MAKE A HAT DAY

September 15th is “Make a Hat Day,” but kids love to make hats and wear hats any day of the year. Here are some ways that you can tie in hats with themes or skills you are working on.

Sentence Strip Hat
Materials: sentence strips or heavy paper cut in 2 ½” x 24”, markers, crayons, stickers
Directions: Let children decorate the sentence strip and then fit to their head and staple or tape in place.

Children can write letters, numerals, or vocabulary words on the headband. Sure beats doing a worksheet and accomplishes the same thing!



Children can add ears or other details to create an animal from a story. Let them wear their hats to retell the story.

*Wouldn’t this be more fun than a written book report?

How about an “all about me” headband?

Children can make an autograph hat with friends’ names.

If you cut a zigzag line on one side every child can be king or queen for the day!



Hint! Two brad fasteners and a rubber band will make the hat easier to adjust to the head, but it’s a lot more trouble.

HATS OFF TO YOU TODAY!

A CRAYON BOX FULL OF ART

Here are some simple art projects with crayons that can be adapted to any age or teaching situation. Sometimes adults think that kids should only do an art project one time. The interesting thing is that children will enjoy doing these activities several times.

Dancing Crayons
Materials: crayons, paper, music
Directions: Hold a crayon in each hand. Put on some music, and let the crayons “dance” on the paper.
*This would work well at the listening center using a variety of music, such as classical, country, march, lullaby, etc.

Bundles
Materials: crayons, rubber bands, paper
Directions: Wrap a rubber band around 3 or 4 crayons. Children can hold the “bundle” and draw a design or picture on their paper.

Dot to Dot
Materials: crayons, paper
Directions: Make a specified number of dots (six, ten, whatever) on a piece of paper. Exchange papers with a friend. Connect the dots. What does it look like? Add details to create an object or design.

Wiggles and Squiggles
Materials: crayons, paper
Directions: Have the children close their eyes and make a design on their paper with a black crayon. When they open their eyes, ask them to create something out of their design.
Adaptations: Have children exchange papers with wiggles and squiggles with a friend.

Folded Designs
Materials: paper, crayons
Directions: Have children take a sheet of paper and fold it several times. Next, open it and trace over the creases on the paper with a black crayon. Finally, fill in each section with a different color, design, or pattern.

A COLORING WE'LL GO

Do you remember how happy a new box of crayons made you when you were a child? There was always a lot of “hope” in those sharp, new crayons. I was never a great artist, but I was thrilled with the “possibilities” those crayons offered!

*A good rule of thumb for encouraging children to use many colors in their drawings is to ask them to use as many colors as they are in age. If they are four years old they should use at least 4 different crayons; if they are five years old they should use five colors, etc.

*As you read books to the class, explain the illustrator’s name. Have children notice details in illustrations. Why is it important to add details? Remind them when they draw pictures they are illustrators, too, and they should add lots of details to make their pictures more interesting.

*Encourage children to close their eyes and think about what they want to draw before they begin coloring. “Get a picture in your brain and then you’ll know what you want your picture to look like. It’s like telling a story with your crayons.”

*Keep a box for “lost crayons” on a shelf so children have a place to put crayons that get misplaced.

*Use mint tins to store crayons when boxes fall apart.

A Coloring We’ll Go
(Tune: “A Hunting We Will Go”)
A coloring we’ll go.
A coloring we’ll go.
Hi ho, it’s fun you know,
A coloring we’ll go.

Use straight and curvy lines.
Use straight and curvy lines.
With yellow, purple, green, and orange,
We’ll make our picture fine. (Chorus)

The details we will draw.
The details we will draw.
Imagine all the little things.
The details we will draw. (Chorus)

We’ll fill in the page.
We’ll fill in the page.
Use as many colors
As you are in age.

A coloring we’ll go.
A coloring we’ll go.
We’ll put them in the box and close the top
When we’re through, you know.

https://bit.ly/drjeanAColoring

Crayon Book
Materials: copy paper, hole punch, crayons, rubber band



Directions: Fold two sheets of paper in half. Cut in half. Stack and fold in half again. Make two hole punches on the folded sided about 2” from the ends. Insert a rubber band in one
hole and slip a crayon through the loop. Insert the other end of the rubber band in the other hole and slide the other end of the crayon through that loop. Children can use these books to write color words, draw pictures of their favorite colors, cut objects out of
magazines and label the color, and so forth.


Rainbow Everything
Materials: paper, crayons or markers

Directions: Children can trace around shapes or letters with different colors of crayons. You can adapt this activity to seasonal shapes, words, numerals, or anything you want the children to practice.

PLAY DOUGH POWER

Oh, happy day!  It's summertime and you have a chance to put your feet up for "a few days" before it's time to start all over again.  I am so happy that the pendulum is swinging back to "hands-on" and PLAY.  You'll find some free downloads on my blog each day that I hope will remind you how much fun teaching can be! 

Although play dough wasn't invented until the 1950's, molding materials, such as clay, have been an integral part of early childhood programs forever. For thousands of years children have joyfully played with mud and sand. In this book you'll see how play dough can be used as a learning tool - just a whole lot more fun than worksheets or a computer game!

                                    

http://bit.ly/drjeanPlayDoughPower

WHY?

When children tap and swipe on a device or sit passively gazing at a big screen there is little sensory input in the brain. We know that the only way information can get IN the brain is through the senses. Think about how much more input there is when children touch, see, talk, and hear when they are using play dough.

Small Motor Skills
Pinching, squeezing, rolling, and molding dough is like sending little fingers to the gym. Many children's small muscles are not developed and they struggle to hold a pencil and write. Play dough is a natural way to strengthen those little hands.

Social Skills
All you have to do is put out some play dough for a small group of children and observe. They will learn to share and spontaneously communicate with their friends about what they are making. They'll also challenge their friends to be creative.

Emotional Skills
Play dough is a great release for children who are stressed or have the fidgets. As they manipulate the material they can release pent up energy and calm themselves.

Imagination
So many crafts and things we give children have steps and a "model" for them to reproduce. Play dough is a blank canvas that can be turned into anything! Whatever the child creates is theirs and represents the "process" rather than the "product."


  
 

The Play Dough Song Tune: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” 
(Children make the motions with the play dough as they sing.) 

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze play dough (Children squeeze dough.) 
Feels so good to me. 
Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze play dough 
It’s easy peasy! 


Poke – Poke fingers in the dough. 


Pinch – Pinch off pieces of the dough. 

Roll – Roll the dough into a snake. 


Pat – Pat like a pancake. 

OUTDOOR ART 101

A bucket, a brush, and some water and you'll have one of the best outdoor art experiences ever!!! My kids would spend hours (well, actually minutes) painting playground equipment, trees, the sidewalk, etc. They were very "sincere" about their painting and were totally engaged. The best part was clean up!

Here are a few more art projects that are great to do outside.

Window Painting
Materials: shaving cream (non-menthol)
Directions: Squirt shaving cream on windows and let children fingerpaint. Clean up is easy with a hose.


Bubble Painting
Materials: several bottles of bubbles, food coloring, large sheets of paper, clothes pins
Directions: Clothes pin paper to a fence. Add food coloring to the bottles of bubbles. Children blow the bubbles on the paper and watch them "pop" into designs.




Fly Swatter Painting
Materials: ink pad, paper, paint, paper plates, fly swatter, clothes pins
Directions: First, let children make insects by pressing their index finger on the stamp pad and pressing it on the paper. Attach the paper to the fence. Put a small amount of paint on the paper plate. Children get to dip the fly swatter in the paint and swat at their insects.

P.S. I cut a hand shape out of my fly swatter for this activity.

Nature Prints
Materials: paper, paint, paper plates, paper towels, flat natural objects
Directions: Fold the paper towels and place them on the paper plates. Pour a little paint on the plates. Encourage children to find flat natural objects, such as leaves, flowers, ferns, feathers, etc. Children press the objects in the paint and then press on the paper to make prints.




Wheel Painting
Materials: toy cars, trucks, and other vehicles with wheels, paint, newsprint or large sheets of paper, paper plates
Directions: Put a small amount of paint on the paper plates. Dip the wheels of the vehicles in the paint, and then “drive” them across the paper.

Tissue Fade
Materials: tissue paper, white paper, spray bottles of water, sunny day
Directions: Cut or tear the tissue paper into pieces. Place on the white paper. Spray with water and place in the sun. When dry remove the tissue paper to see your faded design.

RECYCLE ME - PLEASE!

You know all those cardboard food boxes you throw away? Well, here's a great opportunity to give them a second life, teach your children to recycle, and make some cool materials for your classroom. Send a note asking families to save their cardboard food boxes for a week and then let the fun begin!

Cardboard Castle – Let children use masking tape to create a castle or other play sculpture.

What's for Breakfast? Book - Each child chooses the front of their favorite cereal box. They can write original sentences or fill in the blank "(Child's name) likes (cereal)."

Puzzles – Cut box fronts into puzzle shapes. Store in zip bags. For younger children use two like boxes. Cut one up and let them place the pieces on the second box.

Fronts and Backs – Cut front and back panels off of boxes. Mix them up and then ask the children to match up the ones that go together.

*Play a memory game where you place the fronts and backs face down on the floor. Children try to match up pairs.

Stencils and Templates – Cut geometric shapes out of box fronts. Children can trace these with colored pencils, crayons, or markers.
*Cut seasonal shapes or objects that relate to a unit of study for the children to trace.

Sewing Cards – Punch holes around the sides of boxes. Children can sew these with yarn, string, or old shoelaces.

Weaving – Cut notches around the sides of boxes and let children weave through these with yarn.

Fractions – Give each child the front panel off a box. Can you cut it in half? Fourths? Eights?

Math – Have children sort the boxes by product, size, etc. Graph favorite cereals, cookies, crackers, etc.

How about a free song download and flip book about recycling?

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2015/04_Apr_css/index.html


What Will I Be When They Recycle Me?
(Tune: “Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?”)
What will I be when they recycle me? (Roll hands in a circle.)
What will I be when they recycle me?
What will I be when they recycle me?
I’ll come back to life—you will see! (Clap your hands and then point your finger.)

I am an empty soda can (Pretend to hold a soda can in front of you.)
Made of precious aluminum.
I can save lots of energy
If you will recycle me. (Roll hands in a circle.)

I’m an old bottle of plastic (Pretend to hold a plastic bottle.)
But I could be fantastic!
Toys, pipes, car bumpers, and much more—
That’s what my plastic is for. (Roll hands in a circle.)

A pile of used boxes and papers we (Make an invisible square in the air.)
Come from the precious wood of trees.
Recycled we’ll be as good as new (Roll hands in a circle.)
And save some other trees, too.

I am a fine jar made of glass— (Cup hands to make a bowl.)
Please don’t treat me like plain old trash! (Shake head “no.”)
I’ll make new jars again and again
Recycle me—yes you can! (Roll hands in a circle.)

Though we may look like old used stuff, (Open palms.)
Stop, wait! Please don’t give up on us! (Make sign language for “stop.”)
Think of the great possibilities— (Put index finger on your head and tap.)
Recycle us, set us free! (Roll hands in a circle and then throw up hands in the air.)

ENGINEERS

Engineering is the design process used to solve problems and build things. Children are natural engineers as they play with blocks and Legos, create things in art, or build a fort outside with their friends. Here are a few other activities that will give your little “engineers” a job. 

Engineer Planning Book
Write “Engineer Planning Book” on the cover of the notebook. Explain that engineers draw a plan and then try to build their design. Place the book in the block center along with a pencil and encourage children to draw their idea and then try to build it.

Cups and Plates
Little guys to big kids will be challenged to build structures with simple materials like plates and cups.

Lunch Bag City
Buildings and houses from lunch bags are fun to construct and use to create a community, reproduce a scene from a book, or design a city of the future. Take 2 lunch bags and open them up. Fill one with crushed newspaper. Insert the second bag on top and then decorate with markers, construction paper scraps, etc.

MAKE UP YOUR OWN HOLIDAY

You know how much I love all holidays and celebrations, so when my webmaster told me about National MAKE UP YOUR OWN HOLIDAY DAY I wanted to do a blog about it. It was founded by Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays and is celebrated on March 26. That gives you several weeks to plan this creative day with your students.

Note! You might have heard me say that children don’t need the world’s fair because they are happy with plain vanilla. Keep this in mind as you create your own holiday. Something as simple as “sitting where you want” or “chewing sugarless gum” or “singing as you read” can make any day more interesting.

WHY? To break the monotony of school by inventing, naming, and celebrating something that gives your classroom family JOY! It will be a way to build friendships and make memories.

HOW? Let children brainstorm simple things that make them happy. It could be a pet, a game, a food, a song…anything! Vote on a specific concept that will involve the whole class.

WHAT? Think of a name for your holiday. Make banners announcing your holiday. Think of costumes, games, foods or other ways to celebrate.

Here are a few suggestions from CHATGPT, but I bet your class could come up with some that are better and more unique to their age and interests.  (I'd love for you to email your ideas to drjeansongs@gmail.com.)

🎨  Creativity Celebration Day

·       Everyone invents a craft or art project

·       Design your own holiday logo and flag

·       Make up a theme song

 

🍕  Favorite Things Festival

·       Everyone chooses their favorite food, game, movie, or dessert

·       Decorate based on favorite colors

·       Share why you picked your favorites

🌎  Around-the-World Day

Each person “creates” a country:

·       Make a flag

·       Invent traditions

·       Serve a snack from that country

🦸  Superhero Appreciation Day

·       Create your own superhero name and power

·       Design capes

·       Do “hero acts” (kindness challenges)

 

📚 Storybook Holiday

·       Make up a holiday legend

·       Create a special character (like Santa, but unique!)

·       Write and illustrate a short book

🌞  No-Complaints Day

·       Put a coin in a jar for every complaint

·       Celebrate at the end with something fun if you succeed

 

👑  Royalty for a Day

·       Each person gets crowned

·       Make a royal decree

·       Fancy dinner with silly etiquette rules

 

DAY OF UNPLUGGING

NATIONAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING is Friday, March 6, but I'm telling you about this a few weeks early because it's going to take some planning to get "unplugged" for the day.

From sundown to sundown, beginning Friday (March 1), some are putting down their cellphones, shutting off computers, and ignoring the Internet in celebration of the annual National Day of Unplugging.

https://www.nationaldayofunplugging.com/

Check out this free booklet that you can download on the website:

I loved this little cell phone sleeping bag.

There are many things we do in schools that don’t have an impact on children, but I bet if you “unplugged” for one day it would leave a lasting impression. It could also lead to some great learning opportunities. Students could write opinions, do a T-Chart of things to do with a screen and without a screen, graph preferences, make a book about what to do without technology, do a Venn diagram...


Have you read BLACKOUT by John Rocco. It’s a delightful tale about what happens when a family in a big city loses power. I won’t tell you what happens, but I bet you can guess. I was talking to some children recently about the “olden days” before televisions, video games, cell phones, and computers. They were stunned and said, “What did you do?” I smiled and replied, “You know what? We played outside and had lots of fun!”

sos

So, what are you going to do without technology?  Laura Pearson has some great ideas for you!!!

Easy Indoor Activities That Make Learning Fun and Stress-Free

Early childhood educators, childcare teams, and parents of young children all know the same pressure: keeping children entertained at home or in class while managing child energy indoors, short attention spans, and big feelings. Indoor days can turn into a tug-of-war between what kids need and what adults can realistically provide, especially with limited preparation time challenges and shared spaces. The good news is that indoor educational activities don’t have to be complicated to feel purposeful and steady. Expect quick, low-prep ideas that support learning while keeping the room calm.

Understanding Developmentally Appropriate Indoor Play

At the heart of stress-free indoor learning is choosing developmentally appropriate activities that feel like play and still build skills. Think of each activity as a simple blend of three ingredients: sensory engagement, cognitive development, and social-emotional learning, sized to the children in front of you. Many indoor ideas fit naturally into activities done in free time, not working or employed, which makes them easier to sustain.

This balance matters because kids stay regulated longer when their hands, minds, and feelings all have a job. It also helps you meet mixed needs in one room without turning the day into constant behavior management.

For example, a “washing station” can become sorting, counting, and turn-taking practice with calm sensory input. You can keep it safe by using lukewarm water and remembering water too hot more than 120-degrees Fahrenheit is a burn risk. With that lens, a ready-to-use menu of low-material indoor activities becomes easy to choose.

Try 15 Indoor Activities Across STEM, Literacy, Art, Movement, SEL

When indoor time stretches long, it helps to have a simple “menu” that balances bodies, brains, and feelings. Use the ideas below like building blocks, choose what fits your group’s age, attention span, and sensory needs.

1. Run a 3-Station “Pick 1” Menu (STEM–Literacy–Calm): Set out three bins: a quick STEM challenge, a literacy game, and a calming SEL choice. Children pick one station for 8–10 minutes, then rotate, or stay if they’re deeply engaged. This supports developmentally appropriate play by offering both active and quiet options without forcing everyone into the same task.
2. Try a Paper-Only STEM Challenge (Build–Test–Talk): Give each child 10 sheets of paper and tape (or no tape) and ask: “Can you build the tallest tower that stands for 10 seconds?” Add a second round where they redesign after a “wind test” (fan or gentle hand wave). The magic is in the quick cycle of predicting, testing, and explaining what changed.
3. Play a 5-Minute Literacy Game You Can Reset Fast: Keep it simple: write 6–10 letters on sticky notes and hide them around the room for a “letter hunt,” or put picture cards in a bag for “Mystery Object” storytelling. For older preschoolers, sort items by beginning sound and make a silly sentence together. Short, repeatable games reduce frustration and keep literacy joyful, especially when attention spans are still growing.
4. Create an Art “Prompt + Limits” Invitation: Offer one prompt and two boundaries, such as “Make a creature that lives in the snow” using “only circles and lines” with “three colors.” Limits actually help many children feel safer and more creative because the choices aren’t overwhelming. Finish with a 30-second “gallery walk” where children practice noticing details and giving kind feedback.
5. Use Movement Bursts That Count as Real Activity: Set a timer for 4 minutes and lead a “Move Like…” circuit: hop like a frog, tiptoe like a cat, push like a bulldozer, stretch like a star. Rotate through 3 bursts with a 1-minute water break to support regulation and stamina. The American Heart Association recommends 60 minutes of daily physical activity, and these mini-bursts help you build that habit indoors.
6. Practice SEL With “Feelings Tools” Children Can Touch: Teach one coping strategy at a time using concrete cues: a “breathing star” traced with a finger, a calm-down jar, or a feelings chart paired with sentence starters like “I feel ___ because ___.” Reinforce it during play: “Show me your breathing star before we take turns.” This keeps SEL developmentally appropriate, skills are practiced in the moment, not only talked about.
7. Combine It All With a Theme Day (One Topic, Many Angles): Pick one simple theme (bugs, weather, community helpers) and plan one activity from each area: STEM (sink/float “rain”), literacy (theme word wall), art (collage), movement (bug yoga), SEL (kindness to living things). Themes cut planning time and help children connect ideas across domains. A small set of themes can carry you through weeks without starting from scratch.

Habits That Keep Indoor Learning Light and Consistent

Try these repeatable rhythms to keep it simple.

Habits reduce decision fatigue and help children know what to expect, so learning feels safe, playful, and doable. When you repeat a few small practices, your indoor options stay engaging without constant reinvention.

Post-the-Week Plan

●      What it is: Choose one theme and list three quick activity options on a clipboard.

●      How often: Weekly

●      Why it helps: Clear choices increase engagement and reduce your planning fatigue.

Run a Mini Rotation

●      What it is: Set up three spots based on a series of stations children move through.

●      How often: 2 to 4 times weekly

●      Why it helps: Predictable flow supports independence and smoother transitions.

Keep a Two-Minute Prep Basket

●      What it is: Refill one basket with paper, crayons, tape, and a few counters.

●      How often: Daily

●      Why it helps: Ready materials make it easier to start before energy spikes.

Close With a One-Sentence Reflection

●      What it is: Note one win and one tweak after indoor play ends.

●      How often: Daily

●      Why it helps: Tiny reflections improve next time without extra meetings.

Teach One Calm Cue

●      What it is: Practice a simple breath or hand signal before transitions.

●      How often: Daily

●      Why it helps: Consistent routines strengthen regulation and learning readiness.

Pick one habit this week, then adapt it to your group’s needs.

Quick Answers for Stress-Free Indoor Learning

When questions pop up, these quick fixes keep play moving.

Q: What are some simple indoor activities that keep children both entertained and mentally engaged?
A: Try low-prep “brain and hands” tasks like pattern copying with blocks, scavenger hunts by sound or color, and story retells with puppets. Keep options short and repeatable, then add one small twist, like a new rule or challenge card. This supports focus because attention span grows when children can succeed in manageable chunks.

Q: How can I create a structured routine with indoor activities to reduce my child’s restlessness?
A: Use a predictable sequence such as move, make, then share, with a visual schedule children can point to. Set a timer for brief blocks and build in a purposeful movement reset between tasks. Offer two choices per block to keep structure without power struggles.

Q: How can sponsors help provide resources or kits to make indoor activities easier for busy parents?
A: Resource support can simplify prep by providing ready-to-use materials that still allow open-ended play. Ask for kits that include adaptable prompts, extra consumables, and directions that work across ages and abilities; for example, an art pack might pair paper tools with simple creative prompts or optional digital inspiration like an AI painting generatorthat helps families brainstorm themes before making something hands-on. For screen balance, remember many children get significant screen exposure each day, so hands-on kits can make offline time easier to choose.

Q: What are effective ways to use common household items for fun educational projects with kids?
A: Turn paper, tape, and recycled boxes into “design challenges” like building a bridge for a toy or making a mail center for name writing. Use bottle caps or socks for sorting, counting, and patterning, then ask children to explain their thinking. Keep a small prompt bank of challenge starters so you are never inventing from scratch.

Q: How can relaxation and mindfulness exercises be incorporated into a child’s indoor playtime?
A: Add a one-minute “reset” before transitions, such as belly breathing with a stuffed animal or finger tracing a slow square. Pair it with a calm cue like dimming lights or a soft chime so children learn what calm feels like. Place a calm corner choice card nearby so the strategy stays available without feeling like a consequence.

Keep it light, keep it flexible, and celebrate small wins you can repeat tomorrow.

Choose Three Indoor Activities and Keep Learning Playfully Consistent

When indoor days feel long, it’s easy for learning time to turn into pressure, cleanup stress, or screen-time debates. The steadier path is a mix of mixed learning activities guided by beginner-friendly teaching methods and supported by flexible indoor routines, where adapting activities for children is expected, not a setback. With that mindset, motivation for educational play grows because the plan stays doable, and small wins show up more often than struggles. Keep the routine flexible, and the learning will follow. Choose three activities this week, one creative, one movement-based, and one quiet, and adjust the materials, prompts, or time to fit your group. That consistency builds calm, confidence, and connection that carries into every day.