Tuesday, November 24, 2009

CHRISTMAS CENTER IDEAS

Christmas Center Ideas
These center ideas are related to the kinderplans.com website. Photographs of these suggestions can be found on that site under the heading "Christmas Theme" and "Christmas Crafts".

Literacy Center Ideas
1. The children will be completing the interactive component in the chosen emergent reader
(related to using their five senses).

2. Match the lower-case letter Christmas trees to the upper-case letters. Younger children can match the letters that are the same. Templates found on the "Christmas" theme website page in the member's area.

3. Play "Alphabet Review" game, "Vowel Fun" game, "What's Missing" game found in the ALL ABOUT ME theme unit found in the link below:

All About Me

4. Sort alphabet pictures beginning with the same sounds. Alphabet pictures found in the member's area under the heading "Alphabet Pictures".

Writing Center
Children can be writing a letter to Santa or how they experience Christmas using their five senses. This activity will vary according to the age of the children you are working with. They will likely need to dictate what they want printed and an adult assistant scribes it for them. A writing template (children print on Santa's beard) can be found in the theme unit.

Math Center
1. Children can be working in their number booklet found on page 23 in Week 2 Plans in the theme unit. They will be adding the correct amount of stars (sticky stars) to correspond with the number.

2. The children can add the correct amount of decorations to the number tree templates found on the theme unit web page.

3. Children can be counting and sorting Christmas tree decorations according to common characteristics.

Science Center
Children can test small musical instruments and experience sound and vibrations.

Craft Center
Activities displayed on the website.

Dramatic Play Center
Santa's Workshop as outlined in the theme unit.

Listening Center
A copy of the suggested Christmas books would be placed at this center.

Library
Below you will find suggested books for the "Christmas" theme. You can click on the name of the book to find where the book can be ordered. Press back button to return back to this page.

1. If You Take A Mouse To The Movies by Laura Numeroff
2. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Sueuss
4. The Mouse Before Christmas by Michael Garland
5. The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan Ahlberg
6. Dream Snow by Eric Carle
7. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
8. Mrs. Wishy Washy's Christmas by Joy Cowley and Elizabeth Fuller
9. Christmas Trolls Eve by Jan Brett
10. The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

Other Centers
1. Painting (easels)
2. Blocks (big and small)
3. Sand or Water
4. Puzzles
5. Overhead transparency (a copy of the emergent reader could be placed here and the children would model read the story).
6. Playdough center

Click on the link below to take a tour of of more Preschool and Kindergarten Activities related to the Christmas theme.

Preschool and Kindergarten Activities - Christmas


More Preschool and Kindergarten Activities - Christmas

Monday, November 9, 2009

CENTER ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILY AND PETS THEME

The activities below compliment the "FAMILY AND PETS" theme on the Kinderplans.com website.

Note: You will have to press the "back button" if you wish to return back to this page.

Family and Pets Theme

Literacy Centers
1. The reproducible emergent reader "The Perfect Pet" would be compiled, colored and the children would draw their perfect pet on the last page of the book. They could practice reading it together with a friend.

2. Sorting pictures that begin with the "i" sound (pictures found in the member's area under the heading "Alphabet Pictures).

3. Matching rhyming picture cards (found in the theme unit).

4. Practice printing the letter "i" using different methods (painting, salt tray,white eraser board, magnetic board, stamping it out with bingo markers or using the printing book found on the site).

5. Visual Discrimination - children could be matching the pet words with those on the picture cards (found in theme unit).

6. Children are reviewing previous sounds introduced by matching the clothespin with the letter printed on it to the corresponding picture. This activity is displayed on the website and the picture templates found in the theme unit

7. Word family activity - have two dice, the word families that have been previously introduced are printed on one and the initial consonants on the other. The children shake the dice and determine what word is made. This could be further extended to determine if it makes a real or nonsense word. A photograph of this activity can be found on the web site.

7. Practice sight words (new ones and previously introduced words) using game outlined on the website.

Writing Center
The children will be completing the activity displayed on the website. How this is completed would vary according to ability. The teacher might need to scribe what the child dictates to them or another child can complete this independently using a model. The children can print what their favorite pet is or information on what they have learned about pets.

Math Center - Introduction to Money
1. Children could be sorting, estimating, counting and making money patterns.
2. Matching the correct number with the number of spots displayed on the dogs (found in the theme unit).

Craft Center
1. The letter "i" picture mnemonic activity outlined on the website.

2. Activities displayed on the website,

Note: You will have to press the "back button" if you wish to return back to this page.

Family and Pets Theme

Science
Simple information books about pets could be placed in this center.

Dramatic Play Center
Pet Store - place a cash register and stuffed pet supplies in here. Each item could have small stickers or numbers placed on them. This is how many pennies it will take to purchase the item.

Listening Center
A copy of the book "I Wanna Iguana" (or another pet book) would be placed at this center along with the reading to listen to).

Library
Below you will find suggested books for the "Family and Pets" theme. You can click on the name of the book to find where the book can be ordered. Press back button to return back to this page.
1. I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff
2. The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini
3. Clifford the Big Red Dog series by Norman Bridwell
4. Oh, The Pets you Can Get: All About Our Animal Friends by Tish Rabe
5. The Best Pet of All by David Larochelle
6. Cats, Cats, Cats by Leslea Newman
7. Dogs, Dogs, Dogs by Leslea Newman
8. My Family Book by Todd Parr
9. The Mommy Book by Todd Parr
10. The Daddy Book by Todd Parr
11. My Family is Forever by Nancy Carlson


Other Centers
1. Painting (easels)
2. Blocks (big and small)
3. Sand or Water
4. Puzzles
5. Overhead transparency (a copy of the emergent reader could be placed here and the children would model read the story).
6. Playdough center
7. Read Around the Room - Pictures of pets with their names are posted and children point to them using a special pointing tool. They read the name posted on the picture. Other print in the classroom could also be read. (there are pictures found on the theme page)

Click on the link below to take a tour of of more Preschool and Kindergarten Activities
Preschool and Kindergarten Activities