Why Questions

I made these cards trying to encourage preschoolers to answer "why" questions. I was inspired after visiting Why Monkey at www.scribd.com/doc/50476103/WhyMonkeyWhy

I had used her What Monkey book when introducing What questions.

After I ask a few why questions I feel like I'm Cee Lo Green singing "Forget You" -- "Uh! Whyyy? Uh! Whyyy? Uh! Whyyy lady? Oh! I love you!! Oh! I still love you!! Oooh..........!" I don't think that would help the preschoolers answering why questions.

Visuals in the Playroom

I was working on making visuals to help out some of my children follow what I expect of them. I was at home, so I used my photoshop program rather using boardmaker. I thought I would share them incase there were others trying to find some resources for their playroom. Anyone else use visuals in the playroom. They are helpful for all children. It helps us communicate visually and make the connection easier.

Color Matching Cards

I have a few hobbies. Although I work in the Early Childhood Education Field, I also have a passion for photography and designing. With those loves I made a matching game on Artscow that can be customized by the purchaser to include colourful objects of interest to their child. Take a look. All you have to do is click on make one like this and the template will be there waiting for your own pictures. I made it with two of each of the pictures so it could be used as a matching game. However, it could be all individual pictures. Colourful Matching Cards

Introducing Playdough

When Young Children start childcare it may be there first experience with playdough.
Although it may seem natural to know what to do with playdough. For some children they need some explanation.

Sitting with a child and showing them how to roll, make a ball, use the cookie cutters etc. will help them engage in this activity with proper expectations.

Here is a song to make it fun too.

(Tune Mary Had a Little Lamb)

Watch me while I roll my playdough
rolly my playdough, roll my playdough
Watch me while I roll my playdough
into a big ball.

Watch me while I pound my playdough,
pound my playdough, pound my playdough
Watch me while I pound my playdough
To make it oh, so flat

Watch me while I poke my play dough.
Poke my playdough, poke my playdough
Watch me while I poke my playdough
with lots of little holes.

Watch me while I stretch my playdough
Stretch my playdough, stretch my playdough
Watch me while I stretch my plaough
until it falls apart.

You can add other verses depending on the equipment available at the playdough centre.

Including

Watch me while I cut my playdough
cut my playdough, cut my playdough
watch me while I cut my playdough
Into the shape of a "duck" (whatever cookie cutter there is)

Watch me while I roll my playdough
roll my playdough, roll my playdough
Watch me while I roll my playdough
into a big long snake

Here is a link to a website with a playdough recipe
playdough recipe
Another link to the scholastic website for other ideas to introduce with playdough play
scholastic

Bubbles

Popping Bubbles (Allouette)

Popping bubbles, I like popping bubbles
Popping bubbles, its so fun for me.

Can you pop them on your knee?
Can you pop them on your knee?
On your knee, on your knee
Ohhhhhh

Popping bubbles, I like popping bubbles
Popping bubbles, fun for you and me

Great summer song for teaching body awareness, and vocabulary for body parts.

Great for kids to challenge their gross motor skills by trying to pop a bubble with their toe etc...

Feelings

My goal is for the preschoolers to how they feel when asked.

To ensure all the kids are able recognize and label the feelings. We are starting with singing "If You are Happy and You Know It" I have made visuals to accompany the song.

If You are Happy and You Know It

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)

If you're sad and you know it, cry boo hoo (rub eyes)
If you're sad and you know it, cry boo hoo (rub eyes)
If you're sad and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're sad and you know it, cry boo hoo (rub eyes)

If you're angry and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp, stomp)
If you're angry and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp, stomp)
If you're angry and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're angry and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp, stomp)

When the children are successful with this song than I'm going to add

Hello Song to the tune (Goodnight Ladies)

Hello Susan, Hello Susan
Hellos Susan
and How are you today.

Using the same visual props from the previous song the children will pick on to represent how they feel.


Feeling Link from kizclub.com

http://www.kizclub.com/Topics/myself/feeling.pdf

Easter and Spring Songs

Robbie the Rabbit

Robbie the Rabbit
fat, fat, fat
His little paws go
pat, pat, pat
His little ears go
flop, flop, flop
When he runs he goes
hop, hop, hop

I used a rabbit puppet. Introduce rhyming.


A Little Drop of Rain
(She will be coming around the mountain - softer)

A Little Drop of Rain Hits the Ground
(tap, tap)
Another drop of rain hits the ground
(tap, tap)
Than another and another and another and another
than they make
a different sound
(Splash)

Ice Decorations - Science Experiment

Ice Decorations

I'm sure I heard of this idea through a tweet on my twitter account, I'm pretty sure it came from @redtedart. Here is the link to the @redtedart's idea. I used the bottom of some milk containers filled them with some water. Let the kids at sparkles, ribbons. I added a long ribbon, making a loop for hanging. We talked about what is going to happen when we take these outside. The kids wanted to say the water was going to melt. Therefore we added freezing to their vocabulary. I'm hoping to get a picture of them hanging from the fence or trees in their frozen state asap.

Winter Sensory Bin

The children enjoyed buckets of snow in the sensory bin. Unfortunately by mid week all the snow has turned to ice.. We will have to wait for a new snow fall to try it again.

The Snowy Day By Ezra Jack Keats

To Create a Snowy Day for Peter to play in the children painted with a string tied to a popsicle stick. The following day the children glued a boy and his outdoor clothes for some fun snow time.