Great Ideas for Preschool Teachers
Teach sorting by separating the crayons into different containers like shown.
Discovery Bottles
Ask Parents to donate empty "Gummy Vitamin Bottles" to create discovery bottles! The children cannot open them because the are child proof!
Found these at my local Dollar Tree. I use them to motivate the children. If a cone is placed in front of them or at their table they receive a special treat!
Post Office
Create a Post Office using small cardboard boxes taped together and place near the writing center for the children to mail letters to their friends!
Land of the Dinosaurs!!
Why not create a world of dinosaurs in your room! Use an overhead projector to create larger than life Dinosaurs all over your room!! Rawrrrrr!!
We gave the kids empty water bottles, foam, glue etc and let them create! The inside of the bottle is tempera paint, just pour in and shake (be sure to tighten lid).
Small Motor Bins
Craft scissors and paper
Straws and scissors
Play doh extruders and play doh.
Sorting
Paint paper towel rolls various colors and pick up different colored baskets from your local Dollar Tree!
Organize your library with containers!
Theraputty with pony beads. Children remove all the beads. Recipe under art recipes (cooking tab)
Nuts and bolts purchased from amazon
Cut out lily pads from poster board and laminate. Child rolls dice and uses tweezers to place number of frogs on lily pad.
Mini red solo cups and pom poms. Write numbers on side of cups and child uses tweezers to place that many pom poms in the cup.
Turkey basters and pom poms. Child uses turkey baster to blow the pom pom across the table.
Laminate numbers on card stock and punch a hole on left and right top sides. Child connects numbers in order or they can just link them together without cards.
Mini muffin match up develops sorting skills, color recognition, counting and small motor skills. http://amzn.to/2x10mzr (link to where I purchased)
It's A Jungle In Here!
Why not grow a jungle in your room? The Rainforest Theme is fun and the possiblities are endless! From the animals to the plant life, your options are vast and the children have so much fun watching their room turn into jungle! Best part is they get to do all the painting and crafts that hang around the room.
•Frog made from white bulletin board paper, orange and yellow paint. Have the children dab the frog with a paintbrush first using orange. Allow to dry then add dab of yellow paint and spots (cut out using yellow construction paper and glue on)
RAIN STICKS
What you need:
•Paper Towels Rolls (one for each child)
•Rice
•Construction
Paper, glue sticks, markers,stickers,sequences anything fun to decorate with.
•Masking Tape
•Wax Paper
What to do:
~Cover one end of the paper towel roll with wax paper and using the making tape secure it around the tube.
~Using a plastic funnel have the child fill about 1/2 way.
~cover the other end of the stick with
wax paper and secure it using the masking
tape.
~Decorate with sequences, markers, stickers,construction paper etc
~Shake to hear "the rain"
What you need:
•Paper Towels Rolls (one for each child)
•Rice
•Construction
Paper, glue sticks, markers,stickers,sequences anything fun to decorate with.
•Masking Tape
•Wax Paper
What to do:
~Cover one end of the paper towel roll with wax paper and using the making tape secure it around the tube.
~Using a plastic funnel have the child fill about 1/2 way.
~cover the other end of the stick with
wax paper and secure it using the masking
tape.
~Decorate with sequences, markers, stickers,construction paper etc
~Shake to hear "the rain"
Tiny Tele
Give your children a way to "talk" out their feelings. Many times during the day we all feel frustrated, mad, sad, happy etc.. whatever the emotion children need to vent too! A great way to help them release is to talk on the Tiny Tele. Find an old cell phone and place it in a private area of the room where the children can go to let off a little steam. Put the following poem on the wall next to the phone and read it in the
beginning of the year.
Tiny Tele
Feeling Sad or even a little blue?
The Tiny Tele is just for you!
If you are happy or just plain glad,
If you are angry and yes quite mad.
Just come to me and talk it out,
But please dont hollar or even shout.
Tiny Tele will help you through,
Talk to me, thats all you need to do!
beginning of the year.
Tiny Tele
Feeling Sad or even a little blue?
The Tiny Tele is just for you!
If you are happy or just plain glad,
If you are angry and yes quite mad.
Just come to me and talk it out,
But please dont hollar or even shout.
Tiny Tele will help you through,
Talk to me, thats all you need to do!
Mystery Box
Put your Thinking Caps on boys and girls! This fun activity we keep going all year long. The children are beside themselves with excitement when it is their turn to take our mystery box home.
You will need:
• An empty diaper wipe container (we use the one that has the small lid on top of the large lid to store the index card with the clues on it)
• index cards
• construction paper
• clear packaging tape or contact paper
What to do:
~ cover the wipe box bottom with
construction paper, write "mystery box" on the sides and use the tape to secure it (and protect it) dark colors work best so the children cannot see in the box.
~ write the instructions on an index card (I use bright pink or blue) and tape it to the top using the packaging tape.
~ Every day the box will go home with someone (we have two since their are so many children in our class).
On the index card put the following:
* choose an item to place in this box then write 3-4 clues (parents) on a piece of paper that describes the item. For example: BALL the clues may be: 1) It is round 2) It can bounce high 3) you can toss it in the air. The clues should be simple enough for our children but also challenging. Bring your box back tomorrow.
At group each morning we put our thinking caps on, raise our hands if we know it and always give others time to "think" 1...2...3... everybody? Then the children shout what they think it is! What fun!!
You will need:
• An empty diaper wipe container (we use the one that has the small lid on top of the large lid to store the index card with the clues on it)
• index cards
• construction paper
• clear packaging tape or contact paper
What to do:
~ cover the wipe box bottom with
construction paper, write "mystery box" on the sides and use the tape to secure it (and protect it) dark colors work best so the children cannot see in the box.
~ write the instructions on an index card (I use bright pink or blue) and tape it to the top using the packaging tape.
~ Every day the box will go home with someone (we have two since their are so many children in our class).
On the index card put the following:
* choose an item to place in this box then write 3-4 clues (parents) on a piece of paper that describes the item. For example: BALL the clues may be: 1) It is round 2) It can bounce high 3) you can toss it in the air. The clues should be simple enough for our children but also challenging. Bring your box back tomorrow.
At group each morning we put our thinking caps on, raise our hands if we know it and always give others time to "think" 1...2...3... everybody? Then the children shout what they think it is! What fun!!
Every week we post a "letter" on the wall. The parents are encouraged to remind their child during the week to bring in something that begins with that particular letter. We introduce a new letter each week and follow through with the "sound" each makes.
We also post a color of the week and the children wear something with that color or bring in something to share at group time.
Our Class Bear
Grab a Teddy Bear and make him the "Class Bear" have the children vote on a name. This bear will be the same age as the majority of your students in the class, and we do have a birthday party for the bear with hats, cupcakes and more! The class bear should have a journal (make from a composition book and decorate) . Every weekend the class bear will get to go home with one student. The student may draw pictures in the journal, take pictures with the bear and tape them in journal and Mom and Dad can write all that they did that weekend. Type on a piece of paper and glue onto front inside cover a brief description of the bear etc. For Example:Hi! My name is Johnny and I am 4 years old! My Birthday is May 3rd! I love to run and play games. My favorite game is hide and seek. My favoite color is green and I love to eat pizza and chocolate cake. Every weekend I get to go home with one of my special friends from preschool. I enjoy spending time with my friends because they always take great care of me. I do not like mud or sticky messes so please keep those things away from me. If I manage to get dirty please do not bathe me, my Teacher will give me a special bath at school. I like to keep a journal of all the fun things I do with my friends. Please write in this journal or draw pictures of what we did together so our friends at preschool can hear all about it on Monday morning! I cannot wait to go home with all my friends!
Doggie Doggie Where's Your Bone?
Have fun with this game that will keep the children giggling as the Doggie guesses where his bone is!
How to play:
Choose a child to be the "doggie." That child sits in a chair with his back turned AWAY from the children who are all sitting on the floor behind him. Place a "bone" (we use a bean bag) under the chair. Teacher quietly points to one child sitting on the floor to "steal" the bone and hide it beneath them. (all the children should be sitting criss cross on their bottoms). When the bone is hidden all the children say at the same time "Doggie, Doggie, Where's your bone? Somebody stole it from your home. Guess who? The doggie then uncovers his eyes, stands up and has three chances to guess who stole the bone. If they guess the right person they get to be the doggie again. If they do not guess the right person, the child who stole the bone gets to be the doggie next. Everyone gets a chance to be the doggie and to steal the bone.
How to play:
Choose a child to be the "doggie." That child sits in a chair with his back turned AWAY from the children who are all sitting on the floor behind him. Place a "bone" (we use a bean bag) under the chair. Teacher quietly points to one child sitting on the floor to "steal" the bone and hide it beneath them. (all the children should be sitting criss cross on their bottoms). When the bone is hidden all the children say at the same time "Doggie, Doggie, Where's your bone? Somebody stole it from your home. Guess who? The doggie then uncovers his eyes, stands up and has three chances to guess who stole the bone. If they guess the right person they get to be the doggie again. If they do not guess the right person, the child who stole the bone gets to be the doggie next. Everyone gets a chance to be the doggie and to steal the bone.
Tattling Turtle
The tattle turtle is an effective tool when you have alot of tattling in the
classroom. The poem is read in the beginning of the year and lets the children
know that they can "tell" the turtle anything they want.
Meet Tattling Turtle
Dear Students,
Tattling Turtle will listen to you,
When you have something to say.
Just talk to him or write it down,
and tell what happened today.
But if you or anyone else is hurt,
Please do not delay.
Come to me so I can help,
and make sure that your ok!
sincerely, Mrs. Jones
classroom. The poem is read in the beginning of the year and lets the children
know that they can "tell" the turtle anything they want.
Meet Tattling Turtle
Dear Students,
Tattling Turtle will listen to you,
When you have something to say.
Just talk to him or write it down,
and tell what happened today.
But if you or anyone else is hurt,
Please do not delay.
Come to me so I can help,
and make sure that your ok!
sincerely, Mrs. Jones
Our Class Quilt
Display this Class quilt outside for everyone to see! Cut white construction paper into 9x9 square and give one to each child to draw a self portrait. Encourage them to use a mirror and remind them that they have 2 eyes, 2 ears, etc. Using a hole puncher, punch holes around the edges of the pictures and connect them with yarn (you can sew them in and out or just tie
through each in the back of the picture. These are wonderful! If you would like a bigger quilt put colored squares in between the portraits and connect.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?
Want a fun activity to go along with book? This is so much fun and the children are tickled to "find" the animals around the classroom. I place the animals in hard to see places around the classroom the day before we read the book. At group time we read the book and the children use their "hand binoculars" to find the animal around the classroom as the book is read.
Want a fun activity to go along with book? This is so much fun and the children are tickled to "find" the animals around the classroom. I place the animals in hard to see places around the classroom the day before we read the book. At group time we read the book and the children use their "hand binoculars" to find the animal around the classroom as the book is read.
100 Kisses for 100 days of school!
Making Friends
The First day of school can be quite stressful for a preschooler and making a friend relieves much of the stress. Pair the children
up at a table and have them introduce themselves with a hand shake and a "How do
you do." Then ask them to tell each other how old they are, their favorite color and their favorite food. Bring the "pair" of children to you and paint one hand of each child (in their favorite color) and press it down onto a piece of construction paper. (do this twice, one for each of the pair). Write at the top " I met a friend today at preschool, her/his name is _____. You can also write
"His/Her favorite color is____________. Write their names under their hand prints.
up at a table and have them introduce themselves with a hand shake and a "How do
you do." Then ask them to tell each other how old they are, their favorite color and their favorite food. Bring the "pair" of children to you and paint one hand of each child (in their favorite color) and press it down onto a piece of construction paper. (do this twice, one for each of the pair). Write at the top " I met a friend today at preschool, her/his name is _____. You can also write
"His/Her favorite color is____________. Write their names under their hand prints.
Made from the ends of a crib our center was throwing out. Great for dry erase markers!
