place baby on the floor at one end; position yourself at the other end & call to baby to get him to come into the box. If needed, gently pull him through.
Sensory
and
Art / Take a Walk Weather permitting, take babies outside in a stroller. As you walk, talk about what the babies are seeing. This activity can also be done inside the building. In case of inclement weather, stroll through the hallways of your school and talk, talk, talk! / Foaming Bath Soap
Color foaming baby bath using food coloring. Cover a low table or riser with clear plastic. Squirt the foam on the table for Baby to touch, mash and push around. Add more foam if Baby indicates she’d like more. / Yellow Toys
Locate as many yellow toys as you can throughout the classroom—especially those with interesting textures—and place within baby’s reach. Use the word “yellow” when baby plays with them: “Jamel, you found the yellow block. It’s soft, isn’t it?” / Water Painting
Fill a bowl with water and give your baby several real paintbrushes. Set him up so he's sitting in front of a wall or low piece of outdoor furniture, such as a step stool or bench, then show him how to "paint" it with water. / Spice Socks
In a baggie, place 4 cotton balls that have been sprinkled with a few drops of clove, cinnamon or vanilla. Shake them up. Place the cotton balls in a tube sock and tie it in a knot. Talk with baby about what he smells.
Crash, Rattle, Bing, Bang
March 9th – March 13th, 2015
Lesson Plans for 6 -12 Months
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayLanguage and
Music
Goal: to hear language patterns and associate words with items/actions / Sing to Me
Throughout the month, concentrate on chanting & singing to appeal to each baby’s fascination with the human voice.
Language Cards
Seated on the floor w/baby in your lap, show baby the picture & a real object. Check with a preschool classroom to see if they have small cars, trucks, planes, boats, etc. Use lots of language: Oh, look at the truck. It’s blue and white. ” / Wiggle, Wiggle
Wiggle your index finger in the air as you recite:
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle little finger,
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle in the air.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle little finger,
Wiggle all around & put it there!”
On ‘put it there” touch baby on the nose. / Let’s Talk, Babies!
Talk to all the babies in your care from the very beginning. Babies love the sound of your voice. It’s not so much what you say; just let the baby hear words from you. As you diaper and feed each baby today, talk, talk, talk to him! / Green Wall Display
Locate pictures of real green objects. Consider balls, blocks, toys, broccoli, green beans, green apples. Laminate the items for durability or place behind protective sheets. Display on a low wall for two weeks. Sit with a baby and talk about the photos. / Baby Signs
Six months of age is a great time to introduce sign language. A baby’s understanding of language and her motor skills develop much faster than her ability to speak. Baby signs may actually help develop her language skills.
Signs: car, stop, balloon, water, airplane, angry
Fine Motor
Goal: grasping objects / Things That Open & Close
Gather a variety of containers that open & close: soap dish, jewelry box, band aid box, etc. Sit w/baby & demonstrate how to open & close them. Hide surprises in one or more. Caution: Choose items that are NOT choking hazards. / Pull Apart Toys
A few different kinds of pull-apart toys—pop beads work well--& put each set in a dishpan or small tub. Put a few of the toys together & give to baby to hold & pull apart.
“Look, you pulled them apart. Would you like me to put them back together for you?” / Did You Know?
Having a security blanket or other “lovie” is a way for a baby to find confidence & comfort by himself. Don’t worry that these will foster dependent behavior; the opposite is probably true: a baby who has a special blanket is finding a way to make the world a less overwhelming place. / Spring Cleaning
Rotate all of the fine motor toys in the nursery today. Replace them with different ones so that all the babies have different opportunities for learning. / Fun With Lids
Ask a fast food restaurant to donate several drink cup lids. Place all of them on one straw, leaving space between each lid.
Show baby how to take the lids off and put them back on again.
Gross Motor
Goal: strengthen back muscles / Going Shopping
Obtain a child-size shopping cart & place a baby doll inside it. Encourage the child to take the doll shopping: “Shasheen, your baby is crying. Do you need to buy some food?” You’re shopping with baby. What are you going to buy at the grocery store?” Continue to encourage baby to push the cart about the room. / Building a Town; Tear It Down
Place a stack of cloth blocks on the floor. Help baby build a tower with them. Knock the tower down and build up again. Continue until baby loses interest. / Tug O’ Love
Get on the floor with baby. Giver her one end of a long sock while you grasp the other. Gently pull the sock toward you. Show baby how to pull the end toward herself. Tug back and forth.
“I pull you & you pull me.
Tug o’love just you and me.”
Pretend baby is so strong that she pulls you over. / Copy Cat
While baby is sitting in her high chair, do simple actions in front of her. Try to get her to copy you. Bang on her tray with your hand or a spoon; pat your head; rock your head from side to side; clap your hands.
“Bang on your tray, Clair. You’re making a loud noise now.” / Free Exploration
Babies learn best when they have lots and lots of freedom to explore. Be certain that your nursery is set up so that there are many interesting places for baby to move about in which you can easily supervise.
Sensory
and
Art / Bubble Bottles
Fill a large, clear plastic bottle (soda or water) one third full of water. Add a few drops of dish soap or other liquid soap and a few drops of food coloring. Secure lid with glue & Give to baby. Show her how to shake it up & make colored bubbles. Make several bubble bottles using different shades of food coloring and use them to introduce baby to the various colors. / Add a Plant to the Nursery
Green plants provide a nice contrast to the hard surfaces of tile floors and concrete block walls that exist in infant nurseries. Adding a non-toxic plant (Spider plant, Jade or Wandering Jew) will provide a softening effect that you and the babies will enjoy! / Vehicle Fun
Fill a dish tub with a variety of cars, trucks and boats & include a small amount of play sand. Sit with baby & explore the vehicles and sand together. Talk about the sounds the vehicles make, their color, where they drive, etc. / Green Streamer Pull
Hang long green crepe paper streamers loosely around your neck. When you lean over baby to change him or pick her up, allow baby to reach out and touch the streamers. Will baby crunch them or tap at them? Say, “Look! You grabbed the green streamer. Pull, pull, pull!” / Did You Know?
A baby uses all of his senses to explore and learn about his world. Make sure he has lots of safe things around to touch, mouth, and manipulate. He'll love squishing a soft rubber ball, patting a piece of fake fur, gnawing a chilled teething ring, and hearing a bell jingle inside a stuffed animal.
Crash, Rattle, Bing, Bang
March 16th – March 20th, 2015
Lesson Plans for 6 - 12 Months
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayLanguage and
Music
Goal:
Develop expressive language skill / Dance a Merry Jig
Touch one finger or toe at a time as you chant:
“This little pig danced a merry, merry jig.
This little pig ate candy.
This little pig wore an orange & black wig,
This little pig was a dandy,
But this little pig never grew very big…
And they called her “Itty Bitty Mandy” (substitute for baby’s name) / Playing with Picture Cards
Paste small bright pictures onto sturdy cardboard & cover with clear contact paper. Put the cards into a shallow dish and give to baby to play with. Let him pour out the pictures and look at, move or bend them however he wishes. Tell him the names of pictures as he looks at them:
“You have a picture of a car. Beep, beep, beep goes the car’s horn.” / Horse Rides
Seat baby atop a soft blanket, facing you:
“This is the way the gentleman rides, the gentleman rides, the gentleman rides.
This is the way the gentleman rides, so early in the morning”.
With the last verse, bounce a bit more vigorously & sing:
“This is the way the farmer rides, the farmer rides, the farmer rides
This is the way the farmer rides, so early in the morning.”
. / Did You Know?
Looking at books together will improve baby's language skills & prime him for a lifelong love of reading. Board books are colorful and sturdy, and books that have pop-up pictures or textured illustrations are also very popular.
Babies don’t have the dexterity to open a book or flip pages until about 9- 12 months but will still enjoy trying. / Collage of Cars
Cut many photos of cars, trucks and other vehicles from magazines or print off the internet. Paste these onto a piece of heavy tag or poster board. Laminate or cover with Contact paper. Place collage on the wall at eye level where baby can touch, look at & explore. Remember to provide verbal encouragement and support when baby shows interest in this display.