Ladybug Preschool Theme

Spring and summer are a great time to include a preschool lesson plan on bugs. A fun insect to focus on is the ladybug with its bright red back and black spots. Whether for a day or longer, children enjoy themes when the entire curriculum revolves around one topic. More importantly, this focused attention on one topic within each area of a preschool curriculum provides learning opportunities for every child. The following article provides some ideas for preschool activities to include into a ladybug theme for any early childhood setting.


Fun Facts about Ladybugs

Circle time is a perfect place to provide some simple facts about the preschool program's theme with or without a book. Sometimes a teacher may ask the children what they know about the theme and record their answers down. The early childhood provider can then fill in the information that may have not been mentioned. This process of group learning honours the children for their input, ideas and knowledge. Some fun ladybug facts to share with the children are:

• ladybugs are beetles
• ladybugs can also be orange and yellow and some have no spots
• there are many different species
• they live all around the world
• the spots fade as they get older
• ladybugs can lay up to 1000 eggs in a lifetime
• the hard cover protects the delicate wings
• the bright color of the ladybug warns birds to not eat them
• ladybugs are popular with gardeners for they eats aphids, pests in the garden.

Ladybug Preschool Craft Ideas


By clicking on each suggestion, you will directed to the blog for more information



From No Time for Flash Cards



From Projects for Preschoolers




Special Note:

The great thing about a ladybug theme for an arts and crafts project, is that the children can be left to create through their own process. With the colors red, and black and dots, all versions of ladybugs will be formed. I love this one I found online...



From Our Crafts N Things


Math Activity for a Ladybug Theme


From the Measured Mom



The following song can be sung with ladybug and numbers correlating to the amount of dots on the ladybug:


To the tune of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?"

This ladybug has three black spots, three black spots, three black spots.

This ladybug has three black spots, what a lovely sight!

Sensory Table Activity

There are many ways to include ladybugs into a preschool curriculum. For instance, turn a sensory table into an area for plastic ladybugs to roam. The children will enjoy dramatically playing with the ladybugs while having a sensory experience. The table can be filled with sand, plastic leaves, real wood and sticks and small rocks. Then, plastic ladybugs can be placed inside this setting. If plastic ladybugs are difficult to find at local stores, try using permanent felt pens or paint and decorating small rocks as ladybugs.

Some Final Ideas for a Ladybug Theme

• Play pin the dots on the ladybug and other ladybug games
• Hunt for real ladybugs
• Face paint ladybugs onto cheeks
• Read the Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
• Decorate cookies with red icing and chocolate chips
• Felt Story: Five Little Ladybugs

Further Reading Suggestions:

Spring Felt Board Activities

Early Childhood Online Workshops

Healthy Easter Basket Treats

Healthy Alternatives to Filling the Easter Basket

Filling plastic eggs with items, such us puzzle pieces, letters to create a message, or clues for a tresure hunt are all great ideas for turning the Easter Egg into a fun, and sugar-free, event. The following list provides some more ideas and many of these can be found by birthday locations in dollar stores:

• mini bubbles
• stickers
• mini play dough
• pencils, erasers, rulers, mini pads of paper
• small toys
• collectible cards, like baseball, Pokemon, etc.
• Club Penguins points and other popular online sites
• movie coupons
• dried fruit
• temporary tattoos
• yogurt covered raisins
• baby carrots
• cheddar bunnies
• hair bows
• popcorn
• money
• hot wheel cars
• small boxes of lego
• rice krispie treats
• character bandaids
• books

The following Bloggers have some other wonderful ideas!!



From Creative Green Living





From Desserted Planet

Preschool Classic Song: The Hokey Pokey

The Hokey Pokey is an action song for young children that has been popular since the 1950s with some questionable beginnings. The copyrighted song, since 1950, is held by Larry La Prese (1940-1996) . Today, the song is known around the world, and is a staple for preschool, daycare, school and home settings with young children. The following article provides some alternative ways to sing the Hokey Pokey to correlate with the theme of the classroom, or for instance a birthday party.

 

The Hokey Pokey Lyrics

First, the description and lyrics of the classic song should be provided before discussing alternative ways to sing it. The participating singers of the Hokey Pokey will stand in a circle and act out the words with their body parts:

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 what it's all about!

The song continues with different body parts that the teacher or leader can choose. In addition, the children can provide ideas. Some fun and different ones are your bottom, your teeth, your hair and of course, your whole self.

Hokey Pokey for Animal Themes

Depending on the theme, the Hokey Pokey can be sung with an animal in mind. For instance, at Easter, the children can pretend they are bunnies. Thus, the lyrics would follow with the different parts of the animal, such as:


You put your long ears in, you put your long ears out
You put your long ears in, and you hop all about
You do the Bunny Pokey and you hop yourself around
That's what it's all about!


This idea can be extended to include any animal. If a preschool has a lesson plan on bees, then the Hokey Pokey can have the following lyrics:


You put your antennae in, you put your antennae out
You put your antennae in, and you buzz all about
You do the honeybee pokey, and you buzz yourself around
That's what it's all about!

Hokey Pokey for Birthday Parties or Themes

Often birthday party themes follow television or movie characters. One alternative way to sing hokey pokey is to make character sticks, for instance print off pictures of Dora the Explorer to equal the amount of children participating at the birthday party or make dinosaurs. Tape or glue the picture onto a large popsicle stick then give one to each child. In a circle, sing the following lyrics and allow the children to have their dino move to the lyrics:


You put your dino up, you put your dino down
You put your dino up, and you shake it all around
You do the Dino Pokey, and you turn yourself around
Two stomps on the ground!

You put your dino to your head, you put your dino to your toe
You put your dino to your head, And you wobble to and fro
You do the Dino Pokey and you turn yourself around
Two stomps on the ground!



The characters can simply be used to sing and act the regular lyrics to Hokey Pokey as well.

 

The Hokey Pokey at Halloween

Another way to sing the Hokey Pokey is to sing about costumes that are being worn, such as a Halloween theme Party. Some ideas are:

• mask
• cape
• wand
• wig
• costume
• crown

 

The Hokey Pokey and Musical Instruments

With a group of young children, musical instruments can become a loud event. One idea to help monitor the playing is to sing this version of the hokey pokey and whoever has the matching instrument to the lyrics being sung by the teacher will stand up and play.


You play your bell up high
You play your bell down low
You play your bell up high
And now very slow
You do the Music Pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about!

The Hokey Pokey for Learning Concepts

Finally, the hokey pokey can be sung to help toddlers and preschool children learn concepts, such as colors and shapes by placing stickers on children's shoes, hands, knees and so on.

 

Do You Have Any Other Ideas?

The Hokey Pokey is a children's action song that is enjoyed by all ages and can easily be altered to include a variety of themes. Feel free to add any other ideas for extending this classic song.