Jun 15, 2014

Indoor Hands-on Activities and Games for Young Children

Whether it's in the middle of summer vacation, a declared snow day or freezing temperatures outside, young children inside can get very restless. This article provides some different ideas to keep them busy instead of relying on the electronics. These suggestions are best for ages three to five, but older children can certainly join into the fun!

Inside Science Experiments for Young Children


Even if you, the parent, are not science savvy, these ideas are simple hands-on experiments to keep the young children busy.


Making Goop:

This sensory, hands-on experiment involves only three ingredients: a box of corn starch, water and a few drops of food coloring. Use a big bowl, or pot for the goop and have another pot of soapy water and a towel nearby for clean up. Put the cornstarch into a big bowl. First, choose the color by adding a few drops of food coloring to a measuring cup full of water. The key for this mixture is to add the water slowly. If too much water is poured in, there is no turning back until the mixture evaporates over time. When the right amount of water is mixed with cornstarch, the texture will be hard on the bottom, with just a bit of moisture resting on top. When the mixture gets picked up, it will start to run down the fingers: a great goop mess. The goop is easily cleaned. The mixture dries and the corn starch is left and washes off clothes without any hassles. This goop mixture can be left on a shelf and brought back out at a later time. If it hardens, the children can have fun breaking it into little pieces, and then add more water to start enjoying all over again.



Sink or Float:

A classic game that does not lose its appeal. Fill the sink with water and allow the children to find safe things that can get wet in the house. Have a guessing game on whether the item will sink or float ( an apple is always a great choice). To extend this science experiment, find out why things sink or float as well as charting the results into a graph.




The Revise "Volcano" Experiment:

An experiment which should be done on a tray to keep the final result intact. The kitchen is a great location for this activity. There are only three ingredients required for this activity: baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. The child will scoop a heaping tablespoon into a glass container and then fill a measuring cup with vinegar and a few drops of food coloring. The final step is to allow the child to pour the vinegar mixture into the baking soda. The ingredients will mix together and cause an explosion that will bubble up and out of the container. When the bubbles are gone, the mixture must be emptied before beginning again. Try different shaped vessels for this experiment and adding some popcorn kernels. The kernels will dance inside the mixture, up and down for quite some time.


An Art Project for Inside: Rainbow Spin Art


From Plum Pudding

This art activity does make a little mess so, it is best to be done on a large tray or the bottom of a large cardboard flat box. The material required:

  • a salad spinner (an old one at home, or a cheap "dollar" shop find)
  • different color liquid paint
  • large paper
First step for this art project is to cut the paper to match the inside of the salad spinner. Then, allow the children to choose the paint they want for their creation. The amount of paint required is a minimum of one tablespoon each of two colors. Place the lid on tight and spin. The result is a swirling effect. Plan ahead for a good place for the art pieces to dry. Some learning concepts about colors are found in this project. For instance ask the question, "I wonder how green got on the paper, when we do not have green paint?"

Another version of this arts and crafts idea is to use a shoebox or an empty ice-cream bucket, paint and a marble or golf ball. Once the paper is inside, the children will shake the box to allow the paint and marble to roll around making an art piece that is worth framing.


Making a Board Game


Find a large piece of cardboard in your home, perhaps by cutting a box, and some drawing tools: crayon, felt pens, and pencils. Then allow the children to make their own game. The child might need help making the main path of the game (think of snakes and ladders) and the printing. Guide the child along with some ideas: "Should the person get a bonus on this square, such as moving ahead spaces or should they lose their turn?" When the game set up is complete, the children have to decorate the game. Stickers would work well in this step as well. When complete, the game can be played. Young children enjoy having the ownership of this activity and their ideas being honoured.


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May 19, 2014

Opposite Preschool Theme


Introducing Opposites at Circle Time


Introduce a theme on opposites at a group circle. Ask the children what they know about opposites. They will immediately begin giving examples. Pictures work well when describing opposites to children. There are many opposite posters available at teacher resource centers. Sometimes all it takes for better comprehension is to ask children for some opposites, such as "what is the opposite of day?"



Preschool Song for an Opposite Theme


To the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man:

Opposites, oh opposites
We know them,
We know them,
Opposites, oh opposites
I think that we know them
The opposite of black is _____ (let the children answer)
Black and white
Black and white
The opposite of black is white
We know our opposites

Continue the song with different opposites, here are some suggestions for this age group:



•boy and girl
•day and night
•full and empty
•big and small
•soft and hard
•hot and cold


Opposite Crafts



1) Opposite Pictures: The young children will be required to cut out the individual pictures and then paste them another sheet of paper with proper pairing. The blank sheet should have squares drawn on it to aid the preschoolers on where to place the pictures, with some opposite pairs already done to provide visual guidance. This craft is developmentally appropriate for four year olds and older.

2) Jars Empty and Full: A great craft for younger ages is to provide children with a sheet displaying two big jars or containers. Give the children bingo markers and explain that they have to fill up one jar and leave the other one empty. This craft activity could be completed with other material, instead of a bingo marker, such as sand art (glue with sand), shredded paper, pom poms, and so forth.


3) Hot and Cold Pictures: find pictures in magazines or symbols, such as stickers or foam pieces, representing hot and cold weather. The children must decide which paper to place their item on, the one with a sun showing or the one with snowflakes showing. This project could be changed according to the age group. If it is older preschool ages, then have the words hot and cold printed onto the paper as well and perhaps have them draw and decorate their hot and cold papers first before gluing the collage pieces on.



Preschool Games for an Opposite Theme


1. Transition children out of a circle time by giving each child a small toy, and then give directions to help teach the opposite concept. Tell a child, "Before you leave circle, please take this toy and place in on top of your head, and now place it on the bottom of your shoe". Some other directions could be:


•on and off
•in front, and in the back
•over and under
•forward and backward


2.  Choose an opposite pair and place items into a bag for children to pick out and then place into the right group. The two spots to place the items to will be in the middle of the circle and be established by the teacher. So, for instance, if you chose day and night, then place into the bag such items as pjs, stars, sunglasses, something used at preschool, moon, flashlight, sun, sleeping bag, suntan lotion and more.


3. Another game to play is the shoe game. Begin by telling the children to take one shoe OFF and keep one shoe ON and then ask the children if there was an opposite in the sentence just said. All the children will place one shoe into the middle of the circle, and one child at a time will be asked to leave the room or close his/her eyes. A shoe will be removed (or the child whose shoe it is will hide) and the selected child will have to guess whose shoe is missing.



Fun Theme Days for Opposite Preschool Lesson Plan



Within the length of the opposite lesson, plan to have some fun theme days.


1. Pyjama and Teddy Bear Day. (DAY-NIGHT)

2. During the winter months,  try having a  beach party inside. (WINTER-SUMMER)

3. Opposite Dress Up Day. Some ideas are:

•backward clothes
•one sided hairstyles
•black and white clothes
•day and night clothes
•clothes for hot and cold weather


4. Opposite Oder: have parts of the preschool schedule done in an opposite order, such as the good bye song sung first and the welcome song sung last.



Opposite Preschool Theme

Suggested Books about Opposites


There are many book on opposites. There are some classic stories that have opposites riddled throughout the pages, such as The Three Little Bears. Here are a handful of other suggestions:


•Opposites by Sandra Boynton (Little Simon, 1982)
•Foot Book by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1996)
•Olivia's Opposites by Ian Falconer (Atheneum, 2002)



Opposites is a really fun topic to discuss with young children. The theme days allow children some silly moments of doing something out of the ordinary. Hopefully this article will trigger ideas for more opposite activities within your preschool curriculum and/or early childhood setting.



Online Workshops in Early Childhood Education 


Preschool Construction Theme: Diggers and Dumptrucks




Start a Construction Theme at Circle Time

Begin the theme at group circle by asking the preschoolers what they know about heavy equipment, like diggers, and then about construction. Soon, the true "digger" lovers will be found. Ask question like:

•"What is another name for a digger?"
•"Where would you see a digger or dump truck?"
•" What other big trucks do you know?"
•" Why do we need these vehicles?"
•" How is a house made?"


 
Record some of the children's answers, and display them in a large dump truck, or coming out of an excavator's shovel, for the parents to view.


Heavy Machinery Companies and Construction Sites





For brochures and to learn about the vehicles, visit the nearest Caterpillar, Komatsu or Hitachi dealerships, to name a few, before program planning for the preschool theme. The companies may offer some of their brochures to place into the classroom or for the use in craft projects. Perhaps the preschool children may have a field trip to view the lots full of heavy machinery, or even better, the employees might allow the preschoolers to crawl into some of the big equipment. Plan a walk to a local construction site where the children can view the excavators and other machinery being operated.


Preschool Books for a Construction Theme



There are many kinds of heavy equipment and learning the names is a chore. Choose several construction vehicles to teach to the children, such as excavator, backhoe, bulldozer and cement truck. There are many books that will also introduce the topic to the preschool children. In addition, some great DVDs are available for preschool children to observe about diggers and trucks, for a special activity. Following is a suggested list of both preschool books and DVDS for this construction theme:

•Dazzling Diggers by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker (Kingfisher, 200
•C is for Construction: Big Trucks and Diggers from A to Z (Chronicle Book, 2003)
•B is for Bulldozer: A Construction ABC by June Sobel (Harcourt, 2006)
•Cody's Crew – The Big Building: DVD directed by Malcolm Marcus
•Diggers and Dozers Starring Mighty Machines (DVD-2007)



Felt Board Activity: Ten Dumptrucks All in a Row



At circle time, have the children participate in this felt activity with dump trucks by thinking of their own ideas for what to fill a dumptruck up with. Suggest to the preschoolers to imagine whatever they wish, and then give some suggestions, like dolls or chocolate. Make ten dump trucks out of felt with the following poem:


Ten dump trucks all in a row. All filled with something and a place to go.
(Child's name) truck is filled with______, that's fine, and now there's only nine
Nine dump trucks all in a row. All filled with something and a place to go.
(Another child's) truck is filled with____, that's great, and now there's only eight.
Eight dump trucks...oh heaven and now there’s only seven
Seven dump trucks...what a mix and now there’s only six
Six dump trucks...are they alive? And now there’s only five
Five dump trucks ...ready to pour and now there’s only four
Four dump trucks...could it be? And now there’s only three
Three dump trucks ...what to do and now there’s only two
Two dump trucks ...weighing a ton and now there’s only one
One dump truck ...oh what fun and now there is none.



Preschool Song about Construction Workers and Safety







A great lesson to bring into this theme is to talk to the children about safety on the construction site. Here is a song that will help teach the message:

 
(To the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Safety, safety when we work
All day long we watch and look
Hats and gloves, and goggles too
Steel toe boots for the crew.
Safety safety when we work
All day long, we watch and look

 
Preschool Craft Suggestions for a Construction Theme

1. Painting with dumptrucks through paint

2. Pasting pictures of construction vehicles onto a large paper or construction site scene


3. Have a picture of a dumptruck and collage items for them to fill up the truck with or use bingo markers!





Dump Truck Clipart Image: Dump Truck Coloring Page




Construction Theme in Other Preschool Areas


The construction theme can be included into many other areas or sections of a preschool curriculum and environment. The following list provides some suggestions:

•Drama: Construction Site lunchroom or office set up
•Sensory: sand and lots of mini vehicles
•Puzzles, Magnet activities with diggers, dump trucks, bulldozers and so on
•Wood blocks for constructing buildings 

Further Resource: Pinterest Board on Construction