FFS 2012/2014 Experiences – Copy

Transcription

Learning Experiences
© 2014 Foundation for Success Infant/ Toddler Model Learning Experiences
Jacksonville Children’s Commission
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How to use experiences
This section is divided three ways.
1.Theme: There are 9 sections with experiences related to that theme.
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Nursery Rhymes
Nature
Feelings
Colors & Shapes
Animals
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I Love You
Things that Go
People
Body Parts
2. Age: Each theme is divided into developmentally appropriate experiences for the
following age groups:
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Infants
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Toddlers
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Twos
Note: Each age group is color coded for easy reference as follows:
Infants: Red
Ones: Yellow
Twos: Blue
3. Foundation: Each age group has experiences specific to one of the four
Foundations:
 Relationships
 Senses & Perception
 Movement & Music
 Language
Children learn in the context of relationships and everyday routines; these
Foundational Learning Experiences provide teachers with ideas to use in their
classrooms throughout each day. Experiences enhance learning by engaging the child
and helping him/her become active in the learning process. Repetition and routine
provide the child with a sense of safety and a mastery of his/her environment. Children
enjoy the repetition of books and being familiar with the text and the illustrations, so
sharing the same book on another day or again in the same sitting is appropriate.
Planning ahead of time is ideal to be able to collect and organize materials for the
week and even the month. Teachers are encouraged to use one of the Foundations for
Success Lesson Plan templates.
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Nursery
Rhymes
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INFANTS
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Infants- Relationships
Nursery Rhymes
Twinkle, Twinkle [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Star cutouts, tape, string, aluminum foil, reflecting/mirror paper
 Gather the children around you as you sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
 Place star cutout around the room, tape on walls, hang from ceiling, etc.; you can
even cover the cutouts with foil or cutout stars on mirror paper to make them
Twinkle.
 Point to them as you move around the room.
 Hold one and go to the window and show them the sky where the stars come out
at night.
What a Special Star You Are! [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: No materials needed
 Sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to an infant in your classroom.
 With the child lying on his/her back, use massage to help calm the child while
singing the song.
 Use words that tell the child that he/she is special. For example:
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
What a special star you are
Thank you for your magic light
That shines out through your smile bright
Twinkle, twinkle little star
What a special star you are.
Pat-A-Cake [Social & Emotional Development: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Place a child on your lap and read or sing Pat-A-Cake.
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can. (Clap baby’s hands together)
Roll it, (take baby’s hands and spin them around each other.)
Pat it, ( Pat baby’s hands together.)
And mark it with a “B,” (trace the letter “B” on baby’s belly.)
And put it in the oven for baby and me! (Fling baby’s arms wide.)
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In place of the letter “B” you can say the first letter of the child’s name, example,
“and mark it with an “S”, (trace the letter on belly) and put it in the oven for Sarah
and me!”
Do the same for all the baby’s in the room.
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Infants- Senses & Perception
Nursery Rhymes
Stars, Stars, Stars! [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Star cutouts, magazine pictures of stars,
 Gather items that have stars on them, pictures of stars or cut outs of stars.
 Allow them to look, touch or hold these objects while you read or tell a story about
stars.
Eye Winker, Tom Tinker [Physical Development: Health]
 Use the following finger play, by reciting the words and pointing to each part of the
child’s body.
Eye Winker, Tom Tinker, Nose smeller, Mouth eater, Chin chopper,
Chin chopper, chin chopper, chin chopper, chin.
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Repeat the poem, gently guiding the child’s own finger to point to his or her body
part.
Repeat the poem, pointing to your own body.
Repeat the poem, guiding the child to point to your body.
Repeat the poem, blinking your eyes, moving your head side to side as if listening
with your ears, wrinkling your nose as if smelling.
Star Catching [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Fun foam and template of a star
 Cut out stars from the fun foam.
 Cut them large, but small enough for the children to handle.
 Toss a star to the children and see if they can catch it.
 Invite the children to toss the Fun Stars into a box or basket.
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Infants- Movement & Music
Nursery Rhymes
Rhymes [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Blanket or mat
 Gather the children around you as you read a nursery rhyme.
 Hold one child in your lap and put the others on a blanket or mat close by you.
 Sing or play a song about one of the nursery rhymes you read.
Toe Game [Social& Emotional: Self-Concept]
 Read the rhyme This Little Piggy Went to the Market. As you read the rhyme to
one child, gently wiggle a different toe:
 Wiggle big toe… to market
 Next toe… Stayed home
 Middle toe… Roast beef
 Next toe… Had none
 When you get to the last toe squeal “wee, wee, wee, all the way home.”
 Of course you must repeat the rhyme for the other foot and then do the same to
each child.
Spider Dancing [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: CD of your choice and CD player
 Sing Itsy Bitsy Spider or any other nursery rhyme song with the infants.
 Use their fingers to make the spider in your lap and put the others on a blanket or
mat close by you.
 Crawl on the floor with mobile infants like a four legged spider.
 Play some music and let the infants do some spider dancing.
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Infants- Language
Nursery Rhymes
Acting Out “Hey, Diddle, Diddle” [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
Materials: Paper, markers, tape
 Draw a moon on a piece of paper.
 Tape it to the floor.
 Say the rhyme to the children.
 When you say the part where “the cow jumps over the moon” carry one child over
the moon.
 Continue to do this with each child placing them over the moon, you can even
replace the cow with their name and say “Anna jumps over the moon!”
Rhymes [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Blanket or mat, Twinkle Twinkle book
 Gather the children around you as you read Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
 Hold one child in your lap and put the others on a blanket or mat close by you.
 Point to and talk about the pictures on the page.
Recite Pat-a-Cake [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Development & Memory]
Materials: No Materials needed
 During routines throughout the day, repeatedly recite pat-a-cake to the children:
 On the playground, with individual children, play pat-a-cake.
 During naptime, play pat-a-cake with the child who is unable to sleep.
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ONES
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ONES – Relationships
Rhymes
In The Kitchen [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Bowls, spoons, and baking pans.
 Have a container or pretend oven ready so that the cake can “bake”.
 If there is not a container available, slide the cake under a chair to “bake”.
 Talk about the items you would need to make a cake.
 Encourage toddlers to pretend to stir and pour.
 Watch the cake pretend bake in the oven.
 Pretend to eat the cake.
 Sing Pat-A-Cake:
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Roll it and pat it, and mark it with B,
And put it in the oven for baby and me!
Dance With Me [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Scarves, music
 Gather scarves.
 Call a toddler by name.
 Encourage toddler to choose one scarf.
 Turn on a CD using a favorite song or nursery rhyme.
 Encourage toddlers to dance to the music with their friends.
 Stop the music and encourage to toddlers to stop.
Mommy, Daddy and Me [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Problem
-Solving &Creative Expression]
Materials: Play dough, popsicle sticks
 Using play dough, encourage toddlers to roll it onto a big ball and a little ball.
 Use popsicle sticks to make some legs by pushing them through the play dough
ball.
 Encourage toddler to identify which spider is the mommy, daddy, and me as you
sing Itsy Bitsy Spider.
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ONES – Senses & Perception
Rhymes
String Painting [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: White paint and black construction paper, yarn, string
*Can be used with Itsy Bitsy Spider, Rain Rain, It’s Raining It’s Pouring
 Gather white paint and black construction paper (in order to make a spider web) or
blue paint and white construction paper (in order to paint with rain).
 Gather various types and lengths of yarn/string.
 Drop some paint onto a piece of paper and let child make a design by dragging
string through the paint and around the paper.
 Use different types and lengths of yarn/string for varying effects.
 Talk about the rhyme in order to relate it to the experience.
 Hang children’s artwork on the wall to refer back to during the month.
Tennis Ball Painting [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Newspaper, large sheets of white paper, tennis balls, yellow paint, and
bowl/plate
*Can be used with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Star Light Star Bright, I See the Moon:
I see the moon,
And the moon sees me.
Gob bless the moon,
And God bless me.
 Gather newspaper, large sheets of white paper, tennis balls, yellow paint, and a
bowl/plate for paint.
 Take supplies outdoors.
 Spread newspapers on the sidewalk or another firm surface, and place a large
sheet of paper on the ground.
 Place paint into a bowl/plate, and dip tennis ball into the yellow paint.
 Encourage the children to roll or bounce the “moon” (i.e., tennis ball) across the
paper.
 Allow to dry and then hang in classroom at children’s eye level.
 Point out the yellow “moons” and “stars” the children created when repeating the
above mentioned nursery rhymes.
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Nursery Rhymes
Spray bottle outdoor play [Approaches to Learning: Creativity &
Inventiveness]
Materials: Spray bottle
*Can be used with Itsy Bitsy Spider, Rain Rain, It’s Raining It’s Pouring
 Gather a clean spray bottle and fill with water.
 Recite an above mentioned nursery rhyme while spraying the water into the air
over the children’s heads.
 Watch how the children react to the water and have fun. Repeat as long as
children are involved.
* Note: not all children will react favorably. Begin by spraying water onto children’s
hands to familiarize them with the water and experience.
OR
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Gather a clean spray bottle, food coloring, flour, and shallow container (e.g., box
top, cookie sheet, tray, etc.).
Place1-2 drops of food coloring in spray bottle.
Place flour in a shallow container on top of a sturdy surface.
Tell the children that they will be painting with “rain.”
Encourage children to spray the “rain” onto the flour. Watch the reaction when the
“rain” and flour mix.
Allow children to explore the mixture with their hands/fingers. Describe the colors
and what they feel.
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ONES – Movement & Music
Rhymes
This is the way... [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
 Sing the following verses while transitioning. Sing to the tune of Hear we go
around the Mulberry Bush:
This is the way we eat with a spoon,
eat with a spoon, eat with a spoon,
This is the way we eat with a spoon
so early in the morning.
This is the way we drink our milk, drink our milk,
drink our milk,
This is the way we drink our milk
This is the way we say “all gone”, say “all gone”,
say “all gone”.
This is the way we say “all gone”,
This is the way we change our diaper,
change our diaper, change our diaper,
This is the way we change our diaper
early in the morning.
This is the way we wash our hands,
wash our hands, wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands,
This is the way we put on our shoes,
put on our shoes, put on our shoes,
This is the way we put on our shoes
This is the way we dance to the music,
dance to the music, dance to the music,
This is the way we dance to the music all day long.
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Rhymes
Jump! Jump! Jump! [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Nursery rhyme item
 Place an item in the middle of the floor.
 Recite the following nursery rhyme inserting each child’s name in place of Jack.
______ be nimble
______ be quick.
______ jump over
The candlestick.
 Allow each child to have a turn jumping over the candlestick.
 After everyone has had a turn, repeat the rhyme and jump together.
Ice Dancing [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Small paper cups, water, kool-aid or jell-o or powered tempera paint,
paper, box or container.
 Freeze water in little paper cups or containers.
 Put paper into box or container.
 Put kool-aid or jell-o or powered tempera paint in spice bottle.
 Encourage toddlers to shake kool-aid, jell-o, or powered tempera paint on the
paper in the box or container.
 Encourage toddler to put a piece of ice in box or container.
 Shake the box or container to make a picture.
**Note make sure ice is hand size not mouth size because it is a choking hazard.
Thunder and Lightning [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Contact paper, packing tape
 Make sticky clouds by using different colors of contact paper on floor or on the
wall. Attach contact paper sticky side up using packing tape.
 When using on the floor, encourage toddlers to jump on and off the clouds and/ or
run through the clouds.
 Pretend to listen for the thunder.
 When using on the wall, encourage toddlers to put hands on and off the sticky
clouds.
 Use the following rhyme with this activity:
Rain on the green grass,
And rain on the tree
Rain on the housetop,
But not on me
Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day;
Little (child’s name) wants to play.
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ONES – Language
Rhymes
Umm, Umm Good! [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Cracker boxes, clean juice containers, clean yogurt containers, etc.
 Set the items out and use a basket to “go shopping”.
 Choose one item and put it in the basket.
 Encourage each child to choose food items and put them in the basket.
 Reverse the experience, taking the items out of the basket and putting them on a
shelf or on the floor.
 Encourage the children to explore the texture and the smell.
 Sing the following song to the tune of Are You Sleeping?
We are shopping, we are shopping
For some food, for some food
Katrina has some carrots; Marcus has some celery;
Sam has greens. Sam has greens.
We are shopping, we are shopping
For some food, for some food
Pat picked a box of cereal; Ginger picked some muffins;
Tracy likes pies. Tracy likes pies.
Little Piggies [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Large pairs of socks, basket
 Gather several large pairs of socks and put them into a basket.
 Encourage toddler to find a matching pair of socks.
 Encourage them to put them on their hands or feet.
 Talk about the color and size of the sock.
 While playing with the sock, recite This Little Piggie or Three Little Kittens.
 Put the basket of socks in dramatic play area.
Night Night [Language & Communication: Communicating & Speaking]
Materials: Dolls or stuffed animals and blankets
 Allow toddlers to use a mat or baby bed.
 Place blanket on the floor.
 Wrap up the baby doll or stuffed animal.
 Sing Hush Little Baby or Rock A Bye Baby while rocking the baby doll or stuffed
animal.
 Encourage toddlers to hug and kiss the baby.
 Place baby doll or stuffed animal on a mat or in a baby bed to sleep.
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TWOS
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Twos- Relationships
Rhymes
Little Miss Muffet [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Doll, stuffed spider
 Introduce children to the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet.
 Say the rhyme together while sitting in your favorite position.
 Have fun reciting and repeating the verse and keep time to the words by bouncing
lightly or clapping to the beat.
 Encourage the children to teach the rhyme to their mommy or daddy at home.
Rub-a-Dub-Dub [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Laundry basket or box
 Get a laundry basket or box and put two or three children into the basket.
 Recite this nursery rhyme, inserting the children’s names
Rub a dub dub three children in a tub,
And how do you think they got there?
Juanita, Charles and Tommas,
‘Twas enough to make a man stare.
Jelly on a Plate [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
Materials: Objects from your housekeeping center: plastic plates, bread, pans, other
food objects and baby dolls.
 Teach the following rhyme to the children, use the objects as props to act out the
rhyme.
 Encourage the children to imitate you and offer them the food and dolls.
Jelly on a plate, jelly on a plate,
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble, jelly on a plate.
Sausage in a pan, sausage in a pan,
Frizzle, frazzle, frizzle, frazzle, sausage in a pan.
Baby on the floor, baby on the floor,
Pick him up, pick him up, baby on the floor.
Materials: Bowls, spoons, and baking pans
 Have a container ready so that the cake can bake.
 Encourage children to pretend to stir and pour.
 Watch the cake bake in the oven.
 Pretend to eat the cake and Sing Pat-A-Cake:
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
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Two’s - Senses & Perception
Rhymes
We Eat Our Lunch [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
 While eating lunch or at snack time, sing the following verses or make up your own
to the tune of Here we go around the Mulberry Bush:
This is the way we eat with a spoon,
Eat with a spoon, eat with a spoon,
This is the way we eat with a spoon
So early in the morning.
This is the way we drink our milk, drink our milk, drink our milk,
This is the way we drink our milk
So early in the morning.
Silly Spiders [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Problem-Solving]
Materials: Paper plates, marshmallow, chow mein noodles, mini chocolate covered
candies (Spider); oatmeal and a bowl (Curd)
*Can be used with Itsy Bitsy Spider, Little Miss Muffet
 To make tasty spider treats gather marshmallows, chow mein noodles (to insert in
marshmallow for legs), chocolate topping, and mini chocolate covered candies (to
use for eyes).
 Prepare a bowl of curd (oatmeal).
Three Little Kittens [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration
& Discovery]
Materials: Socks, mittens, or mitten pot holders
 Read this nursery rhyme aloud.
 Put the “mittens” on the children’s hands.
 Feel the softness and the warmth.
 Enjoy the bright colors.
 Take the “mittens” off and compare how things feel without wearing the “mittens.”
The three Little Kittens
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, Mother dear, we sadly fear
That we have lost our mittens.
What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
No, you shall have no pie.
The three little kittens
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, Mother dear, see here, see here,
That we have found our mittens.
Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,
Oh, let us have some pie.
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Two’s - Movement & Music
Rhymes
Jump! Jump! Jump! [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Item of your choice such as candlestick and chart paper
 Chart the nursery rhyme Jack Be Nimble.
Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick.
Jack jump over
The candlestick.
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Jack jumped high,
Jack jumped low,
Jack jumped over
And burned his toe.
Place an item in the middle of the floor.
Recite the nursery rhyme inserting each child’s name in place of Jack.
Allow each child to have a turn jumping over the candlestick.
After everyone has had a turn, repeat the rhyme and jump together!
Squares [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Construction paper, tape
 Cut out large squares using construction paper and tape them on the floor throughout the room.
 Encourage the children to crawl, scoot, roll, and walk from one square to the next
while reciting the following verse.
When we’re hunting
We explore squares upon the kitchen floor
We must get from here to there
Without touching anywhere
For this square is safe for us
But that one is dangerous
Circle Dance [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Gather the children in a circle and help them to hold each other’s hands.
 Turn in a circle while singing the words below:
Ring around the rosies,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes, ashes,
We all fall down!
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Two’s - Language
Rhymes
Jack and Jill [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Recite the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill to the children:
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
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While reading the rhyme, have the boys stand when they hear “Jack” and when
the girls hear “Jill” they stand up. When “Jack” is said again boys sit down, girls sit
when they hear “Jill” again.
Discuss the words in the rhyme: up and down. And boy and girl.
Little Boy Blue [Language & Communication: Early Reading]
Materials: Paper plates, construction paper, paper towel roll, and tape
 Make horn with paper plate rolled up or paper towel roll.
 Recite the nursery rhyme Little Boy Blue.
 Invite the children to blow their horns.
 Play with sounds using their horns (quiet, loud, high, and low).
One, Two Buckle My Shoe [Language & Communication: Early Reading]
Materials: Bucket or pails and popsicle sticks or craft sticks
 Invite children to march around the room as you recite One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.
 Repeat the rhyme over and over.
 Use the buckets or pails and popsicle sticks.
 Have children pick them up and put them in bucket.
 Encourage children to say the lines of the rhyme, “five, six, pick up sticks, seven,
eight, lay them straight’ as they play with the sticks.
 Each time you recite “big fat hen”, stop quickly.
Humpty Dumpty [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Inventiveness]
Materials: Plastic eggs, water and container or bucket (can be used at water table)
 Fill plastic eggs with water and place in a container to take outdoors.
 Take children outdoors and recite Humpty Dumpty.
 When you state, “Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,” encourage the children to drop
their egg on a hard surface.
 Talk to the children about what happened to the egg. For example,
 Did the egg break?
 Did the egg bounce?
 Why did the egg break?
 What was inside the egg?
 Can you fix the egg?
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Nursery Rhyme
Index
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Songs, Poems, & Rhymes
A-Tisket, A-Tasket
A-tisket a-tasket,
A green and yellow basket.
I wrote a letter to my love,
And on the way I dropped it.
I dropped it, I dropped it,
And on the way I dropped it.
A little boy (girl) picked it up,
And put it in his (her) pocket.
Are You Sleeping?
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,
Brother John, Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing,
Morning bells are ringing,
Ding, ding, dong.
Ding, ding, dong.
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Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee
I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee,
Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?
I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee,
“OUCH!” he stung me.
I’m smashing up a baby bumblebee,
I’m smashing up a baby bumblebee,
“OOO, YUCK!” it is all over me.
I’m wiping off a baby bumblebee,
I’m wiping off a baby bumblebee,
“LOOK!” I’m all clean!
Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Clap, clap, clap your hands, clap your hands together:
Clap, clap, clap your hands; clap your hands right now.
Additional verses (2) touch your nose, (3) tap your knees,
(4) pat your head
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Baby Beluga
Baby beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
and a little white whale on the go.
Baby beluga, baby beluga, is the water warm?
Is your mama home? With you so happy?
Way down yonder where the dolphin play,
Where you dive and splash all day,
Waves roll in and the waves roll out.
See the water squirtin’ out of your spout.
Baby beluga, oh, baby beluga, sing your little song,
sing for all your friends. We like to hear you.
When it’s dark, you’re home and fed.
Curl up snug in your waterbed.
Moon is shining and the stars are out.
Good night, little whale, good night.
Baby beluga, oh, baby beluga, with tomorrow’s sun,
another day’s begun. You’ll soon be waking.
Baby beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
and a little white whale on the go.
You’re just a little white whale on the go.
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Down by the Station
Down by the station
Early in the morning
See the little pufferbellies
All in a row
See the station master
Turn the little handle
Puff, puff, toot, toot
Off we go!
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs
YYYYUUUUMMMM YYYYUUUUMMMM
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were four green and speckled frogs
GGGGLLLLUUUUBBBB GGGGLLLLUUUUBBBB
(Repeat in descending order.)
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Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out one day, over the hill and far away.
Mama duck said,
“Quack, Quack, Quack,”
and only four little ducks came waddling back.
Four little ducks went out one day, over the hill and far away.
Mama duck said,
and only three little ducks came waddling back.
Three little ducks went out one day, over the hill and far away.
Mama duck said,
and only two little ducks came waddling back.
Two little ducks went out one day, over the hill and far away.
Mama duck said,
and only one little duck came waddling back.
One little duck went out one day, over the hill and far away.
Daddy duck said,
and all five little ducks came waddling back.
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Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa baa black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir
Three bags full.
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy,
Who lives down the lane.
One Little Flower, One Little Bee
One little flower, one little bee.
One little blue bird, high in the tree.
One little brown bear smiling at me.
One is the number I like you see.
I’m a Little Teapot
I’m a little teapot short and stout.
Here is my handle and here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up hear me shout.
Tip me over and pour me out.
30
Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh, my, it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said, "Good folk, beware!"
The fourth one said, "We'll run and run and run!"
The fifth one said, "Let's have some fun!"
OOOOOOOH, went the wind and OUT went the light,
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear.
Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair
Fuzzy wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy,
Was he?
Birds
There was one little bird in a little tree,
He was all alone, and didn’t want to be.
So he flew far away, over the sea,
And brought back a friend to love in the
tree.
31
Insects All Around
To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Lady bugs and butterflies,
Buzzing bees up in the sky.
Teeny, tiny little ants,
Crawling up and down the plants
Many insects can be found
In the sky and on the ground
I Have Two Eyes
I have two eyes to see with,
I have two feet to run .
I have two hands to wave with,
And nose I have but one.
I have two ears to hear with,
And a tongue to say “Good day”.
32
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.
Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got
And home did trot
As fast as he could caper
Went to bed
And plastered his head
With vinegar and brown paper.
33
Five Little Babies
One little baby rocking in a tree.
Two little babies splashing in the sea.
Three little babies crawling on the floor.
Four little babies banging on the door.
Five little babies playing hide and seek.
Keep your eyes closed tight, now,
Until I say … PEEK!
If You’re Happy and You Know It
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your
hands.
hands.
If you’re happy and you know it then your
face will surely show it.
hands.
Additional verses: (2) stomp your feet, (3)
shout hooray, (4) do all three
Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush
Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush, the
mulberry bush, the mulberry bush,
Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush, so
early in the morning.
34
One Misty, Moisty, Morning
One misty, moisty, morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man,
Clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment,
And I began to grin.
How do you do? And how do you do?
And how do you do again?
Pease Porridge Hot
Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.
London Bridge
London Bridge is falling down,
falling down,
falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
my fair lady.
35
Little Green Frog
Ah-ump went the little green frog one day.
Ah-ump went the little green frog.
Ah-ump went the little green frog one day.
And his eyes went blink, blink, blink.
Mary Had a Little Lamb (song)
Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went,
And everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.
Old McDonald Had a Farm
Old McDonald had a farm, EIEIO.
And on his farm he had a cow, EIEIO.
With a moo, moo here, and a moo, moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo, moo.
Old McDonald had a farm, EIEIO.
Additional verses can be sung with various animals
36
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
One, two, buckle my shoe
Three, four, shut the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big, fat hen
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five
One, two, three, four, five,
I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
I let him go again.
37
Hey, diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Ring Around the Rosy
Ring around the rosy,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.
Pop Goes the Weasel
All around the carpenter’s bench,
the monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought it was all in fun.
Pop! Goes the weasel.
38
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
It’s raining, it’s pouring.
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and he bumped his head and he couldn’t get up in the morning.
Rain, Rain Go Away
Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.
All the children want to play.
Rainbows
Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue
I can sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow
Sing a rainbow too!
39
I Love You
(sung to the tune of Barney)
I love you, you love me.
There are lots of fresh smells in our nursery:
Lemons, oranges, soap, and powder too.
All are saying I love you.
Evie, ivie, over
Bluebells, cockleshells,
Evie, ivie, over,
Mother’s in the kitchen
Doing a bit of stitching,
Baby’s in the cradle
Playing with a rattle,
A rickety stick, a walking stick,
One, two, three.
Brush Hair
Brush hair, brush,
The men are gone to plow,
If you want to brush your hair,
Brush your hair now.
40
Rock-A-Bye Baby
Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree top,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
41
Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round,
‘Round and ‘round,
‘Round and ‘round,
The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round,
All through the town.
Additional verses:
The lights on the bus go blink, blink, blink…
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish…
The doors on the bus go open and shut…
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep…
The baby on the bus goes wah, wah, wah…
The mommy on the bus goes shh, shh, shh…
The daddy on the bus says I love you…
42
Six Little Ducks
Six little ducks that I once knew
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones, too
But the one little duck with the feather on his back
He led the others with a quack, quack, quack
Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack
Down to the river they would go
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble, to and fro
Home from the river they would come
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble, ho, hum, hum
The Barney Song
I love you. You love me.
We’re a happy family.
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you.
Won’t you say you love me, too.
43
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.
This Little Piggy
This little piggy went to the market.
This little piggy stayed home.
This little piggy had roast beef,
And this little piggy had none,
And this little piggy went,
“Wee, wee, wee,”
all the way home.
Jelly on a Plate
Jelly on a plate, jelly on a plate,
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble,
Jelly on plate.
Sausage in a pan, sausage in a pan,
Frizzle, frazzle, frizzle, frazzle,
Sausage in a pan.
Baby on the floor, baby on the floor,
Pick him up, pick him up,
Baby on the floor.
44
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Two Little Black Birds
Two little black birds sitting on a hill.
One named Jack and one named Jill.
Fly away, Jack. Fly away, Jill.
Come back, Jack. Come back, Jill.
Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am! Here I am!
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run and play, run and play.
Wiggle
Wiggle, wiggle fingers, right up to the sky.
Wiggle, wiggle fingers, wave them all good-bye.
Wiggle, wiggle arms, ‘way up high.
Wiggle, wiggle arms, down by your side.
Wiggle, wiggle your head, from side to side.
Wiggle, wiggle your head, from left to right.
45
Nature
46
INFANTS
47
INFANTS- Relationships
Nature
Watering Our Plants [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Watering can or spray bottle or other container, plants or flowers to water
 Fill the container with water.
 Take children outside with you and water the grass, plants and flowers.
 Water a plant that you have in your room.
 Allow them to assist, if they can, and feel the water.
 Repeat this activity every day, giving everyone a turn, establishing one of your
summertime routines.
Shaking Eggs [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Plastic Easter eggs that you can fill, tape or super glue
 Gather plastic Easter eggs.
 Fill with a variety of items, such as rice, beans, jingle bells, uncooked pasta, sand,
sunflower seeds, etc.
 Talk about the sounds that the different items make.
* Secure with tape or super glue. Please note you need to fill eggs ahead of time
and let glue dry


Encourage children to shake in time to when you sing Here comes Peter Cottontail
or another Easter song that you know.
You can also put infant’s names in place of Peter Cottontail:
Here comes Baby Ebony, hopping down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity, Ebony’s on his way
Bringing all the girls and boys
Baskets full of fun and joy
Hippity hoppity, Ebony’s on his way.
48
INFANTS- Senses & Perception
Nature
Water Play- Splish, Splash [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Water toys, water table, bin or shallow container
 Read the story where the babies are playing with the water.
 Talk about the book each time children may be in the water: in the sink, in the
bath, in a pool, sipping water, at the beach.
 Set up a water play area where children can splash and play with toys. Take their
clothes off and let them play in just their diapers.
 For children who can sit on their own, you can put a container of water in front of
them. Please make sure to watch them carefully.
 For children who are not yet sitting alone, you can hold them on your lap one at a
time and put their hands in the water.
** Safety note: Do not leave children alone when using water as their motor
skills are not well developed and drowning can occur.
Watch the Rain [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Inventiveness]
 If you have a covered area outside and have a multi-stroller for more than one
child, take the children there.
 Talk to them about what is happening to the bugs, flowers, grass, walkways, trees,
and other things that they can see and then mention some of the things in a book
to compare what they see.
 Talk about the wonderful rain and all the good things it does.
 If you do not have a covered area or no way to take the children outside, sit by a
window or door with one or two children and watch the rain.
 Sometimes it’s nice to watch the rain and just listen to the sounds the rain makes.
Let’s Water Our Plants [Physical Health: Health]
Materials: plastic or paper cups, shallow plastic bin, potted flowers or plants
 Place shallow bin on the floor.
 Poke holes in cups.
 Hold the child while sitting on the floor in front the bin.
 Fill plastic or paper cups with water.
 Guide the child’s hands to feel the water as it trickles from the holes in the cup.
 Use many words to describe the sensory experience (wet, cold, splash, trickle, sift,
cup).
 Use these cups to water flowers in your classroom
49
INFANTS- Movement & Music
Nature
Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Container of bubbles
 Sing the following song while playing with bubbles and encourage the babies to
pop the bubbles with their hands or stomp them with their feet:
Pop Those Bubbles
(sing to the tune of ten little Indians)
One little, two little, three little bubbles!
Four little, five little, six little bubbles!
Seven little, eight little, nine little bubbles!
Ten little bubbles go,
POP, POP, POP,
POP those bubbles!
POP, POP, POP,
POP those bubbles!
POP, POP, POP,
POP those bubbles!
Ten little bubbles go,
POP, POP, POP!!!
Splash Song [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: No materials needed just warm water to wash hands
 Sing to each child when washing hands or bathing them to the tune of Mary Had a
Little Lamb.
Splash in the Water
Ms. (Insert your name) has a little child,
little child, little child,
Ms. ____ has a little child
and (insert child’s name) is his name
(Child’s name) is washing hands, washing hands, washing hands,
(Child’s name) is washing hands,
Washing in the water
Bunny Song [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Book with bunnies
 After reading the book, lead the children in the following song to the tune of I’m a
Little Teapot.
I’m a little bunny, hop, hop, hop. (Hop)
I’m a little bunny, stop, stop, stop. (Stand still.)
I’m a little bunny. I see you. (Hold hands up to eyes as if they’re glasses.)
Where is bunny? Peek-a-boo! (Hide eyes, and open hands from eyes.)
50
INFANTS- Language
Nature
How Many Ways Can We Describe Water? [Cognitive Development & General
Knowledge: Concept Development & Memory]
Materials: Water table, tray or bin, water toys
 When setting out water in a tray or at your water table, use lots of language
throughout the water experience.
 Does it feel good? Do you like the water?
 The water is wet. I see you splashing.
 The water is cool. Splish Splash!
Let’s go to the Beach! [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Small kiddie pool, pail, shovel and other beach toys, beach blanket, sun
hats
 Gather toys and materials that you can take to the beach.
 Place items in pool, box, basket, etc. with a child.
 Read a book that contains similar items.
 Point to the picture of the item in the book. Label and describe the items as the
child explores it.
Baby and Bunny [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Bunny and book
 Practice listening skills and following directions by chanting the following rhyme.
Baby and Bunny – touch your nose.
Baby and Bunny – touch your toes.
Baby and Bunny – open a book.
Baby and Bunny – look, look, look.
51
52
ONES
53
ONES - Relationships
Nature
Small Group Story in a Can [Social & Emotional: Trust & Security]
Materials: Large coffee can or other decorative tin with a lid and small props related
to characters, objects, and events in the story (e.g., animals, flowers, leaves, twigs,
scarves, etc.)
 As you tell the story, have children reach in the can and pull out objects or pictures
that represent that part of the story.
 Do not force children to participate, instead, involve those who are interested. React to children’s cues of various textures. Show excitement in what children pull
out.
Classroom Garden [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Paper plates, tape, glue, colored construction paper, and children’s picture
 Draw a large flower stem and attach to a wall.
 Create flower petals out paper plates by allowing each child to tear different colors
of construction paper and glue onto their plate.
 Place child’s picture on his/her petal.
 Apply tape to the back of the petals.
 Guide him/her to stick their petal onto the flower stem.
 Add leaves.
Where’s (Insert child’s name)? [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Child’s sweater or jacket
 While putting on sweaters and jackets to go outside or while removing these
clothing items when you come back inside, say the following verse, helping each
child learn how to move their arms to get dressed and undressed.
 Lay jacket on the floor with tag at their feet or hold jacket upside down.
 Encourage children to place hands in arm holes and flip over their head.
(Insert child’s name) is putting on her clothes,
getting dressed from head to toes,
but what is this? Where’s (Child’s name) gone?
Peek-a-boo! Her/his jacket’s on!
54
ONES – Senses & Perceptions
Nature
Playful Pets [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration & Discovery] Materials: Thick yarn, scarves, and/or crepe paper (i.e., streamers), scissors
for teachers use only
 Cut the yarn or crepe paper into long strands.
 Hold the end of the strand and wiggle the yarn on the floor by each child.
 Gently stroke the child’s arm with the yarn/scarf/paper.
 Hold the item up in the air, making it jump.
 Encourage each child to reach for the item.
 Vary the experience using different colors and sizes.
Wonders of Nature [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Grass or flower seeds, watering cans, cups, soil/ dirt
 Scatter grass seeds or create a patch of green grass outside OR plant sunflower
seeds and other seeds that will grow easily.
 Take the children outside to enjoy the feel and sight of the grass and flowers,
weather permitting.
 Place in a sunny window inside the class. Have children assist in watering the
seeds.
Outdoor Splendor! [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Ice tray, blue and yellow food coloring, baggies and tape.
 Make blue and yellow ice cubes by dropping food coloring into the ice cube tray
filled with water.
 Put several blue and yellow cubes into a baggie and seal with tape.
 Invite each child to hold and rub their warm hands on the baggie, melting the blue
and yellow ice cubes to make green water!
Tissue Butterflies [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Large sheet of paper, colorful tissue paper, glue
 Give each child a large sheet of paper and colorful tissue paper.
 Encourage children to tear and crumple the tissue paper.
 Glue onto the paper to make beautiful butterflies.
Pine Cone Bird Treat [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Pine cones, narrow ribbon or string, peanut butter, birdseed, (or any kind
of seed will do), knife or spoon.
 Tie string onto the cone.
 With each child, spread the peanut butter all over the cone.
 Roll the cone in birdseed.
 Hang the cone from the branch of a tree outside, or from a hook.
 Keep an eye on the cone and enjoy watching the birds come to call!
**Be careful due to potential child’s food allergies and safety hazards.**
55
Nature
What Are You Wearing? [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
 Teach the children the following chant.
 Keep a beat by clapping your hands together or clapping them on your lap.
 Feel the rhythm of the chant.
 Point to each child when their name is recited.
What are you wearing? What are you wearing?
What are you wearing today, today?
What are you wearing today?
(Child’s name) is wearing a hat today.
(Child’s name) is wearing a hat.
What do you think about that!
Wiggle Worm, Wiggle Worm [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge:
Exploration & Discovery]
 Sing the following songs, inching your fingers along the child’s arms.
Did You Ever See a Wiggly Worm
(Sing to the tune of Did you ever see a Lassie?)
Did you ever see a wiggly worm
A wiggly worm, a wiggly worm?
Did you ever see a wiggly worm,
Move on the ground?
It stretches and scrunches,
And stretches and scrunches.
Did you ever see a wiggly worm,
Move on the ground?
Little Wiggle Worm Song
(sung to the tune of I’m a little Teapot)
I’m a little wiggle worm, watch me go!
I can wiggle fast, or very very slow
I wiggle all around, then back I go
Down into the ground, to the home I know
56
Nature
Snowball Toss [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Balls, bean bags
 Use balls and bean bags as pretend snowballs and toss back and forth.
Freeze Dance! (Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Music
 Play a musical CD and encourage each child to move and dance around the room.
 Stop the music and say, “Freeze!”
 Model for the children how to stop moving when you say the word “freeze.”
 Begin playing the music again and encourage each child to begin moving again.
I’m a Little Snowman Song [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Sing the following song to the tune of I’m a Little Teapot using the provided hand
movements.
I’m a little snowman, round and fat. (place your arms in front of you in a circle)
Here is my broomstick, here is my hat. (pretend to hold a broom, then place hands
on head)
When the sun is hot I shake with fear, (shake your whole body)
For soon I’ll melt and disappear. (make your body go limp and sit on floor)
57
ONES - Language
Nature
Seasonal Clothes [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
Materials: Scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, boots, sunglasses, jackets, and shorts
 Gather various clothes from children to hold during the read aloud of a story.
 Following the story, encourage the children to act out the story for example:
pretend to be outside in the snow, dressing up and taking off the clothes when they
come inside to be warm. Pretend to outside on the beach, laying on a towel with
sunglasses, coming inside to cool off.
Trees [Language & Communication: Early Reading]
Materials: Glue, brown construction paper, and green tissue, construction, or crepe
paper
 Have children tear brown paper into large strips to make a tree trunk.
 Have children tear green paper into small pieces to make leaves.
 Allow children to squeeze glue onto a piece of paper and glue tree trunk and
leaves as they please. Remember, it is about the process and having fun rather
than the end product.
 Describe the colors, the stickiness of the glue, the pattern that they create, what
lives in the trees.
 Display at children’s eye level so that they can appreciate their work.
 Change out the leaves weekly in order to demonstrate what a tree “looks like”
during various seasons. For instance, green leaves in the summer, brown/yellow/
red/orange leave in the fall, snow in the winter, and buds or small green leaves in
the spring. Can add animals for various seasons, also.
Shaking Eggs [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Plastic Easter eggs, rice, beans, jingle bells, uncooked pasta, sand, music,
tape or glue
 Fill plastic eggs with a variety of items:
 Secure with tape or glue
 Encourage children to shake in time to the music of Old McDonald had a Farm.
** Please note you need to fill eggs ahead of time and let glue dry
** Be aware that the eggs may have small holes in them.
58
TWOS
59
TWOS- Relationships
Nature
Nature Walk [Language and Communication: Early Writing]
Material: A large bag, large sheet of paper, markers
 Gather a large bag and take the children outdoors for a nature walk.
 Have them collect a variety of items while outdoors.
 Teach the children many new descriptive words to go along with their walk (e.g.,
puffy clouds, bright sun, crunchy/crispy leaves, dewy grass, smooth acorns, rigid
twigs, etc.).
 Bring the items back indoors and make up a simple story with the children using
pictures and words.
 Write the story, Our Nature Walk. We went for a walk and we collected. . .
 Allow the children to tell you in their words and help them by adding simple words.
 Ask the children to draw pictures to go along with their story.
 Write each child’s name on the story and/or by their picture. Hang at the children’s
eye level in order for them to retell the story.
Footprint butterflies [Language and Communication: Early Writing]
Materials: Construction or tissue paper, marker, glue, stamps, and crayons
 Trace each child’s feet and cut out the shapes.
 Cut out wing shapes.
 Let children decorate the wings in any creative way you like. You can glue colorful
paper onto the wings, paint them, scribble on them, or stamp colors.
 Turn the footprints upside down and glue wings onto them.
 Tell the children they are butterflies.
 Spread your arms like a butterfly and pretend to fly, fluttering among the flowers!
Pine Cone Bird Treat [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Pine cones, narrow ribbon or string, peanut butter, birdseed, (or any kind
of seed will do), knife or spoon.
 Tie string onto the cone.
 With each child one-on-one, spread the peanut butter all over the cone.
 Roll the cone in birdseed.
 Hang the cone from the branch of a tree outside, or from a hook.
 Keep an eye on the cone and enjoy watching the birds come to call!
 Repeat this experience with each child so that he/she can have his/her own bird
feeder
**Be careful due to potential child’s food allergies and safety hazards.
60
TWOS - Senses & Perception
Nature
Snowman Snack Yum Yum [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Marshmallows, pretzels, strawberries, licorice sticks, raisins, carrot, napkins
 Encourage children to build a snowman with the above ingredients below:
 Body – marshmallow
 Arms – pretzels, licorice sticks
 Hat – strawberries
 Eyes – raisins
 Nose– carrot
 Describe the textures (squishy marshmallow), colors, smells (sweet strawberry),
sounds (snapping, crunchy pretzel) of the ingredients.
Eat and enjoy
Tissue Butterflies [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Tissue paper, drawing paper, glue sticks, string
 Give each child a large sheet of paper and colorful tissue paper.
 Encourage children to tear and crumple the tissue paper and glue onto the paper
to make beautiful butterflies.
 Display in classroom.
Carrot Soup! [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Carrots, pot, knife and blender (for teacher’s use)
 Let the children touch and smell the carrots.
 Break the carrot so they can see how hard it is and hear the crunchy sound.
 Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
 Cut up carrots and boil.
 When the carrots are soft, blend them in a blender with enough water to create a
puree.
 Season with a little salt and serve to each child.
Ummm. Good! Enjoy for Snack.
Beach Senses [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Sand, conch shell or other various shells (at least 2 inches), beach towels,
classical CD
 Bring in a conch shell and place the shell against the children’s ears listening to
the sound of the ocean (i.e., touch and hearing).
 Place sand with shells in a sand table or container and have the children dig out
shells (i.e., vision and touch).
 Choose a classical piece of music that is sweet and soft. Put on a beach towel
and listen to the music together (i.e., hearing).
 Point out the senses that the children are using during each experience. Enjoy the
variety of sensory experiences.
61
TWOS -Movement & Music
Nature
Bunny Footprints [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Paper, markers, tape and treasure box
 Make footprints out of paper.
 Lay them out on the floor.
 Position the footprints to lead to a treasure that you have hidden.
Wind Walk [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: The following song, items to “float in the wind”
 Go outside and take a walk with children.
 Encourage the children to notice objects floating in the wind (e.g., flags, leaves, their
hair, etc.).
 Take items outside to “float” in the wind (e.g., bubbles, scarves, crepe paper/
streamers, ribbon, etc.)
 Sing the following song while playing in the wind and encourage hand movements
that match the poem:
Go wind blow, push wind, swoosh.
Shake things, take things, make things fly.
Ring things, swing things, fling things high.
Go wind blow, push wind....whee!
No wind, no! Not me, not me!
Five Little Snowmen [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Hats and red bows
 Have five children stand up in a row.
 Make sure each child is wearing a hat and a big red bow.
 Ask the children to slowly (fall) melt to the ground as the snowman melts away.
5 little snowmen standing in a row,
Each had a hat and a big red bow. (touch hat/head and touch bow/neck)
Out came the sun and it shone all day, (hands over head in a circle)
1 little snowman melted away. (melt/fall to the ground)
4 little snowmen standing in a row,
Each had a hat and a big red bow. (touch hat/head and touch bow/neck)
Out came the sun and it shone all day. (hands over head in a circle)
1 little snowman melted away….(melt/fall to the ground)
Continue poem and decrease the number of snowmen.
Winter Friends & Winter Clothes [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Winter clothes such as scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, and boots for children
to hold during winter
 Let children hold winter items during the read-aloud of the story.
 Following the story, encourage the children to pretend to be outside in the snow,
dressing up and taking off the clothes when they come inside to be warm.
62
TWOS - Language
Nature
Signs of The Season [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Pictures of fall
 Sing “This is the way we dress for Fall” to the tune of this is Here we go round the
Mulberry bush.
 Talk about the different type of clothing from various seasons.
 Find a poem about the different seasons.
 Take the children out for a walk as the seasons change.
 Encourage the children to look for signs of the change of seasons.
 Return to class and make a list of changes.
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary [Language & Communication: Communicating &
Speaking]
Materials: Seeds, small cups and potting soil
 After showing the children the beautiful flower garden pictures in the books, take
them to an actual garden.
 If you do not have access to a garden, plant seeds in small cups allowing children
to water and watch them grow.
 Encourage children to recite the following nursery rhyme while visiting or tending to
their garden.
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.
Splendid Butterfly and Flowers! [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Books with pictures of butterflies and flowers, drawing paper, crayons,
markers, soft imitation toys of butterflies.
 Bring in different books or pictures of butterflies and flowers.
 Have children draw pictures of butterflies and flowers. Provide them with lots of
colors. Remember; it is about the creativeness and not the finished product.
 Gather any soft imitation toys of butterflies or flowers.
 Show all the pictures to the children.
 Use many words to describe the butterflies and flowers: colors – pink, purple,
yellow, orange, black; wings that shine, that flutter, designs and shapes, delicate,
soft, and splendid!
Building a Snowman [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
Materials: Scarves, hats, coats, mittens, any other winter items and blocks
 Add winter items to your dramatic play areas.
 Build snowman with blocks and use many descriptive words with the children.
 Talk about the size: how tall or short he is.
 Talk about his body parts: his nose and eyes.
 Talk about his clothes: his hat and mittens and scarves.
 Encourage each child to actively explore their snowman.
63
Feelings
64
INFANTS
65
Feelings
Falling Asleep [Social& Emotional: Self-Regulation]
Materials: Pillows, blanket, teddy bear
 This is a good activity to do after a bottle or right before a child’s naptime.
 At the end of some books the child goes to bed or falls asleep with a teddy bear.
 Choose a book and after each page, pretend to fall asleep and encourage the
children to pretend with you. For example, yawn and stretch, then cuddle up and
close your eyes.
 At the end of the book, let the children find their favorite blanket or stuff animal,
then let them pretend to be falling asleep.
 If the children go to sleep with the pretending, let them sleep.
Baby’s Lullaby [Social& Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: CD player, CD with baby lullabies
 Read a book relating to naptime or falling asleep.
 Select one child’s favorite stuff animal, blanket, teddy bear.
 Sing a lullaby or play one on a CD such as, “Hush Little Baby, don’t you cry…”
 Rock the child in the rhythm to the lullaby.
66
Feelings
Mirror, Mirror [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Mirror
 Encourage the child to look in the mirror
 While the child is looking in the mirror, play and sing If you’re happy and you know
it, emphasizing what a happy face looks like.
 Make funny faces in the mirror with the child
Night, Night Baby [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration &
Discovery]
Materials: Teddy bear and a blanket
 Read a story about a teddy bear .
 Give each child a teddy bear to feel its softness against their cheek and to stroke
their fur.
 Cover the bear with the blanket and then rock the teddy bear to sleep while
singing Rock A Bye Baby.
67
Feelings
If You’re Happy and You Know It….![Physical Development: Gross Motor
Development]
 Read a story about feelings.
 Sing If you’re happy and You Know It
If you happy and you know it clap your hands. (clap your hands)
If you happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it. (smile)
If you happy and you know it clap your hands.

Add different movements such as Stomp your feet, shout Hooray! Etc. and
encourage the children to imitate you.
68
INFANTS- Language
Feelings
Magazine Faces [Language & Communication: Early Reading]
Materials: Old magazines, scissors (for teacher to use), cardboard or construction
paper, glue or glue stick, clear contact paper
 Allow one or two children to sit on your lap while you look at magazines, allow
them to turn the pages in the magazine and help them point out children in each
page they find.
 Find pictures of children’s and cut them out and glue them on the paper to make a
face collage. Glue them to the cardboard or construction paper.
 Cover with clear contact paper so the pictures can last.
 Display them on the walls at eye level or on the floors where the children can see
them everyday.
69
70
ONES
71
Feelings
Family Feasts [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Family photographs
 Make a family display area from family photographs.
 Read a book about families.
 After reading a book, talk with the children about family photos.
Hug [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Encourage the parents of your children to hug their children when they leave in the
morning and when they pick them up.
 Hug each child to comfort them.
 Respond to each child when they reach out to you.
Faces [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept Development &
Memory]
Materials: Family photographs, popsicle sticks, and glue
 Gather pictures of children or family members or cut pictures out of a magazine
with different facial expressions.
 Allow toddler to choose a picture to glue on a popsicle stick to make a puppet.
 Talk about the picture while you are making the puppet.
 Talk about what makes you feel happy, sad, angry, or scared.
72
Feelings
Who’s Here Today? [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Tape, box, and colored contact
 Get a picture of each child in the class and laminate.
 Make a sticky wall by taping contact paper on wall with the sticky part out.
 Encourage each child to come pick a friend’s picture out of the box and put it on
the sticky wall.
 Ask the toddler, “Who do you see on the picture?”
 Once they identify their friend ask them “Go sit by your friend.”
Stuff the Bag [Language & Communication: Early Reading]
Materials: Small paper bags, newspaper/magazines, and crayons or paints.
 Put children’s names on their bag.
 Encourage children to tear newspaper/magazines and stuff the bags.
 Sing to the tune of London Bridges:
I can do it by myself, by my self, by myself
I can do it by my self
And I DID It!
 Tape the bag closed.
 Allow children to put their bag away all by themselves.
Circle and Square Pets [Language and Communication: Early Writing]
Materials: Shape cut-outs, glue, crayons, markers
 Cut out different size circles and squares.
 Put glue all over a paper plate.
 Encourage toddlers to place circles and squares on plate to make an animal out
of the shapes.
 Complete animals by drawing faces and stick legs on the body.
73
Feelings
My Hands [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Problem Solving]
 Sing the following song and include hand movements.
 Assist children with hand movements as needed.
This is my right hand.
I’ll hold it up high.
This is my left hand.
I’ll touch the sky.
Right hand,
Left hand,
Roll them around.
Left hand,
Right Hand,
Pound, pound, pound.
74
Feelings
Transitions [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
 As part of a routine or in circle time sing song below using each child’s name to the
tune of “Where is Thumbkin?”
Where is ___________? Where is _____________?
Here she is. Here she is.
How are you today ______________?
Very happy, thank you
Go and play, go and play


Also try using this as a transition song into different centers, diapering, lining up.
Change the word to describe the activity.
Where is ___________? Where is _____________?
Here she is. Here she is.
How are you today ______________?
I am wet, thank you.
Please change me.
Please change me.
...I am hungry, thank you.
Let’s eat lunch. Let’s eat lunch.
...Very sleepy, thank you.
Let’s go to bed. Let’s go to bed.
75
Feelings
If You’re Happy and You Know It [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
 Sing If You’re Happy and You Know It emphasizing all emotions.
 Encourage hand and body movements.
If you’re happy and you know it
Clap your hands
Clap your hands
Then your face will surely show it
Clap your hands
If you’re mad and you know it
Stomp your feet
If you’re sad and you know it
Say boo-hoo
If you’re hungry and you know it
Rub you’re tummy
Happy Dance [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Music, scarves or stuffed animals
 Play happy music
 Give each child a scarf or stuffed animal etc. and enjoy dancing to the happy music.
 Dance along with the children demonstrating various movements.
76
ONES – Language
Feelings
Labeling Feelings [Physical Development: Health]
 Demonstrate a variety of emotions throughout the day through facial expressions
and words. Encourage children to imitate expressions and words.
 Toddlers experience an abundance of emotions, however, may not have the words
to express how they feel.
 Label the children’s emotions throughout the day as they experience them. For
instance, “Lucy, you look mad that Barry took your block.” “Taylor is crying
because she is tired and hungry.” “Randall is sad because his mommy had to go
to work.”
 Accept the child’s various emotions, allowing him/her to express them openly and
safely. Provide comfort and vocabulary as needed.
Read the Room! [Language & Communication: Early Reading]
Materials: Magazine pictures
 Find pictures in old magazines, newspapers, sale papers, etc. of adults and
children showing affection (ex., hugging, touching, laughing, kissing, smiling, etc.)
 Display the pictures throughout the room at the children’s eye level and even on
the floor.
 Talk about the pictures and what is happening in them with the children throughout
the week.
 Copy the actions you see in the picture with the child.
Imitation [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security
 Demonstrate and then encourage the children to imitate the following facial
expressions or movements:
 sticking out your tongue
 hands up in the air
 smiling and laughing
 frowning and crying
 screaming or mouth wide open
 wiggling fingers and toes
 walking and running
 pointing to body parts
 Describe the expression or action as you do it.
77
78
TWOS
79
TWOS -Relationships
Feelings
Delicious Birthday Cake [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Cake ingredients, cake decorations, and cupcake pan
 Make a birthday display with child’s name, picture and birth date.
 The week of a child’s birthday, bring in cupcakes and decorations.
 Sing Happy Birthday while encouraging each child to decorate their cake.
 Enjoy your birthday snack.
Best Friends [Social Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Child’s favorite toy or blanket
 Ask the families to bring in the child’s favorite toy or blanket.
 Ask the child or parent why it is so special. Talk to the children about how it makes
them feel (e.g., happy, safe, warm, snuggly, etc.)
 Allow the children to hold their object while reading a story and throughout the day
and talk about the importance of these objects with the class.
Jumping Monkeys [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Learn words and actions to 5 Little Monkeys
 While using 5 Little Monkeys insert child’s name in rhyme. Gently touch or point to
the child so that he/she will know that his/her name will be called.
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed.
Chase fell off and bumped his head.
Momma called the doctor and the doctor said,
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!

Be sure to use each child’s name in your class. Discuss what happened when they
heard, “How do you feel?”
80
TWOS - Senses & Perception
Feelings
Play Dough [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Play dough (store bought or homemade)
 Encourage children to make faces with the play dough.
 Observe the children’s reaction to the texture of the play dough. Verbalize that
feeling for them (e.g., like/dislike).
Feeling Rocks [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Six rocks (5 inches in diameter), hot water in a container, markers
 Wash all the dirt off of rocks.
 Place three of the rocks in the refrigerator.
 Put the remaining rocks in hot water just prior to using them in the room.
 Remove the rocks from their places and dry them.
 Invite the children to feel the cold and warm rocks.
 Tell them how you made the rocks cold and warm.
 Encourage them to invite a friend to feel the rocks.
Happy Cookies [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Problem-Solving
& Creative Expression]
Materials: Cookies, decorations (e.g. raisins, icing, candies, etc.), napkins, spoons
 Give each child a cookie and allow them to make a facial expression on the cookie
using the decorations.
 Encourage the children to discuss why they chose that expression.
**Remember to wash hands before and after this experience.
**Check children for any known allergies prior to this experience.
Buddy Art [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
Materials: Large pieces of paper, drawing utensil (crayons, paint, markers, etc.)
 Place a large piece of paper on a table or easel.
 Encourage two children to work on an art project together. Enjoy the creation that
they make together.
 Call it buddy art because they will be creating with their friend.
 Place both children’s names on the artwork and have them hang it on the wall.
 Remind the children of their friendship and how nice it is to share.
81
TWOS- Movement & Music
Feelings
L-O-V-E-Y [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: The following song
 Sing and march to the following song to each child to the Mickey Mouse March
tune
L-o-v-e-y – l-o-v-e-y
You’re my lovey, you’re my lovey
I’m happy when you come to school each day – each day!
l-o-v-e-y – l-o-v-e-y
Love Your Friends [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: The following song
 Sing to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Love, love, love your friends
Different as they seem.
Playing, laughing, joking, helping
True friends are a dream.
Mirror Dance [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: CD and mirror
 Play some upbeat music and encourage the children to take turns dancing in front
of the mirror.
 Have other friends imitate their dance.
 Change the music to different music tempos and let the children dance.
 Does the music change the way they dance?
 Does it change the way they feel?
 Does it change the expressions on their faces?
82
TWOS- Language
Feelings
Happy & Sad [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Construction paper, markers, glue, and popsicle sticks
 Cut out circles from construction paper. Draw a happy face on half of them and a
sad face on the rest. Make a happy and sad face for every child in the room.
 Glue a happy and sad face to a popsicle stick so that one side has a happy face
and the other side has a sad face. Give one to each child.
 Each morning, ask the children to show the face that illustrates how they feel.
 Randomly choose a few children to tell the group why they feel the way they do.
Face to Face [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Problem-Solving &
Creative Expression]
Materials: Paper and markers
 Cut out ten circles from paper.
 Draw five sets of matching facial expressions on the circles.
 Encourage the children to find the matching pairs of faces.
 Label the emotions and when they may feel that way. For example, “Angry is how
you feel when a friend takes your toy.” “Sad is how you feel when mommy leaves
for work.”
Feelings Collage [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: ProblemSolving & Creative Expression]
Materials: Pictures of people with various facial expressions, paper, and glue
 Cut out pictures.
 Have the children sort like expressions.
 Glue like expressions on paper.
 Display photographs that show facial expressions.
 Encourage children to talk about the pictures.
 Describe facial expressions using complete sentences. For example, “I smile
when I am happy.” “My mouth opens when I am surprised.”
83
Colors & Shapes
84
INFANTS
85
Colors & Shapes
Where are the colors? [Language & Communication: Early Writing]
 Sing to the tune of Are You Sleeping? Repeat daily.
Where is red? Where is red?
Here I am. (Show something red in your room.)
Here I am. (Show something red in your room.)
Show me if you can.
Show me if you can.
Continue song with another color and another object in the room.
Color Fun [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration &
Discovery]
Materials: Colorful items from book
 Gather objects that are the same or similar to objects in a book about colors.
 After reading the book together, place a few of the items from the book on the
floor.
 Encourage the child to touch the objects.
 Show the child the pictures of these objects in the book.
 Let the child play with the objects.
86
Colors & Shapes
Color Me Green [Language & Communication: Early Writing]
Materials: Paint, zip lock bag
 Put blue and yellow finger paints in a zip lock bag and use package tape to seal
the bag. Place babies on tummies let children squish the bags and watch the
colors mix together.
 Talk about how the paint feels and how the colors change when they are mixed
together.
 Find something blue, yellow, and green in a book you are reading or in the
classroom.
Let’s Look at Shapes [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
 Read a book with shapes and allow a child or two to sit with you on your lap or
beside you while on the floor.
 Throughout the day point out different shapes in your room and relate them back
to the book.,
87
Colors & Shapes
Colors on the Move [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Colorful balls, rattles, soft toys
 Place non-mobile infants on their backs placing a colorful toy next to them within
eye sight and promote rolling.
 For more mobile infants place them on their tummies placing a colorful toy in front
of them promoting them to creep or crawl forward to grab the toy.
 For walking infants stand or sit a few feet away from the child and roll the colorful
ball back and forth with the child. Show them how to roll the ball back, after a day
or two they will figure out how to roll the ball back by themselves.
 Do this activity daily.
Colors, Colors Everywhere! [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: no materials needed
 Throughout the day, chant the rhyme below to each infant.
 Hold each infant in your arms and recite the rhyme while you walk around the
room.
 When you finish the chant, stop walking, touch an item and name its color.
Colors, colors everywhere
Everything has a color.
And when you think you
have found them all,
You just might find another.
Find that shape! [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Colored paper and sheet protectors
 Cut out different shapes with different colors.
 Place a shape in sheet protectors and place on floor.
 Help each child find the shapes.
 Name the shapes and colors as they find them.
88
INFANTS- Language
Colors & Shapes
I Spy the Color Red! (Blue, Yellow!) [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
Materials: Plastic sunglasses, construction paper, blocks, toys
 Buy or borrow plastic sunglasses or make them out of construction paper.
 Put them on each infant. Ask, “What do you see?”
 Guide the infants to read the colors around the room.
 Use objects that are already in your classroom and if necessary, get out specific
objects such as blocks or toys that are many different colors! Be sure to include
children’s clothing, such as a red shirt, blue pants or pink socks.
 The idea is not to teach the names of the colors, but to encourage each infant to
see many, many colors in their environment!
 Recite:
I spy with my little eye. . .
something RED.
(Point to the object and take the child to it.)
Color Collection [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Brightly colored objects
 Group like-colored objects together.
 Let child play with them.
 As you read one of the books with the child, pick up objects of the same color as
those on the page you are looking at.
 Name the color and talk about it with the child.
89
90
ONES
91
Colors & Shapes
Classroom Color Collage [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Bulletin board paper OR old sheet, different colored paint, sponges, trays
 Lay a long sheet of paper or an old sheet on the classroom floor.
 Put brightly colored paint on small trays.
 Buy or cut out different sponge shapes.
 Provide each child with a paint tray and a sponge.
 With groups of two, allow each child to stamp colorful shapes onto the paper or
sheet.
 Encourage children to create patterns and to use the entire space.
 Show the children how the shapes and colors combine to form different colors and
an overall picture.
 Print every child’s name on the painting and hang the collage on the wall when it is
dry.
Colorful Hand [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration &
Discovery]
Materials: White gloves, different colored paint
 Paint each finger of the gloves with two different colors (one on each glove).
 Once the gloves are painted and the paint is dry, sing the song below and help the
older children point to the colors.
 Sing to the tune of Are You Sleeping?
 Repeat daily:
Where is red? (Raise one hand with all fingers showing.)
Where is red? (Repeat with other hand.)
Here I am. (Show red on one hand.)
Here I am. (Show red on the other hand.)
Show me if you can.
(Hold one hand up and help child point to the color with other.)
Show me if you can.
92
Colors & Shapes
Circle Play [Social & Emotional Domain: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Encourage children to join hands and form a circle. If they will not hold hands or
are uncomfortable holding hands, have them walk in a circle alone but near the
group.
 Encourage one of the following games while holding hands:
 Sing Ring Around the Rosie.
 Encourage children to make a big and little circle by walking in and out.
 Hands up and down.
 Place one child in the middle of the circle and sing the following song to the
tune of London Bridge is Falling Down:
Can you do what I do, I do, I do?
Can you do what I do, just like me?
Can you jump like (child’s name), (child’s name), (child’s name),
Can you jump like (child’s name), just like her?
Can you run like (child’s name), (child’s name), (child’s name),
Can you run like (child’s name), just like him?
93
Colors & Shapes
White on Black [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration &
Discovery]
Materials: Zip-lock bags, black or white paint, tape, black or white paper
 Put white tempera paint in the bag. Make sure air is out of the bag and tape the
bag securely, preferably with packing tape.
 Place black paper underneath (laminated paper is even better).
 Encourage the children to touch the baggies, showing the black through the white
paint.
 Alternate this experience by reversing the colors: use white paper underneath and
black paint in the baggie.
Magic Water [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration & Discovery]
Materials: Water, food coloring, wax paper or aluminum pie pan
 Using a variety of colors, prepare several plastic squirt bottles by filling with water
and 1 drop of food coloring.
 Place a piece of wax paper or pie pan on the table in front of each child.
 Squirt dots of water on the paper and encourage the children to touch and blend
the colors together with their hands.
 Talk about the feel of the water, the temperature, and how wet it is and the color.
Color Cubes! [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Food coloring, water, ice cube tray
 Make blue and yellow ice cubes by dropping food coloring into the ice cube tray
filled with water.
 Put several blue cubes and several yellow cubes into a baggie and seal.
 Invite each child to hold and rub their warm hands on the baggie, melting the blue
and yellow ice cubes to make green water.
Popcorn Popper [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Bubble wrap, masking tape, trays and colored paper
 Place at least 2 different colors of paper on the floor, table or on a tray.
 Tape bubble wrap over it.
 Have toddlers pop bubble wrap by jumping, rolling on it or poking it.
 Have toddlers change to a different color to pop the bubble wrap.
 Be aware that some toddlers may not like the noise.
94
Colors & Shapes
Paint to the Music! [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Bulletin board paper, music and paint
 Create an artistic, musical experience by setting out large sheets of paper and
several bright colors of finger paint.
 Tell the toddlers you are going to listen to music and paint at the same time.
 Begin playing soft, rhythmical music.
 Show the toddlers how to dip their fingers into the paint and begin moving the
colors around on the paper in time to the music.
 Tell the toddlers to begin painting to the music.
 After a minute or two, smoothly change the music to a more lively selection.
 Assist toddlers as they choose different colors and movements.
 Encourage small and large movements.
Body Shapes [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Demonstrate and encourage children to make simple shapes (i.e., circle, square,
and triangle) with their bodies.
 Sing the following song to the tune of Where is Thumbkin as you make the shape.
This is a square, this is a square,
How can you tell? How can you tell?
It has four sides,
All the same size.
It's a square, It's a square.
This is a circle, this is a circle.
It goes round and round,
No end can be found.
It's a circle, It's a circle.
This is a triangle, this is a triangle.
It only has three sides,
That join to make three points.
It's a triangle, It's a triangle.

To extend the experience, find the shape in the classroom, as many as you can.
95
Colors & Shapes
Bumping Up and Down! [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge:
 Sing the following song.
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon
Let's ride off together!
Repeat using
* My little yellow dump truck
* My little black buggy
* My little blue trolley
* My little green airplane
* My little white sailboat


“Bump” around the classroom and encourage children to find an object of the
same color as in the verse. May have to show an object of that color so that the
children can match it.
You can also use the song as a transition to go outdoors.
96
ONES - Language
Colors & Shapes
I Spy With My Little Eye [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Plastic sunglasses
 Buy inexpensive sunglasses from a dollar store or make simple paper sunglasses.
 Give each child a pair of sunglasses to use for “spying”.
 Play “I Spy With My Little Eye, something (insert name of color)”.
 Encourage children to find various objects of that color. Talk more about each
object that they find (e.g., object label, sound it makes, texture, etc.).
 Encourage each child to take a turn. Praise all attempts to find the colors
Iceberg paint [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Jello or Kool Aid, food coloring, water, cups, construction paper, container
 Make colored ice cubes by adding Jell-o or Kool Aid to the ice cube tray filled with
water and freeze. Make ice cubes at least two days in advance.
 Gather construction paper and a container (i.e. cake pans or cookie sheets).
 Place paper into the bottom of the container and place the ice on top. Allow children to tilt the container so that the ice cube moves around.
 OR allow children to draw on the paper with the ice cube.
 Ask questions about the children’s artwork:
 “What are you drawing?”
 “What colors do you see?”
 “How does the ice feel?”
 “How does it smell?”
** ICE must be larger than 2 inches to prevent choking hazard**
Shape Book [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Markers, cut-out shapes, white paper, ribbon, string
 Gather white, green, blue, and red paper and marker. Cut out circles, squares,
and triangles (make each shape from the same color, such as red circles, blue
squares, and green triangles).
 Take two sheets of white paper and fold in half.
 On the top of the first page, write “Red circle, red circle, What do you see?” Have
children glue red circles on the page.
 On the top of the second page, write “I see a blue square looking at me.” On the
bottom of the page, write “Blue square, blue square, What do you see?” Have
children glue blue squares on the page.
 On the top of the third page, write “I see a green triangle looking at me.” On the
bottom of the page, write “Green triangle, green triangle, What do you see?” Have
children glue green triangles on the page.
 On the last page, write “I see (child’s name) looking at me.” Have child draw a
picture of his/herself.
97
98
TWOS
99
TWOS- Relationships
Colors & Shapes
Colors, Colors Everywhere! [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
 Throughout the day, chant the rhyme below to each child.
 Hold each child by the hand and recite the rhyme while you walk around the room.
 When you finish the chant, stop walking, touch an item and name its color.
Colors, colors everywhere
Everything has a color.
And when you think you
have found them all,
You just might find another.
Let’s Go Fly a Kite [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Paper, crayons, markers, string, or kites
 Buy or make a simple kite.
 Take the kite outside and allow each child to run with the kite to make it soar!
Colorful Hand [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration &
Discovery]
Materials: White gloves, and different colors of paint
 Paint each finger of the gloves with two different colors (one on each glove).
 Once the gloves are painted and the paint is dry, sing the song below and help the
children to point to the colors.
 Sing to the tune of Where is Thumbkin?
 Repeat daily.
Where is red? (Raise one hand with all fingers showing.)
Where is red? (Repeat with other hand.)
Here I am. (Show red on one hand.)
Here I am. (Show red on the other hand.)
Show me if you can. (Hold hands up.)
Show me if you can. (Hold hands up.)
100
TWOS- Senses & Perception
Colors & Shapes
Water Play [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Container or water table, sponges of various colors
 Cut circles, squares, and triangles out of sponges.
 Read books to the children in your class and focus on the colors and shapes on
the pages.
 Place the sponges in a container of water.
 Talk about how the water feels and how the shapes float in the water.
 Enjoy the water play with a small group of children.
Sun print/ Shape print [Approaches to Learning: Exploration & Discovery]
Materials: Construction paper of many colors and circles, squares and triangle
shapes from puzzles or construction toys
 Place the shape on the paper and leave them in a sunny spot.
 If the weather is good, put them in the sun outside.
 With the children, remove the items in a few days and see the prints created by the
shapes.
Snowflakes [Approaches to Learning: Exploration & Discovery]
Materials: Coffee filters, cups/bowls, water and food coloring.
 Fill cups with water and 1 drop of food coloring.
 Help each child to fold a coffee filter into a triangle.
 Dip each corner into a different color.
 Let dry.
 On the creases, cut out small shapes to make a snowflake while children are
sleep.
 Hang them around the room and talk about their creations after they wake.
Paint with Ice Cubes [Approaches to Learning: Exploration & Discovery]
Materials: Small cups or small containers, water, food coloring, popsicle sticks,
newspaper
or paper bags.
 Add 1 drop of food coloring to water
 Put colored water in cups or containers.
 When almost frozen place popsicle sticks in center for a handle.
 Put back in freezer.
 Encourage children to paint on newspaper or paper bags.
 For something different let children paint on textured paper to see what happens
** Ice must be larger than 2 inches to prevent choking hazard**
101
TWOS- Movement & Music
Colors & Shapes
How Do the Animals Move? [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Read a book that has colorful pictures of animals in them.
 Discuss the different colors the animals can be.
 Practice following directions such as slithering like a snake, crawling like a turtle or
bug, standing on one leg like a flamingo, flying like a butterfly or bird, hopping like
a frog or rabbit, or swimming like a fish.
Hop, Skip & Jump [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Masking tape
 Create a circle, square, or triangle on the floor using masking tape.
 Allow each child to take a turn moving in different ways around the edge of the
shape.
 Recite the following verse as each child hops, skips, jumps, crawls or walks
around each shape.
 Clap hands to accompany the movement.
Kaden is jumping, jumping, jumping. Kaden is jumping around the circle.
Alyssa is crawling, crawling, crawling. Alyssa is crawling on the square.
Shapes & More Shapes [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Shapes around the room
 Sing to the tune of Muffin Man:
Do you know
what shape this is,
what shape this is,
what shape this is?
Do you know
what shape this is,
I’m holding in my hand?
102
Twos- Language
Colors & Shapes
Let’s Say It Again! [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Objects around the room
 Children love repetition.
 Use the colors in the book to guide each child to name the colors and make them
find something in the room that color.
 Recite the following chant while searching for colors around the room. After finding an object talk about it (e.g., label, texture, use, etc.).
I spy with my little eye
Something (insert color)
Rainbow Toast [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Inventiveness]
Materials: Milk, food coloring, small bowls, brushes, bread, napkin, toaster
 Pour a small amount of milk into a bowl and add 1 drop of food coloring.
 Encourage each child to paint a little of the colored milk mixture onto the bread
which is on a napkin.
 Discuss with the children about the color of milk they chose, what they are painting, if they made a new color by mixing colors, etc.
 Toast the bread.
 Enjoy the rainbow treat and discuss how the colors changed, how it tastes, texture,
etc.
**Make sure to keep toaster out of the reach of the children.
Color and More Color [Language & Communication: Communicating &
Speaking]
Materials: Different colored paints, trays, paper or zip lock bag
 Guide two to three children to sit at a table.
 Provide each child with a tray for paints.
 Put several colors on each tray and encourage the children to mix them together
with their hands.
 Talk about how the paint feels and how the colors change when they are mixed
together.
 Alternate experience: Put different color finger paints in a zip lock bag and let the
children squish the bags and watch the colors mix together.
Bubbles [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Bottle of bubbles
 Blow bubbles inside or outdoors.
 Reach for the bubbles to catch and pop them.
103
Animals
104
INFANTS
105
INFANTS – Relationships
Animals
5 Little Ducks [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: No materials needed.
 Hold one child in your lap and put the others on a blanket or mat close by you and
sing the Five Little Duck song:
Five little ducks
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said
"Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only four little ducks came back.
Repeat 4,3,2,1
Sad mother duck
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
The sad mother duck said
"Quack, quack, quack."
And all of her five little ducks came back.
Spot is a Puppy [Social & Emotional: Self Concept]
 Read a book about a dog or other animal and use a puppet or stuffed animal
related to the book.
 Help each child to turn the pages of the book.
 Read the book focusing on the animal and what they do.
 After reading the book sing the song below to the tune of “Where is Thumbkin?”
Spot is a puppy, Spot is a puppy.
He’s my friend, he’s my friend.
We like to play together, we like to play together.
I love him, I love him.
Hide and Seek! [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness and Curiosity]
Materials: Stuffed Animals
 Read a book about animals.
 Hide stuff animals in different places: Under a box, behind a chair, on top of a
shelf, next to a toy.
 Tell the children that some of their toys are hiding.
 Sing the song below and then allow each child to search and find their animals.
 Sing the following song to the children to the tune of “Where oh where has my little
dog gone”
Where, oh where, is my (animal), Oh where oh where can he be?
Where oh where is (animal)? He is a friend to me.
106
INFANTS – Senses & Perception
Animals
Rubber Ducky [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Rubber ducks
 Gather rubber ducks or textured ducks and allow the children to touch or hold.
 Place the ducks in a shallow tray of waters for infants to touch and hold.
 Sing the song below while the children are playing with the ducks:
(From Sesame Street)
Rubber Ducky, you're the one,
You make bath time lots of fun,
Rubber Ducky, I'm awfully fond of you;
Woo woo be doo
Rubber Ducky, joy of joys,
When I squeeze you, you make noise!
Rubber Ducky, you're my very best friend, it's true!
Doo doo doo doo, doo doo
Every day when I
Make my way to the tubby
I find a little fella who's
Cute and yellow and chubby
Rub-a-dub-a-dubby!
Rubber Ducky, you're so fine
And I'm lucky that you're mine
Rubber ducky, I'm awfully fond of you.
Rubber ducky, I'd like a whole pond of Rubber ducky I'm awfully fond of you!
Doo doo, be doo

Sing the song and replace rubber ducky with another animal and change up some
of the words, be creative and don’t be afraid to be silly
Shine, Flashlight, Shine! [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Flashlight
 Teach the children to recognize and identify objects and people by pointing the
flashlight at the object or person and naming them.
 Sing the follow verse:
Light, light, shine so bright
Light, light shine so bright
Light, light, shine so bright.
I see _____________ (Name the object or person)
107
INFANTS – Movement & Music
Animals
Whose baby am I? [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Stuffed animals
 Read a book with animals in them.
 Have tow stuff animals (one large and one small)
 One animal can be the parent and the other the child.
 Ask, “Whose baby am I?”
 Who’s the biggest, mommy, daddy, or the child?
 Talk about how much the big one loves the little.
 When the infant is on his/her belly on the floor, move the picture to one side,
encouraging him/her to reach for it.
Midline Connection [Cognitive Development and General Knowledge: Problem
Solving & Creative Expression]
 Place the baby in a comfortably seated position.
 Sit in front of him and hide a favorite toy behind you back.
 Make a game of handing him the toy so he has to reach across his body to get it.
 Repeat this encouraging the use of both left and right hands.
108
INFANTS – Language
Animals
Animal Sounds [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
 Make a sound for the animal you find in a book about animals.
 Wait for the child to imitate you.
 Repeat the animals sounds a few times.
 Encourage the children to make the sound of the animals after you name it.
 Allow the children to repeat the sound during story time or through out the day.
Toy Animal [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Toy animals, picture of matching animals in the book
 As the children play with the toy animal name the animal the child is playing with.
 Read a story with pictures of animals in it.
 Encourage child to match the animal they have with the picture in the book.
 Encourage the child to wave or blow kisses to the pictures in the book and tell
them to say “Hi dog” or “Bye dog,” “Hi cat’” etc.
Animal Pictures [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Collect realistic animal pictures that correspond with the pictures a book about
animals.
 Put the pictures on the classroom picture wall.
 While reading the book, point to the animals on the picture wall and say the name
of the animal.
109
110
ONES
111
Animals
Animal Families [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Plastic/stuffed animals
 Many different animals live together.
 Pretend that one animal is the parent and one is the child. Point out the bigger
animal and use the name of the primary care provider of the child then point out
the baby animal and call it the child’s name. ex. “Mommy and (child’s name)” or
“Grandpa and Baby”
 Talk to children about how animals have parents, just like you.
Animal Search [Social & Emotional: Self-Awareness]
Materials: Plastic/stuffed animals, blankets
 Hide an animal under the cover.
 Encourage child to reach for, uncover, gaze at, etc. (depending on child’s
developmental level) the animal.
 Assist children as needed or only partially hide the animal.
 Sing the following song to the tune of Where is Thumbkin:
Where is the cow, where is the cow (shrug shoulders and hands)
Here he is, here he is (lift up the cover)
(Insert child’s name) found the cow, (Insert child’s name) found the cow (gently
touch the child)
Here he is, here he is (hold up the animal)
Nests [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Paper sack, pen
 Many animals live in nests (e.g., birds/ducks, beavers, alligator eggs, etc.).
 Give each child a brown paper sack and write their name on it.
 Take the children on a nature walk and let them collect items that an animal might
use to make a nest, such as twigs, leaves, grass and pieces of string.
 Place the items in the sack and fold down the sides of the sack to create a nest.
 Leave “nests” outdoors where animals can pick out items to build a nest.
 With each child, check his/her bags daily to see if anything is missing.
 Enjoy the children’s excitement with their one on one time and surprise if items are
missing.
112
ONES – Senses & Perceptions
Animals
Rubber Ducky [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Sing the Rubber Ducky song while playing with bubbles or water, with your rubber
ducky.
(From Sesame Street)
Rubber Ducky, you're the one,
You make bath time lots of fun,
Rubber Ducky, I'm awfully fond of you.
Green Nature [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Paint, trays, sponges, art paper, basket, bag, bucket, glue
 After reading the story, put out trays with paints of green, yellow, brown and red.
 Place individual sponges with each color of paint.
 Show each child how to dip the sponge in the color and sponge onto their paper,
creating their own jungle.
 Allow the pictures to dry, writing each child’s name on the back of the paper.
 Give the children a basket or bag. Go on a nature walk to gather leaves, twigs,
grass, etc.
 Glue items from nature walk on to painted paper.
 Hang the pictures on a clothesline to dry.
*This project will take several days to compete.
Animal Hide and Seek [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Box, shredded paper, plastic/stuffed animals
 Fill a box with shredded paper.
 Choose animals that match the animals in the story.
 Hide the animals in the box.
 Encourage each child to take a turn reaching in and pulling out an animal.
 While the child is reaching, sing Old Macdonald Had a Farm with the rest of the
children, and use the name of the animal that the child pulls out.
 Continue with all of the animals and make sure that every child gets a turn by
repeating some of the animals if needed.
Feather Play [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Colorful feathers
 Gather feathers in a variety of colors.
 Gently blow the feathers out of your hand.
 Encourage children to track the feathers with their eyes or reach for them.
 Rub feathers on various body parts of the children. Pay attention to their
responses or cues and react accordingly. Some children may not enjoy the sensation and do not force them to participate if they do not want to.
113
Animals
Caves and Tunnels [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Boxes of various sizes
 Cut openings in the boxes for the children to move through.
 Read a book about animals and ask the children which animal was their favorite in
the story.
 Encourage each child to explore with their bodies how the animals move. (For
example, fly like a bird, bounce like a kangaroo, slither like a snake, open mouth
wide like a tiger, crawl like a turtle, gallop like a horse, or waddle like a duck.)
 Encourage toddlers to hide and climb and explore in, around and outside of the
boxes.
Old MacDonald had a … (farm, zoo, rainforest, etc) [Approaches to Learning:
Creativity & Problem Solving]
Materials: Book that includes animals
 Sing the song Old MacDonald, naming all of the animals included in the book.
Old MacDonald Had a farm/zoo/rainforest – e-i-e-i-o
And on that farm he had a pig – e-i-e-i-o
With an oink, oink here and an oink, oink there
Here an oink, there an oink, everywhere an oink, oink,
Old MacDonald had a farm – e-i-e-i-o
The Animals on the Farm, in the Zoo, in the Rainforest [Language &
Communication: Communicating & Speaking]
 Follow up the book by singing the following song to the tune of The Wheels on the
Bus.
The duck on the farm says quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, quack,
Quack, quack, quack,
The duck on the farm says quack, quack, quack
All through the farm.
Repeat with all the animals in the book.
The monkeys in the zoo says ooo, ooo, ah,
ooo, ooo, ah,
ooo, ooo, ah,
The monkeys in the zoo says ooo, ooo, ah,
All through the zoo.
Repeat with all the animals in the book.
114
Animals
Tails, Tails, Tails! [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Sheets, towels, fabric, crepe paper/streamers, cups
 Cut material into long strips.
 Create zebra stripes on one by allowing each child to scribble black markers on the
cloth.
 Create jaguar dots with cups. For spots, have children dip either end of a cup into
paint and press onto cloth.
 After creating the tails and allowing to dry,
 enjoy waving them in the air.
 Make circles around the children.
 Wiggle the tails on the ground
 jump over them.
115
ONES – Language
Animals
Animal Sounds [Language & Communication Domain: Listening &
Understanding]
 While reading a book about animals, ask the children to identify the animals by
sound.
 Make the sound of the animal and have the children tell you what animal makes
that sound.
 Then have them point to the animal in the book.
Five Little Ducks - Body Motions [Physical Health Domain: Gross Motor
Development]
 While singing the song Five Little Ducks, use body and hand motions to recreate
the story. For example,
 Move hand up and down for “over the hills”
 Hand at eyebrows pretending to look for “far away”
 Hand opening and closing while saying “quack”
 Add a movement for when “the ducks came back” such as waddling, running, jumping, skipping, flying
Where is… ? [ Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: A shoebox and plastic animals
 Place an animal in/out and or on/off while singing the following song to the tune of
Where is Thumbkin:
Where is the cow, where is the cow?
Here I am, here I am.
The cow is IN the box, The cow is IN the box,
Take her OUT, take her OUT.

Repeat the song, inserting different animals and ON/OFF, etc.
116
TWOS
117
TWOS- Relationships
Animals
Gorilla in the Middle [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Have the children sit in a circle.
 Choose someone to be a gorilla.
 As the child stands in the middle he/she says, “This is what I can do. See if you
can do it too!”
 Encourage the children to imitate the gorilla (i.e. child in the middle).
 The gorilla then chooses someone else to be a gorilla by turning around while
everyone counts 1-2-3.
 Whoever he/she is pointing to is the next gorilla.
We All Live Together [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Stuffed or plastic animals of various sizes, and photos of children with their
family,
 Hang the family photos at children’s eye level.
 While reading a story about animals, identify the different animals that live together.
 Create a family using stuffed or plastic animals.
 Pretend that one animal is the parent and one is the child.
 Talk about the relationship between the parent and children.
 Relate animal families to the family photos.
Mommy & Me [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Paper, felt, tissue paper, fabric squares, colored paper , scissors and glue
 Allow children to tear or cut materials into smaller pieces.
 Encourage them to glue pieces onto a larger piece of paper.
 The teacher cuts out a large and small animal shape from children’s collage
 Display the animal shapes
together, big and little.
118
TWOS- Senses & Perception
Animals
Animal Skins [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
Materials: Variety of textures– wood block, dish, sandpaper, felt, feather, shoebox
 Place items into a shoebox
 Read a story about animals and identify what kind of skin they have.
 Have the children pull one item out of the box.
 Relate how the textures are like the animal skins.
 For example,
 the block is hard like a turtle’s shell,
 the plastic dish is smooth like a hippo’s skin,
 the sandpaper is rough like the elephant’s skin,
 the felt is soft like the mouse’s fur,
 the feather is fuzzy like a bird
On & Off [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept Development
& Memory]
Materials: Large mixing bowl, water, plastic Arctic animals, plastic bin or water table
 Place water in mixing bowl and freeze the night before.
 Place large chunk of ice into plastic bin or water table.
 Encourage the children to place animals ON and slide OFF the ice.
 Talk about how the ice feels, how it melts, where the animals live where it is cold..
Let’s Get Cooking! [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Ingredients to bake cookies, animal cookie cutters, bowls, spoons
 Read a book to the children and point out the animals in the story.
 If possible, have a baking day and let the children take turns helping you to stir the
ingredients together to make animal cookies for snack.
 Roll out dough and use animal cookie cutters and then bake the cookies.
 If you don’t feel comfortable with actual baking or it is not possible, gather together
plastic bowls and spoons and let the children pretend to be making animal cookies.
 Talk about how cookies
smell and taste. Talk about
what the animals like to eat.
119
TWOS - Movement & Music
Animals
All the Animals into the Barn [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Blocks or box, farm animals
 Build a barn out of blocks or use a box.
 Move the animals into the barn making the animal sound.
 For example, “Let’s move the sheep into the barn!” Each child gets down on
hands and knees, walking like sheep and saying, “baaa”. Repeat using other
animals and movements.
Animal Playground [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: CD with animal songs
 Choose a song from the CD.
 Identify the animals in the song.
 Encourage toddlers to pretend they are the animals.
 Imitate the animal sounds.
Little Bird Come Hop, Hop, Hop [Physical Development: Gross Motor
Development]
 Show the children how to hop on one foot.
 Hop and stop while reciting this verse.
Once I saw a little bird come hop, hop, hop.
 Tap each child on the shoulder to stop.
Follow the Leader Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Take the children outside.
 Choose a child to be the leader.
 Encourage the children to imitate the leader’s movements.
 Encourage children to move fast and slow.
 Bring to children’s attention how much fun they are having playing next to each
other.
 Encourage children to imitate movements of leader while transitioning throughout
the day.
Banana, Banana, Banana, Gorilla [Physical Development: Gross Motor
Development]
Materials: Banana
 Choose a child to be the Banana. (Give him/her a plastic banana to hold.)
 Have the children sit in a circle or line.
 The banana has to walk around the circle or down the line and touch a friend and
say “It’s a gorilla!”
 The gorilla has to chase the banana around the circle or the line.
 The banana tries to sit back in the gorilla’s space.
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TWOS- Language
Animals
Let’s Say It Again! [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Children love repetition.
 Use the following verse to guide each child to name the animal and make the
animal sound after identifying animals in the story.
 For added fun make up all kinds of silly words and sounds and repeat each time
you read the book. The children will love your expressions.
All of the animals are talking to you.
Find one that says quack and one that says moo.
All of the animals are talking to you.
Find one that says oink and how do you do?
Create Your Own Short Story [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
Materials: Paper, crayons, markers, or paint
 Talk to children about going on a trip to the store, another city, the zoo, or the farm
with some animals.
 Talk about all the things the children might see on their trip.
 Write down a story created by the children about the animals.
 Provide and opportunity for them to draw a picture of their story.
Dogs! Dogs! Dogs! [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Problem Solving]
Materials: Magazines with dogs, scissors, glue and paper
 Encourage children to cut out pictures of dogs and glue onto paper.
 Talk about the different sizes, shapes and colors.
 Make different sounds that a dog could make.
 Ask each child to tell something about the picture of the animal. Help them to
describe the animal.
121
I Love You
122
INFANTS
123
INFANTS –Relationships
I Love You
Tummy Time [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Place two children on their tummies on a blanket/mat. Place approximately one
foot apart.
 Sit close by or lie on your tummy too and talk to the children about the other one
(e.g., facial features, what they are doing, how they enjoy being close, etc.) or read
one of this month’s books.
I Love You [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 When waking each child from their nap, softly say the following words:
I love you sun (while opening curtains or turning on the light)
I love you flowers (if you have plants or flowers in your classroom)
I love you blankie (while you stroke the child’s blanket)
I love you (insert child’s name)

Gently touch the child, waking him/her up.
How Big Is Baby [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Dolls
 Play this game with each child who is awake and alert.
 Lean forward with an interested expression and smile.
 Ask each child, “How big is (insert child’s name)?”
 Widen your eyes and hold your arms up in the air dramatically.
 Encourage the child to hold his/her arms up. Answer dramatically, “SOOOO Big!”
 “How big is (insert description of name of each doll)?”
 Line up many different dolls.
 Encourage the children to sit next to you and take turns holding the dolls.
Greeting [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Camera
 Greet each child with a smile and by name in the morning.
 Greet the parent the same way.
 Say and wave good-bye to the parents and assist child in doing the same.
 Assist the child in blowing kisses to the parent.
 Take a picture of each parent dropping off their child in the morning and display at
children’s eye level.
 Point out the pictures throughout the day.
124
I Love You
Red Hearts [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Clean, dry, empty plastic water bottles, red food coloring, small red items
(e.g., beads, construction paper, etc.), glue
 Place small red items or water with food coloring inside bottle.
 Secure lid on tightly with glue. Allow to dry before having children play with them.
 Turn bottles back and forth or roll across floor.
 Describe what you see and hear.
Rock a Bye Baby [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 While rocking or dancing with the child sing Rock a Bye Baby:
Rock a Bye Baby
On the tree top,
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall,
And down will come Baby,
Cradle and all.
Cuddle Up [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Dolls, lullaby CD
 After reading one of your books, pass out baby dolls to all the children.
 Hold a child in your arms.
 Play or sing your favorite lullaby while gently rocking the baby.
 Prompt the children to do the same, assisting them with holding the dolls and with
rocking backward and forward.
 Hold, rock, and gently touch the children throughout the day.
 Respond to a child who reaches for you, cries for you or makes sounds by saying,
“Oh, would you like a hug?”
125
I Love You
Teacher Loves Me [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Post the following rhyme above the diaper changer or feeding area.
 Read the rhyme to each child during routine care events.
Teacher whispers in my ear.
Teacher tells me that she cares.
Teacher reads a book to me.
Teacher smiles back at me.
Teacher cleans and feeds me, too.
Teacher loves each one of you!

Gently touch the child while repeating the rhyme, if your hands are clean.
When the Day Ends [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 How do you end the day in your classroom?
 Choose a song or make one up to sing at the end of each day.
 Include this song as part of your routine daily and notice how the children will
begin to recognize the song.
 Sing to the tune of the Barney song:
Now it’s time to end our day
Tomorrow we’ll be back to play
Today was good
Tomorrow will be too
Remember that I always love you.
Crawl Through [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Box or Legos
 Create a tunnel with the box or Legos for each child to crawl through.
 Chant the following as each child crawls to the other side.
Look who’s crawling through the tunnel.
(Child’s name) is crawling through.
Here he comes. What do you say?
Here he comes. Hip hip hooray!
126
I Love You
I Love You [Language & Communication: Communicating & Speaking]
 Point out the facial expressions on the people’s faces in the books you read and in
the display around your room
 Demonstrate the expression to the child.
 Encourage child to imitate the expression.
Do You Love Me? [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Animals (e.g., duck, mouse, bear, owl, etc.)
 Teach the children the words below, encouraging the repetition.
 Point to yourself as you state “Do you love me” and point to the child when stating
“I love you forever.”
 Use a different voice for the animals and show the children the animal as you use
the voice.
“Do you love me?,” quacks the duck.
I love you forever, and ever, and always.
“Do you love me?,” squeaks the mouse.
I love you forever, and ever and always.
“Do you love me?,” growls the bear.
I love you forever, and ever and always.
“Do you love me?,” hoots the owl.
“Do you love me?,” asks the child.
Family Experience [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: heart patterns, red, white & pink construction paper, markers, crayons and
other decorating supplies
 Invite families to visit the classroom to make a valentine for their child.
 On a separate table, lay out all materials and supplies.
 Allow them to make a special card for their son or daughter. Or they can make
one at home and have them bring to the classroom to display and then give to
their child.
 Display several of this month’s books. Post the phrase from one of the books like
“I will love you, forever and always, because you are my Dear One.”
127
128
ONES
129
I Love You
Smile! [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Photographs of children
 Remember to smile at the children throughout the day.
 Read a book to each child, allowing him/her to pat the book and turn the pages.
 Take photos of each child and post them on the child’s level: on the floor, on the
wall in a low position, or next to the changing table.
 Smile as you name each child.
Class Book [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Family photographs, paper or index cards, marker and glue (teacher use),
book rings, yarn, or binder with sheet protectors
 Ask the families to send in family photos in order to create a special book for your
class.
 Glue the pictures to the paper/index card and write the following under the photos:

I am (insert child’s name)
I love my (family member in picture) and (family member in picture) too
I am (Child’s name) and
I love you!
Either secure pages together with book rings, yarn, or place in sheet protectors
inside a binder.
HUG [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Encourage the parents of your children to hug their children when they leave in the
morning and when they pick them up.
 Hug each child to comfort them.
 Respond to each child when they reach out to you.
Make a Lovey [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
Materials: Clean socks or knee highs, marker, yarn/string, and various items for
stuffing (e.g., cotton balls, tissue paper, netting, newspaper, magazines)
 Draw various emotional expressions on the sock/knee high with the marker.
 Stuff socks/knee highs with stuffing. If using newspaper or magazines, have
children rip the paper.
 Tie the end tightly with yarn/string.
 Have children sing and dance with their Lovey while singing the Movement &
Music L-O-V-E-Y song.
 Allow them to sleep with them if they so desire. Offer the Lovey in times of distress. The Lovey can be sent home at the end of the month.
130
ONES – Sense & Perception
I Love You
Mirror, Mirror on the Floor [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Plastic mirror
 Hold a child on your lap and hold a mirror in your hand or look at a mirror hanging
in the classroom.
 Take turns looking in the mirror at the child and at yourself.
 Point out to the child the two of you in the mirror.
 Respond to the sounds, expressions, and words which the child shows and uses.
Valentine’s [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Problem-Solving &
Materials: Red contact paper (if none is available, then use glue and red construction
paper) and white yarn and/or tissue paper
 Cut the red contact or construction paper into the shape of a large heart.
 Encourage children to shred yarn and/or rip tissue paper and place onto the sticky
side of the contact paper or place into glue on construction paper.
 Display and describe the various textures.
 Give to parent/guardian as a Valentine’s card.
Musical Hugs [Social Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: CD of children’s favorite songs
 Turn on music and encourage children to move the way the music makes them
feel.
 Stop the music and encourage the child to hug him/herself or to hug a friend.
 Make sure to hug each child.
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I Love You
Smile Song [Cognitive Development & General Knowledgw: Exploration &
Discovery]
 Sing the following words to the tune of the “Barney Song”
I love you
You love me
We always smile when we’re happy
With a great big smile and a kiss for you and me
Won’t you smile and be happy.
Moving Toys [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Teddy bear, CD of children’s favorite songs
 Give each child a teddy bear.
 Help the children to imitate actions, such as hugging, kissing on the nose and on
the toes, clapping hands, tickling and snuggling.
 Put on music and encourage children to dance with their teddy bear. Make sure to
hug and cuddle at the end of the song.
L-O-V-E-Y [Physical Development: Health]
 Sing the following song to each child to the “Mickey Mouse” tune
L-o-v-e-y – l-o-v-e-y
You’re my lovey, you’re my lovey
I’m happy when you come to school each day – each day!
l-o-v-e-y – l-o-v-e-y
132
ONES – Language
I Love You
Materials: Old magazines, newspapers, sale papers
 Find pictures in old magazines, newspapers, sale papers, etc. of adults and
children showing affection (ex., hugging, touching, laughing, kissing, smiling, etc.)
 Display the pictures throughout the room at the children’s eye level and even on
the floor.
 Talk about the pictures and what is happening in them with the children throughout
the week.
 Copy the actions you see in the picture with the children.
Materials: Bowls, spoons, and baking pans.
 Have a container ready so that the cake can bake.
 If there is not a container available, slide the cake under a chair to bake.
 Encourage toddlers to pretend to stir and pour.
 Watch the cake bake in the oven.
 Pretend to eat the cake.
 Sing Pat-A-Cake
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Where Is My Friend [Social & Emotional: Self Regulation]
 Encourage toddlers to stand/sit by a friend.
 Sing tune to “Oh Where Has my Little Dog Gone”

Where, oh, where, Is (Child’s Name)?
Oh where oh where can she be?
Where oh where is (Child’s Name)?
She is a friend to me.
Encourage your friend to blow a kiss.
133
134
TWOS
135
TWOS –Relationships
I Love You
Mommy and Me [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Photographs of children and their mommy (or other caregiver)
 Invite the mommies to bring in photos of themselves with their child.
 Make a book attaching all photos so that when you turn each page, another child
from your class will be pictured with their mother.
 Ask, “Whose mommy is this?”
 Name each child and point to their mommy’s photo.
 Display the pictures with photos sent from home of each child with their mommy.
Rock-a-Bye Baby [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Dolls or stuffed animals
 Read books that are about relationships (e.g., mom/dad and child, grandparent
and grandchild, etc.).
 Tell children that mommies and daddies hug their babies and rock them to sleep.
 Sing Rock-a-Bye Baby with the children and encourage them to sing and rock their
baby to sleep.
 Use activity in your dramatic play area and expand by feeding, changing, and
“washing” the baby.
Who Loves Daddy/Mommy [Physical Development: Health]
 Teach the children the following song to sing during circle time.
 Encourage the children to clap their hands or pat their legs to the beat.
 Sing the following song to the tune of Where is Thumbkin?
Who loves Daddy/Mommy? Who loves Daddy/Mommy?
I love him/her. I love him/her.
Daddy/mommy keeps me safe and warm.
Daddy/mommy keeps me from all harm.
I love him/her. I love him/her.
136
TWOS – Senses & Perception
I Love You
Translucent Hearts [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Wax paper, vegetable oil, scissors (for teacher’s use), shallow container or
bin, paint brushes, red tissue paper
 Cut large heart shapes out of wax paper for each child.
 Let children tear tissue paper into small pieces and place into small container.
 Pour vegetable oil into shallow container or bin.
 Have children dip paint brushes into the oil and brush it over the wax heart.
 Allow children to press the red tissue pieces all over the heart until completely
covered.
 The oil will help the tissue pieces stick to the hearts while making the red color
translucent.
Mudprints [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Containers, dirt, water, spoons, sturdy paper plates
 Give each child a sturdy plate. Best if done one on one.
 Cover the plate with a mound of dirt.
 Add water and either have children mix together with their hands (mushy!) or use a
spoon to create a plate of mud.
 Smooth the mud into a flat surface.
 Help each child to press their hand palm-down into the mud and then lift up the
hand.
 Place the mud in the sun to dry.
 Be sure and wash hands afterwards!
 Send the handprint home to parents/guardian :)
Friendship Wreath [Language & Communication: Communicating & Speaking]
Materials: Red paint, large white paper, and ribbon
 Have the children place their handprints on a large piece of paper in a circular
shape to create a friendship wreath.
 Have children decorate with ribbons.
 Display on wall for all to see.
 Talk about working nicely with each other and being friends.
137
TWOS –Movement & Music
I Love You
Friends [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Sing to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb:
Will you meet a friend of mine?
Friend of mine?
Friend of mine?
Will you meet a friend of mine
This is my friend (insert child’s name)!

Use this song at the beginning of circle time and gently touch the child as you say
their name.
Barney Song [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Sing the Barney Song, giving good night hugs to each child at naptime.
I love you. You love me. We’re a happy family.
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you.
Won’t you say you love me, too?
Row with a Partner [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Have children choose a partner.
 Have them sit on the floor with legs open in a “V.” Their feet will need to touch.
 Assist them in holding hands while rocking back and forth.
 Sing the following song to the tune of Row Row Row Your Boat.
Love, love, love your friend
Touch them gently
Love, love, love your friend
As gently as can be
Heart Lacing [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Sturdy material (e.g., cereal box, cardboard, poster board, etc.), shoe
string, tape, scissors and hole puncher (teacher’s use)
 Cut out large heart shapes from sturdy material.
 Punch out holes around the heart.
 Tape shoe string to back of heart.
 Encourage child to place string in and out of holes. Assist as needed.
138
TWOS – Language
I Love You
I Love My Mommy (Daddy, Grandma. Auntie) [Cognitive Development & General
Knowledge: Concept Development & Memory]
 Recite the following chant with the children at the end of each day, inserting the
relationships of person picking up child.
 Make up movements to go along with the chant.
I love my mommy. Yes, I do.
I love my mommy. Yes, I do.
I love my mommy. My mommy loves me too!
Mommy Hug!
Describing Pictures [Language & Communication: Communicaion & Speaking]
Materials: Magazines of people, glue, paper, child safe scissors
 Have children cut or tear out pictures of people hugging, kissing, etc. from
magazines.
 Allow them to spread glue onto paper and freely place pictures onto glue.
 Talk about what the people are doing in the pictures. Point out that the people in
the pictures are similar to the children’s family members.
 Remind them that their family loves them.
 Hang the collages on the wall at the children’s eye leve and continue talking about
throughout the month.
Jell-o Jigglers [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Box of red jell-o, mixing bowl, spoon, shallow cookie sheet, refrigerator,
knife (teacher’s use) or heart cookie cutter
 Wash hands.
 Mix jell-o with half the amount of water suggested on the box. Allow children to
help with pouring, measuring, and mixing.
 Describe all actions to the children and what they are making.
 Place in refrigerator to congeal.
 Either cut into squares with a knife or into heart with cookie cutter.
 Serve for snack and chant the following:
Gelatin jigglers on my tray.
They make me laugh and want to play.
Wiggle, giggle, smooth, and cool.
What a treat to eat at school.
139
Things That Go
140
INFANTS
141
Things That Go
Things That Go [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Blanket or mat and book
 Gather the children around you as you read a book about vehicles.
 Hold one in your lap and put the others on a blanket or mat close by you.
Airplane Flying By [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Blanket or mat and book
 Using the pictures in the book as inspiration, sing to the children throughout the
day.
 Make up songs to familiar tunes.
 For example, using the picture of the plane, sing to the tune of London Bridge and
wave your hand in the air while singing:
Planes are flying by, flying by, flying by
Planes are flying by
In a cloudy sky.
Cars are driving by, driving by, driving by
Cars are driving by
On the highway
Build a Car and Ride Together [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
Materials: Boxes, mats, large legos and blocks
 Read a book with vehicles to each child, show the picture on the cover of the
book.
 Tell the children you are going to build a car or other vehicle in the book together
and go for a ride.
 Build a car with the children, adding a steering wheel and wheels.
 Sing to the tune of Wheels on the Bus while pretending to ride in the car together:
The car that goes beep goes up a hill, up a hill, up a hill,
The car that goes beep goes up a hill, all through the town.
The car that goes beep drives on the road, on the road, on the road.
The car that goes beep drives on the road through the gooey mud.
The car in the mud goes squish, squish, squish,
squish, squish, squish, squish, squish, squish,
The car in the mud goes squish, squish, squish,
through the gooey mud.
142
Things That Go
Tummy Time [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Pictures of different type of transportation, blanket or mat and tape
 Gather the children around you as you read a book about things that go such as
Planes, trains and cars, etc.
 Gather pictures of different types of transportation
 Tape pictures to the floor so babies can see them.
 Encourage children on tummy and discuss the pictures.
Fun with Sounds [Approaches to Learning: Creativity and Problem-Solving]
Materials: Book with cars, trucks or other vehicles
 Play with the sounds:
 beep, beep, beep
 swish, swish, swish
 wah, wah, wah
 clink, clink, clink
Smelling Fruit [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Fruit and tray
 Place a whole orange and a lemon on tray.
 Allow child to choose one and hold.
 Gently scratch the peel of fruit so he can smell the aroma.
 Say to child, “Can you smell the orange?”
 Roll the food across the floor to encourage the children to visually track the fruit
143
Things That Go
Row your Boat [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Blanket or mat.
 Hold a child in your lap and put the others on a blanket or mat close by you.
 While holding a child sing “Row, row, row your boat”.
 Swag the child back and forth, give each child on the blanket the same experience.
 You my also replace the word bus boat with different vehicles in the book.
Round and Round Go Our Hands [Physical Development: Fine Motor
Development]
 Demonstrate and assist children in moving as many ways as possible while reciting the song to the tune of Row your boat :

Clap, clap, clap your hands as slowly as you can
Clap, clap, clap your hands as quickly as you can
Roll, roll, roll your hands round and round and round,
Swish, swish, swish your hands. . .
Rub, rub, rub, your hands
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your fingers,
Kick, kick, kick your feet
Up, up, up – move your eyes
Down, down, down
Motion on Wheels [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Riding toys, push and pull toys, stuffed animals and dolls, toys with wheels
 Encourage children to take turns riding, being pushed around the room and
outside.
 Prepare ample space in the classroom for all kinds of toys with wheels.
 Allow the children to sit on the bigger ones and feel the sense of movement.
 Place dolls on top of toy trucks and other push/pull toys.
 Show the children how to push the toys back and forth.
144
Things That Go
Look and Listen [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Go outside with your blanket or mat
 Lay down on the blanket
 Look and listen or things that are moving (i.e. clouds, trees, cars, planes, etc.).
Riding in My Car [Language & Communication: Listening and Understanding]
Materials: Vehicles or toys that move
 Give each child a vehicle to hold as you pretend to go for a ride.
 Sing the following song to the tune of Wheels on the Bus.

We’re going for a ride around our room,
around our room, around our room,
beep, beep, vroom, vroom.

Repeat throughout the day as you transition from one area to another and from
one routine to another.
We’re Taking Trip [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Poster board, stickers (cars, boats, planes)
 From poster board cut circles approximately four inches in diameter. (If possible,
laminate)
 Purchase stickers representing forms of transportation.
 Put sticker on each circle.
 Hold up circle and tell children what mode of transportation each picture
represents.
 Sing or chant throughout the day:

Trucks, cars, boats, and planes.
We love to take big trips in
145
146
ONES
147
Things That Go
Bumping Up and Down! [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Dolls, stuffed animals
 Encourage children to hold and bounce the baby on their lap while singing the
following song to the tune of Bumping Up and Down
Bumping up and down with my little baby
Let's ride off together!

You may also place each child on your lap and sing the above song using child’s
name instead of “baby.”
Lonely Bus Driver [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
 Use the following song when transitioning between activities/events (e.g., going
outside, going to the lunch room, gathering to circle time rug, etc.).
 You can go around the room, touching each child gently when you call their name,
in order to gain their attention and to follow you.
One lonely bus driver all alone and blue.
She picked up (child’s name) and then there were two.
Two toddlers riding, they stopped by a tree
They picked up (child’s name), and then there were three.
Three toddlers riding, they stopped by a store
They picked up (child’s name), and then there were four.
Four toddlers riding, happy and alive,
They picked up (child’s name), and then there were five.
Five toddlers riding open swung the door
Four toddlers got off the bus,
The driver’s alone once more.
Partner Row Your Boat [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Partner up two children and have them sit on the floor across from one another
with their feet in a “V” position and touching.
 Have them join hands and assist them in rocking back and forth while singing Row
Row Row Your Boat.
 May have to demonstrate with a child prior to having two children do it together.
148
Things That Go
Truck Painting [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Cars, trucks, art paper and smocks or old shirt
 Place construction paper or large newsprint on the table.
 Pour small amount of paint onto a paper plate.
 Dip the wheels of the vehicle into the paint and have the children roll the wheels
onto the construction paper, making a pattern.
Water play [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Boats, plastic scoops/spoons, containers, water bins and towels.
 Demonstrate scooping, filling and dumping using these items.
 Show the children how to create movement in the water with their fingers, hands
and the objects.
 Teach them how to keep the water in the bin or water table but also how to enjoy
playing in the water.
 Show them how to make little waves and how to move the items slowly and quickly
through the water.
 Also demonstrate having one boat push another through the water.
 Stack some items and see whether they will still float.
 Use towel to wipe up mess
** Wash Children’s hands before and after water play
149
Things That Go
Moving Boxes! [Physical Development: Self-help ]
Materials: Boxes, crayons and markers
 Gather as many boxes as there are children in your class.
 Read about cars, after reading the story to all the children, set up a play area for
those who want to act out the story.
 Allow the children to decorate their boxes.
 Allow each child to sit in the box pretending to ride to the grocery store. Don’t
forget your seat belts!
Row, Row, Row Your Boat [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge:
Exploration and Discovery]
Materials: Paper plates, music
 Purchase or paint brightly colored paper plates.
 Place the paper plates on the floor in a pattern.
 Sing the song and encourage each child to step on each plate, walking to the other
side. Tell them to stop walking when you stop singing.
Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.
Red Light Green Light [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Colored tape and music
 Tape a long line of colored taped in various directions on the floor.
 Have toddlers stand /sit on a line.
 Start a CD and say GREEN LIGHT and have toddlers crawl or walk sideways,
backwards, on tiptoes on the lines.
 Stop the music and say RED LIGHT encouraging toddlers to stop.
 Repeat several times.
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ONES – Language
Things That Go
Bus Stop [Language & Communication: Listening and understanding]
Materials: bus, trucks, airplanes or other vehicles
 Line up chairs behind each other to make a bus.
 Encourage the children to take a ride on the bus
 Sing the following song to the tune of Wheels on the Bus.
 Repeat throughout the day as you transition from one area to another and from
around our room, around our room,
beep, beep, vroom, vroom.
Build a Vehicle [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Legos and blocks
 In the block area and encourage children to build a train, boat, etc.
 Use as many matching colors as you have available.
 Point out the matching colors to the children: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
purple, and black.
 Build as many types of “vehicles” that you can and discuss the experience (e.g.,
colors, what the vehicle travels on, where are they going, what do they “see” as
they travel, etc.).
Sounds [Language & Communication: Communicating & Speaking]
 Read a story about vehicles to the children.
 Talk about the sound that the vehicle makes in your book (e.g., choo choo, chug
chug, woo woo, beep beep).
 Make the vehicle sound and ask the children to imitate you.
 Tell them to make the sound every time you turn the page.
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152
TWOS
153
TWOS – Relationships
Things That Go
My Buddy & Me [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
Materials: Boxes, mats and legos or other interlocking blocks
 Read a book about things with wheels to each child, show the picture on the
cover of the book.
 Tell the children you are going to build a jeep or other vehicle together and go for a
ride.
 Build a vehicle with the children, adding a steering wheel and wheels.
 Encourage them to find a friend/buddy while pretending to ride in the jeep
together, sing this song:
The buddies in the jeep go up a hill, up a hill, up a hill,
The buddies in the jeep go up a hill, all through the town.
The buddies in the jeep push the jeep, push the jeep, push the jeep.
The buddies in the jeep push the jeep through the gooey mud.
The jeep in the mud goes squish, squish, squish,
squish, squish, squish, squish, squish, squish,
The jeep in the mud goes squish, squish, squish
through the gooey mud.
Deep Blue Sea [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Blue sheet or large blue felt, building blocks
 Create an sea by placing a blue sheet or a large blue felt piece of fabric on the
floor.
 Bring out tubs of brightly colored building blocks: wooden, vinyl, duplos or legos.
 Invite each child to build their boats, ships, submarines and docks.
 Sit with the children on the floor and build with them!
Name Game [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: No Materials needed
 Play the game Red Rover:
 Divide the children into lines facing each other
 Recite the following chant:
Red Rover, red rover, Billy run over.
Red Rover, red rover, Lisa crawl over.
Red rover , red rover, Quintin hop over.
 Play until children loose interest or until all children have played
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Things That Go
Gooey Mud [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Cornstarch, tray, water, vehicles and brown paint
 Put cornstarch on a tray and add small amounts of water until it becomes a gooey
consistency.
 Add one or two drops of brown paint
 Let the children put their hands in the goop and drive their cars in the gooey mud.
 Talk about the cars falling in the gooey mud and how it felt to them.
Car Paint & Car Wash [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Plastic cars, paint, white paper, water, soap, and a container for the water
 Place construction paper or large newsprint on the table.
 Pour small amount of paint onto a paper plate.
 Dip the wheels of the vehicle into the paint and have the children roll the wheels
onto the construction paper, making a pattern.
 Let the children drive cars through the paint and onto white paper.
 When finished allow children to wash the cars in a tub of soapy water as the car
wash.
 Monitor children during this activity.
** Remind children to wash hands before and after messy play.
Down by the Station [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Rectangular/circular sponge shapes, long piece of paper, paint, disposable pie tins and smocks
 Pour small amount of paint into pie tin.
 Put smocks on children to prevent paint on clothes.
 Allow child to dip sponge in paint.
 Stamp the shapes on connecting train cars on the paper.
 Use circle sponge for adding wheels.
 After it dries hang for display in the classroom.
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TWOS– Movement & Music
Things That Go
To the Beach [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Toy plastic vehicles, plastic scoops, water, sand table/container
 Demonstrate scooping, filling, and dumping using these items.
 Show the children how to create movement in the sand with their finger, hands
and the objects.
 Teach them how to keep the sand in the bin or sand table but also how to enjoy
playing in the sand.
 Show them how to draw and how to move the items slowly and quickly.
 Also demonstrate having one vehicle push the other through the sand.
 Stack some items and see whether they will still float.
Marching Band [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration and
Discovery]
Materials: CD or music instruments
 Encourage children to choose an instrument
 Play a movement song
 March around the room shaking your instruments
 Encourage various movements (i.e. up, down, in, out, etc.) and stop when the
music stops.
Airplane [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Sing the following song and encourage children to imitate movements.
The airplane has a great big wings (arms outstretched)
Its propeller spins and sings (turn around)
The airplane goes up (lift arms)
Airplanes goes down (lower the arms)
The airplanes flies high (arms outstretched)
And flies all around!
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TWOS– Language
Things That Go
Naming Boats [Language & Communication: Listening and understanding]
Materials: Pictures of various boats
 Post pictures of various boats around the room and discuss the pictures with the
children
 Say the following chant emphasizing the boat sounds.
First there’s a rowboat
Then a sailboat sailing by.
Mmmmmmm (make the sound of a motor) is a motorboat
(Make a siren sound) Then a fireboat putting out a fire.
There goes a ferryboat, then a fishing boat out at sea
A cruise ship and a tugboat and people waving at me! (wave)
Transportation [Language & Communication: Listening and Understanding]
 Sing the Wheels on the Bus song and encourage children to imitate movements.
 Explain to children that transportation provides a means of travel for people to get
from one place to another.
 Talk to children about how they travel to school, Grandma’s house and etc.
 You can even change up the words to fit your choice of book such as The wheels
on the Truck, or The wheels on the Jeep, car, the wings on a plane, etc.
Driving a Car [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration and
Discovery]
Materials: Large box, marker, chairs, travel items
 Place a large appliance box in classroom.
 Draw the outline of a car on side of box.
 Place chairs on the inside of box for seating.
 Add plastic car keys and map and any other travel items.
 Allow children to get in box and pretend
 Ask the following questions:
 Where are we going?
 What are we going to do?
 Who are we going to see?

Sing the following song to the tune of Wheels on the Bus.
Around our room, around our room,
Beep, beep, vroom, vroom.

Repeat throughout the day as you transition from one area to another and from
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People
158
INFANTS
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People
Name Peek-a-boo [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional
Security]
 Read a peek-a-boo book to the children and demonstrate playing peek-a-boo.
 Encourage children to play along by covering their faces. Use their names. For
example, “Peek-a-Boo, Jimmy!”
Cultural Diversity [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional
Security]
Materials: Children photographs
 Choose a book that shows babies from around the world and read to children.
 Point out the different clothes they all wear such as hats, jewelry and colorful
clothing.
 Then point out he different clothes each child in the room is wearing and if they are
wearing a hat, socks, shoes, jewelry such as earrings, etc.
Dress-up Time! [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Dress up items such as mittens, scarves and hats, dolls, and doll clothing
 Encourage mobile children to try on the different items.
 Name and describe the items to each child.
 Help each child dress up a doll.
 Help dress up the child.
 Describe what you are doing with the child and what they did with their doll.
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People
Peek-a-boo Cloth [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Small cloth, blanket, and box
 If children are too young to cover their face with their hands, hold a cloth in front of
their face and see if they will pull it away.
 Play peek-a-boo with other objects. For example, use cloth to cover a puppet and
say, “Peek-a-boo, puppet!” You can alternate by hiding objects under pillows or
behind boxes.
 Promote fine motor development by having child grabbing the blanket as well as
gross motor activities by allowing them to crawl behind the box. These activities
exercise your child’s cognitive “muscles.”
** Do not leave fabric resting on child’s face as it could lead to suffocation
Baby in the Mirror [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
 Read a book with a mirror in it.
 Take the child to see their reflection in other mirrors in the room.
 Wave to the baby in the mirror and Say, “Hi baby!”
Light, Light [Approaches to Learning Domain: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: flash light
 Identify objects and people by pointing the flashlight at the object or person and
naming them.
 Say the following verse:
Light, light, shine so bright
I see _______________
(name the object or person)
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People
Babble play [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
 Babies will often babble, sing-song syllables and sounds.
 Reinforce this valuable language practice by imitating the child’s babbles.
 Initiate this babbling, using sounds and nonsense syllables in different intonations.
Music Experience [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept
 Sing the following words to the tune of Down By the Station.
Mama, do you love me? How much do you love me?
Mama, do you love me? Tell me, Mama, please.

Replace the word Mama with other words relating to the people that the child is
familiar with such as Daddy, Granny, Grandpa, a sister’s name, a brother’s name,
their teacher’s name, etc.
Oh! Baby! [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Teddy bears, and mirror
 Read a book about teddy bears.
 Hold a bear yourself and sing the following song to the tune of Mary Had a Little
Lamb.
 Replace the word teddy to other words relating to the items in your book that you
read.
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INFANTS- Language
People
Baby Talk [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Concept Development & Memory]
Materials: Blanket
 Place a baby on his back on the floor on a clean blanket.
 Lean over the baby.
 When s/he makes a sound, imitate it as exactly as you can, making eye contact.
 See if the child answers you with eye contact and another sound. See how long
you can keep this “talk” going.
What Are You Wearing? [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
 Sing the following song with your children:
What are you wearing today, today?
What are you wearing today?
(Child’s name) is wearing a hat.
What do you think about that!



Keep a beat by clapping your hands together or clapping them on your lap.
Feel the rhythm of the song.
Gently touch to each child when their name is recited.
Baby Faces [Language & Communication: Early Reading]
Materials: Copied pages of baby faces
 Open a book with baby faces and look at all the pictures of the babies.
 Copy the pages of the book and display in the room at the children’s level.
 Talk about pictures and relate the pictures to everyday experiences.
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164
ONES
165
People
Smile! You’re on Candid Camera! [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional
Security]
Materials: Camera, book and tape
 Read a book to each child, allowing him/her to pat the book and turn the pages.
 Remember to smile at the children throughout the day
 Take photos of each child and post them on the child’s level: on the floor, on the
wall in a low position, or next to the changing table.
 Smile as you name each child.
Mirror, Mirror [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Unbreakable mirror
 Hold a child on your lap and hold a mirror in your hand or look at a mirror hanging
in the classroom.
 Take turns looking in the mirror at the child and at yourself.
 Point out to the child the two of you in the mirror.
 Respond to the sounds, expressions, and words which the child shows and uses.
Family Tree [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Photos of families, brown and green paper
 Create a tree on your wall and place the family photos on each leaf.
 Label the tree as their family tree.
 Have each child place their photo on the tree.
 Sing to the tune of Here We Go Around Mulberry Bush.
(Insert child’s name) is growing upon our tree,
Upon our tree, upon our tree,
(Name) is growing upon our tree,
In our classroom.

Can insert family member’s names or “mommy/daddy/grandma,” also.
Materials: Inexpensive sunglasses from the dollar store or make simple paper
sunglasses.
 Give each child a pair of sunglasses.
 Play “I Spy With My Little Eye, my friend (child’s name)!”
 Encourage each child to take a turn and say the name of a friend and go over to
their friend and give them a hug.
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People
Friendship Circle [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Problem
Solving & Creative Expression]
Materials: Different colors of ribbon or yarn to make bows, paper circle, color stamp
pads.
 Cut out a big paper circle with hole in the middle.
 Get 2 different color stamp pads or 2 plates with paint on them.
 Encourage toddlers to choose a color to make their handprints with.
 Have toddlers make hand prints around the circle.
 Encourage toddlers to decorate the circle with the ribbons with a few of their
friends at a time.
 Sing the Doughnut Song:
Oh, I went to Cincinnati and I walked around the block
And I walked right into a doughnut shop
And I pulled a doughnut out of the grease,
And I handed the lady a five cent piece.
Well, she looked at the nickel and she looked at me
And she said, “This nickel isn’t good to me.”
“It’s got a hole in the middle, all the way through.”
So I said, “That doughnut has one too.”
“Thanks for the doughnut so much!”
Grandma's Spectacles [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
 Encourage toddlers to find pictures in the story of a grandmother and grandfather.
 Use this finger play during a transition :
These are grandmother's spectacles, (makes circles around eyes with fingers)
This is grandmother's hat. (use both hands and cup on head)
This is the way she folds her hands, (fold hands)
And puts them on her lap. (put hands in lap)
These are Grandpa's spectacles
This is Grandpa's hat
Here's the way he folds his arms
And THAT IS THAT!
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People
Body Print [Language & Communication: Early Writing]
Materials: Large pieces of paper or butcher paper, crayons, and collage materials
(e.g., yarn, fabric, textured paper, etc.)
 Lay each child down on a piece of paper and trace.
 Cut out the child’s body print.
 Have each child decorate themselves however they wish.
 Hang around the room and enjoy
 Name the children as they show interest in the pictures.
Mud Painting [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Bucket or container, water, clean dirt (without stones, grass, etc.) and paint
brushes.
 Take the children outside and encourage children to dip paint brush into the mud
and draw a picture of their family on the concrete.
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People
Splash Song [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Sing to each child when washing hands to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb.
Ms. (Insert your name) has a little child,
little child, little child,
Ms. (Insert your name) has a little child
and (insert child’s name) is his name
(Child’s name) is washing hands, washing hands, washing hands,
(Child’s name) is washing hands,
Washing in the water.
Rock-a-bye Baby [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Baby dolls or stuffed animals for each child to hold
 Read a book about mommies and babies.
 Tell children that mommies and daddies hug their babies and rock them to sleep.
 Sing Rock-a-Bye Baby with the children and encourage them to sing and rock their
baby to sleep.
 Use activity in your dramatic play area and expand by feeding, changing, and
“washing” the baby.
Copycat [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: CD and CD player
 Turn on a CD and play a favorite song.
 Encourage the children to copy your movements as they dance.
 Copy the children’s movements. Have fun being creative and silly.
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ONES – Language
People
Rrrrring! [Cognitive & General Knowledg: Concept Development & Memory]
Materials: Telephone
 Use a toy telephone to pretend to have a conversation.
 Encourage each child to use sounds by repeating and imitating any sounds or
words he/she makes.
 Encourage children to call friends or different family members.
 When the conversation is over, tell the child,
Good-bye. Thank you for calling. I enjoyed talking to you!
Materials: Old magazines, newspapers, sale papers, etc. of people of various ages,
ethnicities, genders, abilities, etc.
 Encourage the children to ‘read’ the reading materials provided.
 Talk about the pictures (e.g., who is it, what are they doing, etc.) with the children.
 Encourage them to scribble on the people they see and identify them (e.g.
Mommies, daddies, grandmas, grandpas, brother, sister, etc.).
Learning Names [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Sing the song throughout the day, including each child’s name in the verses.
 Encourage the children to sing along.
 Use gestures and facial expressions along with the words. Sing to the tune of
Here we go around the Mulberry Bush.
This is the way Jonathan plays, Angela plays, Valen plays,
This is the way Michael plays when he comes to school.
170
TWOS
171
TWOS – Relationships
People
Mommy & Daddy Collage [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Pictures of males and females, construction paper and glue
 Cut out magazine pictures for the children of male and female people.
 Make sure each picture represents children doing something with the adults.
 Help the children glue pictures on construction paper for a family collage.
 Discuss the people on the collage.
Big Friend, Little Friend [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 If possible, invite an older child into the classroom.
 Ask the children about any “big friends” they have.
 Discuss big and little i.e. hands, feet etc..
Pajama Day [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Favorite Lovey and Favorite pajamas
 Have children bring in sleeping bags and pillows, and their favorite stuffed toy.
 Encourage children to wear pajamas along with you.
 Read a story as they go down with their lovey for nap
Seeing a New Baby [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Baby dolls or stuff animals and other dramatic play items
 Read a story about babies.
 Go to dramatic play and pretend with dolls (i.e. feeding, changing and bathing).
Many Friends [Physical Development: Health]
 When gathering for circle time, sing the following song and gently touch each child
in order for them to follow you to the circle time area.
 Sing to the tune of London Bridge:
Ms. (insert teacher’s name) has many friends, many friends, many friends.
Ms. (insert teacher’s name) has many friends, caring and sharing.
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People
I Can Eat Pizza, Can You? [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge:
Problem-Solving & Creative Expression]
Materials: Spoon, paper plate, bread or English muffin, tomato sauce and cheese
 Read a story about going to a restaurant or a book about food.
 Talk about who cooks the food.
 Give each child the ingredients to make their own pizza
 Serve for snack.
 Talk about ingredients i.e. smells, textures, colors and taste.
Buddy Play [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Problem-solving]
Materials: Wooden puzzles and blocks
 Choose one hour a week to invite siblings into each other’s classes. (Your director
will have to approve.)
 Place several wooden puzzles on the table, and guide each child to choose a
puzzle.
 Have each child choose a friend to play with puzzles or blocks.
Let’s Go On a Picnic [Approaches to Learning: Creativity and Problem-solving]
Materials: Blanket, camera, snacks and books
 Take children outside to a secure area for a picnic.
 Spread a large blanket or quilt on the ground.
 Encourage children to sit on blanket.
 Give children food from basket to eat.
 Take a picture and display in classroom.
 Read a favorite story.
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TWOS – Movement & Music
People
Play Ball! [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Balls
 Encourage children to find a friend to play with.
 Roll the ball back and forth while sitting on the floor.
 Teach the children how to hold and throw the ball while outside on the playground.
Simon Says... [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Bubbles
 Take the children and the bubbles outside.
 Allow them to explore all kinds of free movement by running, jumping, climbing,
and hopping while chasing the bubbles.
 Watch to see what each child is interested in and how they are moving.
 Encourage children to chase bubbles while moving fast and slow.
My Friend [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
Materials: Favorite CD
 Encourage children to choose a friend.
 Play a favorite song.
 Encourage friends to dance to music around the room.
 Repeat the song several times allowing children to dance longer.
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TWOS – Language
People
We Like to Move It, Move It [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
 Encourage children to stand by a friend
 Sing the following song inserting names:
I like to move it, move it .
Terri likes to move it, move it,
Tim likes to move it, move.
We like to move it move it.
Move It!

Add different movements to the song, i.e. shake It.
Hokey Pokey! [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge:
 Encourage children to get in a small circle of friends
 Sing the following song:
You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out,
you put your right hand in and you shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all about

Repeat song inserting different body parts or insert child’s name and have them
jump in and out of the circle.
Here We Go Around the Mulberry Bush [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
 Sing the song throughout the day, including each child’s name in the verses.
 Encourage the children to sing along.
 Use gestures and facial expressions along with the words. Sing to the tune of
Here we go around the Mulberry Bush.
This is the way Jonathan plays, Angela plays, Valen plays,
This is the way Michael plays when he comes to school.
.
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Body Parts
176
INFANTS
177
Body Parts
Baby Face [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Hold a child on your lap and bounce them on your knee while singing
Baby face, you've got the cutest little baby face
there ain't nobody who can ever take your place
you baby face.
Infant Massage [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: CD with soft or classical music
 Put on soft music such as a lullabye or quiet classical.
 Lay the infant on his back.
 Gently touch the infant from head to toe.
 Use circular motions.
 Be aware of the infant’s response and use your touch to soothe him to sleep.
Something about Me [Physical Development: Health]
 Recite the following verse while changing the children’s diapers.
There’s something about (insert child’s name)
That I’m knowing
There’s something about (insert child’s name)
That isn’t showing
His/her feet are growing!

Point out other features of the child that are growing, such as toes, fingers, hands
and teeth.
Wave to Daddy, Wave to Mommy [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional
Security]
 Use the arrival and departure of children from your classroom to build the delightful relationship between each child and their parent and with you.
 During the morning and evening transition, wave your hand to show the children
how to wave.
 Encourage the families to wave in return.
 Hold the child’s hand and assist them in waving.
 Say the words “Bye bye” while waving.
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Body Parts
Mirror Play [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
 Hold a mirror up the child to see their face, ears, head, nose, and mouth.
 Name the child as you point to him/her in the mirror.
 Point to their facial features and label them.
 Now allow them to see you or other children in the mirror.
Whisper Touch [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
 Lightly stroke the bottom of the baby’s feet and the palms of his hands. Whisper
softly the words below:
Wiggle your toes; wiggle your fingers.


Watch the baby’s reaction. If he seems to like the touch, continue, whispering
softly.
Lean forward and pretend to listen to him whispering.
Infant Massage [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 While changing or feeding, stroke the babies gently but firmly.
 As you touch the baby’s arm, say:
“Here is your arm! It’s a very good arm.
But it’s not all of you!
There is much, much more!

Continue to massage gently, repeating the verse and inserting the words for each
body part: toes, fingers, hands, feet, back, face.
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Body Parts
Belly Buttons, Knees, and Toes [Physical Development: Gross Motor
Development]
 Sing the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes but put “Belly Buttons” in place
of “heads and shoulders” and point to each part on the child.
Belly Buttons, Knees and Toes,
Knees and toes.
Knees and toes.
Eyes, Ears, a Mouth and a Nose.
Knees and Toes!
Floor Time [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Encourage the children to creep, to crawl, and to walk.
 Put the babies on the floor.
 Recite the following chant.
Whose baby am I, crawling on the floor?
Whose baby am I, don’t go near that door!
Whose baby am I, now look who is walking!
Whose baby am I, now look who is talking!
Reflex [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Blanket, colorful toy
 For non-mobile infants, place each baby on her back and rotate her legs gently
(like the baby is riding a bike), using your hands on the bottoms of her feet. Talk to
her while doing it, explaining how she is moving her legs.
 For mobile infants, place each baby on her tummy on the rug or blanket.
 Place a colorful toy a few inches from your baby’s head and call her attention to it.
 Encourage the baby to crawl toward the toy. You can help by pushing on her foot
while she straightens out her legs.
 Keep moving the toys until she has moved forward a few inches.
180
Body Parts
This Little Piggy… [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
 Say the rhyme This Little Piggy as you point to and wiggle their toes. Can be done
during routine times, such as diapering and feeding.
This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
But this little piggy went wee, wee, wee all the way home!
Tell Me, Tell Me [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 While changing, feeding or playing, pat the babies toes gently and say the words
below.
Whose toes are these? Are these Tameka’s toes?
Tell me, tell me, Whose toes are these?

Repeating these words and touch throughout the day will familiarize each child
with the game.
Clap Hands [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
 Sing the following words to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Clap, clap, clap your hands.
Clap your hands with me.
Clap, clap, clap your hands.
Oh, so merrily.
181
182
ONES
183
Body Parts
Pretty Faces, All to See [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
Materials: Diversified (multicultural) dolls
 Gather dolls and distribute to each child.
 Play with each child and doll, pointing to each of the features of their faces.
 different colors of each face (brown, black, white, tan, pink),
 different textures of hair (soft, thick, fine, curly, straight),
 colors of hair (black, brown, yellow, red),
 eyes (opened wide, closed or blinking),
 nose (point to noses),
 lips (make kissing movements and sounds),
 chin (poke out and move around, as in the picture).
 Give each child and doll a hug as you tell him how special s/he is!
Child Prints [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Bulletin paper, shallow container, and paint
 Take the above items and children outside. Lay the bulletin paper on the ground/
sidewalk.
 Pour paint into shallow container and have children take off their shoes and dip
their feet into the paint.
 Allow children to make footprints on the paper.
 Repeat activity with their hands.
 Write the children’s names by their foot and handprints.
 Allow to dry.
 Hang on the wall at the children’s eye level.
I Have Two [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Problem-Solving &
 Insert children’s names and move the body part as you recite the words
Jill has two eyes to look around
Blake has two ears to hear each sound.
Gabrielle has two hands to put the toys away
One little nose to smell what’s sweet,
One little mouth that likes to eat.
Peek –A –Body Part [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
Materials: Blanket, scarf, plastic mirror
 Get a blanket or scarf and sit in front of the mirror with the child.
 While sitting in front of mirror, play Peek A Boo with the body parts by hiding a
body parts with the scarf or blanket.
 As you play ask, “Peek A Boo where is your knee, Joshua?”
184
Body Parts
Cooking with Toddlers! [Cognitive & General Knowledge: Concept Development
& Memory]
Materials: Plastic bowls, utensils, pots, pans, potatoes
 Choose a simple dish to make with the children. For example,
 Mashed potatoes
 Peel, cut, cook and mash the potatoes ahead of time. Before lunchtime,
allow each child to stir the mashed potatoes.
 Help each child to serve his/her own helping onto their plate.
 Favorite pie
 Allow the children to help to mix and blend the ingredients.
 Talk to the children throughout the experience.
 Describe the cooking items you are using, name the vegetable or other ingredients.
 Tell them how nice it is to prepare food together and won’t it be fun to eat what we
fixed.
 Enjoy your classroom feast!
 During the week, in your dramatic play area, pretend your cooking your potatoes
or pie and ask the children what ingredients they need.
Mud Prints [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Plate, mud, water
 Give each child a sturdy plate.
 Cover the plate with a mound of dirt.
 Add water and either mix together with your hands (mushy!) or use a spoon to
create a plate of mud.
 Smooth the mud into a flat surface.
 Help each child to press their hand palm-down into the mud and then lift up the
hand.
 Place the mud in the sun to dry.
 Be sure and wash hands afterwards!
Gooey Mud [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Cornstarch, bowl, spoon
 Put cornstarch in a bowl and add small amounts of water until it becomes a gooey
consistency.
 Let the children put their hands in the goo.
 Describe the texture (e.g., cold, gooey, wet, dry,
powdery, etc.)
185
Body Parts
Mirror Dance [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Wall mirror
 Stand in front a mirror.
 Move freely or dance with each child.
 Imitate the child’s movements and encourage the child to imitate yours.
Puddle Jumping [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
Materials: Blue paper or blue contact paper, scissors (teacher’s use), tape
 Cut puddles out of paper. One for each child.
 Arrange puddles several inches apart and tape to the floor.
 Encourage the children to jump over or in the puddles.
Alternative experience
 Cut puddles out of contact paper. One for each child.
 Arrange puddles several inches apart and tape to the floor sticky side up.
 Encourage the children to jump into and out of the puddles in order to make
thunder.
 Sing the following song while jumping into, out of and over the puddles.
Rain, rain go away
Come again another day
Little (insert child’s name) wants to play
Rain, rain go away!
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge:
 Sing Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes:
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Eyes and ears, a mouth and nose,
Socks [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: Old clean socks, box, basket
 Place socks into a box or basket.
 Show each child how to try the socks on and pull them off.
 Roll up the socks.
 Toss them into the basket.
 Repeat as often as the children enjoy.
 Place the box or basket of socks in your housekeeping center.
186
ONES – Language
Body Parts
Hide and Seek [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge:
Concept Development & Memory]
 During the day, encourage children to sing the following verses using different
words as they play dress-up and pretend.
 Even if they cannot say the words, they will recognize what they represent.
This is the way we dress ourselves, dress ourselves, dress ourselves This is the way
we dress ourselves, on a cold and frosty morning.
put on our coat
put on our shirt
take off our hat
look in the mirror
Materials: Plastic sunglasses, construction paper
 Gather inexpensive sunglasses from the dollar store or make simple paper
sunglasses.
 Give each child a pair of sunglasses.
 Play “I Spy With My Little Eye, (insert body part).”
 Encourage each child to take a turn and say the name of a body part and point to
it.
Parts I Need [Approaches to Learning: Persistence]
 Point to each body part as you identify it in the following chant.
A small mouth for eating. (point to mouth)
My nose for smelling. (point to nose)
My eyes for seeing. (point to eyes)
My two ears for hearing. (point to ears)
My two hands for touching. (point to hands)
And my head? For sleeping! (Lean on both hands, as if to sleep)
I Wiggle [Social & Emotional: Self-Concept]
 Wiggle the body parts as you recite the words.
 This song is a great beginning for circle time.
I wiggle my fingers. I wiggle my toes,
I wiggle my shoulder, I wiggle my nose
Now no more wiggles are left in me,
So I will sit as still as can be.
187
ONES – Language
Body Parts
Brush, Brush [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Toothbrushes, Dolls
 Ask child to point to different facial parts, such as mouth, eyes, nose, and ears.
 Ask the child to point to his teeth and then ask him to point to the dolls teeth.
 Tell the child that it is important to keep our teeth clean and that we are going to
brush the baby’s teeth.
 Show the child how to brush the baby’s teeth, while saying Brush, Brush, Brush.
 Encourage the child to repeat these words.
Note: Be sure to watch the child with the toothbrush to ensure it does not become a
choking hazard.
In addition, if the child puts the toothbrush in his mouth, be sure to not reuse it to do
this activity with another child.
188
TWOS
189
TWOS -Relationships
Body Parts
Two Little Feet [Social & Emotional: Self-Regulation]
 Imitate the body movement while reciting the following chant.
 Use this song as a beginning for circle time to establish a routine.
Two little feet go stomp, stomp, stomp.
Two little hands go clap, clap, clap.
One little body stands up straight.
One little body goes round and round.
One little body sits quietly down.
Making Friends [Social & Emotional: Trust & Emotional Security]
 Encourage children to use their body parts while chanting the following:
Teddy bear, teddy bear, give me a smile!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, wave hello!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, give me five!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, hug me tight!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, hug your friends!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, I love you!
Here is MY Hand [Social & Emotional: Self-Awareness]
Materials: Paper, scissors and marker (for teacher use)
 Make handprints for each child.
 Copy the poem below onto each child’s handprint and send them home.
Here is my hand to hang on the wall
To remind you of when I was very small.
I love you!
I Can See Myself [Language & Communication: Listening & Understanding]
Materials: Plastic mirrors, hats, scarves, gloves, glasses
 Arrange the clothing items around the mirror.
 Encourage the children to try on a hat and look at him/herself in the mirror.
 Say to child, “Billy show me your hat in the mirror.” When he responds, continue,
“Your eyes are helping you see yourself in the mirror.”
 Take this opportunity to help the children feel good about themselves.
190
Body Parts
Squeezing and Rolling [Approaches to Learning: Eagerness & Curiosity]
Materials: play dough (store bought or homemade)
 Practice making faces or other body parts by rolling, patting, and squeezing the
play dough.
 Make the body parts various sizes.
 Discuss use of body parts and size/shape.
What Do You Smell? [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Different types of scents (peppermint, cinnamon, vanilla, etc.), cotton balls,
small plastic containers with lids, scissors (teacher’s use) glue or packing tape; and/or
fresh fruits (check for allergies first)
 Punch holes in lids of plastic containers with scissors.
 Saturate cotton balls with scents.
 Place cotton balls in containers and secure lid with glue or packing tape.
 Encourage children to explore different scents with their nose.
 After teaching the poem about the nose, smell different items and ask the children
to identify the smell.
I have a nose to smell good things and sometimes bad things, too.
Let’s think of words that I can use to describe those things to you.
I smell sweet and sour
I smell strong and mild
I smell spicy and lovely and nice
What are some of the things you smell?
What are those smells? Do tell!


Another experience would be to ask the children to pay attention to all the smells
as they transition from the classroom to outside, or to the lunchroom. Identify the
different smells along the way.
Another experience is to have fresh fruit on a table (e.g, dramatic play, lunch, etc.)
for children to smell and feel different textures of fruit.
Now We Finger Paint! [Approaches to Learning: Creativity & Problem-Solving]
Materials: Different color paints, bowls, paper
 Tape a piece of paper to table or outside wall.
 Put out bowls containing small amounts of red, blue, green and yellow paint.
 Allow each child to choose their paint colors and paint freely onto their paper.
 Hang the papers to dry.
 Put them in each child’s portfolio.
191
Body Parts
Walking, Walking [Physical Development: Gross Motor Development]
 Follow the movement directions while singing the following song to the tune of
Where is Thumbkin?
Walking, walking
Walking, walking
Hop, hop, hop
Hop, hop, hop
Running, running, running
Running, running, running
Now we stop
Now we stop


Point out the they will be using their feet for the this experience.
Use as a transition for circle time or going outside.
Grandma’s Glasses [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge: Exploration
& Discovery]
 Sing the following song and encourage children to imitate hand movements.
Here are Grandma’s glasses (make circles with thumbs and index fingers)
And here is Grandma’s hat (join fingertips and place on head)
Here’s the way she folds her hands (fold hands)
And puts them in her lap (place in lap)
Here are Grandpa’s glasses (hold larger “glasses” to eyes)
And here is Grandpa’s hat (make larger “hat” with hands)
Here’s the way he folds his arms (fold arms with vigor)
And then he takes a nap (close eyes and snore)
Playing Ball [Physical Development: Fine Motor Development]
Materials: Balls
 Teach the children how to play ball by sitting the children in a circle.
 Show them how to roll the ball from one to another.
 Model playing hot potato giving the ball to the person next to you quickly.
 During outside play, show each child how to kick, throw and catch the ball with
their friends.
 Position each child so they can have success kicking, throwing, and catching the
ball.
192
Body Parts
Would You Please Wipe My Nose? [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
 Sing the following words to the tune of It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
I’m sniffling, I’m sneezing,
I have a cough, I’m wheezing,
I had to come to school today
Even though I have a cold today.
Would you please wipe my nose?
Could you show me how to wipe my nose?
It’s running, it’s stuffy,
Would you please wipe my nose?
Clapping to the Beat [Cognitive Development & General Knowledge Domain:
Concept Development & Memory]
Materials: Look at list below
 Listen to any CD and clap along with the beat.
 Encourage children to clap to the beat or help them to clap.
 Use home-made musical instruments to create a beat that children can clap to.
 Use language during each of these experiences, such as “Listen to the music!”, “I
hear the beat!” or “Clap your hands like me!
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING HOME-MADE INSTRUMENTS:
Shakers- Fill an empty water bottle with different items such as sand, beans,
rice, popcorn, stones, and bells.
**Make sure the top is glued on so that the children can not take it off.
Rhythm Sticks- Cut PVC pipe or thick dowel rods into 8 inch pieces.
Tambourine- Fill tin-foil pie pans with popcorn or beans and seal with glue and
tape. You can use heavy paper plates instead for a softer sound.
Sandpaper Blocks- Glue sandpaper to one side of two smooth wooden
blocks.
Drum- Tape the top on a grits, oatmeal or ice cream container.
Making music with children can be lots of fun and cost very little. Have
fun making noises and sounds using your voice and by banging things
together. Try banging these household items together:
 Wooden and plastic spoons on metal pots
 Spoons
 Lids from pots
 Different lengths of PVC pipe
 Food jar lids
193
Two’s –Language
Body Parts
Parts I Need [Physical Development: Health]
Materials: Bulletin paper, pencil, crayons, items to decorate body outline
 Point to each body part as you identify it.
 Discuss body parts with the children.
 Lay child on large bulletin paper and trace the child’s body.
 Encourage each child to decorate his/her body.
Shoe-Print Paint [Language & Communication: Communicating & Speaking]
Materials: Paper to protect floor, two colors of paint, containers, old children’s shoes
 Cover table or floor with paper.
 Pour two colors of paint, small amounts, into shallow containers.
 Ask the children to take the old shoe and lightly press into the paint.
 Guide the child to allow the shoe to walk across the paper.
 Use another color of paint for the other shoe.
 Talk about body part for shoes, what they do in shoes, where they are “going” on
the paper, colors, etc.
Simon Says Touch Your... [Language & Communication: Listening &
Understanding]
 Play a game of Ms. (insert teacher’s name) Says Touch Your … with the children.
 As you give directions to the child playing the game, make each direction directly
relevant to the identification of a body part. For example, give directions like
"Simon says, 'raise your hands'" or "Simon says, 'scratch your knee.'"
 As you move through the activity, increase the speed of your requests and the
obscurity of the body parts mentioned to add to the difficulty of the activity.
194
195

FFS 2012/2014 Experiences – Copy

Transcription

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