Teddy Bears

"Bears on Shelves" is a worksheet that helps the children learn sorting. Sorting and classifying requires analytical and reasoning skills.   As the children completed this worksheet, I asked him (her) to discuss the reasoning behind the sorting they were doing.

"Off to School" is a maze that helps encourage pre-writing and problem solving skills.

Doing simple mazes is one way to help children develop the small muscles needed to write.

Have children trace the path through the maze with a finger first and then with a crayon, pencil or marker.

With this craft I read "Biscuit and the Lost Teddy Bear" by Alyssa Satin Capucilli.

With this craft I read "A Pocket for Corduroy" by Don Freeman.  

I cut out a bear, the kids colored it and then glued on a purple pocket.

I'm a little Teddy Bear (song)

Tune: I'm a little tea pot

I'm a little teddy bear,

cute and sweet,

I'm soft and brown right

down to my feet.

We took turns holding the teddy bear while we sang the above song.

Note: All worksheets in this post are from The Mailbox.

Transportation and Helicopters

The kids did really, really well sorting little and big.

The "What's Missing" worksheet was a little bit harder for the kids.

I had to help them a bit with, by they got it!

We talked about road signs.  How they have different shapes, colors and meanings.

The kids then made a collage.

We used matchbox cars to explain the road signs.  We got a lot of giggles out of this activity.

For craft, we made a helicopter. 

Transportation and Airplanes

We are continuing our transportation theme by making airplanes today.

I cut out airplane bodies and wings ahead of time.  The children got to glue the pieces together and draw windows on the plane.

I lined up chairs and had the children sit in them,pretending they were on an airplane. 

We talked about what a person would see when looking out an airplane window.

We did the same song as yesterday.

We are Flying

tune: frère Jacques

We are flying, we are flying

Up so high,up so high.

See the fluffy white clouds

See the sparkly sunshine.

In the sky, in the sky.

Transportation and Hot Air Balloons

The first thing we did when making hot air balloons was blow up the balloons.  

Just for fun we left the air out of some of the balloons.

We made squares for the children to tape their balloons to.  

The kids walked around the room holding their balloons in the air pretending to be a hot air balloon.

Next the children decorated a cut out of a hot air balloon.

I cut out brown rectangles to make the balloon baskets.

SONG

We are Flying

tune: Frere Jacques

We are flying, we are flying

up so high, up so big.

See the fluff white clouds

See the sparkly sunshine

in the sky, in the sky.

Transportation and Boats

Boats are always a fun subject to talk about during a transportation theme.

I got out the water table and placed many different objects in it, like: toy block, rock, matchbox car, ivory soap, cherry tomato, cork, etc..

The children had to guess which items would sink and which would float.

We read the story: Toy Boat by Randall de Seve.

The children were fascinated with the many adventures the little toy boat had when it went out to sea.

I printed out a B letter worksheet.

 For 2-3 year olds it's best to have them trace the letter with their fingers first. 

Then give them a crayon to try to make the letter.  

You may still have to show them where to begin and end.

B page

 For our craft I cut out a square foam piece from recycled meat trays, then put a small hole in the center.  The children pasted their "sail" to the craft stick and decorated it.  When it dried we inserted the stick into the foam boat.

We tested their boats in the water table.

The children were so excited to see their boat float in the water.

Motorboat

tune: jingle bells

Motorboat, motorboat

going round the boy.

Motorboat, oh Motorboat

this is what you say,

putt-putt-putt, putt-putt-putt

putt-putt all the way.

Motorboat, oh motorboat

You putt-putt-putt all day!

Circle Time

Circle Time is where we gather around to sing our songs, learn sign language, do our exercises and read our stories.

The circles the children sit on are circle placemats I bought at Target.

It's Circle Time!

tune: This Old Man

Circle time, circle time

Singing songs and saying rhymes.

Let's all gather round for circle time today.

It's circle time. Hooray, hooray!

(www.themailboxcompanion.com  Aug/Sept 2010)

Apple Pie

We read the book "The Apple Pie Tree" by Zoe Hall.

I emphasized the concept of "small", "medium" and "big" by having the children sort pictures of apples. Then glue them onto the appropriate basket.

I cut out a brown pie plate out of construction paper. Also apples from a template.  I had the children glue the 'apple pie' together and then sprinkle cinnamon onto of the apples to give it a smell of apple pie.

Apples

Cut out an apple from tag board. 

You need something a bit thicker than construction paper for this project.

Take pieces of red yarn and glue them onto the apple.

 I used glue sticks, but you can use Elmers Glue.  Little fingers get sticky. I used wipes to clean their hands.

Next we did a worksheet focused on counting.  You can use a red stamp pad or red washable paint to dip a little finger in.  I went around the room doing one number at a time. So I used a paper towel to wipe of their fingers in-between each number.

Photo credit: scholastic newsletter

Faces & Feelings

This craft has a face of many feelings.

The Education Center - Teacher's Helper Dec 2001

The children colored the man and I cut out the hole in the face.

Cut the face wheel out and glue to construction paper. 

 I glued to a manila folder because it is more sturdy.

Use a brad to attach the wheel.  When you spin the wheel it shows six different faces.

We practiced our sad face...

our mad face….

our silly face…

and our happy faces!