Fun Days-Teddy Bear Picnic

We often have different “themed” days in some classrooms.  Pajama day is always a fun one, and popular.

One day, however, I saw a great day in a classroom that almost made me wish I was still a lead teacher in the classroom just so I could implement it…almost, I love what I do.

They had a Teddy Bear Picnic day!

What did this entail?  Many FUN activities full of intentionality!

Everyone brings in their teddy bears.  If someone doesn’t have a teddy bear, that’s okay because the teacher had LOTS of extras!  If they forgot or didn’t have one, they were able to pick one to be theirs for the day.

The teddy bears are the children’s “students” for the day and the get to/must bring them around and share their activities with them. 

In the blocks, teddy bears were the receivers of beds made just for them…to size. 

In the dramatic play area, well, what teddy bear doesn’t LOVE coffee, cake, and plastic pizza?

During circle, they sat in a circle according the the teddy bears size!   This was a great math activity to start off and then having the responsibility of “keeping your teddy bear quiet” brought a new attention span to even the most wiggly child.

Circle time consisted of reading/singing the Teddy Bear Picnic book and going around the circle introducing the teddy bear to the rest of the group (name, favorite food, age).

At one of the tables, there were pieces of fabric, scissors, and patterns to make clothes for their bears…if they wanted.  There was one teacher close by to HELP the children stitch the things together with fat needles and thread.  Yes, the teacher allowed them to SEW with REAL needles!  Awesome practice in trusting the children!

At another table, if they so chose, the children had a picnic making activity.  Teddy bears and their owners spent time making sandwiches (math/patterning, fine motor, reading recipes), filling baggies with carrots (counting), and filling baskets with small group numbers of sandwiches, carrot bags, applesauce cups, plastic spoons, paper cups, napkins, plates, and pitchers of milk (community, counting, sorting, spacial awareness).

During outdoor time, teddy bears rode on tricycles going through obstacle courses, built sand castles, and went on…wait for it…a BEAR HUNT!  It was an awesome obstacle course!

Lunch was a picnic out on the grass!

Nap time was a breeze for the simple matter that the children didn’t want to wake their bears.

It was an awesome day!

What kind of fun days do you have?

Creative Fine Motor Skills

Children, especially toddlers, love to be big helpers, don’t they?  They love to know that they are contributing and are important.

One of my favorite activities to do when I was a toddler teacher was to bring household tasks into the classroom.  One of their absolute favorites was to hang “laundry”.

You need to be careful and not hang this right in the middle of a walkway; without fail someone will walk right into it and that isn’t any good.

I liked to use to sturdy chairs that wouldn’t tip when we began adding weight.  Or, if you have a corner, hang it across the corner of the room or fence outside.  This way you can have children on either side of the line.

Hang the rope low enough that they can easily reach it, about their shoulder height. 

Bring in some clothes pins, gather a bunch of washcloths, and let them at it!

Of course, put everything in a real laundry basket to make it more real for them.  In the summers I would fill one sensory table with soapy water and one with clear water close to the line so it really felt like they were washing the clothes and then hanging them to dry.

This is an activity that will take up HOURS of play.  They love it.

As they become more adept at hanging washcloths, add small shirts and socks and shorts.  They will really feel like they are accomplishing something; plus it’s fun!

What fun household tasks do you bring to the classroom and turn into a fun activity?

Make it personal

One of my favorite things to do in the classroom is to bring the children into every area.  I don’t mean by physically dragging them over to the blocks or dramatic play areas.  What I mean is make each area personal for everyone.

Children love to see themselves, don’t they?  A great way to bring them into the areas and activities is to bring in pictures of them.  Here is a simple list of ideas that I enjoy:

Make block play people out of their pictures.  Print out pictures of the children making each child about 4 inches tall.  Glue those pictures onto cute and sanded 2x4 blocks that have been cut to size.  You can even take intentional pictures of the children and ask them to pose however they want.  Don’t tell them what it’s for.  They will get a kick out of it and love to play with each other’s blocks.

Recreate Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  Using pictures of the children, write your own book having each child on the page.  Write the words as in the book, substituting the children’s names for the animals. “Suzy, Suzy who do you see?  I see Alyssa looking at me.”  I did this once in a toddler classroom and used laminated pages so that when a child left and a new child came it was easy to change the children’s names on the pages as necessary.

File folder games!  There is so much you can do with this.  First is a matching game.  Real simple, a picture of John matched a picture of John.  There is the puzzle one where you glue half the picture to the file folder and they have to match the other half.  Use their pictures for this!  For a bit more creative, take pictures of the children in specific numbers of group so they match the picture with the written number on the file folder board.  If they are getting more advanced in letter sound recognition, have them match the child’s name to the letter on the board.

Make lacing cards with their pictures glued to cardstock, teach them how to wave them together to make a long line of classmates together!  Have a stack of pictures where they can sort by color shoes, boys and girls, color of shirts, etc…

What other ideas do you have to integrate pictures of the children into the environment?

Experiences in Geomotry and more

I obtained these blocks at a training I attended for free. If you want to order some, they are over here.

Yes, it does say they are for Kindergarten to 4th grade, however they are very appropriate for the 4 year old if it's a teacher guided activity.

It has some small pieces that a child who explores orally will need to be closely watched; but everyone else will be fine.

I used the term teacher guided activity, let me explain what I mean. First, let's look at how I set it up:

It's a very simple set up. I get some masking tape out and tape 6 squares on the table. This is a defined workspace for each child who would be participating. I then put a handful of shapes into each square (taking out the spheres because these just turn into throwing and destruction tools).

I put the tape down to give them for children who are working on Shared use of Space. (For those using the DRDP-r, this is measure 11). This allows a child who is possessive of their materials to have a clear line of what is theirs.

I use tape and not trays because it opens up the children much more to sharing their materials and also it is very difficult to build on some trays.

When the children come to the table, the teacher is sitting at one of the spaces as well. Remember, this is a teacher guided activity. When the children first come to the table I give them about 2 minutes to explore. I explore the items as well. Stack them, line them up, move them around.

Start "sports casting" what they are doing: "Ian is lining his up on the tape. Karla, are you stacking your up? I see you have made many little houses."

Then the guiding starts..."I'm going to stack mine by colors. Watch! Can you do this?"; "Ian, I wonder what you have more of, cubes or cylinders. How can we find out? Maybe if we line them up next to each other."; "Karla, can you make all your stacks look the same?"

These are suggestions only; if they go along with it, great. If not, at this point they may just walk away. Typically they will walk away if the task you give them is too challenging, so make sure that you are well aware of their ability level when you are guiding them through these challenges.

Also, make sure you are praising the work they put into it, not the work itself: "Wow Ian, you worked for a long time lining those up."; "Karla, high five for sticking with it. You're towers kept falling over but you figured it out!" You are praising the process, not the result. This is very important.

These shapes and this activity work on geometry, patterning, teacher interactions, peer relations, sticking with a task. For those using the DRDP-r, the measure numbers are: 11, 13, 16, 17, 24, 26, 28, 35.

Cooking activities

I love cooking in the classroom. I have at least one activity every other week if not more often. We have done the jello to a home made salad from our garden. Mini pizza's a great! We made mashed potatoes one year as well. We never make things from boxes, everything is from scratch.

So, when we made egg salad one day for lunch, we made the mayonnaise (egg whites, oil, lemon juice) and boiled and peeled the eggs ourselves. I brought in a bag of potatoes to peel (using our fine motor and eye-hand coordination skills), cut up into cubes (for the most part the teachers did this, but we did allow some very capable children help while strongly supervised), and then, after boiling, we mashed the heck out of them.

We made a cake one year as a going away party for an assistant teacher, made from scratch. What was even more impressive about that was that the children managed to keep it a surprise for more than 1 week! We also made lemonade and sold it to the parents and the rest of the center as they came to pick up their children. A great lesson in math and money.

I will go into more details in how to do a cooking activity in the near future; and we will finish up our observation to lesson planning soon as well. Today, however, I want some suggestions:

What kind of cooking activities have you done? Leave the recipe as well so others can share with their classrooms as well.

Catalogs

There is nothing like a catalog. Not for us in the administration. Not even for the teachers as they dream about what they would like to have in the classroom. For the children! They love catalogs. Want to see a group of children sit at a table for possibly hours on end, without fighting, and all talking to each other? Put a couple catalogs in the middle of the table. Some types of catalogs (Avon, coldwater creek, oriental trade) will get conversations that talk about what they like. They discuss the pictures; and just plain enjoy looking through them. Other catalogs (Discount School Supply, Lakeshore, Kaplan) are great fun. They not only talk about what they see and like, but they begin to make connections to what is in the classroom. Most of the time, in my experience, it quickly goes from "Hey this is the same carpet we have" to "Miss N, can we get this?" They make that cognitive connection that the things in their classroom are the things that are in this catalog; that must mean that there is a possibility to have more!
I am always impressed with the language and conversation that comes out of this simple thing. They develop so much language, conversations, social skills, and everything from a simple catalog. They even develop small motor skills (turning pages), literacy skills (which way do the pages turn, what are these words, etc..), and, in an older group, math skills (how much would we need to have to buy these five things you want to get?).

Math essential

We know that every classroom should have puzzles and math activities no matter what the age group. In my opinion (professional at that) I think every classroom should have one of these or one of these or, better yet, both! The second of these is perfect for an infant toddler classroom. They can't choke on the pieces, and they can't miss in putting them in the wrong hole. They fit in all the holes! The long pieces are great for little hands to grasp as well. As the children get older, they can be introduced to this one pictured here. With the four different shapes there is a 25% chance that the pieces will fit into an appropriate hole. Eventually, as they age, they will begin to sort by color and size. They can also sort in short simple patterns. These are great for spacial relations, geometric shapes, color awareness, coordination, seriation, measurements, and even logic! And yes, the children will stack them and roll them, and build with them too; and that's okay! I am a very firm believer that this is a tool that every classroom should have in a preschool setting, every age from 0-4 years.

Curriculum idea-for the Dinosaur lovers!

I'm sure you've had them before, and you will probably have them again: the dinosaur lovers! This interest will lead to talking about archaeologists and I have a great activity for you!
Get some plaster of paris and dinosaur molds or rubbing plates. I've used these in the past. But anything will work. You can also do a negative space by using play dinosaurs.
So, you mix together a batch of plaster of paris and pour a thin layer on the rubbing places or molds. If you are making negative space (read fossils) get a shallow bowl or plate and pour a thin layer of plaster of paris on that and gently lay the dinosaurs on top (make sure it doesn't fall all the way through to the plate). You can also use leaves, sticks, and anything else. Get creative!
Once the plaster of paris dries the fun begins! Fill your sensory table with sand. I like to moisten the sand a little bit, but dry sand works just as well. Bury the plaster of paris molds you just made in the sand. If you have separate "bones" place them strategically down in the sand and then cover with more sand. This will make it like the real archaeologists find: bones laid out to show a perfect skeleton.
I have the children use plastic spoons and paint brushes for this activity. When I introduce it, we talk about how fragile the bones are and they can break. That's why archaeologists use paintbrushes, to be very gentle. Depending on the child, we talk about documenting what we find through drawings and pictures; I will provide them with the tools they will need close by. My dinosaur lovers will spend hours and days at the sensory table. It's great!
What's also nice about this is that the plaster of paris can be very fragile, just like the bones, giving the activity a realistic approach.
Have fun!

Curriculum Ideas-Rainy Pictures

It's raining here today, it's actually been raining pretty steadily off and on for the past 2 weeks. I love the rain! I know, inside with a full classroom...ahhh!!!! However, we make do. We run between the rain drops, go on puddle walks when it stops, and make do. On very fun activity to do is to make rain pictures. There are two ways to do this. One easy way is to get a big sheet of butcher paper, sprinkle on dry tempura powder, and when it rains, watch what happens. This is great outside the classroom window/door for the children to watch.
The other way to do this is more child involved:
Have each child draw a picture with markers. After they have drawn their picture, hang it out in the rain, or place it on the ground. I let my children decide which they want to do. While it rains, they can watch what happens to their pictures. It turns a regular marker drawing into one that looks like a water color painting. It's really cool.
Again, make sure they can see this from the classroom window or door so that they can observe what is happening!

Ring builders

Do you have these in your classrooms? I think every center I have ever been in has a set of these. At least one set. Typically, they come in a "library" of manipulative items sold by the major suppliers. They are only an okay toy.

That's right, I said only okay. They aren't my favorite. They do have their positives: great for patterning and math activities. They can even be good for some fine motor skills...for the more advanced child. However, I believe that there are more better products for these skills.

Patterning can be created with any product, and there are so many fine motor activities that these aren't really necessary. I wouldn't order them except that they come in "libraries" of items that I do want.

In my experience, they are easily misshapen. The bend and stay bent easily. The bumps on top don't easily line up with another piece, making it difficult and frustrating for most children. The children end up placing them in rows or organized piles, rather than actually building with them. It takes an advanced thinker to start doing, or trying to, more than just towers. To use these to build out and up, rather than just up or just out. I have yet to witness a child do this on their own (without an adult initiating the idea).

The bumps on the top also easily break off. This makes it even more difficult to using properly. With the way they are easily bent (sometimes just from the way they sit in the containers) it makes it difficult to line up the bumps and posts to make a structure; once they get them together they aren't very stable because they are already bent.

In conclusion, I would only buy these if they come with a "library" of other items I need/want.

On a positive note, they are fun in the sensory table with soapy water, they make okay bubble blowers.

Curriculum Ideas-Science Table Colors

I wish I had a picture to show you; however I can't find one...so use your imagination! My all time favorite science tables I set up in my classroom involved colors. The first time was really my test of my new teaching style of trusting children. We were talking about colors and mixing colors and all that. On the wall I stapled a white Cotton sheet about my shoulder level and draped it under the table an out (to make a place for them to stand on). On the floor, I ran tape around the edges to hold it in place. On the table I placed three spray bottles with colored water (red, blue, yellow). Red, blue, and yellow were the only colors I had on the table. I had a glass vase with a wide mouth filled with cotton balls. Next to it were three bowls filled with colored water and eye dropper. On the other side of the table, I had a bowl full of baking soda (yes it was a glass bowl as well). I used a water color tray and filled every other well with colored vinegar.
This is a free choice area, so the children were allowed to explore freely. The only thing (as to giving boundaries to the children) was to introduce the activities at circle time in the morning and to have an adult close by for the first day to redirect. The children were instructed that the water was to only e sprayed on the sheet, and the water bottles were to only be used at the table. If they were empty, they were to let a teacher know. That's it!
Now, this was my first attempt at "trusting" children. I had some difficult children as well. I was shocked at how well it went, and that gave me the courage to continue on this quest. I have never looked back. Actually, it seems the more "challenging" a child is, the better they are with the more "fragile" items.
A few things to remember:
Be sure that you have plenty of extra supplies. Replenish as necessary. Start each day with a new round of supplies. Check at nap time if they need to be changed and do so accordingly. And of course, fill the water and vinegar as needed. The first day they will go through everything in about 1 minutes. By the 5th day, things will probably last the whole day.
Email me if you try this and let me know how it goes! Or, email me with other science tables yo have set up!

Things Homemade Friday-Feely Bags

Today in "things homemade" is a great science table item. Our science tables are always full of many different items, and they are available to the children at all times. Our three year olds have been talking about the color white. They have also been exploring different materials in science (mixing baking soda and water; baking soda and vinegar; flour and vinegar; etc...). So, the teacher has made the great feely bags:

It is real simple to make, and very versatile. Get as many zip lock bags as you will be making, find things to fill them with. Make sure you don't fill them too much, and try and keep out the air. These ones (looking for white things) are filled with the following: Flour, white paint, paste, and baking soda and vinegar. Label each one. Depending on your class, you may need to get some clear packing tape and tape the top of them so they don't get opened. This class doesn't need it.
This can also be an activity do make with the children. Having them fill their bags and tape them up. Then they can be taken home.
I have seen some toddler classrooms do this and then tape the bags to the walls, giving the children something to feel that way.
One other variation I have used is to fill these with some sort of squishy material (i.e. shaving cream, glop, etc...) and then added a drop each of two different colors. As the children squish the bags, the colors mix together.

Notes to remember:
Know your group of children and what they can handle to determing if they need to be taped shut.
Use the "tape it to the wall" scenario if your children are oral explorers so they don't bit the bags open and choke on the pieces.
Fill the bags with things that are safe for the children, and easily wiped up if spilled...There will be at least one bag that will get a hole in it and spill everything out.