Nov 22, 2012

Christmas Tree Felt Board Activities

Following are three different Christmas Tree Felt Activities, great for a Christmas gifts or simply keeping the young ones busy over the holidays. The first two can be used as advent calendars. While the third tree is a fun decorating activity. 





















Here are decorations
You can place on the tree
Decide where to place them
For all of us to see
Now the tree is ready
So plug in all the lights
And see all its beauty
Each and every night










Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas

Nov 16, 2012

Penguin Preschool Theme



With the increase popularity of Club Penguin and the many movies and television shows created for younger audiences featuring these black and white birds, penguins are fun animals to include in a preschool curriculum. Penguins can be found within a number of preschool lesson plans, such as arctic animals, ice, and birds. This article suggests ideas for a theme day (or week) surrounding penguins with preschool songs, books, crafts and other activities.

Introduce Penguins at Circle Time

Begin a theme on penguins at circle time by asking the children what they know about penguins. Record their answers and use as a starting base for the learning process. Facts to share with a preschool classroom about penguins:

  • are birds, but cannot fly
  • spend 75% of their time in the ocean, looking for food
  • can leap out of ocean and dive in
  • keep warm with a layer of blubber and their fluffy feathers
  • daddy penguin will watch over the egg while mommy gets food (and vice versa)
  • baby penguins are called chicks
  • they waddle and they huddle together for warmth


Preschool Songs about Penguins


Song #1 To the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"

I'm a little penguin, black and white
Short and wobbly, and adorable sight
I can't fly at all, but I love to swim
So I'll waddle to the water
And dive right in!


Song#2 To the tune of " My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean"

The penguin slides over the ice bank
The penguin dives into the sea
Look at his black and white feathers
That penguin's as cute as can be!



Preschool Penguin Creative Art Ideas

1. Blank paper with pictures of penguins to draw
2.Black and white painting
3. Material to encourage penguin creations:  oval shapes, black and white paper, cotton balls, feathers, etc.
4. Penguin painting. Find plastic penguins to waddle through paint
5. Fingerpainting framed with penguin outlines
6. Creating penguins with clay or playdough


Suggested Preschool Poem about Penguins

With five felt penguins, or other penguins made of material that can be placed onto an easel board, the teacher can use this poem at circle time:

One penguin, with nothing to do, called to a friend and then there were two.
Two penguins swimming in the sea, called to a buddy, then there were three.
Three penguins waddled to the shore, they called to a pal, then there were four.
Four penguins learning how to dive, call to a brother, then there were five!


The following are some suggested preschool books about penguins:

That's Not My Penguin by Fiona Watt (Usborne, 2007)
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester (Sandpiper, 2006)


Scholastic First Discovery: Penguins (Scholastic Reference, 2007)

Nov 2, 2012

Five Little Owls Felt Board Poem

As the days are getting shorter, and the nights longer, a great theme for any early childhood setting is nightime. For a full article on this lesson plan, click here.

Here is a fun felt board poem for a nightime theme and the night sky works well as a felt background.




Five Little Fluffy Owls

Five fluffy owls, a branch as their floor
One flew into the dark
And then there were four
Four fluffy owls sitting in a tree
One flew towards the moon
And then there were three
Three fluffy owls, wondering what to do
One said goodbye my friends
And then there were two
Two fluffy owls, looking for some fun
One found a mouse to catch
And then there was one
One fluffy owl, eyes big and round
He soared into the sky
With stars all around.

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas


Sep 30, 2012

Pumpkin Preschool Songs with Felt Pieces


                                             


Pumpkins represent fall time and Halloween with their bright orange skin waiting for a Jack-o-lantern pattern to be carved. Singing is a fun and beneficial experience for young children in any early childhood environment. Through music children experience pleasure, joy and creative expression. The following article provides preschool songs about pumpkins that can be sung throughout autumn. The songs are easy to learn as they follow classic children's songs.

Pumpkin Songs

This song fits well into a pumpkin patch visit whether in a preschool or daycare group or a family outing. The suggestion is to sing the words to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. The song helps develop rhyming skills for young children. Try singing the song, and pausing to see if any children might guess what the rhyming word might be, such as ground and fall.

I am a pumpkin, orange and round.
You will find me on the ground.
Sometimes big, and sometimes small,
You will find me when it's fall.
I am a pumpkin, orange and round.
You will find me on the ground.

Learning about how pumpkins grow is an important component to a pumpkin lesson with young children. This song can help in the teaching and learning process. The suggested tune is Frere Jacques.

Pumpkin seed, pumpkin seed
In the ground, in the ground.
Grows into a vine, grows into a vine
All around, all around.

Starting green, starting green
On the ground, on the ground.
In this lovely patch, in this lovely patch
Pumpkins found, pumpkins found.

Big and orange, big and orange
Nice and round, nice and round
I will pick my pumpkin, I will pick my pumpkin
On the ground, on the ground.

Jack-O-Lantern Songs

                                   

One of our favourite activities for the Halloween holiday is carving a pumpkin, these songs correlate well to this fun event.

To the tune of I'm a Little Teapot

I'm a Jack-o-lantern, look at me
I'm as happy as I can be
Put a candle in, and light the light
Don't be frightened, it's Halloween night.


To the tune of Sing a Song of Six Pence

First you take a pumpkin, big and round and fat
Then carve the top off, and that will make the hat
Then you carve the nose out, the mouth and the eyes
Show to the children for a Halloween surprise!


Pumpkin Fingerplay

Finally, a classic fingerplay song that has to be included in this pumpkin song list is Five Little Pumpkins. There are different versions, a popular one recorded by the well known artist of children's music, Raffi. The song works well when sung with visual aides, such as felt pieces or a glove puppet and helps develop counting skills in young children.

Five little pumpkins, sitting on the gate
The first one said, "Oh my it's getting late".
The second one said, "There are witches in the air".
The third one said, "But we don't care".
The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run".
The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun".

Ooooh, went the wind, and out went the light.
And the five little pumpkins, rolled out of sight.

Singing is a crucial ingredient to creating an environment that meets the needs of the whole child. These pumpkin songs help children experience, learn and enjoy the fall season.



Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas


Sep 16, 2012

Way Up High in the Apple Tree Felt Board Poem



When I was program planning for preschool, I often chose an Apple Theme for late September and early October. This is one of my favourites...


Way up high in an apple tree
Five little apples were looking at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could
And down came an apple, mmm mmm, it was good!



Aug 22, 2012

Easy Felt Board Story



This felt story is so easy to make and I sing the lyrics from the tune, Current Buns from the Bakery Shop. This one is about doughnuts! It is fun to sing with a group of children, and to give each child a coin to pay for his/her chosen doughnut.

Five yummy doughnuts in the bakery shop
Round and sugary with icing on the top
Along came (child's name) with some money one day
He bought a yummy doughnut and he ate it right away!


A Healthy Version:

Five Yummy Apples in the Grocery Shop
Round and yummy with a stem on the top
Along came (child's name) with some money one day
He bought a yummy apple and he ate it right away!

Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas


Jul 3, 2012

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Felt Board Story



Aside from accompanying the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, this felt story encourages literacy in young children with its added bonus of letter recognition.

There are many youtube videos of the story. I like the ones with music...


Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas