{Bubbles} Preschool Unit...

Bubbles and bubble gum are things that make me think of summer.  They remind me of being outside and enjoying the carefree time summer brings.  Here are a few preschool ideas I gathered to do on those summer days when your little one need a fun activity! 

Bubble gum listening page – Print the bubble gum page and then follow these instructions.  Tell your child they will have to listen for the instructions you give.  Color 3 gumballs red, color 4 gumballs blue, color 3 gumballs yellow, color 3 gumballs green, color 2 gumballs orange, color 2 gumballs purple, count how many are left, color them any color you choose.

image from Kid Activities with Alexa

Circle painting – Cut a couple toilet paper tubes in half.  Kids can dip the tube in paint and stamp it on paper to create circles or bubbles!

Bubble gum, Bubble gum – This is a fun rhyme and different way to practice counting.  You’ll just need some blocks, or pom poms in a bowl to represent the bubble gum.  Then lead your child in the chant shown in the link, roll a dice or show them a number and they count that many pieces of “bubble gum”.

Shape matching – Print the bubble game shape matching activity.  Cut out the shapes along the bottom and then have your child match the shape to the correct bubble gum machine.

Rainbow bubble foam – If you want to be adventurous, get out your bubble bath and hand mixer for this fun activity!

Blow bubbles – Get outside and blow bubbles for your child to pop.  At school they always go crazy over chasing the bubbles and popping them!  If you don’t have any bubbles, try making your own!  You can also make a wand out of pipe cleaners!

Bubble number identification - Grab some chalk and get outside!  Draw some good sized circles on the sidewalk or driveway and put a number inside each one.  Have your kids jump inside the bubbles, shouting out the number as they jump!  You can also have your kids practice drawing circles with the chalk!  

And of course, some songs and books...

Icky Sticky Bubble Gum

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler

Bubble Factory by Tomi DePaola

Summer Schedule

This is the last week of school for my daughter.  She is in 6th grade and can pretty much take care of her school work all on her own.  She has been really good at getting online and making herself a checklist of what she needs to accomplish each day.  I just check in to make sure she gets to her zooms on time and has everything completed.

It has been so good to have a "schedule" of sorts to get school done at home.  I was so glad when she came up with the idea of a summer schedule!  She created this all on her own and I was so proud!  I just helped her laminate the sheet after she created it.  This way she can use a dry erase marker and check off the items once she's completed them each day.  

She is taking a couple honors classes next year that will have summer work, so that is the math and ELA on the chart.  Then she also needs to practice piano and read every day.  The "jar" idea was also hers.  Basically like an "I'm bored" jar.  

She cut a bunch of strips of paper and wrote ideas of things to do each day.  Some examples of items on her papers were...

Bake

Scrapbook

Write a chapter

Diamond art

Recorder

Make bracelets

Spiral graph

Make slime

Draw & Color

Sew

Make a painting

She has multiples of each one, with enough strips for one each day of summer.  

I'm really proud of her for coming up with this.  I think having a plan each day will help the summer go more smoothly.  I love having a schedule and not having to come up with something everyday or worry about wasting time on electronics all day!  This is especially helpful this year with not being able to get out like usual.  Do you have a summer plan yet?  Get your child involved and see what ideas they might have!

{Superhero} Preschool Unit...

Last week was our last week of preschool.  Our topic was SUPERHEROES!  Here are a few ideas from our unit that your kiddo might enjoy.  These are great if you need some activities to keep them busy and learning!  I hope you have a SUPER start to your summer!

Remember that God’s Love is Super!   1 John 4:12: No one has ever seen GOD;  but if we LOVE one another, GOD lives in us and his LOVE is made complete in us.

Shield painting – Print this super hero shield.  Use a white crayon and write “God’s Love is Super” inside the shield.  Then let your child use watercolor paints to fill in the shield.  The secret message in white crayon will resist the paint and reveal the wonderful message!

Super Hero - Print this coloring page.  There is a girl and boy, print the one that is appropriate for your child.  Then have them color it how they would look as a super hero.  When they are done, ask them “what their super power would be” and fill it in on the line provided. 

Build a city – Use any kind of blocks you have to build a city.  Then grab some super hero figures or any kind of figures and have them guard and protect the city. 

Super Hero Counting - Print this page of numbers and the super hero count pages.  Have your child cut out the numbers.  Then count the super heroes and find the number that matches.  Glue the matching number in the box beside the super hero.   Have them do the first super hero page, then the second if they need more of a challenge.

Make a mask – Print out the page and have your child decorate the mask they like best.  They could use crayons, markers, stickers, etc.  Then help them cut it out.  They should be able to cut around the outside, you cut out the holes for their eyes.  Then punch holes to add string for tying it on. 

image from The Show Me Librarian

Super Hero cuffs – Give your child a toilet paper tube.  Let them decorate it with markers or paint but you’ll have to wait for it to dry.  Then cut the tube in half, creating two pieces of tube.  Then cut a slit up one side of the tube, creating a cuff the child can open and get around their wrists. 

Pretend to be a super hero – Use your mask and cuffs to pretend to be a super hero.  If you have a cape, put that on too.  Or make one with a blanket or towel. 

Super Hero training - Set up a wall of boxes to run and knock down. Blow bubbles with your super breath.  Toss some paper wads or small items into the yard or on the floor and have your little hero pick them up with tongs and put them in a bucket or box-- that's getting rid of the meteorite chunks that could weaken our hero.  Don't forget to practice flying and super spins while you're at it!

Books…

How to Be a SuperHero by Sue Fliess

Super Duck by Jez Alborough

SUPERTRUCK by Stephen Savage

Songs…

God’s Love is So Wonderful

Let’s Be Superheroes

{Summer Fun} Preschool Unit...

Can you believe that summer is almost here?!  We are going to do some fun activities to get us ready for summer!   I'd love to hear what you love to do in the summer.  I love to travel and spend lots of time with family!

Bible Story – This week we are talking about Joshua and the wall of Jericho.  In the Google doc you will find a coloring page, bible story, discussion questions, building activity and a game!  Here is a video of the bible story you can watch with your kiddos.  Also, there is a Veggie Tale episode of Joshua that is longer if you are interested!

Picnic plate – Give your child a white paper plate or cut a large circle out of white paper if you don’t have any paper plates.  Then guide them to draw a picnic lunch on the plate.  Draw an apple (red circle, with a line stem), sandwich (brown square) and baby carrots (orange ovals or triangles). 

Block letter initial – Draw or print a large block letter of your child’s first name.  Then have your child fill it in.  They can color it in with markers, crayons, dot markers, watercolor OR use stickers, rip and glue paper, etc.

Color sort – If you have play food, let your child sort it by color.  If you don’t have play food, you can use blocks, cars, buttons, lids, etc.  Draw 6 circles on the rainbow colors of paper (or however many different colored items you have for sorting) and have your child cut them out.  Then have them sort the colorful items you gathered onto the matching color circle.

 

Have a picnic – Make a special lunch or dinner and have a picnic with your family.  Take a blanket outside if it’s nice or have it inside!  My daughter always thought it was fun when I made a food board and had a picnic in the house!

Donut – Let’s make a donut!  Print this donut template.  Then fold in half, directly in the middle of the donut.  This will make it easy for your child to cut it, inside and out.  Then open the donut and have your child color it.  You can also have them paint on some icing, even glue on sprinkles (real or paper).  You can adapt it to the supplies you have and what you want your child to use.   

image from Pinterest

Which Has More? – Print this activity and cut apart.  Then have your child count the sprinkles on each set of 2 donuts.  Have them tell you which one has more sprinkles.  They can even clip a clothespin on the one that has more or just point to it. 

Donut matching – This is a game on abcya.com where the child is asked to pick which donuts are the same or which ones are different. 

Fine motor – Thread fruit loops or other holed cereal onto spaghetti stuck into play dough.

Shape search – Print the worksheet and have your kids find all the triangles in the beach picture, coloring each one.

What to wear? – Print the worksheet and have your child circle the items they would wear on a trip to the beach.  (If you slide the paper in a gallon Ziploc bag or page protector they can use a dry erase marker.  Then they can do this activity multiple times, even changing to what you would pack for a winter trip.)

Coloring pages – Chose as many of these coloring pages as you’d like.  You can use different mediums if you choose to do them all.  Use crayons on one, watercolor one, use markers on one, etc.  Page 1…Swimming fun, page 2…BBQ grilling, page 3…Dog in the pool, page 4…beach volleyball

Sidewalk chalk – This website has so many fun ideas from chalk ice cubes to foam paint to spray paint!

Ice cube transfer – You just need two containers, ice, water and a large spoon!  Kids have so much fun, scooping the ice cubes and transferring them to the water and back. 

Fizzy Rainbow Science – If you have baking soda and vinegar you can do this activity.    Give your kids a tray of baking soda and let them explore it first, smell it, touch it, draw shapes in it.  Then let them drop the vinegar/color mixture in and see what happens!  Using a medicine dropper is great fine motor activity.

image from Play to Learn Preschool

Flip flop balloon pop - We have done something similar before where you blow up a balloon and have your child try to keep it in the air.  This time I want them to hold a flip flop and keep the balloon bouncing up in the air.  

Books…

We’re Going on a Picnic! By Pat Hutchins

If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff

Please Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner

Songs…

Five Hungry Ants

Boom Chicka Boom Summer Dance Song

Jesus Loves the Little Ones

{Ocean} Preschool Unit...

Hello again!  I would rather be in school but under the circumstances I do enjoy putting together these virtual packets for my preschoolers!  Enjoy some ocean activities along with us!

Ask your child if they know how to swim. Spend some time talking about fun that you have had in the water. Can anyone float? How do you float? Can anyone float on your back? Stomach? Knees? Can anyone float in the water standing up? Of course not! But someone in today’s bible story could stand up and walk on top of the water.  Let’s find out more…

Bible Story – Jesus Walks on the Water color page and story.  This story reminds us that we need to trust Jesus in everything that we do!

Sink/Float experiment – This simple experiment will encourage your child to make predictions and observations about whether certain items will sink or float.  You can fill up the sink with water, do it while taking a bath, fill up a plastic shoe box, pot or even a cup!  Suggested items to use… SINK: metal utensils, coins, stones, toy car, keys, marbles.  FLOAT: Duplo/Lego, popsicle stick, corks, foam shapes, crayon, rubber ball, bathtub toys.  After you have gathered your items and filled up your water source, have your child guess whether each item will sink or float before placing it in the water.

image from Happy Hooligans

Ocean animals – Print this ocean animal worksheet.  Have your child cut apart the numbers along the bottom of the page.  Then have them count the items in each line. 

Trace circles – Draw some circles in pencil on a piece of paper and have your kiddos use a marker or crayon and trace the circles.  This is good prewriting practice. 

Jellyfish craft – This is one of our favorites to do in class!  You will need an empty fruit cup or applesauce container and something for the tentacles.  You can use laminating sheets, page protector sheets, wax paper, tissue paper, bubble wrap, construction paper, etc.  Draw lines on whatever you are using for the tentacles.  Have your child cut the strips.  We use two different types or material so we can create a pattern.  Then help your child tape the tentacles inside the fruit cup, making a pattern as you go.  NOTE…At school we observe that a jellyfish is a kind of animal that doesn’t have a face.  It uses its tentacles to find food and its mouth is under its body.  Here is a video of a jellyfish moving – it’s really beautiful!

If you don’t have any fruit cups to use, try it with half a paper plate.  Tape the tentacles to the back in a pattern.  They can even paint the plate if they want. 

Count & Clip – Here is another count and clip activity to use with clothespins.  Just print the free activity, cut apart and have your child count the ocean animals. 

Ocean Foil Painting – Attach of piece of aluminum foil to some cardboard or poster board.  Then let your child finger paint with blue to create the ocean.  Draw some circles and triangles on construction paper and let your child cut them out.  Then they can glue together to make fish for their ocean.  Put a circle and some paper strips together for a jellyfish.  If you have ocean stickers you can add those too!

image from News With Naylors

Crab Shape Match – Print the crabs with shapes and cut out the shapes at the bottom.  Then have your child match the shapes.  If they want to color the crabs first, go for it!

Counting Fish – Sometimes it is good to have some technology time.  Here is a fun counting game on ABCya.com.  They will have to count the fish and click on the correct number. 

Color by Number – Beach balls always make me think of going to the beach and the ocean.  This is a fun color by number beach ball that will help your kiddos with coloring in the lines and number matching! 

Sand writing – If you have sand to use, that is amazing.  But salt, flour or sugar work great too!  Just put enough to cover the bottom of a tray or plate.  Then have your child use their finger to write in the sand.  They could draw shapes, numbers, letters, whatever they like.  If they have a sensory issue and don’t want to touch the “sand”, have them draw with an unsharpened pencil or pen with the lid on.

Play dough – Use play dough to create ocean animals.  See if you can make a jellyfish, sea turtle, or crab.

image from Our Best Bites

Make your own play dough – If you are in need of some new play dough, why not try out this recipe using only corn starch and conditioner! 

Action game – If you have a beach ball, write actions on each different section.  Then have your kids throw it and whatever side lands up, do that action.  (walk like a crab, swim like a fish, jump up and down, twirl around, hop on one foot, etc)  If you don’t have a beach ball, just make some action cards.  Have your child draw one, then do that action.

Ball pop - Use a beach ball or blow up a balloon and hit it in the air, try to keep it from hitting the floor. 

Book Ideas…

Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick

Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan and Mark Astrella

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae

Fun Songs…

Down in the Deep Blue Sea

A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea

Let’s Go Swimming by Laurie Berkner Band

{Community Helpers} Preschool Unit...

I'm back with another preschool packet...this time we are focusing on Community Helpers!

This is a favorite quote from Mr. Rogers: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”  This is so fitting for the time that we are currently facing.

A community helper is a person who lives and works in our community. They serve us in various ways to keep us safe, and they improve the way we live in many ways.  Community helpers include doctors, nurses, police, construction workers, dentists, librarians, grocery store workers, teachers, mail carriers, fire fighters, bus drivers, farmers, and soldiers.  Can you think of any other people who help out in your community?

Discuss - Talk about these different jobs with your child. Your child can learn a lot from community helpers!  Ask questions like “What does he /she do?”  “Where does he/she work?”  “Who else works there?”

Talk about what your child wants to be when they grow up.

Bible Story – This week we are talking about Jesus as a helper.  The coloring page, story and bible verse is available for you to print.  There is also a carpenter chant you can do with your also!

Sing - This is a good way to get the kids up and moving.  Have them make up dance moves to the songs.  

The Wise Man Built His House

I Got a Job – by Ella Jenkins

Dress Up - Play dress up and act out community helpers’ jobs.

Mailbox Match – Create mailboxes using empty shoe boxes, cereal/snack boxes or even just paper. Place a shape or number on the “mailboxes”. Next get several envelopes, note cards or smaller pieces of paper and write the corresponding number or shape on the mail. Put the “mailboxes” around the room. Have your child “deliver the mail”, matching the mail with the corresponding mailbox.

image from Pocket of Preschool

Build a city - Use any kind of blocks or legos to build. Add emergency vehicles to your town and have imaginary play.

Play Dough Construction – Use Wooden craft sticks with play dough to construct houses and other buildings.

Block Game – Have your child roll a die and count out that amount of blocks from a pile. As they take the blocks from the pile, they stack them into a tower. Roll again with a new number, stack blocks and see which tower is taller.  (If you don’t have dice, just make simple number cards)

image from modern preschool

Count and Clip – Print these counting cards, cut apart and gather some clothespins.  Have your child count the vehicles and clip the clothespin on the number that matches.  We usually focus on 1-6 at school but if your child is ready feel free to print the higher numbers also!

Sorting Game – Which items go with which community helper?  Print the sorting board and pieces, have child cut apart the pieces.  Then they can sort them under which helper they go with.

Band aid project – Print the teddy bear picture.  Have your child color the teddy bear.  Then give your child a few band aids with instructions to place them on the bear’s ouchies.  Then have them tell you how the teddy bear got hurt. 

Make a stethoscope – Use supplies you can find around the house to make a stethoscope and then your child can play doctor!  Suggested supplies…chenille stems(pipe cleaners), paper, aluminum foil, milk/soda lids, string, ribbon, straws.

Community Helper Hunt – Search for the community helpers in the picture and color them when you find them.

911 activity – Write 911 in large numbers on a sheet of paper. Have kids crumple and glue little scraps of paper to cover the numbers.  Talk with your child about using the 911 line in an emergency.

Send some mail!  - Send a thank you card/picture to the local emergency workers or your child’s doctor office.  Draw pictures to drop off at the local nursing home.  Send a picture to a friend or family member.

recipe from Milk Allergy Mom

Snack idea - Tell the children that one important job in our community is that of Baker. Talk about some of the important and tasty foods a baker makes. Then enjoy some freshly-baked muffins that you make together!  You might even like to sing a song about the muffin man while you eat your treats!

Recess - Use sidewalk chalk to draw flames on the sidewalk and use a spray bottle or the hose to “put them out.”

If you are itching to get out of the house, go for a driving scavenger hunt.  Drive by and show your child the different places our community helpers work…Police Station, Fire Station, County Market, Post Office, Doctors Office/Clinic, School, Church/Preschool, Library, etc.

On a rainy day get some big muscle workout with an indoor obstacle course.  I saw one marked out with painters tape with spots to jump and spin, crawling under chairs, jumping to sofa cushions, and other fun things.  I’m sure you could google or Youtube ideas if you need more!

Books to Read/Listen to…

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook

When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic

ABC’s of What I Can Be by Caitlin McDonagh

Search for books about your child’s favorite community helper.         

Video - The Berenstain Bears – Go to the Doctor 

I hope you find these ideas I've compiled helpful.  I'm just trying to help you fill your days with fun and learning!  Stay home and stay safe!

{SPRING} Preschool Unit...

I know these times are uncertain and quite overwhelming…especially with the kiddos being home ALL THE TIME!  I have put together a virtual preschool packet for my preschool kiddos.  These are things that we would have done in class, or something similar.  If you have preschoolers at home that need something to keep them busy feel free to learn along with us!

We are talking about SPRING this week!

Q-painting – Here is a google doc of a spring scene for your kiddos to paint.  Get out some q-tips and some paints and let your kiddos fill in the picture. 

Make a flower – There are so many different ways to create a flower.  Here is a great link with several different varieties depending on what supplies you have on hand.

Pretend play – Flower shop…If you have some silk flowers you don’t mind your child playing with, give them some and a jar/vase.  Let them arrange the flowers and then deliver them to you.  You could also pick up small sticks from the yard and let them add those to the arrangements. 

Grouchy ladybug – Cut a paper plate in half and have your child paint it red.  You could also draw a similar sized half circle on red paper and have them cut that out.  Then draw a smaller circle for the head on black paper.  Have them cut that out.  Use a round object (wine cork, bottle cap, sponge dauber, milk lid) to stamp black spots on red half circle.  Have your child use a white crayon to add a grouchy or happy mouth to the face, draw eyes or use google eyes if you have them.  Add legs if you wish.  Use the link as a guide.

Number recognition – Print the butterfly out and let your child find certain numbers.  You say find the 3 and they put a sticker on it or circle it with a marker.  Once they find all the 3’s, switch to another number until you have found them all.  If you can’t print the butterfly, just have them point to the numbers when it’s pulled up on your phone or computer.

Trace and count – Have your kids trace the lines from the caterpillar to the fruit.  Then have them name the fruit and count how many of each one there are.

Counting – If you still have fresh fruit at home, get it out and let your child sort it by type and count it.  If you have fruit cups or cans, they can count and sort those too!

Playdoh – roll the playdoh into caterpillars, worms, snakes, etc.  Usually if you show them how a few times they will catch on if they don’t already know how.  You can also give them a plastic knife and have them cut their caterpillars into pieces after they roll them.

Caterpillars – use pipe cleaners and pony beads.  Make a small loop at one end of the pipe cleaner to be the head.  Then let the kids string on beads to make a caterpillar.  Have them make a pattern.  Count the beads they add on. 

Sensory bin – Be creative here use what you have….my spring sensory box at school would contain:  dry black beans, plastic bugs, flowers (silk, beads, erasers, foam, cut from construction paper), spoons/scoops and mini flower pots (any kind of bowl or container will do) Check out more spring sensory bin ideas here.

Bible Story - This week we are talking about Zacchaeus from Luke 19:1-10.  I have created a google doc with the bible story, coloring page and a rhyme with hand motions you can do with your child.  I am also linking a video with a song you can play for your child, “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man”

Memory verse – This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24  Here is a song to sing that goes along with it!

Story time – If you have any of these stories or other spring related books, feel free to read them to your child.  If not, I’ve linked some videos with the stories being told.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

10 Magic Butterflies by Danica McKellar

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

The Bad Seed by Jory John and Pete Oswald

Recess – Take a nature walk.  I like to wrap a piece of tape, sticky side out, loosely around the child’s wrist.  Then take a walk and find things to stick to your bracelet.  We’ve picked up blades of grass, clovers, tiny rocks, leaves, dandelions, flower petals, etc….whatever you can find!

Also, try out this fun outdoor scavenger hunt!

Feel free to pick and choose which activities you like or use them all!  I'd love to know if you found the items I gathered together helpful.  Best of luck to everyone taking on the new roll of teacher!