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10-10-00I recently read an article about weaving increasing children's ability to read later on. We took chicken wire and ran it along our fence at the child's level. We bent all the sharp ends under and put duct tape along the ends. We provided the children with a bucket of various items for weaving, fabric, string, straws, feathers, shoe strings etc. They loved creating a colorful weaving wall!
10-10-00We made our own sidewalk chalk by mixing tempera paint into plaster paris and adding water as directed on the box. We layered the different colors in Dixie cups and when they dried we peeled off the cups. Viola!
9-17-00Song: "I've Been Swinging On The Swing set" (tune: "I've Been Working On The Railroad"). I've been swinging on the swing set, all the live long day.
8-22-00This is good for using up small bits of colored chalk. Place them in a cup and add a small amount of water. With a little mixing it will form a thick paste. Let kids paint on sidewalks. Water will evaporate quickly leaving color behind!
8-15-00I love to take my class on nature walks. We enjoy the sounds of birds and the trees. We also like all the little creatures we see too! Sometimes we have a picnic or snack outside on our nature walk!
7-21-00Sun Painting The children here love this activity! Take a dark color of construction paper outside with 4-5 distinct objects-blocks, letters, shapes, scissors, etc. Place the paper on the ground in direct sunlight (sidewalk works best), scatter the objects on the paper and let the sun work its wonders. After 2-3 hours of baking, the paper will fade around the objects. Take the objects off the paper and you will see that where the objects are, the paper hasn't faded! Kids are fascinated by this!
7-18-00Try this bubble solution out! Mix 12 cups of water, 3-4 tablespoons of glycerin (available at pharmacies) and 1 cup of DAWN or JOY dishwashing liquid. It gets better as it ages- like most of us!
7-14-00My preschoolers loved making washable body paint! We got a box of ivory soap flakes and poured them into small Styrofoam cups. We stirred in just enough water to make a paste consistency and each child added a few drops of food coloring to their cup. We went outside (in bathing suits) and the children painted their bodies with sponge brushes and rollers. They loved all the colors and were able to rinse off in the sprinklers leaving them clean. It's a great outdoor project and the kids loved it!
5-30-00We collect boxes, larger the better, and set up a mock town out of them. A note is sent home to the parents to bring in boxes, such as microwave or refrigerator, and the kids have a blast making them into a town and crawling in and out of them. We usually have astro turf under the town so it is easy on the knees.
5-30-00Our school sprinkles small colored rocks in our sand which the children call treasures. When the weather is nice, we bring a table outside with a plastic pitcher of water and cups and have mock lemonade stands. The children then collect treasures for money and kids practice pouring their lemonade. The treasures go into a jar and are then sprinkled out into the sand at the end of the day. The kids enjoy this so much we have made lemonade signs and now bring out several tables to accommodate all those who want to play.
5-28-00On warm summer days children can go water painting outside! A great alternative to paint for younger preschoolers is water! Mess-free and worry-free! Any spills need only dry! Adding bubbles/or food coloring is optional and makes it even more interesting. Simply fill transparent containers (of desired sizes) with warm water, give children the brushes, and let them watch their "paint" evaporate in the sun! Have them paint a brick surface, and they'll shriek with excitement each time their pictures disappear! Thanks to a talented colleague for this inexhaustible idea. Enjoy!
4-26-00The warmer weather brings out the most fabulous ideas. We have quite a collection of tricycles and non pedal bikes that the children can set up for a car wash with each child getting a chance to wash and to dry. Older PreK children are also able to start learning some organized games that can be taught in a noncompetitive manner. For example, find a large plastic baseball bat and a large plastic ball; teach the children how to swing to hit the ball, and run the bases, with each child on each "team" getting a chance to hit the ball and run around the bases. When you have come to the first child that hit the ball, it's time to change teams. Another good game that older PreK children can learn is kickball using the same process as used in teaching them baseball. In our center, we use as many noncompetitive games as possible, where there is no winner and no loser. What matters is that all children get the opportunity to try and succeed.
4-24-00Fill small pails with water and allow the children to "paint" the outside of buildings, sidewalks, etc. with a 2 to 3 inch brush. They have a great time.
4-12-00Sidewalk Paint You'll need: 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup water 6-8 drops of food coloring Mix the cornstarch and cold water together. Add food coloring and stir. Repeat to make different colors. NOTE: This paint can be easily washed off with water and is great for painting large areas temporarily!!!
Date: 4-5-00Outside is so fun! 1. Try tying bells and streamers to your swings. 2. Have the children wash baby clothes and create a clothesline for them to dry their little baby outfits on. (Our paint drying racks work perfect and they already have the clothespins on them.) 3. Next to this you could set up a childcare station with babies to wash, diaper and feed. (Request old diaper bags and newborn diapers. Many parents have these left over.)
Date: 3-30-00Want a fun way to recycle old markers? take them outside to color the snow with. Works good and nothing goes to waste.
2-16-00We had two whole school Art Days ( 4yrs-11 yrs.). Especially for the youngest children we asked parents to give us very large cardboard boxes, e.g. refrigerator or dishwasher delivery boxes. All we had to do was allow the children to 'build' 'organize' or 'arrange' the boxes according to their imagination. We had tunnels to magic places, homes of all sorts, hidey holes, insides, outsides and a lot of very valuable conversation. In addition the children liked to guide each other through their creations and play pretend when they were built.
Date: 1-24-00Since the parachute is to large for 1 and 2 year olds, I bought a piece of tarp form my local home improvement store. All of the toddlers grab an end , and shake it. They each take turns throwing different sized balls on it. ( well, maybe not take turns) ha, ha . I have never seen them laugh so hard. Try it it's fun!
Date: 1-19-00Since it seems like we're not getting a winter this season, it's not too early to think of a place in your playground that could be used for a flower garden! Seed catalogs are out now, as are bulbs - or is that a fall thing? Anyway, choose a spot that the children can beautify and dig in that won't be regularly trampled by errant balls. A sunny spot by a close water source would be good. You could start your plants indoors, the seeds would probably do better in a warmer environment, and then transplant when it turns a little warmer. Morning glories are tough and would beautify a chain link perimeter fence! Sweet peas are delightful, but a bit more fussy to take care of! Dater: 1-6-00If you have a sand or dirt area for your outdoor play area buy some fish gravel (multicolored) and before the kids go out to play spread it around the play area. They will discover it on their own. You may want to provide small plastic cups for their treasures. ideaFor an easy first aid kit that is portable, try a fanny pack (waist pouch) filled with Band-Aids, tissues, Neosporin, etc. Whenever you are ready to go outside or on a field trip, grab the fanny pack first aid kit and you are ready to go. Hands-free and very convenient. Date: 10-31-99ideaNAME-NAME-GOOSE: Take the children outside and sit in a circle. (Use carpet squares if the ground is not dry enough.) One child is chosen to walk around the circle, tapping each person on the shoulder and saying their name. After they have been one full time around the circle, they may continue until they decide who is to be the "GOOSE". I actually have a small stuffed goose, which the child tosses into the other child's lap, saying: "John is the goose!" Then the "goose" must jump up and chase the first child who races around the circle back to the empty place to sit down. This is a great activity for the beginning of the year, to help the children learn each other's names! Date: 9-9-99ideaOn the playground take an old sheet and clothes pin it to the fence. Give the children squirt bottles filled with water and tempera paint. Let the children squirt the tempera paint on the sheet and make great designs. Date: 8-27-99Name: Date: 8-13-99If you are fortunate enough to have a fenced-in play area, try "fence weaving" with your children! The children simply weave scraps of (preferably donated) ribbon, yarn, binding, etc. through the fence. An added bonus here is that this spring we actually found birds who had used our "art" to build their nests!!! Date: 7-9-99During a lesson on flowers, we placed sand in the sand table and put plastic flowers in the table. We also placed several pots and hand shoves in the table. They were also provided spray bottles filled with water. The children could not get enough!! Date: 7-2-99when teaching the children the order of the plants my director made up a song to the tune of ten little Indians.... Mercury, Venus, earth and mars, Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune and the very smallest of all...plu-u-u-u-to. Date: 7-2-99Our 4's and 5's bring in their bikes to add to summer diversions. Aside from biking drag, we construct a gas pump and stretch a hose for a gas station. And periodically we open a bike wash with a bucket of soap water and sponges or clothes. We hang wet towels on a wash line when we're all finished. Our kids could pass hours on their bikes. Date: 7-2-99Bubble Festival Set up different stations, children rotate between them. Bubble wall - thread a long piece of yarn through PVC pipe and tie a washer on each end of the yarn. Dip whole thing into dish pan or wall paper trough filled with bubble solution. When you lift it up you will have a bubble wall. Bubble cubes - make cube shaped bubble wands by threading pipe cleaners through straws (experiment with lengths) and connect to make a cupe with a handle. Set several next to a bucket or dish pan of bubble solution. You can make triangles and pyramids as well. Other items that can be used as bubble blowers are fly swatters, plastic paper plate holders, straws, use your imagination. Also, if you're daring, cover the bottom of a wading pool with bubble solution and use a hula hoop as the wand. Date: 7-2-99Just did a unit on "Our Big Backyard!" and include this rest time idea. We erected two tents OUTSIDE for 14 children. Separating them carefully, we let them take pillows, blanket, and rest toy. I sat in the doorway to make sure they laid quietly. Date: 6-28-99Have the children bring things in from home (or help you find them in the classroom)to make a musical mobile. Some Date: ideas are: Small bells Metal covers from frozen juice containers Baby food covers Metal spoons Tie a piece of string or yarn onto each item and then tie each string to a long stick or dowel. Hang this from a tree or tall fence and let the children enjoy the sounds while they are outside. We also add a blanket and a book basket under the tree for those children who need a break from running around outside. Date: 1-9-99Have all the kids were something from there special sports team or bring in something like a bat,football,soccer ball from that sports team. Date: 11-1-98Boat races - Buy a 10 ft. length of plastic gutter and 6 end caps. Cut the gutter into 3 equal lengths and attach caps. Fill the gutters with water. Use toy boats or have the children make boats with sails (boats made from a walnut shell half with a paper sail secured with a toothpick and anchored with playdough work well). Challenge the children to get their boats from one end of the gutter to the other. Try providing straws for blowing the boats. 10-21-98 Name: Jena 10-6-98 Name: Lynne 9-2-98 Name: Elaine E-Mail: erobinso@mail2.yuba.cc.ca.us When you take the water table outside, instead of filling it with the hose, let the children fill it with little jars and buckets from the faucet. This extends the filling and pouring activity and involves as many children as you have cups and buckets for. 8-26-98 Name: Tammy E-Mail: lg55130@navix.net I have our cook save empty milk jugs then I fill them with colored water and put the cap on. We use them as pylons on the sidewalk when we ride tricycles. They're great for marking boundaries also. 8-18-98 Name: Jody E-Mail: jjs326@aol.com Cat Tail Tag (group game) Each child in the group has a piece of yarn 18" long. This is placed in the back of their shorts. Everyone must tuck their shirts in before beginning the game. All children run around trying to pull the "tail" off of the other players while protecting their own tail. If you pull a "tail" out, you hand it to the person. Once your "tail" has been removed, you sit down in the spot where it was pulled. The last person with a "tail" is the winner. 8-8-98 Name: Tonya E-Mail: stikz@flash.net Search for Gold! Spray paint rocks using gold spray paint. Hide the "gold" in a sand box and let the kids search! They love it! 7-22-98 Name: Pam E-Mail: dubay@gvtc.com We tape a long piece of butcher paper onto the slide and give the children crayons to use as they slide. What fun they have as they experiment using different techniques (i.e. dots, squiggles, straight lines, circles, etc...!) Carefully monitored, of course, this activity can be done safely. 7-17-98 Name: ginny E-Mail: Msginnyedu@aol.com Take plastic milk, juice and water jugs, gallon size, with different colored lids and labels, and use them to make a bowling game for the playground or even inside on a rainy day. You can use beanbags or balls to knock down empty jugs or fill jugs with colored water, rice, or sand to make the game more challenging. We also included some of the "suitcase" 2 1/2 gal. rectangular water containers (with tap) to make walls to put the jugs on. This has been a fun Summer activity. 7-17-98 Name: Alison E-Mail: cooter697@aol.com We had so much fun with our preschoolers today!!!We put up a big piece of butcher paper outside on the fence.We put Koosh balls in containers of colored paint and let the children have fun throwing them against the paper. They made cool designs on the paper and we all had so much fun. A few hints, we had the children already in their bathing suits all ready to be hosed down in the hot weather!!!! We also added a little bit of liquid soap to the paint for easier washing. It was a blast!!!! 6-17-98 Name: Maureen E-Mail: j..myers@worldnet.att.com Get old dryer hoses ,vinyl covered flexible the lint goes through, white usually. Tie the top end to a fence within your children's reach. Give the children tennis balls and let them put the balls through the tube, they roll out in different directions and the children are amused for awhile. 6-16-98 Name: shelby E-Mail: scjangels Sounds silly, but 3-4yrs love it. We play a game outside called "airplanes" . It goes like this, "Calling all airplanes, calling all planes, report to the runway."Put arms out in front of you, and say prepare for take off, bring them in to you, slow. Throw your arms out to the said and take off with a little jump. Then when the kids start to fall, you say "oh, Sara has crashed"etc...Then you do it again, again. 5-18-98 Name: Lynn Williams E-Mail: hogerly@ix.netcom.com Take a bucket of water and 3" paint brushes with you to the playground. Let the children "paint" the playground equipment, walls, fence, sidewalk, etc. with water. I tried this with 3 year olds and they stayed busy for 15 minutes. 3-29-98 Name: Carol E-Mail: apple@wantree.com.au Here are some games to play - using BEAN BAGS. Tic Tac Toe: draw a grid 3 x 3 (each 2 feet square) equipment: 9 bean bags Children take turns to throw bean bags at grid - aim is to get 3 in a row. Relay (teams): equipment: 2 hoops and a bean bag per team. Children stand in line and first player runs and puts bean bag into the hoop, then runs back and touches right hand of next child. Action is repeated until each child has had a turn - then all sit down. Frozen Bean Bag: (whole group) equipment: bean bag for each child. Children move around balancing bean bag on their heads (or specified body part) until bean bag falls. Then they must freeze until someone puts the bean bag back onto their head without dropping own bean bag. Over - Under Relay (teams): equipment: bean bag per team - 6 - 8 children per team Children stand in line and pass bean bag over - under - over - under down line to last child, who then runs to front and repeats movement. Continue until first child is back at front of line - all sit down. Over the Head Relay (teams): equipment: one bean bag per team chair per child Children sit on chairs behind each other and pass the bean bag over their heads to last child who then runs to front chair and "yells" 'change!' All move to the chair behind and continue until all are back on original chair. Bean Bag Toss (teams of 5): equipment: bean bag per child Children sit on the floor behind each other and pass the bean bags over their heads to last child. When all the bean bags are at back the last child calls 'turn', everyone turns around and begin to pass the bean bags back to leader - when all bean bags are back to leader children stand up and raise hands. Bean Bag Pitch (teams): equipment: bean bag per child bucket per team Children stand in line behind mark on floor/ground, 5 - 6 feet from bucket. On 'GO!', each child has turn to toss their bean bag into the bucket, going to end of line after turn. If they miss the bucket - collect bean bag and have another turn. Fox and the Goose: equipment: 2 bean bags Children make a large circle and pass a bean bag (goose) from hand to hand. When the 'goose' is halfway around the circle, start passing the second bean bag (fox). Can the fox catch the goose? Bean Bag Scatter: equipment: bucketful of bean bags Teacher throws bean bags all around and children run to collect them and bring them back to the bucket. Aim is for teacher to keep bucket empty - children to keep bean bags in it! Bean Bag Toss (2 teams): equipment: bucket of bean bags per team (at least 1 per child); rope Divide playing area in half with rope (attached to keep in place on ground if possible). Team on each half of court with bean bags. Children toss bean bags over the rope into other half. Aim is to try and keep bean bags in other team's area. As children get more adept at this - raise the rope so they have to throw bean bags over it. 3-26-98 Name: Carol E-Mail: apple@wantree.com.au Should anyone want games - passive and active, have a look at the following site. There are 250 games indexed with instructions on how to play them. Have tried some with my 5 year olds and they were most enjoyable. www.corpcomm.net/~gnieboer/ I printed them off and bound them - only 58 pages in all! Name: Cheryl E-Mail: bolts@doubled.com Paint the Snow Recycle old spray bottles by filling them with water and adding a few drops of food coloring. If the bottle has a spray or stream option put it on stream so the color is focused more in one place. Give the bottles to the children and watch them paint the snow! Name: Karen E-Mail: kbuck9219@earthlink.net BODY CHALK Teacher outlines the child with chalk and then the child color it in (make face, clothes etc..) Submitted by: Jean E-mail: mjg74@dfs.the-link.net Caterpillar Hopscotch My class LOVES to play "Caterpillar Hopscotch." out on the side walk. Using sidewalk chalk, draw circles (vary the sizes of the circles some) until you have the length of caterpillar you want. Make a face and antenna on the first circle and draw simple legs on the other circles. The kids like to help draw our caterpillar. On some of the circles, draw a vertical line down the middle of them and leave some with no lines. Some of them can jump with a foot on each side of the line then jump into the plain circle with both feet together. Sometimes they hop on one foot on the unlined circles and both feet on the lined ones. Some of them just run through him (the younger kids). Lots of motor skills are used in this game. The kids hop and jump till they're exhausted! And it's so much fun too!! Now they draw caterpillars every time they get a piece of chalk. It's an easy game for them to do on their own if they want, such as drawing it in the sand at home. It's also a great extension to use after reading/acting out "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Name: Sue E-Mail: sruger36@sunline.net BUBBLES ARE ALWAYS GREAT FOR OUTDOORS. BUY THE LARGE CONTAINER OF BUBBLES. MAKE SMALL BUBBLE BLOWERS BY CUTTING PIPE CLEANERS IN HALF AND TWISTING ONE END INTO A CIRCLE. GIVE EACH CHILD A PAPER CUP OR USE CUPS FROM THE SAND BOX. Name: Angela E-Mail: KATZ1031@aol.com Name: Angela E-Mail: KATZ1031@aol.com A walk in the grass: 1. Let's take a walk in the grass. Everyone stretch! Take a deep breath.. Shake your legs, one at a time. Now we are ready! The teacher says, "Follow me! I wonder what we'll see on our walk?" 2. Walk briskly around the playground. Explain that we need to loosen up our muscles. 3. Pretend to approach a thick jungle. It is too thick to walk through. We need to crawl! 4.There's a large lake in the distance. Run to it. Stop at the edge and jump in. Pretend to swim in the lake. 5. When you get out of the lake you see a giant mud puddle. Let's jump in! Roll around in the mud. Rub it on your face and arms. Have a mud fight! 6. Now we need some rain to wash off the mud. Sit in a circle. Listen for rain. Begin to slap your knees, first one and then the other. Do it faster. Dance in the rain! 7. Next we arrive at a mountain to climb. Climb a climbing structure on the playground or slide down a slide. 8. When you come down from the mountain you see a merry-go-round. Go for a ride! Everyone hold hands to form a circle. Start walking slowly around.. Now faster. Lean back. 9. Your walk in the grass is almost over. Walk slowly. Look around. What do you see? What do you hear? Lay on the grass. Let your bodies sink into the earth. What a wonderful walk! More to do: Go on a surprise walk. See an unexpected bear. Run! Find a hiding place. Send someone out to see if the bear has gone away. Then resume walk. Try a dinosaur,etc. :o) Enjoy! Name: Angela E-Mail: KATZ1031@aol.com Name: Angela E-Mail: KATZ1031@aol.com Frog in the grass: Materials-green rubber frogs-at least four, or cut out frog shapes from green posterboard. 1. Have children stand in a line in a designated area. This area should be at the far side of a yard. 2. Ask the children to close their eyes. The teacher places the frogs on the grass in different spots, as far away from each other as possible. Now yell, "Frog In the Grass!" 3. The children run and try to spot a frog. When they do, they grab it so it won't hop away! 4. Play it again! As an option, choose a child to hide the frogs in the grass. More to do- Go on a variety of grass hunts. Hide rubber snakes or make them. Hide green ladybugs or green grasshoppers. :o) Ages 3 and up. Name: Angela E-Mail: KATZ1031@aol.com Gas station Set up a semi-permanent gas station on the playground. Attach an old hose to a post for use as a gas hose and use other hoses for air and water. Label. Place a "tool box" near the gas station with toy tools. Tool box should be portable for storage after a day of use. Submitted by: Daylene E-Mail: aactchrday@aol.com Try adding a music center outside. Provide: Submitted by: Daylene E-Mail: aactchrday@aol.com Things to add to liven up your playground Sidewalk Area: Chalk- regular or large size Water table with water, cornstarch, flour, rice, mud, bubbles, etc. Woodworking bench or a large log for the children to pound nails into Bean bag games Paper for foot printing Puppet theater Outdoor writing center Outdoor library (use old books) Easel Playground Walking boards Large cubes Jump ropes Parachute Paper on fence for mural painting Old sheet on fence and squirt bottles filled with diluted tempera paint for "spray" murals Set up an obstacle course Sheets hung over play equipment to make tents Cardboard boxes- many different sizes Hose for water play Trikes with cones, stop signs, etc. Set up a trike obstacle course Tape recorder for creative movement along with scarves, shakers, streamers, and musical instruments Designate a part of your playground area as a garden. Have the children plant and tend to it during playground time. Submitted by: Stephanie E-Mail: Stephanie_Rottmayer@Convene.com Activity Bring a few pieces of equipment from inside your school to the outside. This will encourage new play patterns and themes among the kids. Submitted by: Diana E-Mail: BOOBear128@aol.com Activity Homemade hand toss Materials plastic milk jugs wooden spools string scissors Procedure Cut off the bottoms of the plastic milk jugs. Tie one end of string onto spools, the other ends of string get threaded into the top opening of the jug, screwing the cap on tightly to keep the string anchored. Turn the jug over and start tossing the spool into the jug! Submitted by: Ginny E-Mail: Msginnyedu@aol.com Activity I have been using the large rectangular open weave bread trays that
the bakery delivers bread on to create all kinds of fun outdoor activities. The children
have made shape "circles" outside and played games using the trays as their
base; we put 4 trays under our water table outside so that the water went through the
slats to the ground so little feet didn't get muddy; we made a hopscotch using the trays.
The kids have really enjoyed them and have had much creative fun outdoors using these
trays.
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