Transition Tuesday

Movement Tip

Got the jitterbugs? You know, they’re those invisible organisms that sometimes cover youngsters and provide lots of wiggly energy! Expel these pesky creatures from your classroom with this dramatic performance. Ask your little ones to stand up and shake those jitterbugs off. While the children are shaking (and giggling), open up a trash bag and weave amongst them as you pretend to collect the bugs. Trap air inside the bag and knot it closed. Shake the bag as you carry those wiggly jitterbugs out of the room.

Taken from Mailbox Magazine

Transition Tuesday

Caterpillar Transition Game

When it is time to transition children away from group time to a different activity it is always good to have a transition game. This allows the children to move more slowly to the next activity with less confusion.

Make a large caterpillar with different color circles and black legs. Place the caterpillar on the whiteboard, flannelboard, or on the floor. On the back of each caterpillar body part (circle) is a different action movement for the children to do.

As the children are called to play the game they come up and roll a large cardboard box dice (the dice are made from a 6 x 6 mailing box) with color dots to match all of the colors on the caterpillar. Each child comes up, rolls the dice, identifies the color, and then finds that color on the caterpillar. Once the child finds the color, the teacher reads the movement that child needs to do before moving on to the next activity.

To make things run smoothly you could have 2 - 3 dice going at the same time. One adult runs the game and the other adult makes sure that the children are following the plan.

Taken from Teaching & Learning with Preschoolers

Workshop Wednesday

Jump Froggie Jump

(Small Group)

Materials: blue butcher paper; colored frogs (bean bag or plastic); and dice or spinner with colors

Directions: Make a game board out of blue butcher paper.  Make a square grid on the paper.  Mark one end Start and the other Finish line.  Place a set of colored frogs on the start line along with a colored dice (made from a mailing box 6 X 6).  Have children take turns rolling the dice.  As each child rolls the dice they identify that color and then find the frog that matches that color and moves the frog one square ahead.  See if they can predict which frog will win. 

Extension: Add a number dice. Children roll both the color and number. Add paper and make a chart illustrating the children's predictions.

Taken from Learning & Teaching Preschool

Make & Take Monday

Extra Large Tablecloth Floor Mats

Materials:

• Felt-backed tablecloth or shower curtain liner (rectangle shape)
• Permanent Marker
• Yardstick (optional)

Directions:

1) Lay the tablecloth on the floor. Smooth out all of the wrinkles.

2) Decide how many squares you want and plan where you are going to draw your lines.

3) Trace your lines on the fold lines or use a yardstick to help keep lines straight.

4) Write the alphabet, one letter per square (in alphabetical order or mixed up).

5) If you have extra squares you could write numbers or other target skills.

6) Play!!

Variations for play:

• Beanbag Toss--toss a beanbag and say the letter name or sounds
• Look & Find--I told my son to find letters and stand on them.
• Move & Spell--Have your older tot spell three-letter words or names.
• ABC Match-Up--Match foam letters or other letter manipulative to the correct letter square
• Simon Says--"Simon says...jump on letter B two times."
• "Whack-A-Letter"--Give your tot a clean fly swatter to let them take a "whack" at letters you call out.

Variations for Tablecloth Mats:

• Numbers
• Shapes
• Sight Words
• Counting Routines (count by 2's, 5's, 10's)
• Computer Keyboard
• Anything!