J is for Jump and Jars

Songs/Rhymes:
ABC
Jack and Jill went up the hill…..

Activities:
Drawing the letter J worksheet

Outside jumping — if the weather is nice, go outside and jump.

• see how high kids can jump (and reach)
• jump over cracks in the sidewalk
• jump over balls, sticks, hoses, etc
• jump rope – many kids this age don’t have the motor skills necessary to jump rope, but they like to try anyway
• hop scotch – use sidewalk chalk to make a hop scotch.  Teach the kids to jump as they count.

Jars

• How much can a jar hold?  fill a jar with one item (marbles, balls, hot wheels, etc) How many items are in the jar?  Guess and then count — works best if the number is under 20.
• Find the lid — have several different sizes of jars with lids.  Let the kids experiment to see which lids go on which jars.  Use baby food jars, spaghetti sauce jars, canning jars, peanut butter jars, etc.  Works best if there’s a wide variety of jar sizes.  Talk about what’s the same and what’s different.

Snack Idea:
Jelly Beans
peanut butter and jelly (if no peanut allergies)
soft pretzels shaped like the letter J

If you’re just joining us you may want to read the “How to set up a co-op preschool” post.  Each week I’ll be sharing ideas for introducing your preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet.   Not all of these ideas will work for everyone.  As the year goes on, you’ll figure out what works for your group of kids.  To start the alphabet, check out ideas for the letters A and B or just bookmark this page for all my preschool ideas.

I is for ICE

Songs:
ABC
Leaves are Falling
Once There Was a Snowman

Activities:

Another great day for science.  Let’s learn about ice.

• Melting Ice — put 1 piece of ice in clear cups or bowls.  Then try different ways to melt the ice.  What works best.  Help the kids come up with ideas like tap water, hot water, blow dryer, etc.
• Does it Float? This is one of my favorite things to do with preschoolers.  Ask the question — “Does it float?”  Fill a tall clear cup, measuring cup, or jar with tap water.  Ask the kids if they think an ice cube will float or sink.  After taking a survey, carefully place one ice cube in the cup.  Talk about what happens.  Now ask the kids what do they think will happen if more ice cubes are added to the water.  Add more, one at a time to see the different affects of ice in water.  At this age a “why” discussion often happens, but they are too young to understand the science behind it.
• Make Ice Cream – use the energy of preschoolers to make your own ice cream.  A popular way to do this is with 2 metal cans.  Here’s instructions for Kick the Can Ice Cream.  This works great if you have a yard where the kids can run around and kick the cans like soccer balls.   If it’s already cold outside, kids can roll the cans back and forth.  But most of them get bored of rolling before the ice cream has set up.
• Or, if you’re looking for an excuse to get an ice cream maker….here’s the one I like to use.

Books

Milk to ice cream  by Inez Snyder
From milk to ice cream  by Kristin Thoennes Keller
Nonfiction books about Polar Bears, Penguins, etc — animals that live on the ice can be found at your local library in the 590′s.

If you’re just joining us you may want to read the “How to set up a co-op preschool” post.  Each week I’ll be sharing ideas for introducing your preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet.   Not all of these ideas will work for everyone.  As the year goes on, you’ll figure out what works for your group of kids.  To start the alphabet, check out ideas for the letters A and B or just bookmark this page for all my preschool ideas.

H is for Heavy

Songs:
ABC
Leaves are Falling

Activities:
Drawing the letter H

• worksheet
• on the floor with blocks, lego’s, or popsicle sticks
• human H- have 3 kids lay on the floor in the shape of a capital H (this is a love it or hate it activity.  Some kids are not fond of being part of a letter while others just take off with it and will be laughing for quite some time. If your group loves it, try some other letters that they know. Easiest are: A, C, E, F, H, I, K, L, T, Z)
• with spaghetti noodles

Heavy vs. Light

This is a great day for science.  Find different objects around the house that are the same size or shape, but very different weights.  Then talk about what heavy means.  At this age numbers for weights don’t mean much, but kids can get the concept of heavy vs. light.  Let the kids pick up pairs of objects and to figure out which is heavier.  Then, for more fun, get out an dial scale and watch the dial move as you place heavy objects on it.  Point out that when the heavier of two objects is placed on the scale, the pointer moves more around the circle.  Here’s some ideas for heavy vs light pairs:

• cereal box vs encyclopedia
• hot wheel’s car vs can of soup
• lego vs large block

If you’re just joining us you may want to read the “How to set up a co-op preschool” post.  Each week I’ll be sharing ideas for introducing your preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet.   Not all of these ideas will work for everyone.  As the year goes on, you’ll figure out what works for your group of kids.  To start the alphabet, check out ideas for the letters A and B or just bookmark this page for all my preschool ideas.

G is for Giraffe, Gorilla,

and Grandparents

Day 1: emphasis on Giraffe and Gorilla

Songs:
ABC
Here We Are Together
Do As I’m Doing (acting like animals)

Books:
Gordon’s New View (a Thomas the Train easy reader)
Gg (book with lots of G’s in it)
non-fiction picture books of Gorillas and Giraffes – don’t read these,  just look at the pictures and explain to the kids some basic facts about the animals.  Talk about things that are the same and different between them and the animals.  Find these in your local library in the 573-599′s

Activities:
drawing the letter G
decorating a Giraffe or Gorilla with glue and stuff
What’s In the Bag? Animals (use stuffed animals)
Decorate a pumpkin for Halloween (I know, it doesn’t fit with the theme, but it was Halloween week for us)
Game Uno (color matching only) — this didn’t go over very well since most kids hadn’t played this at home.

Day 2: Grandparents

ask each child to bring a picture of a grandparent and a story about them.  Or share something they like to do with a grandparent.

craft with Grandparents picture

• glue picture on paper and let each kid draw a note to grandma or grandpa
• get a cheap picture frame from Target, Big Lots, Michael’s, or Oriental Trading and decorate with foam shapes

What’s In the Bag? Things that Grow in a Garden (use plastic kitchen “food” like carrots, tomato, potato, green pepper, pumpkin, corn on the cob)

Game “ What Does Not Belong? (like Sesame Street’s which of these things it not like the others….)

Snack:
Graham Crackers
Grapes

If you’re just joining us you may want to read the “How to set up a co-op preschool” post.  Each week I’ll be sharing ideas for introducing your preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet.   Not all of these ideas will work for everyone.  As the year goes on, you’ll figure out what works for your group of kids.  To start the alphabet, check out ideas for the letters A and B or just bookmark this page for all my preschool ideas.

F is for FOUR!

This week we celebrated the number 4.  Some of the kids were already 4 and the others were soon to turn 4.  So, our teacher of the week made a “Four Fiesta” for the kids.  They talked about the number 4 and had a birthday party of sorts.  Mine still talks about the “Four Fiesta.”

Music:

Here We Are Together
The Alphabet Song
Happy Birthday

Books

Happy Birthday To You! by Dr Seuss (who doesn’t like Dr Seuss)
Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Clifford’s Birthday Party by Norman Bridwell
Curious George and the Birthday Suprise by Margaret and H A Rey (cute story for those of you who like Curious George.  This one can be hard to sit through for young ones, so you may need to summarize some of the story, or tell the story with the pictures.)

Coloring Pages:

Letter F Worksheet

Snack Idea:
Birthday Cake with all the kid’s name on it
Cupcakes
sugar cookies in the shape of a 4

Free Play:

Balloons — Birthday parties are full of balloons.  Blow up a few (or add helium) and let the kids play.  Make sure there’s at least 1 balloon for each child or you may have some unpleasant fighting.  If your group is mostly agreeable, have balloons of different colors and sizes.  Compare them to each other.  If your group is more on the competitive side, identical balloons may be best.

If you’re just joining us you may want to read the “How to set up a co-op preschool” post.  Each week I’ll be sharing ideas for introducing your preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet.   Not all of these ideas will work for everyone.  As the year goes on, you’ll figure out what works for your group of kids.  To start the alphabet, check out ideas for the letters A and B or just bookmark this page for all my preschool ideas.

If you’re just joining us you may want to read the “How to set up a co-op preschool” post.  Each week I’ll be sharing ideas for introducing your preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet.   Not all of these ideas will work for everyone.  As the year goes on, you’ll figure out what works for your group of kids.  To start the alphabet, check out ideas for the letters A and B or just bookmark this page for all my preschool ideas.

E is for Emergency

This can be a very fun week for kids.  Typically it’ll fall during October when most fire stations are heavily promoting fire safety.  More on that next week.  But for this week, let’s talk about other emergencies that can happen at home and who can help us.

Music:
Here We Are Together
The Alphabet Song

Books

Check out some non-fiction books (call numbers 628 and 629) with pictures of emergency vehicles and emergency workers.  Talk about what each person does and how they can help us if we have an emergency.

Emergency Vehicles – a DK book with great pictures

Big Frank’s Fire Truck by Leslie McGuire

Coloring Pages:

Saluting Police Officer
Phone for dialing 911
Search and Find 911 (better for kids who know their numbers)
Letter E Workseet
Practice Sheet

Snack Idea:

Pretzel sticks — show the kids how to make the letter E with their food.

Eggs (hard boiled)

Free Play: Puzzles — do you have one of these Melissa and Doug Emergency Vehicles Puzzle?  Basic puzzles can be fun at this age.  Just be sure there’s enough for everyone to have one.   Here’s a few of my other favorite puzzles:  Melissa and Doug Alphabet Art, See Inside Alphabet, Farm Sounds.  If you’re looking for more puzzles try garage sales or consignment/resale shops (I like Once Upon A Child).

Field Trip Idea: Visit a Police Station.  We visited a small police station in a neighboring community.  One of the Officers was the PR guy who showed the kids around the station.  They got to see the lady who answers the phone (they all thought this was important — so they’d know who they might be talking to); big meeting room; and  holding cell (all the kids called this the jail).  It was a small room with an uncomfortable looking mattress.  No one wanted to spend the night there.  Then the kids got to see the DARE car and even sit in it.  Some of the kids were nervous about sitting in a police car but could be convinced to pose for a group photo.

Note: If you have sensitive kids in your group, you may need to downplay some of the roles of emergency personnel.  I’d stress that emergency workers are trained to help people.  If someone in the group has had a visit to the ER, ask them about the visit.  Focus on how nice the staff was and how they knew what to do and how to help the child.

If you’re just joining us you may want to read the “How to set up a co-op preschool” post.  Each week I’ll be sharing ideas for introducing your preschoolers to the letters of the alphabet.   Not all of these ideas will work for everyone.  As the year goes on, you’ll figure out what works for your group of kids.  To start the alphabet, check out ideas for the letters A and B or just bookmark this page for all my preschool ideas.

D is for DOG and Donuts

I choose to talk about Clifford, because he’s such a well known dog.   Ask kids to bring a stuffed dog or Clifford to Preschool.  Talk about how to take care of a dog.  The need for taking it to the vet for checkups, etc.  You could even get some collars and leashes and let the kids take their stuffed dogs for a walk.

Music:
Here We Are Together
The Alphabet Song
My Dog (and also Broken Donuts) by Rick Charette on his Where Do My Sneakers Go At Night album
Pets go to the Vet by Rick Charette on his King Kong Chair album

Books
Some of our favorite Clifford stories:

• Clifford the Big Red Dog
• The Big Itch
• Clifford the Small Red Puppy
• Clifford’s First Autumn

Activities

Coloring Pages:

• Clifford from 123coloring.com
• Clifford’s friend TBone from PBSKids.org
• Puppy Clifford from PBSKids.org
• Traceable Letter practice from KidsLearningStation.com

Domino’s — show the kids how to set up Domino’s and then push the first one down and watch them all fall down.  Kids may not have the dexterity or small motor skills to make a long domino trail.  Don’t worry about that.  Help each kid take a few and set them up and then knock them down.  You can also set up a long one and have them help you count each domino as you place it.  This builds anticipation and sometimes it gets knocked down unintentionally.

Snack Idea:

Puppy Chow — I’m not a fan of peanut butter so I’ve never eaten these, but my kids have and they like it.  A few different versions of the recipe can be found here or here or from Chex.  Just make sure none of the kids have peanut allergies.

Donut holes and apple juice…don’t go for big donuts.  That’s too much sugar for these little guys.

Free Play:

Play Food/Kitchen setup — most likely kids will want to make gourmet dishes for their stuffed dogs.  So, having a little kitchen set up, or some of your regular plastic dishes and play food available can spark some fun.

Vet — do you have a doctor kit like this or this one in pink or traditional kit?  Suggest to the kids that they can use the kit to do checkups on their “pet” dog.

Field Trip Idea: One year one of our kids went to a nearby vet.  She was great about talking about pet care and what to expect when you bring a pet in to see her.  They left with a goody bag full of pet (mostly dog) related items including a copy of The Big Itch (mentioned above).

Field Trip Idea: Donut Shop — we went to our local donut shop.  “Stan” showed the kids all the equipment he uses to make donuts.   Their eyes were huge as he shows them the 20qt Hobart mixer and the big blob of dough it can make. Then he had them climb up on milk crates and help him make some donuts.  They rolled, twisted, etc.  Of course, the kids didn’t actually eat any of the donuts they “helped” make (health and safety reasons I’m sure), but they each got to pick out a donut to eat with a cup of apple juice.  I don’t remember the actual cost, but it was only a couple of bucks.  We invited a couple of non-preschool friends to have enough kids for the tour.