Funtime Center (Michele Montgomery)
Ask parents to send in cereal boxes. Cut off the back and laminate. Place in a reading bin with dry erase markers and allow students to work the puzzles if they finish their work early.
*You can also collect kids’ menus from restaurants and laminate.
Pick Up Sticks Sight Words (Lesley Whitman)
Write sight words on popsicle sticks. The children use wooden skewers to try and pick up sticks without moving any of the other sticks. Encourage them to read the word on the stick.
*You could make a similar game with letters, math facts, etc.
Magazine Pictures (Lesley Whitman)
Cut out odd magazine pictures and glue them on cardstock and laminate. For the pre-k children pass out a pictures and let each child talk about their picture. It’s a great way for making inferences and encouraging complete sentences.
*In kindergarten put several pictures in a basket and let children draw a picture and then write about it.
Baby Fish Fingers (Deborah Morales)
Tell the children that their thumb and index finger are their baby fish. When they need to open anything they should use their baby fish. (Works like a charm for ketchup packets.)
At circle time tell them to put their baby fish in their fish bowl (hole created by sitting cross legged).
Cutting Shoebox (Chris Lance)
To encourage children to practice cutting at home by asking parents to fill a shoebox with junk mail and safety scissors. Keep the box on top of the refrigerator and bring it down when parents are busy cooking dinner.
Stretching Sounds (Maria Bristal)
Buy little plastic slinkies at the dollar store and let the children use these to stretch out words.
Write Your Name on Your Paper (Christy Jones)
Sing this song to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
Write your name on your paper,
Write your name.
Write your name on your paper,
Write your name.
If you don’t write your name,
Then they all look the same.
Write your name on your paper,
Write your name.
Greetings (Jennifer M. Britt)
Greetings are so important and you can use an apron with different types of greetings for kids to choose.
An adaptation to this would be to make a wheel (like Wheel of Fortune) and use picture symbols to represent the different handshakes (biker, fisherman, butterfly, thumb kiss, Spiderman, hand hug, farmer, etc.)
*You could also use a wheel and spinner for cheers, songs, etc.
Bike Safety (Jennifer Britt)
*You could also use a wheel and spinner for cheers, songs, etc.
Bike Safety (Jennifer Britt)
Talk about bike safety and let the children suggest rules, such as wearing a helmet, looking all around before getting on their bike, etc.
* Let children make a license with their picture, date of birth, address, eye color, hair, address, etc.
Snowman Counting (Debbie Stowe)
You will need cups, cotton balls, and tweezers for this activity. Draw snowmen on cups and write the numerals 1-10 on their tummies. Children use tweezers to pick up snowballs (cotton balls) because they are too cold. Can they place the correct number of snowballs in each cup?
Paint Paddles and Clothespins (Mary Jane Long)
Write numerals vertically down a paint paddle. (They'll usually donate these at a paint store.) When the teacher says, “Show me 4,” the children attach a clothespin to the numeral and hold up their answer. You can use paddles for addition, subtraction, and other math skills.
*Make paddles with letters, shapes, etc.
Rotten Apple (Mary Jane Long)
Use die cut apples for this game. On the apples write letters, numbers, words, or whatever skill you are working on. On a few apples write “rotten apple.” Children take turns choosing apples and identifying the information. They must put all their apples back if they pick the “rotten apple.”
*Adapt throughout the year with a broken heart in February, cracked egg in April, melting snowman in January, etc.
Hey There Neighbor! (Ruth Ann Tensi)
Hey, there, neighbor! (shake hands)
What do you say? (switch hands)
It’s going to be a great day. (reach up diagonally)
Greet your friends. (high 10’s)
And boogie on down. (shake bottom while bending knees)
Give ‘em a bump (bump hips gently)
And turn around. (turn around in place)
*Count to ten while they find a new partner.
Hang Those Letters Down (Kate Barnes)
Boys and girls, some letters stand tall. (arms up)
Some sit on the wall (arms straight out)
And some fall.
I’ll show you what to do with those letters in a minute.
Let’s go through the alphabet.
a, b, c, d, e, f, g
g?!
Hang those letters down down
Snowman Counting (Debbie Stowe)
You will need cups, cotton balls, and tweezers for this activity. Draw snowmen on cups and write the numerals 1-10 on their tummies. Children use tweezers to pick up snowballs (cotton balls) because they are too cold. Can they place the correct number of snowballs in each cup?
Paint Paddles and Clothespins (Mary Jane Long)
Write numerals vertically down a paint paddle. (They'll usually donate these at a paint store.) When the teacher says, “Show me 4,” the children attach a clothespin to the numeral and hold up their answer. You can use paddles for addition, subtraction, and other math skills.
*Make paddles with letters, shapes, etc.
Rotten Apple (Mary Jane Long)
Use die cut apples for this game. On the apples write letters, numbers, words, or whatever skill you are working on. On a few apples write “rotten apple.” Children take turns choosing apples and identifying the information. They must put all their apples back if they pick the “rotten apple.”
*Adapt throughout the year with a broken heart in February, cracked egg in April, melting snowman in January, etc.
Hey There Neighbor! (Ruth Ann Tensi)
Hey, there, neighbor! (shake hands)
What do you say? (switch hands)
It’s going to be a great day. (reach up diagonally)
Greet your friends. (high 10’s)
And boogie on down. (shake bottom while bending knees)
Give ‘em a bump (bump hips gently)
And turn around. (turn around in place)
*Count to ten while they find a new partner.
Hang Those Letters Down (Kate Barnes)
Boys and girls, some letters stand tall. (arms up)
Some sit on the wall (arms straight out)
And some fall.
I’ll show you what to do with those letters in a minute.
Let’s go through the alphabet.
a, b, c, d, e, f, g
g?!
Hang those letters down down
(Sing to the tune of “100 Bottles of Pop on the Wall”)
Hang those letters down.
Some letters stand tall,
Some sit on the wall,
Some hang those letters down.
h, i, j
j?! (Repeat above chant.)
Pencil Grip (Ann Blackard)
Break crayons in half and children will use three fingers. Golf pencils also encourage children to use three fingers.
Author/Illustrator Party (Denise Catoe)
At the end of the year have an author and illustrator party using children’s individual books they’ve made in the classroom. It’s a way to celebrate writing throughout the year. Parents are invited to attend and cookies and drinks are served.
Hang those letters down.
Some letters stand tall,
Some sit on the wall,
Some hang those letters down.
h, i, j
j?! (Repeat above chant.)
Pencil Grip (Ann Blackard)
Break crayons in half and children will use three fingers. Golf pencils also encourage children to use three fingers.
Author/Illustrator Party (Denise Catoe)
At the end of the year have an author and illustrator party using children’s individual books they’ve made in the classroom. It’s a way to celebrate writing throughout the year. Parents are invited to attend and cookies and drinks are served.
