WOW!!! Did I meet some FANTASTIC teachers at Summer Camp in St. Louis this week! I bet you’ll find an idea here to use when school starts.
P.S. There were so many great ideas I’ll post some today and some tomorrow.
Noodle Sensory Fun (Kyle Kranes)
Cut fun noodles into sections and let the children roll on their back, arms, legs, belly. It’s a great cool down and brain break – and perfect for sensory kids.
Hint! Another teacher said she used a bath scruffy to rub on children’s arms if they have sensory integration issues.
Line Up Call Back (Jeana Rhoades)
I say “line.”
You say “up.”
Line (teacher)
Up (Children)
I say “sit.”
You say “down.”
Sit (teacher)
Down (Children)
“Happy” – “Monday” etc.
Line Up Ninjas (Annie Kolsea)
Ninjas are sneaky and they walk quietly and wear a mask. Put one hand on your forehead and one over your mouth and tip toe like Ninjas.
(Mouths are closed. Hands are busy. Feet are quiet.)
Name Game Line Up (Heather Barrio)
Play the name game to transition to go home, outside, etc. The teacher picks a student to stand up. That student picks a friend to line up, and the game continues until one person is left. The last child gets to pick me!!! This activity helps children learn their classmates’ names. If a student says, “I don’t know her name.” Explain that they should say, “What’s your name, friend?” This also helps shy students engage with the group.
Vowel Flip Book (Krystal McVicker, American International School, Vietnam)
Make a flip book with 5 flaps. Write the vowels on the top of the outside. Children draw or cut out pictures with short vowel sounds and glue them under the correct vowel flap.
*Another teacher shared that they use flip books to reinforce beginning reading and sight words like “the,” “a,” “I,” etc. Write “the” on the front of all four flips. Children open and draw a picture under each flap. Then they can read “the house,” “the sun,” and so forth.
Popsicle Stick Virtue Book (Jane Lake)
After studying virtues, make a booklet for each word and then let children illustrate it or cut pictures out of magazines. You could also call it a “Good Manners Book” or “My Best Behavior Book.”
Examples of virtues could be: be kind, think of others, love everyone, listen and watch, be eager and excited, share with others, try my best, be ready.
Fantastic Friends (Jane Lake)
At the beginning of the year (or for Valentine’s Day) make a book about friends.
1. A good friend is…
2. I’m a good friend when…
3. What friends like to do together…
4. Symbols of friendship…
5. Names of my friends…
Fire Prevention Month (Mindy Russo)
Write sight words on flames on the board. Divide children into groups and give each one a spray bottle to “put out the fire.” Have a one squirt rule. The kids love it and it will clean your board!
Wait and Bake
A teacher was talking about children who needed a little more time before starting school. She said, “You know, they just need to wait and bake in the maturity oven!”
Eye Ball Stories (Penny Salvato) *I cracked up with this one!
I use two stories about how the eyeballs are collected to make pointers.
1. Kids lose an eye on the playground and I collect them.
2. I collect eyes from “bad” kids and put them on sticks.
At Halloween I give the kids witch fingers and tell them I chopped off fingers. After a long time they turn into rubbery witchy fingers.
