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Lesson ideas for Teaching Preschoolers aged 3-6 years
Have a pre-prepared 'theme' for each lesson, as children
and parents like to feel a part of what they are being
taught.
Have the term's 'themes' photocopied and given to each
parent, with name and phone number of each day's parent
helper, so they can organise their own swapping if ill.
Remind all of next week's themes as they collect
children.
This gives parents a basis to prepare and question the
child over their learning and ability to recall and apply
learning.
Depending on time of class, have children bring a healthy
snack and drink for morning or afternoon tea. Have a defined
space preferably out of sight, where these are left, until
after toilet trip.
Basic equipment :
Cut a 2-3 metre strip,10 cm wide, of yellow stretchy
fabric and sew ends to make a circle. Stretch it out on the
carpet to make a defined area for children to sit around and
talk / listen. Don't expect them to sit still for more than
5-10 mins and put circle away when done, so no one trips
over it.
Make playdough and keep in an airtight container in
the fridge.
4 cups of plain flour
8 tablespoons of cream of tartar
2 cups of salt
4 cups of cold water
6-8 tablespoons of oil
a heap of blue food coloring
Tip all ingredients into a big saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Don't worry about lumps as they will eventually blend in.
Cook over low to medium heat for 10 - 15 mins
Keep stirring til you can't any more and you can lift the lump out
in one go.
Allow to cool slightly, then knead to blend in any lumps.
Cool completely then store in an airtight container, like an
icecream tub, in fridge.
Lasts for months. Chuck out when it becomes sticky or crusty.
Make a new batch in a different color for a surprise.
Have a coffee table with rounded edges or other low table
for all to kneel around and examine brought items.
Plastic shower curtain or clear plastic from a mattress
shop to cover table for sand / 'mercury' / painting
activities.
Plan a toilet trip after messy activities and before
snack eating, so hands can be washed.
Have a video or DVD of nursery rhymes set up ready to
play at the end of each class. This will subtly announce to
children that it is time to go home and parents will be able
to collect children when they hear the music play.
Computer set up with children's games, for in between
activities.
Here are some themes to try at appropriate times of the
year :
Cats and kittens
Best held late Spring at kitten season
Playdough
Roll out whiskers to put on a 'cats face' circle of
playdough. How many whiskers does a cat have? Why does it
need whiskers? Where are its whiskers? What about the ones
above its eyes?
Discussion table
Pictures of cats and kittens.
If One parent can bring along One very placid cat and
keep control of it, and no one has allergies, then have a
patting session just before going to toilet and washing
hands.
Yellow Circle - Talking points
Things from home. Talk about own or neighbours / relatives cats. How
to treat cats. Noises they make and why. She cats and Tom
cats. Food they eat. Mother cats feeding babies, eyes closed
at first.
Activity
Color in sheet Cat and the fiddle.
Cat whiskers / fur material
Draw another cat and kittens on large folded cardboard-
cereal packet. Glue fur onto cardboard, folded with cut out
'feely' space. Pre cut a small hole in the centre of a well
defined - texta - circle or square Encourage slight
enlargement by those able to handle scissors.
Video
Cat walking along inside house to door. Licking itself.
Sleeping in front of heater. Being patted, scratched.
Stories
Three little kittens
The kitten book - Golden book
Find a reference book with large pictures of big cats and
domestic cats to show and have children help you make up a
possible story... There was a big stripey tiger sitting in a
tree (turn page) when he saw a little lion playing with his
sister lion.... (turn page) and they decided to visit their
little tabby cousin in the city...
Cold Things
Best held on a hot day
Welcoming activity Blue Playdough - cold from being in
fridge
Talk about cool colors,
Make ice blocks from playdough, snowmen, puddles of
water.
Discussion table
Collection of smooth stones, Poster of Polar bear with icecream,
Penguin post cards,
junior sized snow suit
Video
Have a video of a day when it snowed or the closest snow
fields
Activity
Making snow flakes from crepe paper & glueing onto
black cardboard
Making fruit juice ice blocks
Playing with pre-frozen ice blocks - putting into water,
in a large see through container to view iceburg effect.
Toilet Wash hands
Morning tea
Stories
Story telling - show pictures and tell story:
The little kittens who lost their mittens (Remind children they have
heard the story in Cats and Kittens week. Encourage help with
retelling story)
Song
This is the way we
shake our hands
blow on our hands
tuck our hands under our arms
put our mittens on
on a cold and frosty morning
Photocopy a recipe for making icecream to give out to
parents
or suggest parents freeze a couple of small margarine
tubs of ice for their own iceberg activities in the
bath.
Football
Welcoming Playdough activity : Make goal posts, numbers
for players, footballs
Show and Tell kneeling around coffee table : Bring
football posters, programs, footy boots, football - best if
slightly deflated and rather undesirable.
Song : sitting around yellow circle
You pass it to me and I pass it to you x 3
and we'll all play football. Yes, we'll all play
football.
Stand around yellow circle
Stand up and draw a number on your friend's back. Guess
what it is.
Video
Show a short clip of your local football with both female
and male teams
Glueing activity : Jumpers, shorts, socks, boots onto
photocopy of a person.
Sticky tape activity : making Floggers- tubes &
crepe paper
Textas or colored pencils activity : Football shapes,
Numbers, Stencilling numbers
Mural activity: Glueing pictures onto a poster
Toilet trip Washing hands
Morning tea
Read story while children eat . Choose book about local
football
Song
I can run as fast as you
End of class, as parents arrive, watch video of football
match with sound down.
For parents
Remind - drawing numbers on back especially with soap at
bath time
Give out copy of draw for local football games.
Suggest families meet at next week's match.
Toys and Games
Playdough
Make a playdough teddy
Discussion table
Twister game, Tunnel of sewn strips of stretchy material, Parachute
or piece of lightweight silky material
Dutch picture of children playing games. Australian
picture of marbles.
Yellow circle
Show toys brought from home. Talk about games we like to
play.
'Round and round the garden' tickle hand game
Drop the hanky. Duck, duck goose.
Activities
Paint - Mural as a group on long strip of newsprint of
games we like to play.
Texta - individual pictures, take home or cut around and
glue onto mural
Make puppet and sticky tape it to an icecream stick or
straw
Cut up Toy Catalogues, glue on favorite 'current fad.'
Talk about ads and catalogues and how they make us want
things that turn out to be boring. Talk about collecting
items from Take away food chains and how it makes us go back
until we have the full set.
Toilet wash hands
Morning tea
Talk about healthy food
Stories
Big book designed for floor play
Cardboard box stories - little books designed for
travel
Video
Nursery rhymes to act out
Excursion to an Art Gallery
Playdough welcoming activity
(Timed according to whether you are walking, taking bus
or meeting at Art Gallery. If you are meeting there, arrange
to meet in a quiet defined area where everyone feel
comfortable.)
Sculpture - Tiger, Statue, talk about terms - rough,
smooth, freestanding, wooden, metal
Drawing activity
Look at Art books first for 'inspiration'
Frame stapled around edge, or do later when dry. Talk
about 'most artists don't paint over the frame' but some do!
Discussion table
Van Gough framed print
Yellow circle
Art Books, point out different colors, people, animals,
the frame.
Toilet first
If walking to Gallery remind children and parents 'Teacher goes
first. No-one goes in front of the teacher.' Nominate a parent
helper to bring up the rear. Look at the shops along the way eg Carpet
shop - has lots of colours and patterns, but it is not the
Art Gallery. When you arrive, stand back and look at big front door to
remember it for next time. Remind all. We can look as much
as we like. No one touches the paintings. The paintings
would get all dirty if everyone touched them.
Take a sheet to sit on. It is easy to wash and gives a
defined space, you can even call it the 'Magic Art Carpet'
Have three art works already picked out in different
areas of the Gallery. Children will enjoy a little walk in
between sitting down on sheet. Choose ones with animals,
bright colours, children or families. Focus children's
attention on paintings. Look for Yellow, Hats, Feelings
etc
Look at freestanding sculptures.
Morning tea. Walk back to class for morning tea and a big
talk about what they saw. If going by bus, make sure the
driver allows food and drink, or eat at an appropriate spot,
before getting on the bus.
Stories
Check local Library for books where a child visits an Art
Gallery
Song
This is the way we walk to the Gallery
Video
If you had time to take a video before the class, show
that, or, if a parent took a video camera with you, watch
that footage. Don't try to do all that yourself on the day,
as you will be too busy.
Rainbows
A rainbow is a spectrum of sunlight
Photocopy and give out 'hose activity' - how to make a
rainbow, for home
Playdough
Roll 8 long strips and place under each other a little
curved, to create 7 spaces.
Make a group playdough rainbow
Discussion table
Reference books on weather, rainbows and colours
multi- coloured pencil, multi coloured lollies. Discuss
the words indigo and violet.
Activities
Creating rainbows - water in big clear tubs, plastic or
safety edged little Mirrors, Light or torch (only allow
adult to handle) white card / wall.
Crayons & textas - Making Rainbow books. Have sets of
the correct colours ready
Group - Paint large rainbow onto big sheet of plastic - a
mattress cover from a bedshop
Computer - Red - Infa red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue,
Indigo, Violet - Ultra violet
Yellow Circle
Show and tell about rainbows. Do you think there is a pot of gold at
the end of the rainbow?
Toilet wash hands
Morning tea
Slides - show The Rainbow Serpent story projected onto a
wall
Stories
There are many stories to choose from featuring rainbows
or children not being able to choose their favorite
colour
Songs
Somewhere over the rainbow
Red and yellow and pink and blue, I can sing a rainbow
and so can you
Rainbow connection
Video tape of a rainbow, if you have been lucky enough to
capture one.
Mid morning or mid afternoon during a break in rain, is
when the sun's rays should be on the right angle.
Lost and Found Objects
Make sure nothing is small enough to be swallowed
Playdough
Find shells, stones, large coins hidden in the playdough, swap, hide again and find again, eyes closed.
Discussion table
Collection of stones, feathers, old bottles, sea horse,
sea shells.
Cut out items from lost and found column, photocopy and
enlarge. Point to each word as you read one out loud. Ask if
anyone has lost a pet? Did they draw a picture and put it in
the window of the shop? Has mum ever lost any money?
Books
Reference books on dinosaurs, fossils, coins and
shells.
May find a book on Art with found materials
Yellow circle
Talk about 'found things' What is it like to find a
special stone / feather etc?
What would it be like to find gold / treasure?
Videos
Goldilocks and the three bears. What would you do if you
found a house with no-one at home?
Activities
Crayon or white candle picture with paint wash - 'find'
the picture coming through
Paint a face on a rock
Spray paint / print feathers
Paint / texta a picture of someone finding something.
Make an Art mural or Statue of found items or parts of a
clock, nothing sharp.
Play pass the parcel with plenty of 'surprises' to go
around, in each layer.
Play the game 'Bear hunt' We're going on a bear hunt,
we're going to find a big one
Toilet, Wash hands, Morning tea
Stories
There are many stories about lost items of clothing or
lost children, also stories of found treasure
Tell the story of Cinderella and the found glass shoe
Goldilocks and the three bears
or, again, The three little kittens who lost their mittens
and see who can stand beside you to help tell the story.
Sayings / Beliefs / Morals / Honesty
Finders Keepers, Loosers Weepers
Eureka! I've found it
If you find something important, take it to the Lost and
Found
Rewards. What is valuable to you? What would you pay a
reward for if you lost it?
Is a hug a good reward?
Smelly Day
Playdough perfumed playdough - add rose water
Make flowers
Discussion table
perfumed soaps, pot-pourri, gum leaves, pine needles
Yellow circle
discuss things bought by children
How do we smell things?
What things smell good / bad?
Why do things smell bad? What are rotten foods and
smells?
What do we do with our garbage? What is Mould?
Why do we have a bath or shower?
Activities
Sew a smelly bag. Children can easily manage this if big
blunt needles are pre threaded and double knotted with
colored cotton. Have a box of patterned thin material
squares or odd shapes ready for them to take time choosing a
piece. Have some sticks of rosemary, lavender, lemon verbena
or whatever herbs are available ready for the stuffing. They
don't need to be dried and probably are easier to handle if
green and not spikey or brittle.
Draw picture of flowers, garden
Help children scribble a big drawing of a garbage dump
with black textas. Have them draw in the little spaces
between the scribbles with colored pencil, or glue on little
pictures of the things we throw away.
Toilet wash hands
Why do we wash our hands? Look at fingernails. Check any
scratches. Why do we need to wash scrapes and sores?
Lavender and rosemary used to be used to keep things clean
and smelling nice.
Sometimes it smells when we go to the toilet, that is
normal. Talk about 'passing wind' as being normal rather
than naughty. It is only rude if we make ourselves 'burp' at
other people.
Books on
Flowers, Gardens, Perfumes, soap making, garbage
collection
Songs
Make up a song about garbage collection day...
I am the driver in the big truck...mime movements
Here is the lever that moves the arm
Here is the big arm that picks the bin up
Up, up up and into the truck
Shake it all out
and down it gently goes.
Oh no. I've dropped the bin.
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