-Preschool Idea Swap! – Vol. 4
Idea Sharing With Preschool Teachers and Providers
From around the World
From Tracy…
You have probably heard of this one but I know that the children loved it and they always ask me to do it again.
You place a bar of ivory soap in the microwave and turn it on and watch as it gets bigger they also liked to play with it once it cooled down.
--//--
From Matthew…
Here isa Thanksgiving decoration ideas that we did to hang in the classroom
the children go the cut out of a corn a yellow piece 2 green leaves to back it and a brown piece to go in the middle of the leaves at the back. We glued them together and my class is now learning the shape square so the drew their shapes and then the fun part they got to get lots of peas and beans to add on to the corn. They came out so lovely and look great.
For Christmas bulletin board they will get this as a together time activity during the thanksgiving break: create aChristmas gift list cutting and pasting pictures from magazines, they will make a book of all of their wishes that they want from Santa. It will be titled “Dear Santa”:....as the children work with their parents it will give them an idea of what the children want for Christmas. I know the kids will love looking the all the magazines to get pictures to put in the book
I give the children together time activities every week where they can interact with their parents and know they are spending quality time with their child.
--//--
From Nicole…
I work with a young class of students with Autism.
While doing a read aloud I adapt my books by printing out copies of characters or features in the book. Then as we read along I have each student come up and velcro the picture that corresponds to the picture in the book. The kids really enjoy this! It really gives them an opportunity to participate (most of my students are non-verbal)
As my students become more familiar with the story, I also add large words that the students can come up and velcro into the book.
--//--
From Brenda…
We made a homemade shapesmatching game. My kids love it. They hold &draw a shape out of the bowl, tell what it is and then everyone looks to see if they have one ontheir card. Three in a row gets a sticker, black out gets a fruit snack. They all get to win!
--//--
From Angie…
During "Dog" theme week I place potting soil in my sand and water table and bury dog biscuits shaped like bones in the dirt. The children love to dig in the dirt, searching for the dog bones. This makes a great counting game for one or several. I also, have a pattern of a dog and bone. I copy them in several different colors, place numbers on the corresponding colors. Makes for a fun color matching activity and number recognition.
--//--
From Sandra…
For water play I use two boxes to hold a plank of timber on. The timber has various size holes drilled in to hold various size funnels etc. Under the plank I place trays to catch the water so children can continue to use. You can all use coloured water. This method is great for 12mos up (little ones hold the timber to steady themself while pouring).
--//--
From Jennifer…
This is a simple but easy way to give real life experience to making the letter "H" sound. I took my preschool class outside on the last cold day we had and we made the "h" sound into the air. Because it was so cold outside, the kids were able to see their breath and they thought it was really neat that they could "see" the "h" sound.
--//--
From Joni…
I teach preschool Special Ed and most of my kids are speech and language kids so to get them talking at snack time, I make family based placemats for them. :)
I have the parents send in photos based on
4 different themes
1. Family
2. Holiday
3. Baby Photos
4. The child's favorites
I make copies of originals (send the originals back) and then I put them on construction paper - with the child's name (first & last) and then cover with clear contact paper. :) This generates a lot of conversation with the students, the teachers and anyone who sees the placemats. :) It also gives me the opportunityto see people that are special in my kid's lives and the when I meet them, I too recognize them right away! :) :) I keep the placemats for about 2-3 months and then get the next ones ready and send home the old ones. EVERYONE loves them but the best part is they help me the most! :) :)
--//--
From Jodi…
I want to share a couple of craft idea's that I had a blast doing with my group of kids: We made grass heads out of nylons, saw dust, and grass seed. Then we made faces on the them, the kids loved them because they could water their own, and watch them grow!!!
Then we made rock pets and we choose lady bugs and we painted them on and the kids had a blast!!! I hope that these idea's are fun and helpful, and I can't wait to receive your list!!
--//--
From Valerie…
We are always needing dividers for our classroom. I build a frame using PVC pipe. Then I buy some $1 a yard fabric from Walmart and attach it using velcro. This way it is removable to wash and I can change the fabric to go with the theme or season. The kids love it and it really brightens our classroom. They are also very light and you can take them apart when you don't need them. And the PVC pipes make great building toys when not in use.
--//--
From Andrea…
Here is an idea I did recently with my preschoolers. The theme was food so we did vegetable prints. We wrote each child's name in the center of a piece of white construction paper. We cut potatoes, peppers, and carrots. The potatoes were cut in half and we cut little shapes in the middle of the potatoes. The peppers were cut in half and the seeds were removed. We dipped the vegetables in paint and pressed them against the paper over the child's name. This makes all kinds of neat prints and shapes. We used many different colors of paint. Be sure they make prints all over the paper, not just in one spot.
--//--
From Nicola…
An idea for flowers, get the kids to pick out 2 or 3 different colours of thin card and draw round their hands, once this is done cut them out or get the kids to do this.Once the flowers are all cut out wrap each one around a drinking straw and either tape or glue the flower to it, gently curl each finger with a pencil.
These make great mothers day flowers.
--//--
From Deborah…
Bingo for a dog lover
Write Bark going down on side
B _ _ _ _
A _ _ _ _
R
K
4 rows with 5 column
Either have the kids drawdog object( leash, bowl, tail etc.)same picture listin different boxes or We had made the pictures and had the students glue the pictures to make their board design of their choice.
Use Scooby Doo crackers as you markers. ( DOG BONES)
call out the items B- dog bowl Etc....
Winner has to bark instead of yelling bingo
Hot/Cold
find the hidden) bone, make the kids bark when close to hidden bone or whine when going away form the hidden bone.
Reward with chewablecandy necklace ( dog collars)
--//--
From Janelle…
My kids favourite things is the books that we make about them, their family or an outing or activity we have done together.
I use this as a settling in technique as well by getting some photos from the family and combining it with some activity photos from my daycare. The children can then take the books home to show their families etc. I also make a copy to be added to as part of the learning journal.
--//--
From Sharon…
We celebrate bonfire night and we do an activity using the following
a shallow tray
a4 black card
florescent paints
2 small hard rubber balls
we place the card in the tray and add a selection of paint,the 2 balls are then placed in the tray and the children tip the tray backwards and forwards.
This makes it look like a fantastic firework display we then get the children to add silver sticky stars to the finished print.
This activity is great for promoting hand and eye coordination
--//--
From Cheryl…
I have a great idea that the kids loved!!!
We are studying harvest time around the world, and we read a story about a lady who carried the harvest on her head in a special hat. So we had the kids play it out by placing fruit and vegetables on the brim of a hat one at a time, counting each item as we went along - ten items would fit on the hat. Then the child walked around the circle until the items fell off of the hat. A different child had a chance to place a piece in the hat. THEY LOVED IT!!!!
We made sure that each child had a turn wearing the hat and putting an item in for a friend.
--//--
From Sharon…
This is something I do around the holidays-- take a paper cereal bowl,small paper plate both white, tissue paper cut-up, spices such as pumpkin pie, nutmeg and cinnamon and what ever flavor (apple, pumpkin so on) of scented oil. Have the kids decorate the paper bowl and plate with crayons. Then have the kids add tissue paper to the bowl followed my spices. You need to add the oil and cut small slits in the middle of the plate, staple the plate to the bowl closing all small opening. Now they have a pie
--//--
From Kathy…
I have the children take a survey every morning. I ask them questions like: What is your favorite farm animal, what pets you have at home, what is your favorite candy. I usually give them about five choices. I put a picture on the top of the page then. First they try to guess the questions and they put an x on their answer. I then bring this to circle and we count the answers and discuss the results. You can ask just about anything.
--//--
From Kathleen…
Here's a craft/art idea-using paper towels, water, and powdered tempera.
Spray the table with water-shake powdered tempera on top and then place a pre-cut shaped paper towel on top-the color would depend on the template.
Children love to spray the water (the craft ones from Discount school supply are what I use-great for small motor skills. They press the paper towel on top
examples autumn colors for leaves-orange and brown look nice together
A Fall idea-have the children crush/crumble leaves which they find on a Fall walk and glue to the inside of a pre-cut leaf--these look pretty hung on a Fall Tree display
--//--
From Kathlee--Here's one for Christmas
Peppermint Christmas Candy Wreaths
Instructions
use the individual single serving pie pans
Things You'll Need
Peppermint candies
Aluminum pie tin
Cookie sheet
Ribbon
Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees.
Open a bag of hard, round peppermint candies and open each individual candy piece.
Lay the candies around the edge of a pie tin. Make sure that the pieces are about a 1/2 inch from the edge of the tin and that all the pieces touch each other. Put the pie tin onto a cookie sheet.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Watch the candy as it heats. As soon as the candies melt together, remove the tin from the oven.
Allow the wreath to cool for 15 minutes.
Use a spatula to remove the cooled candy wreath from the pie tin.
Tie a bow with ribbon onto the wreath and a piece of ribbon around the top of the wreath to hang it for decoration.
--//--
From Susan…
I hope you get this activity....It is really great for preschoolers
Simple Nature Bracelet
This activity is a great one for children of all ages. To link this activity with Aboriginal Cultural Awareness, talk to the children how Aboriginal woman taught young children to thread seeds, nuts and shells (natural resources) to make necklaces and bracelets.
As you could not buy seeds, nuts and shells from a shop, Aboriginal woman and children would make a full day in collecting in the bush or on the beaches.
When they had collected enough natural resources, the women would rest the seed, nuts or shells against a rock and make a hole in it using a sharp wire. They would then thread the natural resources together using bush string, or today they use fishing line.
The children loved to be part of this as they learnt to play and help each other. Most importantly they learnt about the usefulness of the natural resources they had around them.
Even though this is not a threading activity, you can choose to collect seeds (but they need to have a hole drilled in them) or leaves and children can thread them. The activity is focusing on natural resources they can get from the yard at the centre.
You Need:
3cm Masking Tape
Instructions:
Tear off a piece of masking tape to fit around child’s wrist. Place it around wrist with the sticky side out.
Go for a walk and find things to stick to the masking tape like leaves, tiny little flowers, seeds, pods etc.
--//--
From Debi…
Here's my idea.... We have our kids lie down on the carpet and let them imagine what they want to wake up as. Example: " When we wake up we will be airplanes".. then they all wake up and fly around the room like planes!! We pretend to be animals too!! It is alot of fun!!!
--//--
From Leasa…
Here is something that is working for my 4 year olds.
We sit in a circle and they pass a bean bag around while we sing the alphabet song. When I clap my hands who ever holds the bean bag will either sing the next two letters OR identify what letter I have written on my small hand held white board. (depending on where we are in learning the letters. They know the song better than they can
identify at this point. So we identify up to what we have been learning) They like this and it is a good reinforcer of the alphabet.
--//--
From Nehama…
Every Monday we introduce the letter of the week from the Alphabet an to ensure that the kids really get it, each kid gets an index card with the letter of the week made of different materials i.e. sandpaper, tissue paper, etc and they feel the card for 5 sec then pass it to the person on their right this way they feel the alphabet and we all know hands on has a much greater effect on children
--//--
From Beata…
I like these two:
1. Favourite word gamefor a circle time: Ask a child to tell her/his favourite word, e.g. Christmas tree. Ask another child to ask questions, e.g. what is the color of your hair? The child has to answer with his favourite word every time. See if a friend can make him laugh or smile with her/his questions. It teaches that not always we have to answer personal questions, instead we can have fun.
2.Saint Nickcraft: draw and cut out Saint Nick on cardboard. Glue red, white and black colored pre-cutpieces of paper on top for his coat, hat, hands, face, beard,legs. Let a child to make small fluffy cotton balls and putthem onglue that you spread for hair,beard andgloves. Hands and legs can be fastened separately with a bolt (dollar store) to make them movable. Staple a red cloth beg with a little bell. It is a challenge for a child to fasten arms and legs through little holes. They are ready to play a theater now.
--//--
From Shannon…
We are making winter scene shoe boxes.
Shoe box
Fake snow
Paper trees
whatever else you want to include
--//--
From Jacqueline…
During outside play in Autumn I encourage the children to care for their community by taking time using brushes and pans to collect fallen leaves from the playground. We then freeze the leaves in containers adding food colouring. When frozen the children discuss textures and what will happen to the leaves when put into water and they watch the ice melt and if were really lucky sometimes in the ice there are frozen bugs which then come to life when thawed. This activity is really popular and the children have great fun!
--//--
From Tammy…
We use small boxes in our classroom (2's and 3's) for the children to sit in for story time. We often just call them reading boxes ( can only use them to read a story in) or music boxes ( to play their musical instruments in) Kids love boxes!!!