Daily Plans For Active Preschoolers

FOR 1 7
8 0 READY-TO-USE DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS

FOR CHILDREN AGES 3-5
1
JUDYGALLOWAY LYNETTE IVEY GLORIAVALSTER
I t's no secret that the toughest part of any preschool teacher's job is planning the
daily activities. That's why this complete collection of 80 ready-to-use daily activity
plans for children ages 3-5 might very well be your most important and valuable
teaching tool.
Organized into 10 teaching units: Fall, Spring, Self Concept, Food and Fun, Holidays,
Clothing, Bears, Nursery Rhymes, Things That Go Together, and Songs-each one
of these daily plans includes reproducible songs, games, and activities that help chil-
dren develop fine and gross motor skills, as well as skills related to music, math,
science, language, and reading. Moreover, they'll save you countless hours of prep-
aration time.
Here's just a brief look at what this book features.. .
SPRING-Daily themes and activities are centered around noticeable signs of
spring and simple science facts. Includes Daily Plans for Rain Day, Bunny Day,
Bird Day, and more.
FOOD A N D FUN-Concepts of measuring are taught each day as children
cook and bake different types of food. Includes Daily Plans for Cookie Monster's
Birthday, Apple Day, Pie Day, and more.
FLAIR FOR FASHION-These crafts and activities center around different
articles of clothing. Children use zippers, buttons, and snaps to enhance their fine
motor skills. Includes Daily Plans for Pants Day, Socks and Shoes Day, Mitten
Day, and more.
NURSERY RHYMES-Children will enjoy listening to and reciting these fa-
miliar musical tunes and rhymes. The songs are used to develop language and
listening skills, as well as a child's attention span. Includes Daily Plans for Three
Men is a Tub Day, Ant Day, Thumb Day, and more.
And to make it easy to complete these daily plans, each one is organized into five
sections: Arrival, Opening, Craft, Freeplay, and Closing. Each section includes sample
teacher dialogue, reproducible activities, and easy-to-follow directions and teaching
suggestions. In addition, each daily plan includes book recommendations and craft
projects that will stimulate learning in young children.
Judy Galloway, B.S., Southern Illinois University, has been a teacher and a day care director for
more than 15 years. She is currently the director of the Children's Playshop, a preschool and
prekindergarten center in Pella, Iowa.
Gloria - -
' , B.A., Central College, has been teaching preschool for nine years. In 1984-85, she
publish,, ,..lagazine for early childhood educators with the co-authors. For the past eight years,
she has been a preschool teacher at the Children's Playshop.
Lynette lvey, B.S., University of Wisconsin, has taught young children for 18years. She co-founded
the Children's Playshop, where she taught for seven years. Currently, she is a reading teacher for
preschool through grade 5 in New Hampshire.
C250b-4 I S B N 0-87628-250-8
Cover Design B y Juan S. DeGuzman
3UDY GALLQWAY LYNETTE IVEY GLORIA VALSTER
THE CENTER FOR APPLIED

RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
West Nyack, New York 10995
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PubUcation
Data
Galloway, Judy, 1950-
Daily plans for active preschoolers :80 ready-to-use daily
activity plans for children ages 3-5 1Judy Galloway, Lynette Ivex
Gloria Valster.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-87628-250-8
1.Education, Preschool-Activity programs. 2. Creative
activities and seat work. I. Ivey, Lynette, 1945- .
11.Valster, Gloria, 1947- . 111.Center for Applied Research in
Education. IV.Title.
LB1140.35.C74G36 1990 90-33546
372.5-dc20 CIP
Q 1990 by The Center for Applied Research in Education

All rights reserved.
Permission is given for individual classmxn teachers to reproduce
the pages and illustrations for classroom use. Reproduction of these
materials for an entire school system is strictly forbidden.
Printed in the United States of America
20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 ll
ISBN 0-87h28-250-8
TfIE~FORAPPLiED~CII
@
- IN EDUCATION
West Nyack, NY 10994
A Simon & Schuster Company
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Editora Prentice-Hall do Brasil, Ltda., Rio de Janeiro
About the Authors
The three coauthors of Daily Plans for Active Preschoolers have a combined
experience of over forty years in early childhood education. They began working
together in 1980 when they cofounded The Children's Playshop, a preschool for
three-year-olds, in Pella, Iowa.
Judy Galloway, B.S., Southern Illinois University, has been a director and
teacher of preschool, day care, and Head Start for more than fifteen years. Cur-
rently, she is the director of The Children's Playshop, which is now a preschool
and prekindergarten. She is in her 8th year of teaching Early Childhood I and
11 classes at Central College in Pella.
Gloria Valster, B.A., Central College, taught first grade for three years in
Albia, Iowa. For the past eight years, she has been a preschool teacher at The
Children's Playshop.
Lynette Ivey, B.S., University of Wisconsin, has taught young children for
eighteen years. She was a teacher of grades 1-3 in Wisconsin and Illinois schools
for eleven years before cofounding The Children's Playshop, where she taught for
seven years. Mrs. Ivey is presently a Chapter 1reading teacher in Derry, New
Hampshire.
Acknowledgments
Specific material was used and permission granted from the following authors:
Carol Beckman, Roberta Simmons, and Nancy Thomas, "Lady Bug Race"
(p. 151)from Channels to Children:Early Childhood Activity Guide for Holidays
and Seasons, Copyright 01982.
Phyllis Halloran, "Amazin' " from i'd like to hear a flower grow and other
poems, Copyright 01985.
Tamara Hunt and Nancy Renfro, giraffe puppet, from Puppetry in Early
Childhood, Copyright 01982.
National Wildlife Federation, "Feely Board" (Series 11 September issue) from
Your Big Backyard.
Dick Wilmes, "Ouch" from Everyday Circle Times, Copyright 01983.
Some very special people have helped to make this book possible. We
would like to say thank you . . .
. . .to all the children and parents who believed in us as we "founded"

The Children's Playshop. Through your encouragement, support,
and love for learning these plans evolved.
. . .to Marla Kettler who drew the picture on the front cover.
, . .to Matt and Mark Ivey for the illustrations you drew.
. ..to Evelyn Bandstra for the many hours of typing and computer in-
struction you unselfishly provided.
. . .to our families and friends for their moral support.
. . .to the "big" people across the hall who patiently and silently listen
and watch as our eager "little" people learn!
Enjoy!!
Judy, Lynette, Gloria

About Daily Plans for Active Preschoolers
Dear Early Childhood Educator:
Whether you are a preschool teacher, children's librarian, play group leader, or
day care director, you will find our book Daily Plans for Active Preschoolers in-
valuable. The book will save you countless hours by organizing games and activities
around daily themes and grouping related daily plans into units. Moreover, we
have used these plans successfully in our own classrooms and can virtually
guarantee that they will work effectively for you!
For easy use, we have followed a uniform format in presenting all of the plans.
Each daily plan begins with a PREPARATION section headed "To the Teacher."
This is followed by sections for ARRIVAL, OPENING, CRAFT, FREEPLAY, and
CLOSING. We realize that you will use these plans to best fit your schedule. How-
ever, we like to encourage all children to be in a large group for the OPENING
and CLOSING activities. Hopefully, all children will find time and interest to parti-
cipate in activities offered during FREEPLAY.
The various books and records recommended throughout these daily plans
are ones that we have used and found to be favorites. The activities included develop
small motor, visual discrimination, listening, shape and color recognition, and
cognitive skills and enhance creativity. Our experience is that most early child-
hood educators want open-ended suggestions and innovative stimulation in order
to bring out each child's creativity and uniqueness.
As you review these plans, please notice that the reproducibles are for your
use and not the children's. Those that are included a t the end of each teaching
unit are meant to help you prepare games and visual aids. We have also provided
notes to be sent home to parents.
Children aged 3-5 years are eager to try new things, and they learn a great
deal from exposure to new thoughts and ideas. Our hope is that these plans will
help you find new activities for the children in your class to explore and enjoy.
Daily Plans for Active Preschoolers is packed full of versatile activities and ideas
allowing you to personalize your own program and make both teaching and learn-
ing a joy.
Judy Galloway
Lynette Ivey
Gloria Valster
tis ttPage intentionally left blk
Contents
About the Authors iii
About Daily Plans fir Active Preschoolers. ...................................v

UNIT1 HELLOSPRING 1
ChickenDay ........................................................2
Preparation Arrival: Homemade Biscuits Opening: Story Craft:
Little Red Hen Freephy: Name Outlines, Listen-and-Do Bread Slices,
Chicken and Egg Game Closing: Bread Talk, "Old MacDonald Had a
Farm"
Butterfly Day ........................................................4
Preparation Arrivak Breakfast Butterflies Opening: Butterfly Talk,
Butterfly Puppet, Fingerplay Craft: Foot Butterflies Freeplay:
Colored Butterflies, Flannel Board Butterflies Closing: Story
Bird Day ............................................................6
Preparation Arrival: Edible Nests Opening: Bird Talk, Reeord
Craft: Shape Bird Houses Freeplay: Signs of Spring Bulletin Board,
Play Dough Nests and Eggs, Donations to a Bird's Nest Closing: Story
Rain Day. .......................................................... .8
Preparation Arrival: Who Is Missing Game,Fingerplay Opening:
Rain Talk, "Clouds," Make a Rainbow with a Prism Craft: Spool
Painting Freeplay: Water Absorption Experiments, Hidden Shapes,
Cloud Shapes Closing: Story
Spider Day ......................................................... 10
Preparation Arrivak "There's a Spider on the Floor," Fingerplay
Opening: Spider Talk, "Little Miss MufTet" Craft: Marble Paint Spider
Webs Freeplay: Spider Web, Acting Out Miss Muffet, Button Spiders
Closing: Story
Bunny Day .........................................................12
Preparation * Arrival: Bunny Cake Opening: Bunny Talk, Here's a
Bunny Fingerplay, "Bunny Hop" Craft: Tube Bunny Freeplay:
Counting Cotton Balls, Sound Eggs, Rabbit Mural Closing: Story,
Recording
Seed Day. ..........................................................14
Preparation Arrival: Sorting Seeds Opening: Seed Talk, Creative
Expression Craft: Seed Squares Freeplay: Plant Collage, Musical
Chairs, The Number Garden Closing: Story
Contents
Spring Day .........................................................

16
Preparation Arrival: Flower Hunt Opening: Spring Talk, Flannel
Board Story Craft: Corncob Flower Freeplay: Mosaic Flowers,
Planting Marigolds, Sorting Flowers Closing: Fingerplay, Story
UNIT 1 REPRODUCIBLES:
Chicken Day-Opening (2) Seed Day-Arrival
Chicken Day-Craft Spring Day-Arrival
Bird Day-Activity 1 Spring Day-Opening
Rain Day-Arrival Spring Day-Closing
Bunny Day-Opening
UNIT 2 ALL ABOUT ME 25
Me, My Friends, and I Day. .........................................26

Preparation Arrival: Happy Face Cookies, Fingerplay Opening: My
Friend and I Talk, Record Craft: Happy Face Freeplay: Comparing
Heights, Handprint Rainbow, Friend Concentration Closing: Story
HeadandNeckDay .................................................28
Preparation Arrival: Cookie Decorating Opening: Records, Bulletin
Board, Head and Neck Talk Craft: Shape Giraffe Freeplay: Picture
Die, Missing Feature, Simon Says Closing: Story
EyeDay ...........................................................30
Preparation Arrival: Science Table Opening: Eye Talk, Music,
Bulletin Board Craft: Color My World Freeplay: What's Missing
Tray, Matching Pictures, Marvelous Moving Colors Closing: Story
Preparation Arrival: Listen and Do Opening: Ear Talk, Following

Directions, Bulletin Board, Fingerplay Craft: Rabbit Shaker
Freeplay: Identifying Sounds, Find the Clock, Sound Mural Closing:
Whisper Game, Story
NoseDay ..........................................................34
Preparation Arrival: Pizza Party Opening: Nose Talk, Bulletin Board,
Record Craft: Scented Flowers Freeplay: Smelling Tray, Beanbag
Toss, Smelly Cards Closing: Story
Hand andFinger Day ...............................................36
Preparation Arrival: Texture Tubs Opening: Hand and Finger Talk,
Record, Bulletin Board, Story Craft: Fingerprint Worms Freeplay:
Paper Cutting, Feely Box, Texture Art Closing: Story
Foot Day ........................................................... 38
Preparation Arrival: Follow the Footprints Opening: Foot Talk,
Footplay, Records, Bulletin Board Craft: Dirty Feet Freeplay: Feeling
with the Feet, Finding Shoes, Matching Shoes with Outlines Closing:
story
Contents &
Mouth Day .........................................................40

Preparation Arrival: Create a Clown Opening: Mouth Talk,
Fingerplay, Bulletin Board Craft: My Healthy Meal Freeplay: Health
Food Tasting, Food Groups, Five Senses Olympics Closing: Story
Me, My Friends, and I Day-Opening
Head and Neck Day-Craft
Head and Neck Day-Arrival
Eye Day-Craft
UNIT 3 FALL FANTASY 45
Three Billy Goats Gruff Day. ........................................46

Preparation Arrival: Recording Opening: Story Craft: Feely
Boards Freeplay: Acting Out the Story, Peanut Butter Spread Snack,
Measuring Shadows Closing: Categorizing Natural Objects, Listening
to Sounds in Nature
Tree Day ...........................................................48
Preparation Arrival: Friendship Tree Opening: Tree Talk, Creative
Movement Craft: Reverse Stencil of Tree Freeplay: Leaf Person,
Categorizing, Scarecr6w7sGarden Bulletin Board Closing: Story
Ladybug Day ....................................................... 50
Preparation Arrival: Painted Rocks Opening: Ladybug Talk, Story
Craft: Ladybug Paperweight Freeplay: Ladybug Race, Class Book,
Ladybug Spots, Bulletin Board Ladybugs Closing: Class Book
ScarecrowDay ..................................................... 52
Preparation Arrival: Bulletin Board Opening: Scarecrow Talk,
Story Craft: Scarecrow Freeplay: Beanbag Fun, Story Review,
Crowns Closing: Scarecrow Scramble
MonsterDay ....................................................... 54
Preparation Arrival: Monster Cookie Opening: Story, Music Craft:
Fingerpaint Monster Freeplay: Obstacle Course, Listening Center, Play
Dough Closing: Monster Talk, Guessing Game
PumpkinDay ......................................................56
Preparation Arrival: Pumpkin Snack Opening: Story, Pumpkin
Talk Craft: Orange Printing, Bulletin Board Freeplay: Acting Out
the Story, Carving a Jack-o-Lantern, Visual Discrimination, Throwing
Pumpkins into the Pumpkin Patch Closing: Recording, "Five Little
Pumpkins"
Witch Day .......................................................... 58
Preparation Arrival: Cutting Shapes Opening: Story Craft: Egg
Carton Witch Freeplay: Witch Jewelry, Witch's House, Witches' Brew
Closing: Recording, "Move Around the Color"
GhostDay ....................................................... 60
Preparation 0 Arrival: Where Is Thumbkin? Opening: Ghost Talk, A
Book of Ghosts Craft: Fingerprint Ghosts Freeplay: Halloween
Riddles, Bulletin Board, Chalk Dust Ghosts Closing: Story
Three Billy Goats Gruff Day- Ghost Day-Arrival
Opening (2) Ladybug Day-Activity 2
Three Billy Goats Gruff Day- Scarecrow Day-Opening: "A
Activity 2 Scarecrow Without a Name"
Tree Day-Arrival Witch Day-Opening
Tree Day--Craft Ghost Day-Activity 1
Ladybug Day-Arrival
UNIT 4 FOOD AND FUN 73
Preparation Arrival: Class Birthday Cake, MGn Cupcakes Opening:

Let's Celebrate, Where, Oh Where is Todd? Craft: Birthday Cake
Freeplay: Jack Be Nimble, Birthday Cards, Growth Chart Closing:
story
Cookie Monster's Birthday. .........................................76
Preparation Arrival: Make Cookies Opening: Cookie Monster Ta&,
Records Craft: Cookie Monster Freeplay: Blindfold Game, Bulletin
Board, Paper Cookies Closing: Story
AppleDay .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preparation Arrival: Apple Dumplings Opening: Apple Talk, Poem
Craft: Apple Prints Freeplay: AppleiWorm Match, Flannel Board
Apples and Worm, Apple Match Closing: Story
F'ruit Day ........................................................... 80
Preparation Arrival: Bird Feeding Opening: Fruit Talk, Hot
Banana Craft: Fruit Painting Freeplay: Mini Fruit Kabobs, Fruit
Collage, Fruit Concentration Closing: Story
Popcorn Day .......................................................82
Preparation Arrivak Make Popcorn Opening: Popcorn Talk, Record
Craft: Smoke Circles Freeplay: Edible Popcorn Circles, Popcorn
Number Game, Color Bingo Closing: Poppin' Popcorn, Story
Pie Day ................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M
Preparation Arrivak Blueberry Pie Opening: Pie Talk, Bulletin
Board Craft: Blueberry Pie Freeplay: Play Dough Pies, Water Play,
Number Matching Game Closing: Story
Cornbread Day .....................................................86
Preparation Arrival: Cornbread Muffins Opening: Cornbread Talk,
Make Butter Craft: The Mufin Man Freeplay: Paper Plate Shakers,
Cornmeal Designs, Counting Kernels Closing: Story
Contents d
Turkey Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 8
Preparation Arrival: Handprint Opening: Turkey Talk, Fingerplay,
Story Craft: Handprint Turkey Fraeplay: Fringing Feathers, Fun
with Magnets, Painting with Feathers Closing: Bulletin Board
Let's Celebrate!-Arrival Fruit Day-Opening
Let's Celebrate!-Craft Fruit Day-Craft
Apple Day-Craft Fruit Day-Activity 3
Cookie Monster's Birthday-Craft Turkey Day-Activity 2
UNIT 5 HAPPY HOLIDAYS 99
Cookie Jar Day .......................................................

Preparation Arrival: Design a Lid Opening: Cookie Jar Talk, Story
Craft: Decorate a Cookie Jar Freeplay: Cookie Jar Lid Game, Bulletin
Board, Design a Cookie Jar Closing: Music, "Circle Game"
Cookie Day. .......................................................I02

Preparation Arrival: Make Cookies Opening: Cookie Talk Craft:
Bulletin Board Cookies Freeplay: Finish Cookie Jar, Class Book, "Who
Took the Cookie?" Closing: Story
Mouse Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 4
Preparation Arrival: Cutting Shapes Opening: Mouse Talk, Hickory
Dickory Dock Craft: Shape Mouse Freeplay: Ringing the Chimes,
Lacing Boards, Circle Game Closing: Story
Star Day.. ....................................................... .I06

Preparation Arrival: Spatter Paint Opening: Dough Ornaments, Star
Talk Craft: Night Scene Freeplay: Dough Ornaments, The Big
Dipper, Star Game Closing: Story
BoxDay .............................................................
Preparation Arrival: Star Shine Opening: Box Talk, Story Craft:
Clay Surprises! Freeplay: Passing Boxes, Acting to a Song, Spatial
Relationships Closing: Jack in the Box, Story
Wrapping Paper Day ...............................................llO

Preparation Arrival: My Favorite Paper Opening: Wrapping Paper
Talk, Book, Record Craft: Wrapping Paper Freeplay: Categorizing
Wrapping Paper, Mr. Wrapping Paper Worm, Wrap a Box Closing:
story
Ribbon and Bow Day ..............................................112

Preparation Arrival: Ribbon Fun Opening: Ribbon and Bow Talk,
Shape Pictures Craft: Triangle Creations Freeplay: Triangle
Rhythms, Simon Says, Counting Ribbon Closing: Story
Contents
Giving and Sharing Day.. .........................................I14

Preparation Arrival: Music, "Sharing Song" Opening: Giving and
Sharing Talk, Story Craft: Greeting Cards Freeplay: Wrap a Star,
Take a Picture of a Friend, Beanbag Friends Closing: A Pair of
Friends
Cookie Jar Day-Opening Wrapping Paper Day-Arrival
Cookie Jar Day-Activity 3 Ribbon and Bow Day-Arrival
Cookie Jar Day-Craft Wrapping Paper Day-Opening (2)
Cookie Day-Arrival Giving and Sharing Day-Arrival
Mouse Day-Opening Giving and Sharing Day-Closing (2)
Star Day-Activity 2
UNIT 6 FLAIR FOR FASHION 127
Pocket Day ........................................................128

Preparation Arrival: Pocket Count Opening: Pocket Talk, Stretch
Your Imagination, Will It Fit? Craft: Shape Pockets Freeplay: Guess
the Object, Apron Bulletin Board, Kara the Kangaroo Closing: Story
CapDay .......................................................... 130
Preparation Arrival: Cap Tricks! Opening: Cap Talk, Kara's Pouch
Check, Story Craft: Lot's of Caps! Freeplay: Monkey Games,
Dramatization, Whose Hat? Closing: Music
Pants Day ......................................................... 132
Preparation Arrival: Loop to Loop Opening: Kara's Pouch Check,
Pants Talk, Pants Pantomime Craft: Ants in the Pants Freeplay:
Matching Top and Bottom, Ants on the Pants Game, Pants Relay
Closing: Story
Socks and Shoes Day .............................................. 134
Preparation Arrival: Sock It to Me Opening: Kara's Pouch Check,
Music, Socks and Shoes Talk Craft: Nail Painting Freeplay: Whose
Shoes? The Great Sock Sort, Great Sock Relay Closing: Story
Coat Day .......................................................... 136
Preparatwn Arrival: Snap, Zip, Button Opening: Kara's Pouch
Check, Coat Talk, Story Craft: Designer Coats Freeplay: Manila
Folder Game, Coat Puzzles, Button Sort Closing: Music
Mitten Day.. ......................................................I38
Preparation Arrival: The Three Little Kittens Opening: Mitten Talk,
Kara's Pouch Check, Ready for Preschool Craft: My Own Mittens
Freeplay: Clothing Game, Make Believe, Pairing Mittens Closing:
story
Apron Day ........................................................ 140
Preparatwn Arrival: This Is Puzzling! Opening: Kara's Pouch Check,
Apron Talk, Teacher's Apron Craft: Cook's Apron Freeplay: Play
Dough Shapes, Counting Shapes, Easel Drawings Closing: Story
Contents dlf
Closet Day ........................................................I42

Preparation Arrival: Clothing Count Opening: Kara's Pouch Check,
Joey Says, Closet Talk Craft: Shoebox Closet Freeplay: Flannel
Board Closet, Who's Missing?, Dress For the Weather Closing: Story,
Record
Cap Day-Arrival-Opening (2) Mitten Day-Craft
Mitten Day-Opening Apron Day-Arrival (4)
Socks and Shoes Day-Opening (2) Closet Day-Craft
Coat Day-Craft (2) Closet Day-Activity 1
UNIT 7 BEAR WITH US 157
Circus Bear Day ...................................................158

Preparation Arrival: Make an Orange Frosty Opening: Circus Talk,
Story Craft: Circus Unicycle Freeplay: Three-Ring Circus, High Wire
Artist, Let's Be a Clown, Board Game Closing: Circle Game
Teddy Bear Day ................................................... 160
Preparation Arrival: Teddy Bear Fun Opening: Introduce Your
Friends, Story Craft: Corduroy Freeplay: Dress-up Bear, Corduroy's
Button, Bears for Sale Bulletin Board Closing: Button, Button, Who
Has the Button?
Blueberry Bears Day ...............................................162
Preparation Arrival: Muffin Bake Opening: Blueberry Talk, Story
Craft: Blueberry Bushes Freeplay: Blueberries Anyone?, Blueberry
Count, Cloth Swatch Match Closing: Music
Valentine Bears Day ............................................... 164
Preparation Arrival: Sweetheart Snack Opening: Valentine Talk,
Story Craft: Valentine Prints Freeplay: Fishing for Hearts, Flannel
Board Sequence, Sweetheart Bulletin Board Closing: Five Fancy
Envelopes
Winter Bears Day ..................................................166
Preparation Arrival: Stencil Painting Opening: Bear Talk, Story
Craft: Bears in Winter Freeplay: Bulletin Board Mountain, Tracks in
the Snow, Bear Paw Cookies Closing: "The Bear Went over the
Mountain"
Polar Bear Day ....................................................168
Preparation Arrival: Ice Cream Opening: Polar Bear Talk, Science,
Story Craft: Fluffy Polar Bears Freeplay: Snowball Roll, A Bear's
Feast, Ice Cube Pass Closing: Poetry
Panda Bear Day ................................................... 170
Preparation Arrival: Sharpen Your Cutting Skills! Opening: Panda
Bear Talk, Story Craft: Miss Panda Freeplay: Picture Bulletin Board
(Opposites), Color Scramble, Patterning Closing: Panda Bear!
Contents
ThreeBears Day ...................................................172

Preparation Arrival: Painting Opening: Story, Three Bears Talk
Craft: Three Bears Freeplay: Dramatization, Big-Bigger-Biggest, Bear
Match Bulletin Board Closing: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Feed the
Bear
Teddy Bear Day-Arrival Polar Bear Day-Craft
Winter Bears Day-Activity 3 Panda Bear Day-Craft
Teddy Bear Day-Craft and Activity 1 Panda Bear Day-Activity 1(3)
Teddy Bear Day-Activity 1 Three Bears Day-Closing
UNIT 8 OLD FAVORITES 183
JackandJUDay ...................................................1&4
Preparation Arrival: "The Opposite" Opening: "Jack and Jill,"
Opposite Talk, Bulletin Board Craft: Jack or Jill Freeplay: Jack
Says, I Wonder, Happy and Sad Clowns Closing: Story
Jack and the Beanstalk Day. .......................................I86
Preparation Arrival: Giant and Tiny Cookies Opening: Story,
Growing a Beanstalk Crafk A Nest of Golden Eggs Freeplay: Climb
the Beanstalk Game, Match the Golden Eggs, Beanskdk Bulletin
Board Closing: Recording, Sequence Cards
Old King Cole Day.. ...............................................I88
Preparation Arrival: Crowning the Bufletin Board Opening: "Old
King Cole" Craft: King's Royal Robe Freeplay: Bowling Game,
Dramatization, Putting Jewels on a Crown Closing: Story
Humpty Dumpty Day ..............................................190
Preparation Arrival: Cutting Bricks, Bulletin Board Opening: Egg
Talk, "Humpty Dumpty" Craft: Humpty and His Wall Freeplay:
Scrambled Eggs, Putting Humpty Back Together Closing: Story
Jack Be Nimble Day ...............................................192
Preparation Arrival: Fingerpainting Opening: Candle Talk, Science,
Bulletin Board Craftr Candle Making Freeplay: Maze Game, Jumping
Contest, Candle Fun Closing: Story
Gingerbread Boy Day ..............................................194
Preparation Arrival: Gingerbread Cookies, Bulletin Board Opening:
Story Craft: Gingerbread Boy * Freeplay: Listening Game, Escaping
the Fox, Bulletin Board Gingerbread Boy Closing: Name Something
Brown, Find the Color
Hey Diddle DiddleDay .............................................196
Preparation Arrival: Bulletin Board Openzng: Recording, Recite
Poem, Hey Diddle Diddle Talk Craft: Jump over the Moon Freeplay:
Milk Shakes, Jump the Moon, Let's Take a Trip Closing: Story
Three Little Pigs Day ..............................................198
Preparation Arrival: Bulletin Board Opening: Story, Pig Talk,
Recording Craft: Easel Paint Freeplay: Number Beanbag, Fairy Tale
Concentration, Huff and Puff Closing: "Old MacDonald"
Jack and Jill Day-Opening Gingerbread Boy Day-Arrival
Jack and Jill Day-Activity 3 Gingerbread Boy Day-Craft and Closing
Jack and the Beanstalk Day-Closing Hey Diddle Diddle Day-Opening
Humpty Dumpty Day-Activity 3 Three Little Pigs Day-Activity 2
Jack Be Nimble Day-Activity 1 Three Little Pigs Day-Closing (2)
UNIT 9 THINGS THAT GO TOGETHER 211
Needles and Pinrr Day ..............................................212

Preparation Arrival: Pinhead Painting Opening: Needles and Pins
Talk, Song Craft: Pincushion Freeplay: Quilting, Pin Porcupine,
See-through Shapes Closing: Story
Spool and Thread Day .............................................214

Preparation Arrival: Spool and Thread Snack Opening: Spool and
Thread Talk, Button Sewing, Choose Your Color Craft: Spool
Painting Freeplay: Yarn Winding, Spool Garages, Spool Stacking
Closing: Story
Bat and Ball Day. ................................................ .216

Preparation Arrival: Baseball Cookies Opening: Bat and Ball Talk,
Music, Story Craft: Easel Painting Freeplay: Baseball Game, Eraser
Painting, Scoreboard Game Closing: Out to the Game
Hammer and Nail Day .............................................218

Preparatwn Arrival: Pound-a-Rhythm Opening: Hammer and Nail
Talk, Song Crafi: Nailhead Painting Freeplay: Pound That Hammer,
Nail Bowling, Tall and Short Nails Closing: Story
Bee andHoney Day ................................................220

Preparation Arrival: Biscuits and Honey Opening: Bee Talk,
Fingerplay Craft: Bee and Hive Freeplay: Find the Flower, Bulletin
Board Bees, Take the Bees Home Closing: Story
SlimandTrimDay ................................................. 222

Preparation Arrival: Aerobics Opening: Health Talk, Can You Feel
the Beat? Craft: Totbells! Freeplay: Relays, Odd O b j d Out, Beanbag
Toss Closing: Story, Exercising
Sand and Sea Day .................................................224

Preparation 0 Arrivak Beach Ball Fun Opening: Beach Talk, Recording
Craft: Sand Castle Freeplay: Sand Table, Finding Seashells, Beach
Bingo Closing: Story
Contents
Boat and Dock Day. .............................................. .226

Preparation Arrival: Watercolors Opening: Boat Talk, Recording
Cmft: Docking Your Boat Freeplay: Manila Folder Game, Sail the
Ocean, Go Fishing Closing: Story
Needles and Pins Day-Craft Sand and Sea Day-Arrival
Bat and Ball Day-Craft Sand and Sea Day-Craft (3)
Slim and Trim Day-Arrival Sand and Sea Day-Activity 3
UNIT 10 SONGS AND RHYMES 235
Duck Day .........................................................236

Preparation Arrival: Cutting Opening: Duck Talk, Song Craft:
Sponge Painting Freeplay: Float and Sink, Pond Mural, Give a Club
Closing: Story
FrogDay ..........................................................238
Preparation Arrival: Finger Jello Frogs Opening: Frog Talk, Song
CrajkLittle Green Frog Freeplay: From Egg to Frog, Mural, Button
Count Closing: Story
BugDay .......................................................... 240
Preparation Arrival: Spatter Painting Opening: Bug Talk, Song
Craft: Little Black Bug Freeplay: Scientist at Work, Pond Mural,
Beanbag Game Closing: Story
Preparation Arrival: Coffee Filter Pond Opening: Snake Talk, Song,

Spatial Relationships Craft: Little Red Snake Freeplay:
Dramatization Fun, Yarn Snakes, Play Dough Snakes Closing: Story
Lamb Day .........................................................244
Preparation Arrival: Trace Hands Opening: Lamb Talk, Song Craft:
Mary's Lamb Freeplay: Animal Match, Shepherd and Sheep,
Dramatization Closing: Story
Ant Day ...........................................................246
Preparation Arrival: Song Opening: Ant Talk, Fingerplay Craft:
Marching Ants Freeplay: Ants on a Log, Ants in a Jar, Ants on the
Pants Closing: Story
ThumbDay ....................................................... 248
Preparation Arrival: Hand Shape Opening: Thumbkin, Story Craft:
Special Hands Freeplay: Button Castanets, Thumbprint Review,
Pushpin Outline Closing: Whose Hand Is It?
Three Menin a Tub Day ........................................... 250
Preparation Arrival: Mosaic Sea Opening: Three Men in a Tub,
Song Craft: Three Men in a Tub Freeplay: Soap Suds Fun, Seriation,
Sorting Clothes Closing: Story
Contents
Duck Day-Opening Frog Day-Activity 1
Duck Day-Cr& Bug Day--Opening
Duck Day-Opening Bug Day-Craft
Duck Day-Activity 1 (2) Snake Day-Opening
Frog Day-Opening Snake Day-Craft
Frog Day-Craft Lamb Day-Activity 1 (2)
Frog Day-Arrival Thumb Day-Activity 3
I unit 1
HELLO SPR
Spring is a wonderful time of year. It is the season after winter and before sum-
mer. We think of blooming flowers, spring showers, beautiful rainbows, and lots
of sunshine. This unit includes all these topics and much more. You will fmd many
hands-on activities, such as science experiments and cooking. There are lots of
fingerplays and songs welcoming spring.
Each day, point out any new signs of spring that the children can observe.
Grass turning green, gardens being planted, and trees budding are sure indica-
tions that it is warmer and spring is here.
The daily activity plans in Unit 1include:
Chicken Day
Butterfly Day
Bird Day
Rain Day
Spider Day
Bunny Day
Seed Day
Spring Day
Chicken Day
PREPARATION To the Teacher
The story of The Little Red Hen, edited by Nova Nestrick (Platt & Munk, 1961) is the theme
of today's activities and craft. As you make the biscuits, be sure everyone helps.
You will need:
ingredients for biscuits for Arrival;
puppets (see pp. 18-19) for Opening;
puffed wheat and colored paper for Activity 1;
Listen-and-Dogame prepared for Activity 2;
Chicken and Egg game prepared for Activity 3; and
pictures or examples of breads for Closing.
ARRIVAL Homemade Biscuits
Wheat is a grain. When it is ground very fine, it is turned into flour. From flour we can make
bread, cookies, etc. If possible, bring some wheat to show the children. Ask the children to help
make biscuits. Serve warm biscuits for snack time.
Rolled Biscuits
2-114 cups bakifig mix
213 cup milk
Mix ingredients until dough forms. Beat well for thirty seconds. If the dough seems sticky, add
up to 114 cup baking mix to make it easy to handle. Turn onto well-floured surface. Shape dough
into a ball. Knead ten times. Roll 112" thick. Cut into any size or shape biscuit you would like.
Bake for ten to twelve minutes a t 450 degrees.
OPENING Story
Read or tell the story of The Little Red Hen. Make puppets (see pp. 18-19) to use while telling
the story.
Lead the children in a thought-stimulating discussion by asking them questions about the
story. Examples: What lesson do you think the animals in the story learned? Has anyone ever
asked you to help do something special? Did you help? Why do you think the animals refused
to help? Do you think they wish they would have helped the Little Red Hen? Why?
Review the story, emphasizing the correct sequence. The children will enjoy dramatizing
this story.
Hello Spring 3
CRAFT Little Red Hen
Materials Needed:
picture of hen (see p. 20)
pieces of straw
traced ovals to cut
scissors, crayons, glue
Explanation:
Children use red crayons to color the hen and glue pieces of straw under the hen for a nest.
Then they cut out small ovals for eggs to glue in the nest.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Name Outlines-On a colored sheet of paper, print each

child's first name. Have the child outline each letter one
at a time with glue and put puffed wheat on the glue.
Activity 2
Listen-and-Do Bread Slices-Cut twenty pieces of paper in the shape of a slice of bread. Write
instructions on each slice. A child selects a slice, hands it to the teacher, listens to the instruc-
tions, and then does what it says. Examples: Place a blue book under the table. Put your finger
on your back.
Activity 3
Chicken and Egg Game-On a large piece of cardboard draw a hen. Below the hen, attach a
piece of paper with a nest drawn on it. Leave an opening at the top of the nest into which eggs
can be inserted. Teacher provides paper eggs of various colors. Ask a child to tell you what color
an egg is. As the child tells you, he or she may put the egg in the nest.
CLOSING Bread Talk
Biscuits, croissants, and muffins are all types of bread. Name different kinds of bread-raisin,
sunflower, banana, French, wheat, pumpkin, poppy seed, etc. Ask a baker to visit your classroom
and bring various kinds of bread.
"Old MacDonald Had a Farm"
There is a book to go with this popular song. It is published by Child's Play International Limited,
1975.
Butterfly Day
A large picture of a butterfly, or a real butterfly, will aid in the science lesson in Opening. There
are directions in Opening for a caterpilladbutterfly puppet you will want to make.
You will need:
food and cooking supplies for Arrival;
sock puppet and felt butterfly for Opening;
large, white butterflies and tissue paper for Activity 1;and
felt ovals and triangles for Activity 2.
ARRIVAL Breakfast Butterflies
Children help fix scrambled eggs and toast. Eggs are served in the center of the plate to form
the butterfly body. The children can add triangle "toast wings" and thin, rectangle "toast feelers."
OPENING Butterfly Talk
A butterfly is an insect. Its body is divided into three parts. A butterfly has four wings, three
pairs of thin legs, and one large eye on each side of its head. Like all other insects, a butterfly
has two feelers, called antennae. A butterfly cannot bite or chew. It sips water and nectar from
flowers through a long sucking tube.
There are four stages in the life of a butterfly. They are: the egg, the caterpillar, the resting
stage (in a cocoon), and the adult stage-a beautiful butterfly.
Butterfly Puppet
In order to show the children the stages, make a sock puppet. Using a striped tube sock, make
a creepy, crawly caterpillar puppet by gluing on felt eyes. Pull the puppet over your arm.The
caterpillar then goes to sleep in a cocoon, so pull the sock inside out over the caterpillar's face
to form the cocoon. After a long nap, out of the cocoon comes a beautiful butterfly. Pull your
hand out of the sock showing the children the felt butterfly that you have been hiding.
4
I-kllo Spring
Fingerplay
Teach the following fingerplay:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5-1 caught a butterfly alive.
6, 7, 8, 9, 10-1 let -it go again.
CRAFT Foot Butterflies
Materials Needed:
Paper scissors
crayons
pretraced ovals
glue
Explanation:
The child cuts out an oval to be used for the butterfly's
body. Glue the oval in the center of a sheet of paper. Then
have the child stand with one foot on each side of the oval
so that a teacher can trace around his or her feet to form
wings. Use scraps from cutting out the oval to make two
antennae. Color the completed butterfly.
23
3 FREEPLAY Activity 1
2
3
Colored Butterflies-Draw two or three large, white butterflies for this class project. Children
cut small pieces of colored tissue paper and lay them on the wings of these butterflies. When
the wings are covered with tissue, the children sprinkle drops of water over the tissue. The col-
ors bleed through the tissue onto the wings, making a beautifully colored butterfly.
Activity 2
Flannel Board Butterflies-Cut one oval and two triangles out of six colors of felt. Children place
matching felt ovals and triangles on flannel board to make butterflies. Let the children practice
giving and following instructions.
Example: Make a butterfly with a green body and two orange wings.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Very Hungry Caterpilku; by Eric Carle (putman Pub. Group,
1981). Where Do Butterflies Go When It Rains?, by May Garelick (Scholastic, Inc., 1961). The
Butterfly's Ball, by William Roscoe (McGraw-Hill, 1967).
Prior to class, make each child an Edible Bird Nest for Arrival. You will need to collect a few
mesh bags for Activity 3. Also, note the two-day bulletin board, which you will begin today.
You will need:
food for the snack for Arrival;
plastic circles or ropes for Opening;
plastic forks, circles, and wings (see p. 21) for Activity 1;
prepared bulletin board
play dough (see p. 55) for Activity 2; and
items for birds' nests for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Edible Nests
In advance, prepare a small nest for each child using the following recipe. As children arrive,
they name colors of jelly bean eggs as they place them in their nest. They eat the nests during
snack time.
114 cup margarine or butter
1pkg. (10 oz.) regular marshmallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal
Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
Remove from heat.
Add crisp rice cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using wax paper, shape into small bird nests.
OPENING Bird Talk
Birds come in all colors, shapes, and sizes from tiny hummingbirds to huge eagles. All birds
have two wings, and most birds can fly. Their bodies are covered with feathers. Their bones are
hollow and filled with air. A bird's heart beats very fast. It takes a lot of energy to fly. Birds
must eat all day to stay strong! Birds that live on or near the water eat small fish. What do
other birds eat? (worms, bugs, seeds, fruits, tree sap) What do birds use to build their nests?
(yarn,grass, feathers, mud, weeds, hair, string) Name birds of different colors. Some birds migrate
(fly south in the winter to be where it is warm and where they can find food).
Using rope or plastic circles, have children follow suggestions in the song "Birds in a Circle"
on the album Easy Does It (AR 581), by Hap Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Freeport, N.Y.
11520).The group will also enjoy "Over the Meadow" on the album Baby Beluga (SL-0010),Raf-
fi with Ken Whiteley (Shoreline Records, 6307 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada M2M
3x7).
Heno Spring 7
CRAFT Shape Bird Houses
Materials Needed
A
cardboard shapes to trace scissors
Paper
crayons, glue
Explanation:
Children trace, color, and cut out a square, a triangle, and
a small circle. Glue the shapes on a sheet of paper to
"build" a bird house.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Signs of Spring Bulletin Board-Place several trees with

nests and bird houses in them on a bulletin board with
a light blue background. Children make birds using plastic
forks. Trace wing shapes and circles (see p. 21), and have
children cut them out. Use the tines of a fork for the bird's
tail, and attach the wings and the head with masking tape
on the backside. Attach two adhesive eyes. (See Freeplay
Activity 3 on Rain Day [p. 91for an addition to this bulletin
board.)
Activity 2
Play Dough Nests and Eggs-Children use play dough (see p. 55) to make bird nests and eggs.
Take this opportunity to review counting as they make the eggs.
Activity 3
Donations to a Bird's Nest-Have the children help s t f l a mesh grapefruit bag with things (string,
yarn, cotton, lint) birds use to build nests. Hang it in a tree by your preschool so the children
can watch birds take things from the bag.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Are You My Mother?, by P. D. Eastman (Random House, 1976).
Flap Your Wings, by P. D. Eastman (Random House, 1977).Have You Seen Birds?, by JoAnne
Opperheim (Addison-Wesley, 1968).
Rain Day
PREPARATION ?b the Teacher
Peter Spier's wordless book Rain (Doubleday, 1982)would be the perfect way to begin this day,
as it shows every aspect of rain. Sharing the book with the children and having them describe
to you what they see provides a stimulating language experience.
You will need.
large umbrella for Arrival; felt shapes for Activity 2; and
prism for Opening, straws, paint and dark blue paper for
items for categorization for Activity 1; Activity 3.
ARRlVAL Who Is Missing Game

One child leaves the room. While he or she is gone, another child is chosen to hide under an
umbrella. When the first child returns, he or she must guess who is missing from the group.
Recite and do the actions of the Eency Weency Spider (see p. 21).
Eency Weency Spider Out came the sun

Walk index and middle finger up arm.) (Make a circle with arms above head.)
Went up the water spout; And dried up all the rain;
Down came the rain Eency Weency Spider
And washed the spider out; Went up the spout again.
(Hold hands high, bring down, and push to the side.) (Walk fingers back up arm again.)
OPENING Rain Talk

When you see a raindrop, do you ever wonder where it comes from? Rain is moisture or water
that has evaporated from the ground and from bodies of water. The water vapor collects (con-
denses) into rain clouds and then falls to the earth in the form of rain. Rain is useful because
people, plants, and animals cannot live without water. Rainstorms may also bring beautiful
rainbows.
If you go outside on a rainy day, you need to wear a raincoat or use an umbrella. How does
a rainy day make you feel? What do you like to do on a rainy day?
"Clouds"
Rain on green grass
And rain on the tree
Rain on the roof
But not on me!
On a large sheet of paper, write the poem "Clouds."
After you have read it to the children and discussed it, have
the children help you illustrate each line. Draw raindrops,
grass, a tree,a house, and finally a person sheltered from
the rain. Give various ways a person can stay dry other
than the obvious-using an umbrella!
Hello Spring 9
Make a Rainbow with a Prism
Hang a prism in a window where the sun is shining. Hold a white piece of paper in front of the
prism, and you will see a rainbow of colors. Ask the children to identi& the colors as they ap-
pear. If you do not have a prism, this can be accomplished with a jar of water. Place the jar of
water in front of the window. Hold the paper in front of the jar, and as the sun shines through
the water and onto the paper, the colors will appear.
CRAFT Spool Painting
Materials Needed:
blue tempera paint empty thread spool through which a wire loop
Paper has been strung to make a handle
Explanation.
Children hold onto the wire handle and dip the spool into
paint. Then they roll the spool vertically on their paper
to make rain. Clouds can be added by gluing cotton balls
above the rain.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Water Absorption Experiments-Test and categorize to see which objects will absorb water. Use
a n eyedropper or syringe to drop water on the following items: (1)sock, (2) rubber boot, (3)sponge,
(4) Kleenex@,(5) spoon, (6)rock, (7) mitten, (8) plastic boat, (9) raincoat, and (10) shirt.
Activity 2
Hidden Shapes-Cut felt into different shapes. Also cut out a large cloud and place it on a flan-
nel board. Show the children all the shapes. Have the children close their eyes while you hide
one of the shapes under the cloud. When they open their eyes, see if they can tell you which
shape is behind the cloud.
Activity 3
Cloud Shapes-Cut cloud shapes from dark blue paper. Pour a small amount of white tempera
paint in the center of each cloud. With plastic straws (cut in &inch lengths) have the children
blow the paint on the cloud. The clouds can be added to the Signs of Spring bulletin board started
yesterday.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Mushroom in the Rain, by Mirra Ginsburg (Mamillan, 1974).
Raindrops Splash, by Alvin R. Tresselt (Lothrop, 1974). Umbrella, by Taro Yashima m e Vik-
ing Press, 1958).
Spider Day
Along with science facts about spiders, there are many different kinds of activities for this day.
Among the unusual items necessary are pizza boards, a rain gutter, and lots of black buttons!
You will need:
styrofoam ball, black yarn, pipe cleaners, and wiggly eyes for Arrival;
rain gutter and plastic spider for Arrival;
Little Miss M&et theater for Opening;
pizza boards and yarn for Activity 1;
Miss Muffet props for Activity 2; and
black buttons for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL "There's a Spider on the Floor"
Play the record Singable Songs for the Very Young (SL-002),by R&i with Ken Whiteley (Shoreline
Records, 6307 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada M2M 3x7). Make a spider to use with
this song: Wrap a styrofoam ball with black yarn, and add black pipe cleaner legs and wiggly eyes.
Fingerplay
Review the "Eency Weency Spider" taught on Rain Day (see p. 8). Use a piece of rain gutter
and a plastic spider on a string as props.
OPENING Spider Talk
Spiders are not insects. They have eight legs. (Insects have six legs.) A spider has only two body
parts, the head and abdomen. (Insects have three body parts-head, thorax, and abdomen.) Spiders
spin webs to catch their food. Most spiders are helpful because they catch and eat harmful insects.
"Little Miss Muffet"
You can tell the story of Miss M f l e t using a theater in the round. To construct the theater,
slit three holes in the bottom of a pizza board which has been folded in half. Glue a picture or
drawing of a little girl, a spider, and a pillow to the ends of three Popsicle@sticks. Slip the other
end of the sticks through the holes in the pizza board. Insert the characters as you mention them
in the rhyme.
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider,
And sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
CRAFT Marble Paint Spider Webs
Materials Needed:
marbles
brown paper grocery bag
black tempera paint
white paper
Explanation:
Lay the white paper in the bottom of the grocery bag. Drop marbles that have been dipped in
the black paint onto the paper. Children tip the bag to make the marbles roll and create lines
resembling a spider web.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Spider Web-Cut small slits around the edges of a small

pizza board. Children can string black yarn back and forth
from slit to slit.
Activity 2
Acting Out Miss Muffet-Act out the story of Miss Muffet. Props: bonnet, bowl and spoon, pillow.
Encourage the children to make facial expressions showing fright and surprise.
Activity 3
Button Spiders-Children glue a black button on

a piece of paper. Then they use a black crayon
or marker to give the spider eight legs. With dif-
ferent size buttons, you can teach the concept of
big, bigger, biggest.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Very Busy Spider, by Eric Carle (Philomel Books, 1984).
Be Nice to Spiders, by Margaret Graham (Harper & Row, 1967). Spider's First Day At School,
by Robert Kraus (Scholastic, Inc., 1987).
11
With both holiday and spring themes emphasized,this day could easily be stretched into two days,
You will need:
cake and decorating supplies for Arrival;
cotton balls and numerals for Activity 1;
Sound Eggs prepared for Activity 2; and
mural paper and craft supplies for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Bunny Cake
Children decorate a Bunny Cake. Prepare in advance two layers of white cake (one round and
one square) to cut and decorate. Snack time will be such fun!
Decorating Supplies:
white frosting
jelly beans
licorice
coconut
OPENING Bunny Talk
Rabbits are small, furry mammals with long ears and short, puffy tails. They have whiskers
by their noses. They live in burrows (holes) under the ground. They eat grass and clover.
Here's a Bunny Fingerplay
Teach the following fingerplay (see p. 22):

Here is a bunny with ears so funny
(Hold up index and middle fingers of left hand.)
And here is a hole in the ground
Make circle with thumb and index finger of right hand.)
When a noise he hears, he pricks up his ears
(Wiggle fingers of left hand.)
And hops into his hole.
P u t fingers into hole made with right-hand fingers.)
"Bunny Hop"
Children should be in a single file line as they dance or hop to "The Bunny Hop," found on the
album Preschool Aerobics Fun (KIM 7052), by Georgians Stewart (Kimbo Educational, Box 477,
Long Branch, N.J. 07740).
Hello Spring 13
CRAFT Tube Bunny
Materials Needed:
one toilet tissue tube per child
pipe cleaners (whiskers)
paper (ears)
cotton balls (tail)
Explanation:
Children color or paint the tube white if desired. Coding dots or crayons can be used to make
eyes. Then children glue on the ears, whiskers, and tail.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Counting Cotton Balk-Write the numerals 0 through 9 on separate pieces of paper. The child
chooses one piece of paper and counts out that many cotton balls (bunny tails).
Activity 2
Sound Eggs-Make a set of four pairs of sound eggs by filling L'eggs@containers half full with
different objects. Tape the containers shut. The children try to identify the pairs by shaking
and listening to the sounds they make. Examples of things to put in containers are sand, pop-
corn, paper clips, and pennies.
Activity 3
Rabbit Mural-On a sheet of mural paper, draw the outline of a rabbit and clouds. The children
will fill in both by gluing on cotton balls. Have the children cut 3-inch-widestrips of green paper
and fringe them. Glue these on the mural for the grass. Make flowers by gluing small cupcake
papers onto the mural and adding leaves and stems. Shade in the sky with blue chalk.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth, by Lucy Bate (Scholastic, Inc., 1975).
Peter Rabbit, by Beatrice Potter (Putman Pub. Group, 1981). The Bunny Who Found Easter, by
Charlotte Zolotow (Houghton-MiMin, 1959).
Recording
Children sing along with or act out "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," found on the album Peter
Cottontail (1947, Peter Pan Records, Newark, N.J. 07015).
Seed Day
Spring means gardening. Gardening means seeds. Start collecting seed catalogs, as you will need
several for Activity 1.A note asking each child to bring a package of seeds should be sent home
prior to this day (see p. 22).
You will need:
egg cartons and seeds for Arrival;
seed catalogs for Activity 1;
seed packages for Activity 2; and
The Number Garden prepared for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Sorting Seeds
All the children should have been asked to bring in different kinds of seeds today. As they ar-
rive, have them sort their seeds into egg cartons.
OPENING Seed Talk
In the spring, people plant vegetable seeds and flower seeds in their gardens. After the rain
falls and the sun shines, the seeds sprout. Soon, pretty flowers and yummy vegetables are growing.
We eat the seeds of some foods such as peas, peanuts, beans, cucumbers, and corn. Strawber-
ries have seeds on the outside, and we eat those, too. We do not eat the seeds in apples, melons,
oranges, or peaches. What else can you think of that has seeds?
Creative Expression
Play "All I Really Need" as children pretend to be a seed that is planted in the ground. You
pretend to be the sun and the rain as your little plants sprout and grow to full bloom. As a large
group, enjoy "Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow." Both of these songs are from the album
Baby Beluga (SL 0010), by Raffi and Ken Whiteley (Shoreline Records, 6307 Yonge Street,
Willowdale, Ontario, Canada M2M 3x7).
"Amin' ""
Plant a teeny tiny seed
Early in the spring.
When summer comes
Just watch the way
That seed will do its thing!
'Reprinted with permission from Phyllis Hanoran from I'd Hke to hear a flower grow and other poems by Phyllis C. Halloran 1985.
Hello Spring 15
CRAFT Seed Squares
Materials Needed:
sorted seeds from Arrival
one square piece of cardboard per child
two pieces of yarn per child
glue
Explanation:
Children make lines to divide their cardboard into four equal sections, cover the lines with glue
and lay the yarn over the glue. Now they can glue different kinds of seeds in each section.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Plant Collage-Children cut pictures from seed catalogs to make a collage of things that grow
from seeds.
Activity 2
Musical Chairs-Tape a seed package on the back of each chair. When the music stops say
something such as, "People with carrot seeds on their chair stand up." Repeat, naming a dif-
ferent seed each time the music stops.
Activity 3
The Number Garden-Stick large adhesive dots on the

sides of clay flower pots and fill the pots with sand. Make
paper flowers on dowel rods, write a number in the center
of each flower. Children are to choose a flower and place
it in the pot which has the number of dots as the number
on the flower. (This could be used as a bulletin board idea
if the flower pots are made from paper.)
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Even That Moose Won't Listen to Me, by Martha Alexandra
(Dial Books for Young Readers, 1988). The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle (Picture Book Studio, 1987).
A Garden For Miss Mouse, by Michael Muntean (Parents Magazine Press, 1982).
Spring Day
Bring a bouquet of fresh flowers to your classroom because spring has sprung!
You will need:
matching colored bees and flowers (see p. 23) for Arrival;
felt hats and animals (see pp. 23-24) for Opening;
large cut-out flower for Activity 1;
marigold seeds, soil, and egg cart0118for Activity 2; and
wallpaper flowers for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Flower Hunt
As the children arrive, tape a colored bee onto each child's shirt. Tell the children to pretend
that they are bees looking for flowers (see p. 23). They must fly around the room until they find
a hidden paper flower that is the same color as the bee that is taped on their shirt. When the
matching colored flower is found, tape it onto the child's shirt, too.
OPENING Spring Talk
Spring is a special time of year. It comes after winter. The days are warmer. It's sometimes rainy,
sometimeswindy, but the sun shines brightly, too. People are busy planting gardens and clean-
ing up their yards. Birds are building nests. The grass turns green, and flowers begin to bloom.
Flannel Board Story
"Three Hatsy'-Make felt hats and animals to help you tell this story (see pp. 23-24).
One nice spring day a bee, a butterfly, and a bunny were going for a walk. Along the way
they found a hat.
The bunny said, "It's mine because I'm the biggest." But the bee and the butterfly thought
that was unfair. As the bunny placed the hat on his head, another hat fell out.
The butterfly said to the bee, "It's mine because I am bigger than you." But the bee thought
that was unfair.
As the butterfly placed the hat on his head, another hat fell out, and the bee said, "It's mine
because I'm big, too." And since his friends thought that was fair, they went happily on their way.
Heno Spring 17
CRAFT Corncob FIower
Materials Needed.
corncobs sawed in half
paint
paper for circles
scissors
glue
Explanation:
Children cut out a small circle and glue it on a large piece of paper. Then they dip the end of
the corncob in the paint and use it to make flower petals. They use crayons to make a stem and
leaves.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Mosaic Flowers-Cut out a large flower. The children can cut or tear colored shapes and glue
them on the flower and leaves.
Activity 2
Planting Marigolds-Plant marigold seeds in egg cartons. Set them in the window so the children
can watch them grow. They will need to be watered oftensincethere is such a small amount of soil.
Activity 3
Sorting lawers-Cut flowers from old wallpaper sample books. Children must sort them to find
two flowers that are exactly the same.
CLOSING Fingerplay
Teach the following poem (see p. 24):

Here is a beehive, where are the bees? (Make a fist.)
Hiding away where nobody sees.
Watch them come creeping out of their hive (Raise fingers one at a time as you count.)
1,2, 3,4, 5.
Story
Read one of the following stories: one bright Monday morning, by Arline and Joseph Baum CRan-
dom House, 1962). The Honeybee and the Robber, by Eric Carle (Putman Pub. Group, 1986).Bobby
Bear in the Spring, by Helmrath and Bartlett (Oddo Pub., 1986).
CHICKEN DAY-OPENING
CHICKEN DAY-OPENING
CHICKEN DAY-CRAFT
BIRD DAY-Activity 1
-
Rain Day Arrival
Eency Weency Spider

(Walk index and middle finger up arm.)
Went up the water spout;
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out;
(Hold hands high, bring down, and push to the side.)
Out came the sun
(Make a circle with arms above head.)
And dried up all the rain;
4
Eency Weency Spider
Went up the spout again.
(Walk fingers back up arm again.)
Bunny Day-Opening
Here is a bunny with ears so funny

(Hold up index and middle fingers of left hand.)
And here is a hole in the ground
(Make circle with thumb and index finger of right hand.)
When a noise he hears, he pricks up his ears
(Wiggle fingers of left hand.)
And hops into his hole.
(Put fingers into hole made with right-hand fingers.)
Seed Day-Arrival
We need your child to bring some seeds to class on

(Date)
We will be sorting the seeds and using them for a craft project, so any kind will
be useful.
Thanks!
SPRING DAY -ARRIVAL
SPRING DAY-OPENING
Make three hats.

SPRING DAY-OPENING
' - 4-
Spring Day-Closing
The children really had fun with the actions of this fingerplay!
Here is a beehive, where are the bees?
I
(Make a fist.)
Watch them come creeping out of their hive
(Raise fingers one at a time as you count.)
1, 2, 3,4,5.
unit 2
ALL ABOUT ME
The five senses--sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell-bring children informa-
tion about the world around them. Children are born explorers. They do not need
to be told to touch, taste, smell, look at, or listen to any given thing. Let them
.
experience all the senses. .within reason! That is how children learn best.
While using their senses, children should learn to distinguish between things
that are the same and things that are different. (Example: Seeing colors and tell-
ing which are the sameldifferent;feeling textures, etc.) In so doing, children will
learn how things look, sound, taste, feel, and smell. Grass is green, lemon is sour,
cows make a mooing sound, sandpaper is rough, and a rose smells sweet.
Our goal is to have each child become aware of the five senses and use them
to learn more about the world.
The daily activity plans in Unit 2 include:
Me, My Friends, and I Day
Head and Neck Day
Eye Day
Ear Day
Nose Day
Hand and Finger Day
Foot Day
Mouth Day
Me, My Friends, and I Day

@
You may want to ask a parent to come in and help with Activity 2, as you will need someone
to wash and dry hands. Cookies for Arrival need to be made ahead of time.
You will need:
cookies, frosting, and raisins for Arrival;
yarn or string and 3" x 5" cards for Activity 1;
mural paper and paint for Activity 2; and
photocopied pictures (see p. 64) for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Happy Face Cookies
Give one round cookie to each child on arrival. The children frost the cookie with a thin layer
of yellow icing and use raisins to make eyes and a big happy face. Enjoy at snack time.
Fingerplay
Teach the following poem:

Cookies to share, 1 , 2 , 3. (Hold up fingers.)
One for you, two for me. (Point.)
Oh, no, no! That won't do! (Shake head.)
Let's break the extra one in two!
OPENING My Friend and I Talk
Begin Opening by making a paper chain of children (see p. 42). This is done by using a pie,-
of paper 8" by 4" and accordion folding. Draw a picture of a boy or girl on the folded paper.
with hands and feet reaching to the folded edges. Cut out the figure except at the end of rke
feet and hand. When you open the folded paper, you will have a line of children holding hands-
Explain that this is like our class-we are each individual people, but all together we are
friends! A friend is someone to have fun with, to play with, to laugh with, to sing with, azi
to share with. A friend is a buddy, a pal-a friend! Who are your friends? What special thicgs
do you like to do with your friends? What things do you like to do by yourself?
Record
The children will be touching parts of their own body as well as the fingers of a friend as the?
respond to instructions on the song "Touch" from the album Getting to Know Myself (AR5436
by Hap and Martha Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520).
rn
0
Happy Face
Fm%ls Needed:
paper, circle patterns
crayons, scissors
J- J
-
L7-n:
--??ride the children with circle patterns to trace and cut out. They can then use their crayons
: make the eyes, nose, and mouth. Glue small pieces of yarn to make the hair.
1
FREEPLAY Activity 1
K%mpiu?ngHeights-Using yarn or string, measure each child's height. After the string is cut
r? the correct height, the child tapes one end to a three-by-five card that has his or her name
~d ''This is how tall I am" written on it. Children can compare their height to that of their friends.
Activity 2
Wandprint Rainbow-On a sheet of mural paper, have the children create a beautiful rainbow.
T,se the colors in the rainbow starting with red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
Segin by printing the first pair of red handprints at the top center of the paper. Work your way
down and to the right until half the arch is made. Go back up to the top and finish the arch
to the left side. Repeat this with each successive color. Since each arch will become smaller,
not every child will make his or her handprints in every color.
To make clean-up easy, use an old magazine for the paint. Open the magazine and put a
small amount of tempera on both pages. Roll the paint with a brayer (roller) until it is smooth.
The child puts one hand on each page simultaneously and then onto the mural. (Ask the child
which is the leftlright hand.) When the magazine can no longer be used, throw it away and start
with another one.
Activity 3
Friend Concentration-You will need two photocopied pictures (see p. 64) of each child. Mount
each on a three-by-fivecard. Use the cards as you would for any concentration game. Place all
cards face down on the table or floor. One child turns two cards over. If they both have the same
picture on them, the child keeps the pair and takes another turn. If they do not match, he or
she turns them over again, and play passes to the next child. Continue until all pairs have been
matched. This is a good way for the children to get to know the names of their friends at school.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Best Friends, by Myra Berry Brown (Golden Gate, 1975).
Dandelion, by Don Freeman (Penguin Publishing Co., 1977). The Three Friends, by Robert Kraus
(Dutton, 1975).
Head and Neck Day
The clown bulletin board begins with a clown suit today. Each consecutive day you will be add-
ing a body part to the clown. A giraffe cookie cutter is necessary for the cookies in Arrival.
You will need:
giraffe cookies, peanut butter, and CherriosO for Arrival;
shoebox giraffe for Opening;
clown suit, head, and neck for bulletin board for Opening; and
die prepared for Activity 1.
ARRIVAL Cookie Decorating
Using a giraffe cookie cutter, prepare cookies prior to class (see p. 44). As the children arrive,
have them frost a cookie with peanut butter. Decorate with Cheeriosm and serve for snack time.
314 cup oleo Beat oleo until creamy; gradually beat in
112 cup brown sugar sugars. Add egg and vanilla to creamed
mixture and mix well. Add flour and soda.
1tap. vanilla
Stir in oats. Chill several hours or over-
112 tsp. soda night. Roll out to 118" thickness using
1 112 cups rolled oats powdered sugar. Place cut cookies on
(quick or old-fashioned) ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350
112 cup sugar degrees for five to eight minutes or until
brown.
1egg
1213 cups flour
dash salt
OPENING Recording
Play the song "Joshua Giraffe" from the album Baby Beluga (SL0010), by Ra with Ken Whiteley
(Shoreline Records, 6307 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada M2M 3x7).
Bulletin Board
Begin the bulletin board, which will eventually be a big clown. Each day, add a body part to
the clown suit that you have already put up. On this day, add the head and neck.
Head and Neck Talk
Discuss with the children the actions of the head and neck, such as turning, nodding, etc. For
this discussion, make a shoebox giraffe."
Materials Needed:
shoebox Paper
yellow and brown paint paper towel tube
'Reprinted wlth permlssfon from Puppetry In Early Chihihood Education by Tamara Hunt and Nancy Renfro (Nancy Renfro Studio, 1982).
28
All About Me
Explanation:
Draw the face of a giraffe on stiff paper and cut it out. Paint the box,
tube, and face yellow. Paint brown spots on the box and tube. Set the
shoebox on end and cut a round hole in the end just big enough for the
tube to fit in and slide up and down. Place the tube in the hole with the
face glued to the front, and you have a giraffe with a manipulable neck.
You can make the neck long or short, make it turn, etc.
CRAFT Shape Giraffe
Materials Needed:
drawing of a giraffe for each child (see p. 43)
scissors, glue, crayons
small shape patterns
brown paper
Explanation:
Each child colors a picture of a giraffe, then traces and cuts out several
brown shapes and glues them to the giraffe.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Picture Die-Make a square block from a small milk carton. Glue a picture of something that
can be worn on your head or neck on each side. (Examples: necklace, necktie, ear muffs, baseball
cap) Cover with clear self-stickingvinyl. Have a child roll the block like a die and identify the
picture that comes up on top. Who would wear it? Is there a special time or condition for which
it would be worn?
Activity 2
Missing Feature-Draw a person's head, neck, and face on a chalkboard. Ask the children to
close their eyes while you erase one feature. Have them tell you what is missing and the func-
tion of that body part.
Activity 3
Simon Says-Play Simon Says using only things you can do with your head or neck. (Examples:
nod yes or no, turn left or right, put your head on your knee)
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Mop Top, by Don Freeman (PufEn Books, 1978). Who Took
the Farmer's Hat?, by Joan Nodset (Harper & Row, 1963).IKnow a Giraffe, by David Omar White
(Alfred A. Knopf, 1965).
Eye Day
Check over the plans for this day, and if you do not have enough adults in your program to con-
duct all three of the Freeplay activities, you can switch the Arrival with Activity 3.
You will need:
magnifying glasses and objects for Arrival;
clown eyes for the bulletin board for Opening;
several familiar objects for Activity 1;
pictures for Activity 2; and
milk, liquid detergent, food coloring, and 8" round cake pan for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Science Table
Set up a table with magnifying glasses and several small objects for the children to examine.
Include a potato with eyes. Make up a riddle-"What has eyes but cannot see?" Don't forget,
a needle has an eye, too.
OPENING Eye Talk
When you wake up in the morning, you can run to a window and see what kind of day it is-
cloudy, rainy, or sunny. What helps you to see? Your eyes do! Your eyes see a picture and send
a message to your brain, and then you are able to see. What else can you do with your eyes?
(blink, wink, shut them, open them, look up, look down, rub them)
With your eyes, show me you are angry, sad, surprised, tired.
Some people have to wear glasses or contact lenses because their eyes do not see clearly.
Categorize children according to their eye color.
Make up a song about eyes. To the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush," sing:
This is the way I blink my eyes,
blink my eyes,
blink my eyes.
This is the way I blink my eyes,
early in the morning.
Continue with wink my eyes, shut my eyes, open my eyes, etc.
Bulletin Board
Add two eyes to the clown today.

'All About Me 31
CRAFT Color My World
Materials Needed:
glue, scissors colored cellophane
brads lens pattern (see p. 44)
Explanation:
Have the children cut three lenses using the pattern you
made. Cut a small circle out of the large end of each lens.
Glue a different colored piece of cellophane over each cir-
cular opening. Punch a hole and brad the three together.
Look a t the world through different colors!
FREEPLAY Activity 1
What's Missing Tray-Arrange several familiar objects on a small tray and ask the children to
look carefully a t each object. Then ask them to close their eyes while you remove one object.
When they open their eyes, ask them to guess which object you took off the tray.
Activity 2
Matching Pictures-Show the children three pictures that look similar. Ask them to find the
two that match.
Activity 3
Marvelous, Moving Colors-Pour milk into an 8" round pan so it is half full. Squeeze a few drops
of food coloring (different colors) on top of the milk. Carefully add a drop of liquid detergent so
it runs down the side of the pan. Almost instantly, the colors will move away and blend. Repeat
on the opposite side of the pan. The colors will change again right before your eyes!
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Arthur's Eyes, by Marc Brown (Little, Brown & Co., 1979).
Lucky Glasses, by Jane Carruth (Modern Promotions/Publishers, 1982). Goggles, by Ezra Jack
Keats (Macmillan, 1969).
Ear Day
Start the day by whispering, "Good morning." Everyone has to be a good listener today.
You will need:
objects for listening game for Arrival;
clown ears for the bulletin board for Opening;
tape recording of sounds for Activity 1;
clock for Activity 2; and
mural paper and old magazines for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Listen and Do
Put an assortment of objects on a table (book, paper, marker, crayon, etc.). Give specific direc-
tions regarding the different objects. The children must follow the exact directions they hear.
(Example: Put the eraser under the table.)
OPENING Ear Talk

We are able to hear different sounds with our ears. We learn to know what different sounds
mean because our ears and our brains work together.
Sounds are made by movements called sound wavea When sound waves enter your ear,
they hit the eardrum. Then you can hear.
Think of sounds that make you feel happy, sad, angry, or excited. Some things are so quiet
.
we cannot hear them. .snowflakes falling, eyes blinking, or butterflies flying. These are things
we can see, but cannot hear.
Brainstom: Ask the children to describe sounds that are "as soft as ,""as loud
as ,"and "as noisy as $9
Following Directions
Play "Listen and Move" from the album We All Live Together, volume 2 (YR-OOZR), by Greg
Scelsa and Steve Millang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027).
Bulletin Board
Place ears on the clown.
Fingerplay
Teach the following rhyme.

This is my eye.
This is to hear.
A1 About Me
CRAFT Rabbit Shaker
Materials Needed:
precut rabbit ears glue, crayons, stapler
small,white paper plates beans
Explanation:
Children color ears and draw eyes, nose, mouth, and
whiskers on the bottom of one paper plate. Glue the ears
on behind the face. Put several dried beans on top of the
plate, and staple two plates together. Listen to the sounds
the rabbit c a 6 make!
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Identibing Sounds-Make a tape recording of different sounds, such as brushing teeth, using
the trash compactor, running water, ringing the doorbell, starting the car, etc. Play the tape
for the children and ask them to identify the sounds. Older children can draw a pidure of each
sound they hear.
Activity 2
Find the Clock-Hide a loud ticking clock and have the children take turns finding it.
Activity 3
Sound Mural-Divide a sheet of mural paper into several sections. Each section will illustrate
one type of sound we hear. (Examples: music, animals, cooking, vehicles) Cut pictures out of
magazines that show the different sounds.
CLOSING Whisper Game
When everyone is sitting quietly in a circle, whisper a brief sentence in one child's ear. Each
child whispers what he or she heard to the next person. What did the last person hear? Hopeful-
ly it was the same sentence as the first child heard!
Story
Read one of the following stories: The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret W. Brown (Harper & Row,
1972). Little Frog Learns to Sing, by Lucille LeBlanc (Oddo Publishers, 1967). Geraldine, the
Music Mouse, by Leo Lionni (Pantheon, 1979).
Nose Day
If your cooking facilities are not within smelling distance of your classroom,bring a toaster oven
to bake the pizzas. The children need to smell the aroma!
You will need:
ingredients for pizza for Arrival;
coding dots for Opening;
shiny nose for the clown bulletin board for Opening;
smelling tray for Activity 1;
large plywood clown and beanbags for Activity 2; and
powdered gelatin, drink mixes, salt shakers, cards, and glue for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Pizza Party
Have each child make an individual pizza. Spread pizza sauce on top of an English mmn half.
Have on hand several spices such as oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder that
the children can smell. They can choose which spices they want on their pizzas. Make sure the
children smell the pizzas as they bake.
OPENING Nose Talk
We smell with our noses. You can smell different things because your nose sends a message
to your brain that tells you how some things smell. Some things smell good to you, and some
do not. Something that you think smells good may not smell good to your friend. Can you think
of different kinds of smells? (sweet, new, fishy, clean, delicious) There are indoor smells, and
there are outdoor smells. What is one thing we can smell only outdoors or only indoors? There
are all kinds of food smells. What is your favorite?
Bulletin Board
Add a big, shiny nose to the clown today. Have the children choose their favorite colors of coding
dots and stick them on their noses-instant clowns!
Record
Do the action song "Simon Says" from the album We All Live Together, volume 3 (YMES-0003),
by Greg Scelsa and Steve Millang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027).
r!'QI About Me 35
CRAFT Scented Flowers
.J'3ic~terialsNeeded:
cupcake liners
paper, crayons
cotton balls
perfume, glue
'Explanation:
Children paste a cupcake liner on a sheet of paper. Next
tbey draw a stem and leaves and glue a cotton ball that
5as been sprayed with perfume to the center of the flower.
Smell!
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Smelling Tray-Prepare a smelling tray using film cases. Peanut butter, orange slices, liquid
smoke, and vinegar or perfume on a cotton ball are some examples of smells you might put in
the cases. Poke a hole in the lid of the case and leave on the lid. The children try to guess what
they are smelling. Prepare two containers of each smell and have the children find the match-
ing smells.
Activity 2
Beanbag Toss-Cut a clown out of a piece of thin plywood. Paint the clown bright colors, and
cut a hole where the nose should be. Throw beanbags through the hole.
Activity 3
Smelly Cards-Children make their own smelly cards. Put different flavors of gelatin and
powdered drink mixes in salt shakers. Children brush a small amount of glue in the center of
a three-by-five card and sprinkle the powder on the glue. They can smell the difference between
strawberry, raspberry, orange, etc. What makes each card smell different? Which smell do they
like best?
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Arthur's Nose, by Marc Brown (Little, Brown & Co., 1976).
Boris Bad Enough, by Robert Kraus (Harper & Row, 1978). The Nose Book, by A1 Perkins @tan-
dom House, 1970). Whose Nose Is This?, by Dr. Richard van Gelder (Walke & Co., 1974).
Hand and Finger Day
The rule today is TOUCH! The children will learn what the word texture means by doing just
that. There are a lot of different items needed for this day.
You will need:
plastic tubs and items of different textures for Arrival;
two big hands for bulletin board for Opening;
paper and scissors for Activity 1;
feely box prepared for Activity 2; and
sandpaper and textured materials for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Texture Tubs
Fill several plastic tubs with different textured items. (Examples: rice, cornmeal, macaroni, bark,
cotton, velvet, shaving cream) As the children move from tub to tub, ask them to tell you how
each item feels. Do any of them feel the same? Why are you able to feel the different textures?
OPENING Hand and Finger Talk
You can see the size, shape, and color of a teddy bear. But do you know what the teddy bear
feels like by looking at it? No! If you touch it with your hands and fingers, you will feel the
texture. The texture tells you how something feels--soft, hard, sticky, rough, etc. Can you think
of things that feel hot or cold? How else can things feel? There is something very special about
your fingers. It's your fingerprints. No one else in the world has the same fmgerprints as you.
They are your very own!
Record
"Count My Fingers" on the album Songs About Me (KIM 70223), by William C. Janiak (Kimbo
Educational, Box 477, Long Branch, N. J. 07740)is a wonderful song to sing with young children.
Bulletin Board
Add two big hands to the clown today.
Story
Read to the children Where Is Willy the Worm?, by Demi (Random House, Follow-Me-Books,1981).
Have the children use their fingers as a worm and make it crawl along their arm as you tell
the story.
Foot Day
Collect every imaginable pair of footwear you can find! Tell each child to wear his or her favorite
shoes, and you wear yours, too!
You will need:
paper footprints, foot cookie cutter, and cheese slices for Arrival;
examples of footwear for Opening;
clown feet for bulletin board for Opening;
a bed sheet and familiar objects for Activity 1;and
shoes and shoe outlines for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Follow the Footprints
Lay out paper footprints on the floor for the children to follow to a table as they arrive. Have
a foot cookie cutter and thin slices of cheese on the table so each child may cut footprints to
eat at snack time.
OPENING Foot Talk
We use our feet to move from one place to another. We put different footwear on depending on
the weather and what we are doing.
Have several pairs of footwear displayed and ask children who might wear them, where,
when, and why. (Examples: snow boots, ski boots, roller skates, nurse's shoes, ballet slippers,
tap shoes, cowboy boots)
We can move our feet and toes in different ways. Ask the children to use their feet to stomp
loudly, softly, wiggle your toes, walk, run, hop, gallop, jump, skip, etc.
Footplay

Feet can walk.
Feet can run.
Feet can jump.
Feet have such fun!
Records
"Turn Around" from the album Getting to Know Myself (AR 543), by Hap Palmer (Educational
Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520)and "Boogie Walk" from the album We All Live
Together, volume 2 (YR-OOBR),by Greg Scelsa and Steve Millang (YoungheartRecords, Box 27784,
Los Angeles, Calif. 90027) are great songs for following directions as well as for using the feet.
Al About Me 39
Bulletin Board
Add big, floppy feet to the clown today.
CRAFT Dirty Feet
Materials Needed:
-foot cookie cutter
potato
brown tempera paint
paper
Explanation:
Use the foot cookie cutter to make a potato print. Dip the
potato in brown paint and make dirty footprints across a
large sheet of paper. Ideate: What would your mom or dad
say if you made tracks across the kitchen floor? Who has
been walking across your paper? Where has he or she been?
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Feeling with the Feet-Lay several familiar objects on the floor. Cover them with a sheet. Have
children take off one shoe and sock. Using their bare feet, children try to identiEy the objects.
Is it easier or harder than using fingers?
Activity 2
Finding Shoes-Have children take off one shoe. Put all the shoes into the middle of a circle.
When you say "Go," all children find their shoe; or, when you describe a shoe to a child, he
or she finds it in the pile.
Activity 3
Matching Shoes with Outlines-On heavy paper, trace around several pairs of different sized
shoes. Have children match the correct sized shoes to each outline. Be sure the left shoe is on
the left outline, and vice versa. Line up the shoes from smallest to largest.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1968).Dirty Feet,
by Steven Kroll (Parents Magazine Press, 1981). Shoes, by Elizabeth Winthrop (Harper & Row,
1986).
Mouth Day
This is a day to taste lots of different foods and to learn about healthy eating habits. Eating
the Alphabet, by Lois Elhert (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989)would be a good book to share
with the children in Opening.
You will need:
food to make a clown snack for Arrival;
clown's smile for bulletin board for Opening;
food for a tasting party for Activity 1;
food wrappers and containers for Activity 2; and
examples for all five senses for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Create a Clown
As the children arrive, they create a tasty clown for snack time. They will frost a large round
cracker with peanut butter. Use two small marshmallows for eyes, a thin carrot slice for the
nose, raisins for the mouth, and two small pretzels for ears.
OPENING Mouth Talk
You know what foods you like to eat or don't like to eat because you can taste. The tip, sides,
and back of your tongue are covered with bumps called taste buds. Your taste buds tell your
brain how different foods taste. What foods taste good to you? Your teeth are in your mouth,
too. They help you chew your food. What should you do to keep your teeth clean?
Briefly discuss the four basic food groups and what is included in each. They are: (1) milk
and milk products, (2) cereals and grains or breads, (3) meat, fish, and poultry, (4) fruits and
vegetables. Why is it important to eat healthy foods? What are some foods you like to eat that
aren't in any of these groups? It's all right to eat sweets sometimes, but not too often.
Fingerplay
Teach the following rhyme:

Point to each facial feature as it is mentioned.
Two little eyes to look around,
Two little ears to hear each sound.
One little nose to smell what's sweet,
One little mouth that likes to eat.
Bulletin Board
Add a big smile to complete the clown.

40
An About Me 41
CRAFT My Healthy Meal
Materials Needed:
large paper plates
glue, scissors
old magazines
Explanation:
Children create a healthy meal by cutting pictures of foods
out of magazines and gluing them onto the paper plates.
Be sure to review the four food groups discussed in Open-
ing as a reminder of what makes a healthy meal.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Health Food Tasting-Have small samples of different kinds of food for the children to taste.
(Examples: raw coconut, avocado, rice cakes, kiwi, cucumber, broccoli, pea pods, cheeses) En-
courage the children to tell you how each food tastes. Make a list of adjectives the children have
used to describe the foods. When each child decides what his or her favorite is, make a graph
to see which food is rated the best tasting.
Activity 2 r(
Food Groups-Glue pictures of the basic food groups on four separate cardboard boxes. Display
wrappers and containers of foods that belong to each group. Have the children sort the empty
containers and wrappers into the appropriate boxes.
Activity 3
Five Senses Olympics--Set up five stations around the room to review the senses. Remove body
parts of the clown from the bulletin board and place them a t the appropriate stations. Each sta-
tion should provide a n opportunity to use one of the five senses. The following are some
suggestions:
(1) Taste-This activity and Activity 1 can overlap. Use Activity 1 as your tasting station.
(2) Feel-Bring in the different textured items from Hand and Finger Day on page 36.The children
can categorize these items as rough or smooth.
(3) Smell-Provide several scratch and sniff books.
(4) Sight-Seeing is very important when working on puzzles, so provide a few puzzles for the
children to put together.
(5) Hear-Use or make the Sound Eggs from Bunny Day on page 13. The children are to find
the two that sound alike.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle (Putman Publishing
Group, 1981). Jam and Bread for Frances, by Russell Hoban (Harper & Row, 1964). Gregory,
the Terrible Eater, by Mitchell Sharmat (Four Winds Press, 1980).
ME, MY FRIENDS, AND I DAY-OPENING
HEAD AND NECK DAY-CRAFT
Head and Neck Day-Arrival
These cookies are delicious when frosted with peanut butter!

Beat oleo until creamy; gradually beat in
y2 cup brown sugar sugars. Add egg and vanilla to creamed
mixture and mix well. Add flour and soda;
stir in oats. Chill several hours or over-
night. Roll out to 1/8" thickness using
1112 cups rolled oats powdered sugar. Place cut cookies on
(quick or old-fashioned) ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in
350degree oven 5-8 minutes or until
brown.
1213 cups flour
EYE DAY-CRAFT
P %
'1 unit 3
FALL FANTASY
Fall is here. Days are getting shorter. The weather is cooler. Leaves are turning
color and falling off the trees. Animals are busily getting ready for winter. These
changes can be seen and felt on a nature walk.
Halloween will arrive soon, too! Thoughts of ghosts and witches fill the air.
These thoughts can be a little unsettling for a young child. Take this opportunity
to show the children it's all fun-nothing to fear.
Three Billy Goats Gruff Day
Tree Day
Ladybug Day
Scarecrow Day
Monster Day
Pumpkin Day
Witch Day
Ghost Day
Three Billy Goats Gruff Day
This day is planned as a field trip. You and the children can walk to a nearby park or go outside
to your play area at school. One of the activities planned for this day is to act out the story The
Three Billy Goats Gruff:If the park or play area does not have anything you can use for a bridge,
you will need to take along some boxes to build a bridge.
When you arrive at the park or play area, divide the children into three groups. You will
have prepared a yarn necklace with a picture of a billy goat on it for each child. Group 1 will
have white goats. Group 2 will have brown goats, and Group 3 will have gray goats. For durability,
these pictures should be laminated or have gummed reinforcements on the back.
The children will do the three activities planned with their group and will move on to the
next activity only when their entire group is ready to do so.
You will need:
goat necklaces for each child (see p. 63);
field trip permission slips (see p. 62);
boxes to build a bridge if there is none for Activity 1;
apples and Peanut Butter Spread for Activity 2 (see p. 64);
yardstick for Activity 3;and
nature items for Closing.
ARRIVAL Recording
Collect field trip permission slips (see p. 62).

Use a balance beam or masking tape to make a bridge on the floor to use with the song
"Crossing the Bridge" on the album WeAll Live Together, volume 4 (YMES0004),by Greg Scelsa
and Steve Mellang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027).
OPENING Story
Read to the children The Three Billy Goats Gruff,by Nova Nestrick (Platt & Munk, 1962).
CRAFT Feely Boards *
Materials Needed:
one cardboard square per child
glue
Explanation:
Children should be instructed to look around the
park for nature items:
something fuzzy something smooth
something rough something soft
something that floats They can glue these objects on their feely boards.
'Copyright 1982, National Wildlife Federation. Reprinted from the September fssue of Your Big Backyard, series 11, with permission of the
publisher, the National Wildlife Federation.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Acting Out the Story-Act out the story of The Three Billy Goats Grufi using an existing bridge
ar one you've made.
Activity 2
Peanut Butter Spread Snack-The children can help prepare a snack at the park or play area,
such as apple wedges and Peanut Butter Spread.
Peanut Butter Spread
1114 cup peanut butter Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Store
213 cup oatmeal in refrigerator. This makes about 1 112
112 cup honey cups and is delicious on apples, pears, and
celery.
112 cup mini chocolate chips
Variation: 112 cup raisins
Activity 3
Measuring Shadows-While at the park or play area, teach the children to measure by compar-
ing the lengths of sticks, leaves, and shadows. Which one is longer? Which one is shorter? Push
sticks of different lengths into the ground so that they stand up straight. Measure the lengths
of the shadows. Measure again thirty minutes later. Have the lengths changed? Measure again
a little while later if time allows. Place a marker on the ground each time the lengths of the
shadows are checked so the children can see the changes.
CLOSING Categorizing Natural Objects
Have three sizes of leaves, nuts, pine cones, rocks, and so forth available. Let the children ar-
range them from smallest to largest. They can also be arranged according to colors and textures.
Listening to Sounds in Nature
Ask the children to think about sounds that they heard at the park or play area today. Identify
sounds that were noisy (car horns), peaceful (birds chirping),happy (children laughing), frightening
(troll stomping), and sounds that are heard only outside (motorcycles).
Tree Day
Trees are an important part of our world. You will be painting a fall tree, making a friendship
tree, and constructing a tree beside Scarecrow's Garden-a bulletin board that the children will
contribute to each day of this unit.
You will need:
photocopied picture of each child (see p. 64) and friendship tree for Arrival;
pressed leaves for Arrival and Activity 1;
objects made of wood, glass, plastic, and cloth for Activity 2; and
rectangle patterns and paper for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Friendship Tree
In a note to each child's parents, you will have asked each child to bring a picture of himself
or herself and will have had it photocopied (see p. 64). You will also have collected leaves and
pressed them. Place a branch in a coffee can filled with sand. As the children arrive, they find
their photocopied picture and tape it to a leaf. Then they attach it to a branch on the friendshiptree.
OPENING Tree Talk
Ifpossible, have your discussion under a tree. IdentZy the different parts of a tree:bark, branches,
leaves, trunk,sap, and roots. Which parts are rough? Which are smooth? What do trees do for
us? They (1)give us shade, (2) provide a home for the birds, (3) give us fruit to eat, (4) provide
a place to hang a swing or build a tree house, (5) give us leaves to play in, and (6) can be made
into lumber, paper, etc.
Creative Movement
Have the children pretend to be trees, swaying in the wind. Talk them through different situa-
tions, such as a hot, sunny day, a tornado, and a snowstorm. Would they rather be a tree than
a child? What are the advantages or disadvantages of being a tree? Use the song "Round in
a Circle" on the album We All Live Together, volume 1,(YMES-0001),by Greg Scelsa, and Sbeve
Millang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027).
Fall Fantasy 49
ORAFT Reverse Stencil of Tree
Haterials Needed.
brown paper
several cut-out shapes of trees (see p. 65)
orange, yellow, and red tempera paints
sponges cut in small pieces tree
stencil
Erplanation:
Lay one of the tree cutouts on each child's brown paper.
sponge
Have the children use the sponges to sponge paint colored painted
!eaves on the tree, falling, and on the ground. Tell children leaves
to cover the whole paper with leaves. When they have fin-
ished, lift off the tree cutout. A brown tree will be there
with many colored leaves.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Leaf Person-Children glue a leaf in the center of a piece of paper to be

the body of a person. With crayons they can draw a head and add arms
and legs.
Activity 2
Categorizing-Place objects made of wood, glass, plastic, and cloth on a table. The children will
group them according to what they are made of. Suggestions for objects are: a wooden spoon,
pencil, drinking glass, jar, toothbrush, shower cap, sock, and a handkerchief.
Scarecrow's Garden Bulletin Board-This month the children will add things to a bulletin board
called Scarecrow's Garden. Today, have them trace and cut out brown rectangles. Use these rec-
tangles to make the branches and trunks of several trees to be placed at the edge of the garden.
Later in the month, they will add ladybugs, scarecrows, and pumpkins. At the end of the month,
witches and ghosts will invade the garden.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: A Tree is Nice, by Janice May Udry (Harper & Row, 1956).
The Giving Tree, by She1 Silverstein (Harper & Row, 1964).A Tree with a Thousand Uses, by
Aileen Fisher (Bowmar, 1977).
Ladybug Day
All children like ladybugs and will enjoy learning more about them. The facts you teach in Opening
are to be reinforced by the game Ladybug Spots in Activity 2. Make a special effort to get the
book The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle because several of the activities refer to that book.
You will need:
notes to parents requesting that children bring in flat rocks for Arrival (see p. 66);
Ladybug Race prepared for Activity 1;
magazines or the game Ladybug Spots prepared for Activity 2 (see p. 67); and
corks, red paint, and black markers for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Painted Rocks
In advance, each child should have been asked to bring a small, flat, oval rock (see p. 66). As
children arrive, they can put on a smock and paint their entire rock with red tempera paint.
OPENING Ladybug Talk
Ladybugs are insects that are helpful to farmers and gardeners because they eat aphids, which
are insects that eat healthy plants. Ladybugs are orangey red with black spots. They are very
tiny. Never, never hurt a ladybug. Let it fly away, and it will bring you good luck.
Story
Read to the children The Grouchy Ladybug, by Eric Carle (Harper & Row, 1986). If you cannot
find this book, you may want to change Activity 2 and the closing for this day. Two other books
that you can use are: Ladybug and Dog and the Night Walk, by Polly Berrien Berends (Random
House, 1980), and Lady Bug, by Carl Kock (Harper & Row, 1986).
CRAFT Ladybug Paperweight
Materials Needed:
Q-tips@
black and red tempera paint
oval rocks painted in Arrival
Explanation:
Children use the Q-tips@to paint black spots on
the rock they painted in Arrival.
Fall Fantasy
r
FREEPLAY Activity 1
M y b u g Race*-Place a marble inside a walnut shell

painted to resemble a ladybug. Hold two ladybugs on
the raised end of an inclined board. Release. The
marbles will roll, moving ladybugs down the board.
Activity 2
Class Book-Have the children cut pictures from magazines to make a class book showing what
the Grouchy Ladybug would eat. If you were unable to locate the book The Grouchy Ladybug,
then play the following game, Ladybug Spots.
Ladybug Spots-Using the patterns on page 67, make four to six ladybugs and enough black
circles to cover the spots on the ladybugs. Also make cards containing questions about ladybug
facts learned in Opening. To begin, give each child a ladybug and six spots. Children take turns
drawing cards, and if they answer the question correctly, they put a spot on their ladybug. The
first child to put on all the spots says, "Ladybug." Sample questions: What do ladybugs eat?
Why do farmers like ladybugs? Is a ladybug an insect? Variation: Question cards can be a review
of shapes, colors, numerals, or simple addition and subtraction facts.
Activity 3
Bulletin Board Ladybugs-The children can dip the end of a cork in red tempera paint and print
ladybugs on the ground and flying through the air in Scarecrow's Garden. Use black felt-tip
pens to give the ladybugs their spots when the paint is dry.
CLOSING Class Book
Using the Class Book made in Activity 2, discuss why the children chose the things they added
to the book. Let each child tell about the things he or she thinks the Grouchy Ladybug would
eat. Could a ladybug really eat those things?
Recite the following poem with the children as they move around the room with you.
Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Come fly with me
Watch what I do, and do it with me.
(Change the word fly to skip,jump, hop, etc.)
'Reprinted from Channels to Chiklren: Early Childhood Activity Guide for Holiday and Seasons, copyright O 1982. Wlth permfssion of
Channels to Children, Box 25834,Cobrado Springs, Colo. 80936.
Scarecrow Day
Many children may not have seen or heard of scarecrows, but before this day is over they should
be well acquainted with the appearance and purpose of them.
You will need:
shapes and straw for Arrival;
pictures of characters in story (see p. 69) for Opening;
beanbag, hat, and broom for Activity 1;
newspaper, yardstick, and clothes for Opening;
4" x 8" paper for each child for Activity 2;
materials to make crowns for Activity 3; and
shirts and straw hats for Closing.
ARRIVAL Bulletin Board
The children will be building two or three scarecrows to

add to the bulletin board today. Have circles, triangles,
rectangles, and straw available. On arrival, hand each
child a part of a scarecrow body. The child can put it on
the bulletin board, adding it to the other scarecrow parts.
OPENING Scarecrow Talk
A scarerrow is made to look like a person standing in a garden. The gardener wants the scarecrow
to scare away the crows so they won't eat the plants. Shiny objects, such as pie tins, are hung
from the scarecrow. These reflect the sun and scare crows, other birds, rabbits, raccoons, etc.
Read to the children A Scarecrow Without a Name, found on page 68.

Let the children make a scarecrow for your classroom using newspaper to stuff an old shirt
and pants. A yardstick can be pushed into the shirt and a hat placed on top for a head.
CRAFT Scarecrow
Materials Needed:
One plastic milk carton lid per child
pretraced rectangles
straw
peanut-shaped styrofoam pieces
one large piece of paper per child
glue, scissors
Fd Fantasy
-
Explanation:
Children cut out traced rectangles for the body of their
scarerrow. They glue the rectangles on large pieces
of paper and add the lids for the scarecrow's head and
straw for arms and legs. The styrofoam pieces can be
glued on for a hat.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Beanbag Fun-Tape a broom securely to a chair and place a hat on top of the broom to resemble
a crude scarecrow. Children throw a beanbag at the hat trying to knock it off the broom.
Activity 2
Story Review-Each child folds a 4" by 18" piece of paper into five sections. In each section, on
one side the child draws a character from the story. On the other side, the child draws five things
b scare out of a garden if he or she were a scarecrow.
Activity 3
Crowns-Have cornhusks, straw, paper, and glue available so the children can make crowns
for themselves like the animals made for Sylvester, King of the Garden, in the story.
CLOSING Scarecrow Scramble
Rave all the children sit on the floor and face in one direction. Choose five children to put on
five large shirts and five straw hats. Put these five scarecrows in a line and have the rest of
the children look carefully at the order in which they are standing. Ask the children to close
their eyes as the scarecrows change places. Then ask them to open their eyes. Choose one child
to put the scarecrows back in their original order.
Monster Day &4
rd hi! \i
Cookie Monster and Harry Monster of "Sesame Street" have helped children to be less fright-
ened by monsters. All the monsters in the stories suggested today also appeal to children.
You will need:
utensils, ingredients, and recipe to make Monster Cookie;
items to construct an obstacle course for Activity 1;
tape recording for Activity 2; and
play dough (see p. 55) for Activity 3.
guessing game for Closing
ARRIVAL Monster Cookie
As the children arrive, they can help make one large monster cookie. Early arrivals can help
mix the dough. Later arrivals can help spread the dough on one large cookie sheet. The follow-
ing is a recipe for monster cookies that you might want to try.
Monster Cookies
3 eggs 1tsp. corn syrup Combine all ingredient&. For smaller

1 112 cup peanut butter 1tsp. vanilla cookies, bake at 350 degrees for ten
minutes. It may take a little longer to bake
1stick oleo 4 112 cups oatmeal
one large monster cookie.
1cup white sugar 112 cup chocolate chips
1cup brown sugar 112 cup raisins
1tsp. soda
OPENING Story
Discuss that monsters are not real and exist only in our imaginations. Today's story is about
a monster who is friendly. Read one of the following stories: Lamont the Lonely Monster, by Dean
Walley (Hallmark book). Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak (Harper & Row, 1963).
There's a Monster Eating My House, by Art Cummings (Parents Magazine Press, 1981).
The album Monsters and Monstrous Things (upbeat BASICS, P.O. Box 120516, Acklen Station,
Nashville, Ind. 37212) has several enjoyable songs for preschoolers. "Monster Color Game" em-
phasizes listening and colors. "Monsters in My Room" reinforces counting skills.
CRAFT Fingerpaint Monster
Materials Needed:
glue
fingerpaint one rectangular piece of paper that has
small moving eyes, sold in craft stores been folded in half and has a door
(two per child) cut in it for each child
Fall Fantasy
Explanation:
Lay the paper flat and have each child fingerpaint a
monster on the uncut half of the paper. Glue on the mov-
ing eyes. When the paint is dry, fold the paper in half and
glue the edges. The children can open the door to see their
monster. fold
line
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Obstacle Course-Construct an obstacle course that the children can go through in search of a
monster. At the end of the course, place a stuffed toy or picture of Cookie Monster or Harry
Monster. Talk about spatial relationships as the children crawl under a row of chairs, climb
over a stack of pillows, or step into shoeboxes.
Activity 2
Listening Center-If the book is available to you, record in advance the story There's a Monster
at the End of This Book, by Jon Stone (a Sesame Street book, 1971). Let the children listen to
the recording as they look a t the book. Use earphones if you wish.
Activity 3
Play Dough-Have PladohB or your own homemade modeling compound available for the children
to create monsters.
This recipe for play dough is inexpensive and keeps for months.
114 cup salt Combine dry ingredients. Heat water and

2 tbsp. cream of tartar food coloring to boiling and add dry in-
gredients. Stir until well blended. Remove
1cup flour
from pan and knead on lightly floured sur-
1cup water face. Let cool. Store in an airtight container
2 tsp. food coloring in the refrigerator.
CLOSING Monster Talk
It was fun talking about monsters today. What monsters have you seen? (Halloween, "Sesame
Street," stories or cartoons) Sometimes we make up monster stories just for fun or to tell a good
story. Some monster stories are about fun monsters (Cookie Monster). Do monsters frighten you?
Why? Some things look frightening but really aren't.
Guessing Game
In advance, locate pictures of people looking frightened or surprised. Tape each picture inside
a Manila folder. Close the folder and cut a peephole to show only the person. Let the children
look through the peephole and try to guess what is happening. When they are finished guess-
ing, open the folder to reveal what is scaring or surprising the person in the picture.
Painting, carving, tossing, and singing about pumpkins are all part of today's fun.The children
learn what the difference is between a pumpkin and a jack-o-lantern.
You will need:
items to prepare snack for Arrival, visual discrimination jack-o-lanterns for Activity 2;
glove prepared for Opening, yarn pumpkins and patch for Activity 3; and
large pumpkin and knife for Activity 1; visuals to use with record in Closing.
ARRIVAL Pumpkin Snack
As the children arrive, have them frat round crackers with spreadable cheese. These can be
served for snacks today. Raisins can be added for facial features as you discuss how pumpkins
become jack-o-lanterns.
OPENING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Halloween Pumpkin, by Pamela Oldfield (Children's Press,
1976).A HaUoween Happening, by Adrienne Adams (Macmillan, 1981).Mousekin's Golden House,
by Edna Miller (Prentice Hall, 1964).
The pumpkin is an orange vegetable that grows on a long green vine. Pumpkins can be cooked
and used to make muffins, pies, or breads. Even the seeds are a tasty treat when they are baked.
You can turn a pumpkin into a jack+-lantern by carving a face on it. Every pumpkin wants
to be a iack-o-lantern on Halloween.
~e&h the children the following poem:
See the pumpkins fat and round
Lying on the cold, wet ground.
Now look up in the moonlit sky
And you will see the bats that fly.
Look oh so careful--ghosts can be seen
Because this night is Halloween!
A visual can be made to wear while reciting this poem. Glue two to three orange pom-pom
pumpki~wclose to the ribbing of an old glove (a dark brown work glove helps the children pic-
ture a nighttime scene). On the fingers, glue several ghosts and bats flying in front of the moon.
As you begin the poem, fold over your fingers so that just the pumpkins are visible. Lift your
fingers as the bats and ghosts are mentioned.
CRAFT Orange Printing
Matetials Needed.
several oranges cut in half horizontally pumpkin vine drawn on a piece of paper
orange paint (You can draw it for younger children, and
older children can draw their own.)
Fall Fantasy 57
Explanation:
Children dip the orange half in orange paint and print
pumpkins on their vine.
Bulletin Board
Children can use oranges to print pumpkins in Scarecrow's Garden. Remember to draw the vines.
After printing, invite the children to help wash and hollow out the used oranges. Frost inside
with peanut butter, and sprinkle with bird seed. Now these feeders can be hung in trees for the
birds.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Acting Out the Story--The Halloween Pumpkin, by Pamela Oldfield, lends itself well to
dramatization.
Carving a Jack-o-Lantern-Children can help plan what kind of face they want to carve on
the pumpkin. They can also help clean out the inside of the pumpkin, The seeds shouldbe washed
and saved for Witch Day, Activity 1(see p. 59). After the children have decided what shape each
facial feature should be, begin to carve. While carving, recite the following poem together, fill-
ing in the blanks with the chosen shape.
Carve, Carve, the pumpkin with me
Tell me what shape the eyes should be.
A ,a is that what you say?
We're making a jack-o-lantern for Halloween Day!
Repeat two more times, substituting the words nose and mouth.
Activity 2
Viiual Discrimination-Cut out and laminate eight to ten paper jack-o-lanterns using various
colored shapes to make faces. Also cut out eight to ten plain paper pumpkins and many small
shapes. Children try to create a jack-o-lantern that matches one of those that you have made
by laying small shapes on their pumpkin.
Throwing Pumpkins into the Pumpkin Patch-Make a pumpkin patch by drawing vines on the
side of a cardboard box. Make yarn pumpkins or use orange nerf balls to play this game. To
make yarn pumpkins, wrap orange yarn around a cardboard rectangle. Slip yarn off the card-
board and hold in the middle. Tie the middle securely with yarn and then clip loops at the end.
Fluff out the yarn to make an orange ball. To play the game, the children stand behind a line
and try to throw the pumpkins into the patch.
CLOSING Recording
"Five Little Pumpkins" on the album Singable Songsfbr the Very Young (SL002), by Itafli with
Ken Whitelay (Shoreline Records, 6307 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada) is perfect
to use today. You can make a visual to use with this record. Draw a gate on the side of a shoebox.
Make five small paper pumpkins and glue each one to a clip-type clothespin. Clip the pumpkins
on the shoebox. Take off each pumpkin as you mention it in the song.
Witch Day
Halloween is a favorite holiday of children, so excitemefit will be palpable in your classroom.

The fairy tale Hansel and Gretel highlights this day of witches' activities.
You will need:
triangle and circle patterns for Arrival;
props for story (see p. 70) in Opening;
pumpkin seeds with holes in them for Activity 1(saved from Pumpkin Day-see p. 57);
paper punches, paper, and telephone wire for Activity 1;
materials to decorate a witch's house for Activity 2;
items to use with record in Activity 3; and
colored leaves for Closing.
ARRIVAL Cutting Shapes
Have available several cardboard patterns of circles and triangles. Children trace one triangle
and one circle, cut them out, print their name on them, and save for Craft.
OPENING Story
Read to the children Hansel and Gretel, a Grimm fairy tale. To make the story more interesting,
make a forest by putting artificial greens in a flat box. Make puppet figures (see p. 70) to walk
through the forest as you tell the story. Have small pieces of bread to drop. Make a bird and
glue it to a clip-type clothespin. The bird can fly through the forest and pick up the pieces of bread!
CRAFT Egg Carton Witch
Materials Needed:
circle and triangle cut in Arrival
yarn
markers
egg carton nose and eyes
Slice through the bottom of a cardboard egg carton between each

set of two egg holders. You will get six nose and eye sections
from each carton. Two side-by-sideegg holders will be the witch's
eyes, and the protruding egg cup divider will be the witch's nose.
Explanation:
Children glue the circle they cut in Arrival onto a large piece of paper. Yarn can be added for
the hair, and the triangle cut in Arrival can be added for the hat. The markers should be used
to color the egg carton eyes, and the eyes should then be glued onto the witch's face. Finally,
use the markers to add a crooked smile.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Witch Jewelry-Prior to class, poke holes in the pumpkin seeds saved from Pumpkin Day. Use
a darning needle so the holes will be large. Give the children small pieces of orange and black
paper to cut into different shapes. Use a paper punch to punch holes in the cut paper. String
the paper and pumpkin seeds on switchboard cable; twist ends together to make necklaces. (See
the explanation about using this wire on p. 63.)
Activity 2
Witch's House-Scarecrow's Garden will now become a place for a witch's house in the forest.
If your bulletin board is becoming too crowded, take down the scarecrows before you put up the
house. Cut a house out of a large sheet of paper. Children can decorate it to look like the witch's
house in the story Hansel and Gretel, and then it can be added to the bulletin board. Have the
children cut out shapes of different colors to glue on the house. Colored marshmallows and cereal
may also be used.
Activity 3
Witches' Brew-Children can help make witches' brew by adding all the things mentioned on
the song "Witches' Brew" on the album Witches' Brew (AR576), by Hap and Martha Palmer
(Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520). If possible, have a witch hat and
a cape for the children to wear a s they pretend to be a witch making her brew. You will also
need a large kettle, a stir stick, and "dead leaves, spider webs, and moldy bread." Even without
t h e record, you can pretend to make a witch's concoction.
CLOSING Recording
Have leaves of different colors cut out and displayed on the floor. Children can walk around
them as directed on the song "Move Around the Color" on the album Easy Does It (AR 5811,
by Hap Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520). When it is time
to go home, have each child hand you his or her leaf and tell you what color it is.
Ghost Day
A Book of Ghosts will delight the children, as it points out that our imaginations often mislead
us into being frightened by things that are familiar. You will complete the bulletin board today
by fingerprint painting some ghosts.
You will need:
pictures and riddles (see pp. 71-72) for Activity 1;
materials to paint ghosts for Activity 2; and
ghost stencils, erasers, and chalk for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Where is Thumbkin?
Have children join your circle and learn to sing and do the actions of this song.
Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin?
(Hide thumbs of both hands behind back.)
Here I am, Here I am.
(Bring out thumbs one at a time.)
How are you today, sir?
(Wiggle thumb on left hand.)
Very well, I thank you.
Wiggle thumb on right hand.)
Run away, run away.
First hide left thumb behind back and then right thumb.)
Verse 2-Where is Pointer?
(Repeat entire song using index fingers.)
Verse 3-Where is Tall Man?
Verse 4--Where is Ring Man?
Verse &Where is Pinky?
Verse &Where is the whole family?
(Bring out all fingers at once.)
OPENING Ghost Talk
People often think of ghosts at Halloween, perhaps because it's a time when we think of scary
things! Lead the children in a discussion about ghosts by asking questions. Do you think there
are really ghosts? What would a ghost feel like if you could touch it? What do they eat? How
does a ghost move? Where would you like to go if you were a ghost? It is fun to think about
imaginary things such as ghosts.
A Book of Ghosts
Share with the children A Book of Ghosts, published by Child's Play Ltd. (1974),a Child's Play
Imagination Book. It is illustrated by Pam Adams and Ceri Jones and does a great job of show-
ing that ghosts that frighten us often turn out to be familiar, unfrightening objects.
Fa1 Fantasy 61
CRAFT Fingerprint Ghosts
Materials Needed:
black paper
white paint
fine-tip black markers
Explanation:
Children use their fingertips to make white ghosts
on black paper. Just a little blowing dries the ghosts
so that the children can use markers to make eyes
on their ghosts.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Halloween Riddles-Have available pictures of different things we think of at Halloween to go

on the flannel board. You can make up riddles about the items, and the children choose the pic-
ture that goes with each riddle. (See pp. 71-72.)
Eramples:
I have four paws. I wear a black hat.
I am black and furry. I ride a broom.
I say meowww. I fly in the sky.
Who am I? Who am I?
I am white. I am round.
I say bow! I am orange.
I scare you. I have a crooked smile.
Who am I? Who am I?
Activity 2
Bulletin Board-Cut several windows in the witch house on the bulletin board. (See Witch Day,
Activity 2, p. 59.) After the children finish their craft, they can fingerprint some ghosts in the
windows and flying around the house. (Older children can tear paper ghosts instead of making
fingerprint ghosts.)
Activity 3
Chalk Dust Ghosts-Children rub chalk on a chalkboard eraser. Place several ghost stencils on
the board or a large piece of black paper. Pat the eraser over the ghosts. Remove the stencils.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Ghost with Halloween Hiccups, by Stephen Mooser (Avon,
1981). The Ghost Said BOO, by John McInnes (Garrard, 1974). The Ghost in Dobbs Diner, by
Robert Alley (Parents Magazine Press, 1981).
THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF DAY-OPENING
(Name of Facility)
(Address)
FIELD TRIP AUTHORIZATION

I doldo not (circle one) give my permission for
(Child's Name)
to leave the above-named facility for a trip to

(Destination)
on
(Date)
Please return this form by

(Date)
(Signature of Parent)
(Date)
THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF DAY-OPENING
No More Needles!
No More Yarn!
Your local telephone company is the place to find a scrap piece of switchboard
cable. Three or four feet will last you a LONG time! After removing the outer cover-
ing, you'll find hundreds of colorful pieces of thin plastic wire. The wire is perfect
for pretend rings and bracelets just the way it is. Stringing decorative pieces of
paper or ribbon on the wire will make a beautiful necklace. It is perfect for string-
ing Cheeriosm,cranberries, or popcorn for the birds.
No needles are necessary! Use it for any craft. . .it's easy to cut, it's clean,
and it's usually free!
THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF DAY-Activity 2
Dear ParentXs),
We prepared and enjoyed this recipe for Peanut Butter Spread at the park today,
We want to share this recipe with you.
Peanut Butter Spread
1 114 cup peanut butter 112 cup mini chocolate chips
213 cup oatmeal Variation: add ll2 c. raisins
1/2 cup honey
Combine all ingredients.Mix well. Store in refrigerator.Makes about 1 112 cups. Delicious
on apples, pears, and celery.
TREE DAY-ARRIVAL
Dear ParentXs),
We need you to send a snapshot or a small photo of your child to school by
.We will make several photocopies of it, and then we

(Date)
will return it to you. These photocopieswill be used in crafts and on bulletin boards
throughout the year.
Thanks!
TREE DAY-CRAFT
LADYBUG DAY -ARRIVAL
Dear Parent(s),
We need your child to bring a small, flat
rock to school by
(Date)
It should be fairly smooth, oval-shaped, and
approximately 3 inches by 4 inches.
GHOST DAY-ARRIVAL
Dear Parent($
We learned the song "Where Is Thumbkin"

sung to the tune of "Frtire Jacque." We
send the words home so you and your child can have fun
singing the song together. Be sure to have your child show
you the actions.
Where is Thumbkin, where is Thumbkin?
Here I am, here I am.
How are you today, sir?
Very well, I thank you.
Run away, run away.
Verse 2-Where is Pointer?
Verse 3-Where is Tall Man?
Verse &Where is Ring Man?
Verse 5-Where is Pinky?
Verse 6-Where is the whole family?
LADYBUG DAY-Activity 2
by Judy Galloway, Lynette Ivey, and Gloria Valster
Robby Rabbit hopped down the path and came to a beautiful garden. Robby loved to eat carrot
tops, but as he began to eat he heard a voice shout, "Get out of my garden!" Robby Rabbit turned, and
there he saw a scarecrow!
Robby asked, "Who are you?" and the voice answered, "I'm the scarecrow who takes care of this
garden ."
But Robby wanted to know his name. Scarecrow replied, "I have n o name."
Robby then said, "I'm not afraid of a scarecrow who has no name," and he continued to eat the
carrot tops.
Soon Rory Raccoon came along and wanted a snack. The corn looked delicious, so he began to
eat. Again the scarecrow shouted, "Get out of my garden!" R o y was terribly frightened; however, Robby
Rabbit stopped munching carrot tops long enough to tell R o y not to be scared.
Robby said, "That scarecrow doesn't even have a name." Both Rory Raccoon and Robby Rabbit
continued to nibble.
As Connie Crow was flying around, she spotted very red, ripe tomatoes in the garden. Robby Rab-
bit and Rory Raccoon were enjoying their snack so much that she decided to join them. Just as she
began to eat that first tomato, she heard a loud voice shout, "Get out of my garden!"
Connie began to tremble and was almost ready to cry when her friends said, "Don't be afraid of
that scarecrow. . .he doesn't even have a name."
Betty Bug and Sherry Squirrel were having a great game of chase and tag when, to their surprise,
they found themselves in the middle of a garden! "Oh what yummy food!" Betty Bug exclaimed.
Betty Bug began eating beans, and Sherry Squirrel was nibbling lettuce, when all of a sudden they
heard that voice shout, "Get out of my garden!"
Sherry Squirrel squealed, "Let's run!"
The other animals laughed and cried out, "Stay and eat. That's just a silly scarecrow with no name."
All the animals were having a great picnic when they saw how very sad the scarecrow felt. The
animals weren't sure why, but they felt sad, too. Robby Rabbit suggested, "Let's go to my house. We
need to talk." At Robby's house, the animals decided to think of a name for the scarecrow.
Betty Bug said, "Let's name him Patches. He has patches on his jacket." The other animals thought
Patches was a name for a puppy.
Rory Raccoon said, "Let's name him Jingles. He has pie pans hanging on his jacket that jingle when
the wind blows." The other animals thought Jingles was a name for a clown. They had to think of a
name that was perfect.
Suddenly Robby Rabbit said, "I have an idea. Come with me."
The animals began to work very hard on Robby Rabbit's idea, and then altogether they went back
to the garden. Robby Rabbit announced, "Scarecrow, we have a name for you. We name you Sylvester-
King of the Garden!" At that moment, Connie Crow flew to the scarecrow and placed their gift upon
his head. . .a crown of corn shucks and straw. From that time on, the animals never ate the vegetables
in King Sylvester's garden.
Robby Rabbit
Sherry Squirrel
Rory Raccoon
Scarecrow
w
Sylvester-King of the Garden Betty Bug
-
WITCH DAY OPENING
GHOST DAY-Activity 1
GHOST DAY-Activity 1
unit 4
I
FOOD AND FUN
Everyone likes to eat, but it can also be fun to prepare food. Children enjoy mix-
ing, pouring, stirring, and measuring. The learning experiences with food in this
unit provide a means for expanding concepts of numbers, measuring, size, tex-
ture, taste, time, and color. There are supervised opportunities for the children
to use an egg beater, a mixer, and a rolling pin as well as measuring spoons and
cups.
Sharing is important, both in preparation and in eating. Encourage the
children to share in both.
Let's Celebrate Day
Cookie Monster's Birthday
Apple Day
Fruit Day
Popcorn Day
Pie Day
Cornbread Day
Turkey Day
Let's Celebrate!
This is a day on which you can celebrate the birthdays of all the children in your class. In preschools
that meet only two times per week, it is sometimes difficult to recognize each child on his or
her special day. This day allows you to have one big party for everyone in your class!
You will need:
notes to parents requesting that children bring in baby photos (see p. 90) for Arrival;
large paper birthday cake for Arrival;
recipe (see p. go), ingredients, and utensils for Arrival;
a parent to bring in a baby for Opening;
candlestick for Activity 1;
art supplies and old greeting cards for Activity 2; and
growth chart for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Class Birthday Cake
Send notes home prior to this day asking each child to bring a baby picture of himself or herself
to class (see p. 90). Make a large paper birthday cake to put on an easel or bulletin board. As
the children arrive, they tape their baby picture on the birthday cake.
Mufin Cupcakes
After putting their picture on the class cake, the children can help make applesauce muffins
to eat for a snack (see p. 90). Make this a special snack time. You might want to decorate with
balloons or have the children wear party hats. Be sure to sing "Happy Birthday" before the
children eat their muffin birthday cakes.
Applesauce Muffins
2 cups flour Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle top of
4 tsp. baking powder each mufin with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake fifteen to twenty minutes at 350
112 tsp. cinnamon
degrees.
114 cup sugar
1egg (beaten)
113 cup vegetable oil
112 cup milk
213 cup applesauce
OPENING Let's Celebrate
Birthdays mean we are getting older and are growing. Look at the baby pictures the children
have brought and discuss how they have grown. Ask a parent to bring a baby to visit, and let
the children discuss things that they do now but could not do when they were a baby. What
are some special ways to celebrate birthdays? Who do you like to have celebrate with you? What
can you do for someone else who is having a birthday?
Food and Fun 75
t
Where, Oh Where Is Todd?
Canclude by singing "Where, Oh Where Is Todd?" to a simple tune (such as "Muffin Man").
Substitute each child's name. Have each child come up and point to his or her baby picture when
you sing this phrase.
CRAFT Birthday Cake
Materials Needed:
picture of birthday cake for each child (see p. 91)
paper for candles
crayons, scissors, paste
Explanation:
Children cut out rectangular strips for candles to paste on
top of their cakes. Then they use crayons to color the flames
o n the candles and to decorate their cakes.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Jack Be Nimble-Bring in a candlestick so that the children can recite and a d out this nursery
rhyme. Discuss that candles are a fun part of birthdays, but they can be dangerous. It is fun
to substitute each child's name for Jack as he or she jumps over the candlestick.
Jack be nimble
Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick.
Activity 2
Birthday Cards-Since you will be celebrating Cookie Monster's birthday on your next day of
class, the children might enjoy making birthday cards for him. Have available scissors, crayons,
paper, old stickers, old greeting cards, etc., so the children can design their own cards. Put all
the cards in an envelope and mail them to Cookie Monster, care of Children's Television Workshop,
One Lincoln Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10023.
Activity 3
Growth Chart-Make a growth chart that looks like one large candle. Mark the height and record
the weight of each child on this growth chart.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Ask Mr. Bear, by Marjorie Flack (Macrnillan, 1986). Happy
Birthday, Henrietta, by Syd Hoff (Garrard, 1983).Benny Bakes a Cake, by Eve Rice (Greenwillow
Books, 1981).
Cookie Monster's Birthday
Did you know that November 10 is Cookie Monster's Birthday? He is a special character with
so much mystery about him. Celebrate with cookies, of course, and speculate about what Cookie
Monster is really like.
You will neeed:
edible play dough (see below), rolling pins, and cookie cutters for Arrival;
large picture of Cookie Monster, paper cookies, and blindfold for Activity 1;
large paper C and blue tissue paper for Activity 2; and
patterns of circles and generic raisins, peanuts, and chocolate chips for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Make Cookies
As the children arrive, they can make cookies with this recipe for edible play dough. Have roll-
ing pins and cookie cutters available for them to use. Allow them to play with their play dough
until they make that special cookie they want to save for snack time.
Edible Play Dough
1 cup peanut butter

112 cup powdered sugar
approximately 114 cup honey
Combine ingredients and mix well.
OPENING Cookie Monster Talk
How old do you think Cookie Monster is? Has he grown like you have? How big was he when
he was born? What would happen if Cookie Monster only ate cookies? Does Cookie Monster have
good manners when he eats?
Records
Sing the song "C is for Cookie" on the album Bert and Ernie Sing Along (CTN-22068), or dance
to "Cookie Disco" on the album Aren't You Glad You're You? (CTW 22083), both from Sesame
Street Records, Children's Television Workshop, One Lincoln Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10023.
CRAFT Cookie Monster
Materials Needed:
precut shape of Cookie Monster (preferably cut out of blue paper (see p. 93)
dyed blue spaghetti or blue yarn
glue
miniature marshmallows
small brown coding dots
~ o o dand Fun
Ezplanation:
Give each child a precut Cookie Monster. The children will
glue two miniature marshmallows where the eyes should
be and attach a small coding dot to the end of each marsh-
mallow, You should have made the blue spaghetti by cook-
ing spaghetti in boiling water to which you added blue food
coloring. Drain the spaghetti slightly before the children
put short pieces of it on Cookie Monster's body. The wet
spaghetti should be sticky enough that you won't need to
use glue. Short pieces of blue yarn may be glued on if you
prefer not to use the spaghetti.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Blindfold Game-In advance, make a large picture of Cookie Monster with hie mouth wide open.
Tape it to the wall. Also make some small paper cookie8 to feed him. Put tape on the back of
each cookie. One at a time blindfold the children and have them try to get the cookie in Cookie
Monster's mouth.
Activity 2
Bulletin Board-Cut a large C out of heavy paper. Children twist small pieces of blue tissue
paper around the end of a pencil and glue them on the C. This C can be placed in the middle
of a bulletin board, and the cookies the children make in Activity 3 can be placed around it.
Older children can also cut out pictures of things that begin with the letter C.
Activity 3
Paper Cookies-Have available patterns for the children to trace circles. Children should cut
out the circles and glue on generic raisins, peanuts, or chocolate chips to make the kind of cookie
they think Cookie Monster would like best.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Happy Birthday, Cookie Monster!, by Felice Haus (Random
House, 1986). Monster Birthday Party, by Sally Freedman (Whitman, 1983).
Apple Day
To make apple dumplings with a class of preschoolers, you will need to be well organized. For
many children, both preparing and eating the dumplings is a new experience. The pastry is very
easy to handle, and we have altered the recipe so the dumplings are small.
You will need:
pastry dough and sauce (see below) for Arrival;
apples, rolling pins, and other supplies for Arrival;
several kinds of apples for Opening;
possibly an orchard worker for Opening;
Apple/Worm Match prepared for Activity 1;
flannel apples and worms for Activity 2; and
different colored paper apples and tree for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Apple Dumplings
Have the children roll out the pastry for the apple dumpling they will eat for snack today. Prepare
the dough and sauce before class.
You can make areas for the children to roll out the pastry by taping 12" by 12" pieces of
wax paper on the table. Use masking tape and tape the complete perimeter of the paper.
Apple Dumplings
1 112 cups sugar Combine sugar, water, spices, and food col-
1 112 cups water oring; bring to a boil. Remove from heat;
add butter. Sift together dry ingredients;
114 tsp. cinnamon
cut in shortening until mixture resembles
6-10 drops red food coloring coarse crumbs. Add milk all a t once and
3 tbsp. margarine stir just until flour is moistened. Roll small
2 cups flour pieces into 4" squares. Place 114 apple on
dough and sprinkle with sugar and cin-
2 tsp. baking powder
namon. Moisten edges and fold corners to
1tsp. salt center. Bake a t 375 degrees for thirty-five
213 cup shortening minutes. Spoon syrup over dumpling and
112 cup milk serve warm.
apples, pared and quartered
OPENING Apple Talk
Apples are a fruit which grows in different sizes and colors. Bring in several kinds of apples,
such as Jonathans, Red and Yellow Delicious, and Granny Smith, to show the children the dif-
ferences. Apples are a great snack whether eaten alone or used to make cider, muffins, dump-
lings, pie, or applesauce. If possible, have someone who works in an orchard visit your class and
talk about growing apples.
78
# b dand Fun 79
Poem
Teach the children this poem about apples as found in Everyday Circle Times, by Dick Wilmes
Building Blocks Publication, 1983).
OUCH
by Dick Wilmes
Apple green, apple red
Apple fell upon my head!
CRAFT Apple Prints

Materials Needed:
pretraced apple shape on red, yellow, or green paper (see p. 92)
scissors
several apples sliced in half vertically
white tempera paint
Explanation:
Have each child cut out a paper apple. The child then dips
one of the apple halves in the white paint and makes prints
on the paper apple. Have children wash the apples and put
them out for the birds to eat.
FREEPLAY Activity '1
Apple/Worm Match-Cut out several apples and punch a varying number
of holes in them using a paper punch. (You might want to laminate or
cover the apples with clear self-stick vinyl.) Make worms by gluing small
craft pom-pom balls together and onto a piece of paper. Add coding dots
for eyes. Trim the paper with scissors so you don't see it. (It is for sup-
port only.) Make the worms of different sizes by varying the number of
pom-pom balls you use. The children are to match the number of holes
in the apple with the number of pom-pom balls used to make the worm.
Activity 2
Flannel Board Apples and Worm-Make one red, one yellow, and one green felt apple and one
brown worm. Have the children follow your instructions as to where to put the worm. Examples:
.
"Place the worm behind the red apple. . .above the yellow apple. .next to the green apple."
Activity 3
Apple Match-Draw a large apple tree on heavy paper. Color apples of different sizes and colors
on the tree. Cut out apples of those same sizes and colors. The children match the apples to those
drawn on the tree.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Fresh Cider and Apple Pie, by Franz Brandenberg (Macmillan,
1973). Rain Makes Applesauce, by Julian Scheer (Holiday, 1964). Who's Got the Apple?, by Jan
Loof (Random House, 1975).
Fruit Day
You will be teaching all about fruits today. Bring in lots of different types so the chi1d;ren can
actually see, touch, taste, and smell each one as you talk about it.
You will need:
cranberries, Cheeriob, and telephone wire (see p. 63) for Arrival;
basket or cornucopia and many samples of fruit for Opening;
pictures of fruit (see p. 94) and a banana for Opening;
ingredients and recipe for Activity 1;
large paper fruits and magazines or catalogs for Activity 2; and
Fruit Concentration (see p. 96) for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Bird Feedrng
String cranberries and Cheeriosa. Hang them in a tree or bush where you can watch the birds eat!
OPENING Fruit Talk
Show the children a basket or cornucopia filled with fruits such as pineapple, kiwi,apples, mangos,
oranges, grapefruit, blueberries, bananas, and grapes. Use the visuals as you and the children
verbally describe each fruit. Cut them in half to discover which ones have seeds and what the
"meat" of the fruit looks like.
Questions for discussion are as follows: Which fruits do you like to eat? Do we ever eat the
seeds of the fruit? Which fruits do we eat the skins of? Where does fruit grow? (on trees, vines,
bushes)
If you use a cornucopia, tell the children that it represents a symbol of abundance and is
sometimes called a "horn of plenty."
Hot Banana
Have all the children sit in a circle to play this game, which is the fruity version of Hot Potato.
Place pictures of different kinds of fruit on the floor in the middle of the circle (see p. 94). Children
pass the banana around the circle until the music stops. The child holding the banana must
point to and name his or her favorite fruit. Encourage the children to respond with a complete
sentence.
99
Example ''My favorite fruit is
CRAFT Fruit Painting
Materials Needed.
picture of cornucopia or basket for each child (see p. 95)
brown crayons
red, orange, and yellow paint
several apples, lemons, and oranges
Food and Fun
&planation:
The children color the cornucopia brown. Cut the apples
m wedges and the lemons and orange8 in half. The children
dip these in the paint and print fruit in the cornucopia. ,
Have children wash the fruit and put it out for the birds
to eat.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Mini Fiuit Kabobs-Let the children make mini fruit kabobs by putting pineapple, bananas,
mandarin oranges, and pieces of apple on a toothpick. The fruit snack will be more special if
you also make a dip. This recipe is quick and easy to prepare.
3 oz. soft cream cheese Mix the f d three ingredients until
1 tsp. cinnamon smooth. Fold in the whipped topping.
1 tbsp. milk
8 oz. whipped topping
Activity 2
h i t Colkge-In advance, cut a large orange out of orange paper, an apple out of red paper,
and a banana out of yellow paper. Make as many of these fruits as you like, The children cut
pictures of the fruits from magazines and glue them on the large paper fruits. Seed catalogs
are an excellent source of illustrations for this activity.
Activity 3
&it Concentration-You can make this game using the patterns on page 96.Put the pictures
em small cards and make sure you have two cards for each kind of fruit. For example, have two
cards with pictures of apples, two cards with kiwi, and so forth. To play the game, scatter all
muds face down on the table. The fmst player chooses two cards and turns them face up. If the
t w o cards show the same fruit, the player keeps the cards and continues to play. If they do not
match, the player turns them face down. The next player turns two cards face up, remembering
the two cards that the previous player turned over. Play continues until all cards are gone. The
winner is the player who matches the most cards.
CLOSING Story
I
j h d one of the following stories: Cranberry Thanksgiving, by Wende and Harry Devlin
I (IMacmillan, 1980).An Apple Is Red, by Nancy Curry (Bowman Publication Corp., 1967).Jam,
bg Margaret Mahy (The Atlantic Monthly Press, 1985).
P
Popcorn Day
Watching and listening to popcorn popping can be fun, but do be careful. When popping the
corn during Arrival, be sure that the children sit along the edge of the sheet or blanket, but
not on it. This will assure that no one gets hit by hot popcorn. Warn the children to stay back
so that everyone will have a good time and no one gets hurt.
You will need:
a n electric popper and sheet or blanket for Arrival;
several kinds of popcorn poppers for Opening;
ingredients and recipe for Activity 1;
Popcorn Number Game prepared for Activity 2; and
Color Bingo and markers for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Make Popcorn
Place an electric popcorn popper in the middle of a blanket or sheet on the floor. Do not put
on the lid. Let the children watch the popcorn pop. (Save the popcorn for use in Activity 1.)
OPENING Popcorn Talk
Ears of popcorn grow on stalks in fields. Popcorn is a type of corn with very small, hard kernels.
When heated, the kernels burst into a white, fluffy snack that is very popular with young and
old people. As the children observed in Arrival, popcorn makes a popping sound when it bursts.
Show the children different kinds of popcorn poppers--electric, over the flame, and microwave
poppers.
Record
Listen to the song "Popcorn" on the album We All Live Together, volume 2 (YR-OOBR),by Greg
Scelsa and Steve Millang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 900271, as the
children pretend to make and eat popcorn.
CRAFT Smoke Circles
Materials Needed:
sheet of paper for each child
with three circles of different
sizes drawn on it
three colors of crayons
three colors of popcorn
glue
82
h o d and Fun 83
Explanation:
(Popcorn can be colored by popping it in an air popper and then shaking it in a brown bag with
dry tempera paint. Add as much paint as needed to achieve your desired color.) If you read P o p
aorn Dragon for your story today, call the circles on the paper the puffs of smoke that come out
af the dragon's mouth. Instruct the children to color the biggest circle one color, the smallest
circle another color, and the middle-sized circle still another color. Then the children glue pop-
corn of the same color around the edge of each circle. Caution the children that the popcorn is
no longer good to eat.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Edible Popcorn Circles-Using the popcorn saved from Arrival, make these circles for your snack
(see p. 82). Children can shape this mixture into circles and then count the chocolate chips as
they place them on top,
Popcorn Circles
114 cup margarine Melt margarine in a heavy skillet. Stir in
112 cup peanut butter peanut butter and marshmallows. Heat
very slowly, stirring constantly until mix-
1package miniature marshmallows
ture i s melted and smooth. Remove from
10 cups unsalted popcorn heat. Stir in popcorn; toss until evenly
112 cup chocolate chips coated.
Activity 2
Popcorn Number Game-In advance, make cards to use in this game. Each card will have a
numeral on it in one of three colors. Have colored popcorn available in those same colors. (See
Craft for how to color popcorn.) Hold the cards as each child chooses one card and lays it on the
table. The child is to place on the card the number and color of popcorn that the numeral indicates.
Activity 3
Color Bingo-Play Color Bingo using popcorn for markers. Make cards by drawing circles in
several different colors where the numerals on a Bingo card usually are. Make small cards with
one colored circle on each, including all the colors you have used on the playing cards. Each
child has a playing card and popcorn. Children take turns drawing a small card, and everyone
places a popcorn on that color on their playing card. The first player to cover one row says, "Bingo."
CLOSING Poppin' Popcorn
Teach the children to sing this song to the tune of "Muffin Man":
Do you know how to pop popcorn, Make it hot and watch it pop,
pop popcorn, pop popcorn? watch it pop, watch it pop.
Do you know how to pop popcorn? Make it hot and watch it pop.
Pop-Pop-Pop Pop-Pop-Pop
Pour in a bowl and share with a friend,
share with a friend, share with a friend.
Pour in a bowl and share with a friend.
Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm
Story
Read one of the following stories: The Popcorn Dragon, by Jane Thayer (Morrow, 1953). P o p
corn, by Frank Asch (Parents Magazine Press, 1979). Popcorn Book, by Tomie de Paola (Scholastic
I Books, Inc., 1978).
Pie Day
Cooking has been a major activity of this unit, but you do not need a recipe for today's adven-
ture. You will prepare a very simple pie and continue working with numbers and fractions through
water play.
You will need:
pastry dough, pie filling, and mini-mufin pans for Arrival;
picture of a pie and triangles for Opening;
play dough, pie tins, and rolling pins for Activity 1;
different sized containers for Activity 2; and
Number Matching Game for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Blueberry Pie
As the children arrive, have them make a small blueberry pie for their snack today. Buy pie
crust mix and a can of blueberry pie filling. Pat a small amount of crust i n a mini-mflin pan.
Fill with pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for fifteen to twenty minutes.
OPENING Pie Talk
Pie is a favorite dessert of many people. It is a pastry with fruit or cream filling. Fruit pies usually
have two crusts. The top crust can either be one solid piece or several strips of pastry dough
woven together across the filling. Cream pies have one crust on the bottom and whipping cream
or meringue on top. Meringue is made by whipping the white part of an egg with sugar. En-
courage discussion by asking the following questions: Have you ever eaten pie? What is your
favorite kind of pie? Have you ever eaten ice cream with pie?
Bulletin Board
Make a large picture of a pie to put on the bulletin board. Divide the pie into as many slices
as you have children in your class. Cut colored triangles to fit onto these slices. Hand one triangle
to each child and say: "A great big pie I made you see; Tell your favorite kind to me." As children
pin their slice onto the class pie, write the name of the kind of pie they like on their triangle.
CRAFT Blueberry Pie
Materials Needed:
one small paper plate per child
brown construction paper
shell macaroni, dyed blue, or blue play dough
Food and Fun
Explanation:
In advance, dye the macaroni blue by putting it in water
with blue food coloring for a few minutes. Dry thoroughly
on paper towels. If you choose to use play dough, have the
children roll it into small balls. The children color their
paper plate brown to resemble pie crust. Then they glue
the "blueberries" onto the plate. Finally, they cut brown
strips and glue the ends to the edge of the paper plate to
make a lattice top for their pie.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Play Dough Pies-Place play dough, pie tins, and rolling pins on a table so the children can pre-
tend to make pies. Frozen meat pie tins make nice small pies.
Activity 2
Water Play-Let the children experiment with water in different sized containers. Have tall,
thin containers, wide, flat containers, and measuring cups and spoons available for the ex-
periments. Talk about whole and half cups and how the shape of a container can make you think
it has more water in it than it really does.
Activity 3
Number Matching Game--Divide a pizza board into six

equal parts by drawing lines on it. In each part, draw one
of the following: one brown raisin, two purple plums, three
red cherries, four blueberries, five yellow peaches, and six
green limes. Also, make six pie-shaped pieces which have
a colored numeral to correspond to the color of the fruit on
the pie, for example, a green six. The children are to match
the color and number on their slice to the fruit on the pie.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Mouse Family's Blueberry Pie, by Alice P. Miller (Elsevier-
Dutton Co., 1981). Apple Pie, by Anne Wellington (Prentice-Hall, 1978). Pancake Pie, by Sven
Norquist (William Morrow & Co., 1984).
Cornbread Day
While cooking with the children, take every opportunity to count with them and refer to the
numbers in the recipe. Point out that a fraction of a cup is less than a whole cup.
You will need:
ingredients and recipe (see below) for Arrival;
cornbread and white bread for Opening;
whipping cream and a jar for Opening;
ears of corn and paper plates for Activity 1;
cornmeal and dry tempera for Activity 2; and
muffin tins and kernels of corn for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Cornbread Muffins
As the children arrive, have them make cornbread muffins to be eaten at snack time. Write
the recipe in picture form on a large chart so the children can see what is needed to make their
muffins.
Cornbread Muffins
1114 cups flour Combine dry ingredients. Beat egg; add
113 cup sugar milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients. Mix
just until moistened. Fill muffin cups two-
112 teaspoon salt thirds full and bake at 375 degrees for fif-
114 cup vegetable oil teen minutes. Yield: twelve
314 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1cup milk
1egg (beaten)
OPENING Cornbread Talk
Brrng cornbread and a loaf of white bread for the children to see and taste and compare the
differences. Explain that cornbread has cornmeal in it, which is made from corn that has been
ground very fine. This is unlike most breads that have flour in them, which is made from ground
wheat. Point out that cornbread is yellow and crumbly. As children taste the two breads, discuss
the two textures.
Make Butter
The children will enjoy making butter to spread on their mans. Pour a half pint of whipping
cream into a jar with a tight lid. Let the children take turns shaking it until it turns into butter.
while enjoying "Muffin Man" on the album We All Live Together, volume 2 (YR-OOZR),by Greg
Scelsa and Steve Millang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027).
Food and Fun
CRAFT The Muffin Man

Materials Needed:
2" x 4" rectangle patterns
muffin papers (smallest size available)
Paper
SciSsors, glue, crayons
Explanation:
Have children trace a rectangular pattern and cut it out.
Glue it on a larger piece of paper. This will be the muff~n
man's cart, Glue two mini-muffin papers under the cart
for the wheels, and glue one mini-muffinpaper beside the
cart for the muffin man's head. Children use crayons to
draw the mdn man's body and the handle of the cart.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Paper Plate Shakers-Bring ears of corn to class. As the children are shelling the corn, review
what they learned about cornmeal in Arrival and Opening. Use the kernels of corn to make
paper plate shakers. Give each child two paper plates, some kernels of corn, and crayonsto decorate
the shaker. Staple the plates together, leaving an opening to add the corn.
Cornmeal Designs-In margarine tubs, mix 112 cup cornmeal with dry tempera. Children draw
a design with glue on paper and then sprinkle the cornmeal mixture over the glue. Pour off the
extra cornmeal to reveal the colored design.
Activity 3
Counting Kernels-Cut small circles to fit in the bottom of muffin tins. Write a numeral on each
circle. The child is to count that many kernels of corn into that section of the mufin tin.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Benny's Magic Baking Pan, by Kenneth Truse (Gmard, 1974).
b Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban (Harper & Row, 1964). When Batistine Made Bread,
by Treska Lindsey (Macmillan, 1985).
Turkey Day
Unit 4 has concentrated heavily on math, which is dncult for many children. Turkey Day is
a little more relaxed, with activities encouragingcreativity and color identificationreinforcement.
You will need:
paint and pie tins for Arrival;
pictures of a turkey for Opening;
fingerplay glove for Opening,
feather pattern for Activity 1;
turkey body, feathers, and magnet for Activity 2 (see p. 97);
feathers for Activity 3; and
turkey on the bulletin board and feathers for Closing.
ARRIVAL Handprint
Have the children lay one hand in a pie tin containing tempera paint and then make a hand-
print on their craft paper for today. Have them spread their fingers apart to resemble feathers
in a turkey's tail.
OPENING Turkey Talk
A turkey is a bird that has feathers over its body except on its head and neck. Identify the parts
of a turkey's body using pictures--feathers, tail, wings, feet, etc. The pouch-like area in front
of the throat is called a gullet. The female turkey is called a hen, and the male turkey is called
a tom. Turkeys have rather large beaks that must be clipped so they cannot eat dirty things
that are not good for them. With a clipped beak, they can only eat out of a turkey feeder. The
turkeys' wing feathers also must be clipped; otherwise, the turkeys fly over the fence.
Fingerplay
Teach the children the following poem. You can make a visual with an old white dress glove,
five turkey stickers, and [email protected] the stickers on light cardboard and cut them out. Glue
Velcro@on the end of each finger of the glove and on the back of each sticker. Now, stick each
turkey on a finger of the glove and you have five little turkeys to show the children during the
poem. Because you used Velcro@,the glove can be used again and again with different pictures
or stickers.
Five Little Turkeys (traditional)
Five little turkeys are we.
We slept all night in a tree.
When cook came around,
We couldn't be found.
That's why we're here, you see.
Food and Fun 89
Story
Read one of the following stories: SometimesIt's Turkey, SometimesIt's Feathers, by Lorna Balian
(Abingdon, 1986). How Spider Saved Turkey, by Robert Kraus (Windmill Books, 1973). F a r m
Goff and His Turkey Sam, by Brian Schatell (Harper & Row, 1982).
CRAFT Handprint Turkey
Materials Needed.
handprint painted in Arrival
brown construction paper
circle and oval patterns
scissors, crayons, glue
Explanation:
Children trace and cut out a circle and an oval. The
children will paste the shapes on top of the handprint leav-
ing the fingers to show above the circle. Children then use
crayons to draw legs and a beak.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Fringing Feathers-Have the children trace a feather pattern, cut it out, and fringe the edges.
Provide a variety of colors from which to choose. (Save these feathers to be put on the bulletin
board in Closing.)
Activity 2
Fun with Magnets--Draw the head and body of a turkey on heavy paper (see p. 97). Cut several
feathers for the turkey's tail and attach a paper clip to each one. Lay the feathers on top of the
turkey picture. The children hold a magnet under the paper and use it to move the turkey's
tail feathers into the proper place.
Activity 3
Painting with Feathers-Allow the children to use feathers to paint pictures. Use the rest of the
paint you mixed for the handprints made in Arrival.
CLOSING Bulletin Board
Prior to class, draw a large turkey (omitting the tail) and place it on the bulletin board. Pass
out the feathers cut in Freeplay Activity 1.As you say the following verse with the children,
have them bring their feathers to the bulletin board to add to the turkey's tail.
Use your eyes, use your eyes
Quickly look and see,
If your feather is the color of mine,
Bring it here to me.
LETS CELEBRATE- ARRIVAL
Dear Parent(&
We will be having a day to celebrate all the children's birthdays. This will stimulate
discussion of growing and getting older, so we would like you to send to school
a baby picture of your child We need the picture on

(Date)
9
I
and it will be returned to you Please write your child's name on the back of the
picture.
Thanks!
3
h
LET'S CELEBRATE- ARRIVAL
II
What a day of celebration! Our muffin birthday cakes were delicious. Plan an eve-
ning when you can make them with your child while he or she explains what hav-
ing a birthday means.
Applesauce Muffins
2 cups flour 1 egg (beaten)

112 tsp. cinnamon 113 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp. baking powder 112 cup milk
114 cup sugar 213 cup applesauce
Combine all ingredients and pour into muffin cups. Fill 213 full and sprinkle sugar and
cinnamon on top of each muffin. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350".
I
-
LET'S CELEBRATE CRAFT
APPLE DAY-CRAFT
FRUIT DAY-Activity 3
Make two of each card.

unit 5
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
December is a season of holidays. It's a time when everyone can have fun together.
Although it's a festive time, it can also be a time when children and adults feel
pressured. There is too much to do! Try to keep your classroom as calm as possible
with an emphasis on giving and sharing.
Please note that these days lead toward giving something the children make
to someone who is special to them. Spend time discussing the gifts they will be
giving rather than what they might like to receive.
Cookie Jar Day
Cookie Day
Mouse Day
Star Day
Box Day
Wrapping Paper Day
Ribbon and Bow Day
Giving and Sharing Day
Cookie Jar Day
When thinking of Christmas, special goodies we eat come to mind. That is the reason for the
theme of this day and the following one-Cookie Day.
You will need:
notes to parents requesting that children bring in a small oatmeal box (see p. 118);
felt characters for Story in Opening (see p. 116);
fabric circles for Arrival;
cookie jars for Opening and Activity 1;
cards for Activity 1;
Cookie Monster and catalogs for Activity 2;
materials to design a cookie jar for Activity 3; and
circles for Closing.
ARRIVAL Design a Lid

As the children arrive, have them color a design on a circle of cotton fabric, which will be glued
on the lid of the cookie jar they will make in Craft today. Iron these circles to set the crayon
(this can be done after class because they are not glued on until the next day). To set the crayon,
cover the design with four to five sheets of paper towels. Press with a n iron on medium heat
setting until the crayon design no longer prints onto the paper towels. (The paper towel on top
of the drawing will need to be changed several times.)
OPENING Cookie Jar Talk

Where do you keep cookies a t your house? Why do we need to keep cookies in a container? Why
is the cookie jar sometimes placed too high for you to reach? Have available cookie jars of dif-
ferent shapes and sizes to show the children and talk about.
Story
Share the story Our Cookie Jar Friends with the children today. It's a good idea to make flannel
board pieces to aid in telling the story (see p. 116). Another story you may want to share today
is The Sweet Smell of Christmas, by Patricia Scany (Western Publishing Co., 1970).
Our Cookie Jar Friends
Our cookie jar friends jumped out one night
When the cookie jar lid was not on tight.
The gingerbread boy blinked his eyes
And looked around with much surprise.
The frosted duck shook the sugar off his back
As he flapped his wings and said, "quack quack."
The little lamb kicked his heels and began to run.
He knew this night was going to be fun.
The big, heavy elephant raised his long, gray trunk
And down went the cookie jar lid-ker plunk!
The cookies danced and played but didn't stray far
And one by one hopped back to the cookie jar.
Happy Holidays 101
CRAFT Decorate a Cookie Jar

Materials Needed:
one small oatmeal box per child (Ask each child to bring his or her own. See p. 118.)
paper to cover the outside of the oatmeal box
tempera paint in two colors
wide paintbrushes
Explanation:
Either strip the paper off the outside of the oatmeal boxes,
or cover them by taping or gluing paper around the out-
side. The children use the paint and brushes to make
stripes on the outside of their cookiejars. The children will
complete these cookie jars on Cookie Day.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Cookie J a r Lid Game-To play this game, use the cookie jars from Opening, or make some cookie
jars like the ones the children made in Craft. Make word cards that say on, ofi behind, beside,
in front ofi left, and right. The children draw a card and place the lid where the card tells them.
Activity 2
Bulletin Board-On the bulletin board, place a large picture of Cookie Monster. Discuss with
the children how much Cookie Monster likes to eat cookies and how excited he would be to be
surrounded with cookie jars. Let the children cut pictures of cookie jars out of catalogs or draw
pictures of cookie jars to place on the bulletin board with Cookie Monster.
Activity 3
Design a Cookie Jar-Have the children cut out a cookie

jar (see p. 117). Provide different ways for them to decorate
their cookie jar, such as cutting shapes, lacing the edges
with yarn, cutting pictures from magazines, or using
crayons or stickers.
CLOSING Music
"Circle Game," on the album Getting to Know Myself (AR 543), by Hap Palmer (Educational
Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520), will reinforce the concepts worked on in Activi-
ty 1.Give each child a plastic or cardboard circle approximately 12" in diameter. Children re-
spond to the directions to stand inside the circle or to put the circle between their legs.
Cookie Day
You will finish the cookie jar today and concentrate on cookies-all kinds of cookies.
You will need:
cookie dough for Arrival (see p. 118);
measuring cups and spoons for Opening;
prepared cloths for cookie jar lids for Activity 1;
poems for Activity 1(see p. 103); and
paper cookie and cookie jar for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Make Cookies
Using the following recipe, prepare cookie dough prior to class. As the children arrive, have them
roll out a small piece of dough and cut out two round cookies. Talk about the shape of their cookies
and have them name other things they eat that are round. Decorate the cookies with sprinkles
or chocolate chips, if you wish. Each child can eat one cookie at snack time and take one home
in his or her cookie jar. (See Activity 1and p. 118.)
Roll-out Cookies
1pkg. instant vanilla pudding Mix all ingredients. Chill dough. Roll out,
1egg cut, and bake at 350 degrees for ten to
twelve minutes. Yield: one dozen
112 cup sugar
112 cup margarine
1 112 cups flour
1tsp. cinnamon
112 tsp. soda
1tsp. vanilla
OPENING Cookie Talk
What is your favorite kind of cookie? Where do you get your favorite cookie? Group the childrer
according to the kind of cookie they like best or according to where they get their favorite c o o k
Discuss how cookies are made and what kinds of ingredients are used when making cookies
Use measuring cups and spoons and a large tub of sand to demonstrate measuring ingredients
Talk about how many teaspoons there are in a tablespoon, how many half cups in a cup, etc.
Measuring utensils can be left out for a Freeplay activity.
CRAFT Bulletin Board Cookies
Materials Needed:
paper, pencils, glue, scissors
cookie cutters
colored sprinkles or glitter
Happy Holidays
Explanation:
Have the children trace around the cookie cutters and cui out their cookies. They may decorate
them by gluing on sprinkles or glitter. Put these cookies on the bulletin board with Cookie Monster
and his cookie jars. (See Cookie Jar Day, Activity 2.)
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Finish Cookie Jar-Finish the cookie jar started in Craft on Cookie Jar Day by gluing the cloth
circle on the oatmeal box lid. Insert the cookie made in Arrival and the following poem. The
cookie jar is ready to take home!
Cookies are my favorite treat.
They are always good to eat.
This one last cookie I give to you
Because I know you like them, too.
Together let us mix and bake
More and more cookies we will make!
Activity 2
Class Book-Have each child draw a picture of his or her favorite kind of cookie to go in a class
book. Write the child's version of the recipe for making these cookies in the corner of his or her
paper.
Activity 3
'Who Took the Cookie?"-In advance, make a paper cookie and cookiejar (see p. 117). Place them
on the floor in the middle of a circle of children. Choose one child to hide his or her eyes while
another takes the cookie from the cookie jar. As the child hides the cookie behind his or her
back, the rest of the children chant, "Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?" The first child
then opens his or her eyes and tries to guess who took the cookie. He or she points to a child
and says, "Did you?" If that child did not take the cookie, he or she says, "Not I. She [or he1
took the cookie from the cookie jar," and points to the child who did take the cookie. If the child
guesses correctly, the child with the cookie says, "I took the cookie from the cookie jar." You
can then choose different children, and play continues.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snatcher, by Robert Kraus (Wind-
mill Books, 1969). Arthur's Christmas Cookie, by Lillian Hoban (Harper & Row, 1972). If You
Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Jaffe Nurneroff (Harper & Row, 1985).
Mouse Day
PREPARATION
% To the Teacher
Many authors have chosen to depict the mouse as a cute, lovable character in Christmas stories.
Including Mouse Day in this unit allows you to share one of these stories and to teach the nursery
rhyme "Hickory Dickory Dock."
You will need:
flannel board pieces for Opening (see p. 119);
clock with movable hands and a bell for Activity 1;
special lacing boards for Activity 2; and
plastic cheese for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Cutting Shapes
Have each child cut out a rectangle (2" by 4") and a triangle (2" equilateral)to be used in Craft.
OPENING Mouse Talk
A mouse is grayish brown. It is small with a long tail, and it makes a noise that sounds like
a very soft, high-pitched squeal. If you talk about more than one mouse, you need to say mice.
When mice get into a house, they eat food and chew furniture and clothing. They scamper along
very quickly and quietly. Have you ever heard someone say "quiet as a mouse"?
Have you ever seen a mouse? Why are people so afraid of such a little animal? Are you afraid
of a mouse? Why, or why not?
Hickory Dickory Dock
Teach the children this nursery rhyme. You might want to bring visuals or make flannel board
pieces to use as the children recite the poem (see p. 119).
Hickory dickory dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one,
And down he run,
Hickory dickory dock!
CRAFT Shape Mouse
Materials Needed=
rectangle and triangle cut in Arrival
paper, glue, crayons
yarn cut in different lengths
Happy Holidays 105
Explanation:
Have the children glue the rectangle and triangle on a
large piece of paper in the position shown. Then give them
pieces of yarn cut in different lengths and ask, "How would
you use these pieces of yarn to make this look more like
a mouse?" They can use the crayons to finish the mouse's
features.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Ringing the Chimes-You will need a large clock with movable hands. The children take turns
moving the small hand to point to different numbers. Another child rings a chime that many
times. The triangle or bell from your rhythm instruments could be used for the chime. Example:
One child moves the small clock hand to point to the numeral 3.The child holding the chime
rings it three times.
Activity 2
Lacing Boards-Use scraps of pegboard approximately 8"

by 10" to make special lacing boards for this day. Begin
by painting the boards white. Stencil or freehand a mouse
in one corner and cheese in the corner diagonally across.
(Paint or marker work equally well.) Attach a piece of
plastic telephone wire close to the mouse (see p. 63).
Children choose the path their mouse wants to take to the
cheese by weaving the wire through the holes of the
pegboard.
Activity 3
Circle Gume~Childrenstand in a circle and say the poem "Hickory Dickory Dock." One child
is chosen to be "it" and walks around the circle as the poem is recited. When children say "the
clock strikes one," the child drops a piece of plastic cheese behind another child. As the group
finishes the poem, the two race back to the vacated spot.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Santa Mouse, by Michael Brown (Grosset & Dunlap, 1966).
How Brown Mouse Kept Christmas, by Clyde Watson (Farrar, 1980). The Christmas Mouse, by
Elisabeth Wenning (Holt, 1959).
Star Day
PREPARATION
* To the Teacher
This is the first of five days that relate to each other. Today, the children make a gift, and then
during each of the next four days, they continue to work on it.
You will need:
spatter paint boxes, black paper, and white paint for Arrival;
ingredients for baker's dough (see below);
supplies for Activity 1;
star necklaces for Activity 2; and
cards with stars for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Spatter Paint

Using spatter paint boxes, have each child spatter white paint on black paper so that it appears
to be a night sky full of twinkling stars.
Spatter paint boxes can be made by stretching and tacking mesh screen over a wooden fiame
approximately 9" by 11"by 1112". To use, cover a table with newspaper. The child then sets
the box over the black paper, dips a toothbrush in white paint, and rubs the brush across the
screen. The paint that sifts through the screen spatters onto the paper.
OPENING Dough Ornaments

Have the children help you mix some baker's dough to be used in Activity 1for making star
ornaments. These ornaments will be taken home later this month as a gift for someone special.
The children will also make wrapping paper and a card to take home with this gift on Giving
and Sharing Day.
Baker's Dough
4 cups flour Mix all ingredients. Knead until pliable.

1cup salt Shape as desired. Bake a t 350 degrees for
one hour or until evenly browned.
1 112 cups cold water
food coloring
Star Talk
Stars are suns. They are bigger and brighter than our sun but are much farther away, which
is why they look so small. There are stars that are so far away that we are unable to see them.
There are lots and lots of stars. In fact, there are more stars than there are people in the world!
M e r e are the stars when we look for them on a cloudy night? Where are they during the day?
Conclude your discussion by singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
Twinkle, twinkle little star;
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
106
Happy Holidays 107
CRAFT Night Scene
Materials Needed:
spatter painting from Arrival
gummed stars
stencils cut in the shape of a moon
yellow paint
sponges
Explanation:
children stencil a moon and add stars to the night sky that
they spatter painted earlier.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Dough Ornaments-Children roll out baker's dough, made in Opening, and use a star cookie
cutter to cut out a star ornament. The ornaments may be sprinkled with sequins or glitter before
baking. Poke a hole in the top of each ornament with a straw. (Bake the ornaments after class.)
Activity 2
The Big Dipper-In advance, cut out several large

stars and put them on a string so they can be
worn as a necklace. Show the children pictures
of different constellations, such as the Big Dip-
per. Have the children put on the star necklaces
and stand in the shape of the different constella-
tions. (See p. 120.)
Activity 3
Star Game-In advance, make various colored cards with different numbers of yellow gummed
stars on them. Children sit in a circle and pass the cards until the music stops. When the music
stops, say, for example, "Children with three stars on your card stand up." Those children stand
and tell you the color of their card.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Ottie and the Star, by Laura Jean Allen (Harper & Row, 1979).
A Christmas Story, by Mary Chalmers (Harper & Row, 1956). Little Christmas Star, by Janet
Crais (Troll Associates, 1988).
Box Day
Boxes are an appropriate topic at Christmas since lots of time is spent wrapping them. In addi-
tion to all the box activities, continue work on the gift which you made on Star Day.
You will need:
varnish and brushes for Arrival;
note to parents requesting that each child bring in a box;
dough art stars from Star Day for Arrival;
props for story for Opening;
two boxes for Activity 1; and
a very large box for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Star Shine
Varnish the stars you baked on Star Day. Use a small sponge paintbrush. (This brush can be
purchased for a minimal cost at most hardware or discount stores. No clean up. . just throw
it away!)
OPENING Box Talk
What things do you eat that come in a box? What things do you wear that are in a box? Why
is it easier to store large things in a box rather than a bag? Why do some boxes have lids? What
different shapes can a box be?
Story
The best story for today is one that you create as you tell it. You will need the following props:
one rectangular box (child's shoebox)
one square box (watch box)
one circular box (metal candy box)
one string of gold triangles (cut ten small triangles out of heavy, shiny paper-old greeting
cards work well.)
Glue five triangles to a piece of string. Then glue the remaining triangles to the back of the
other triangles.
Place the string of triangles inside the circular box, which is inside the square box, which is
inside the rectangular box.
Hold these boxes on your lap as you begin to tell a story about a poor family-so poor that
they have nothing in their cupboards to eat. The family goes out to the garden, hoping to find
some potatoes. While digging, their shovel hits something-a box! They are very anxious to open
it and see what is inside.
Build up the suspense as you open each box only to find another box and, finally, the gold
triangles. (Emphasize the shape of each box as it is discovered.)
The conclusion, of course, is that the golden triangles solve the family's financial problems.
Refer to this story when doing the craft today.
Happy Holidays 109
CRAFT Clay Surprises!

Materials Needed:
one box per child (shoebox size or smaller) with a lid
art clay
Explanation:
Ask each child to create whatever he or she would like
to find in a box if it contained a lucky surprise. Put
the completed surprise in the box. Perhaps you can
help the child make up a story about the clay
sculpture!
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Passing Boxes-Find two identical boxes. Fill one with clay, and wrap both boxes in plain brown
paper. Children sit in a circle and pass the boxes around while music plays. When the music
stops, the child holding the boxes tells which one is heavier.
Activity 2
Acting to a Song-Lead the children's actions to the song "Big Heavy Box," on the album Re-
tend (AR 563), by Hap and Martha Palmer (EducationalActivities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y
11520).
Activity 3
Spatial Relationships-Bring a large box to class--large enough for a child to fit inside. (Save
this box to use during Arrival on Wrapping Paper Day.) Give the children verbal commands
specifying where they should be in relationship to the box. Examples: Climb into the box, sit
behind the box, stand beside the box, place your hand under the box.
CLOSING Jack in the Box
Have the children sit in a circle. Place the box &om Activity 3 in the center of the circle. Choose
one child to hide in the box. The class says:
Jack in the box sits so still.
Won't you come out?
Yes, I will! (child pops out)
Story
Read one of the following stories: The Box Book, by Cecilia Maloney (WesternPublishing, 1978).
The Christmas Box, by Eve Merriam William Morrow & Co., 1985).Miss Dog's Christmas, by
James Marshall (Houghton-Mifflin, 1973).
Wrapping Paper Day
The children will discover that wrapping paper can be found in all colors and designs to celebrate
special days.
You will need:
note to parents requesting that each child bring in wrapping paper (see p. 121);
large box from Box Day;
flannel board pieces to be used with the record in Opening (see pp. 122-23);
many kinds of wrapping paper for Activity 1;
wrapping paper worm for Activity 2; and
lots of small boxes and wrapping paper for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL My Favorite Paper
Ask the children to bring a small piece of their favorite wrapping paper to class today (see p.
121). As they arrive, glue the paper on the large box from Box Day.
OPENING Wrapping Paper Talk
Different kinds of wrapping paper are used depending on the reason or occasion for gift giving.
Show the children birthday, wedding, graduation, baby, and Christmas papers. Ask them to look
carefully at the papers and tell when they would use each one. Use the following questions for
discussion: Why do we wrap gifts? What do we need to hold the paper on the box? What kinds
of special paper did we put on the box in Arrival? Do you save the paper when you open a pres-
ent? What can you do with this paper?
Book
Share with the children the book Chrutmas!, by Peter Spier (Doubleday, 1983). It is a picture
book that illustrates lots of wrapping paper and every aspect of Christmas.
Record
The children will enjoy the song "Pack Up the Sleigh" on the album Witches' Brew (AR 576),
by Hap and Martha Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520). You
might want to make some flannel board pieces to use with this record-such as a sleigh to hold
the gifts, a wagon, a rabbit, etc. (see pp. 122-23). Give these pieces to the children, and as you
sing about "something that is red and has four wheels," the child with the red wagon can bring
it up and pack it in the sleigh. When you sing about "something that is soft and fuzzy and brown,"
the child with the rabbit can bring it up to the sleigh.
Happy Holidays 111
CRAFT Wrapping Paper
Materials Needed:
large piece of newsprint for each child
tempera paint
cookie cutters
Explanation:
The children dip the cookie cutters in the paint and
print on their paper. This makes lovely wrapping
paper for the star ornaments that children made on
Star Day. Gift wrapping will be done on Giving and
Sharing Day.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Categorizing Wrapping Paper-Use ribbon to divide a bulletin board into four sections and label
them: Birthday, Christmas, Baby, and Children's Fun Paper. Cut small pieces of many kinds
of wrapping paper for the children to put in the proper category.
Activity 2
Mr. Wrapping Paper Worm-Make each section of Mr. Worm from a different piece of wrapping
paper. Give the children circles cut from the same papers and direct them to lay them on top
of the identical circle in Mr. Worm.
Activity 3
Wrap a Box-Bring in small boxes of varying sizes, scrap pieces of wrapping paper, and tape.
Let the children wrap presents. Encourage them to speculate about what might be inside the
package and who it might be for.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Claude the Dog, by Dick Gackenbach (Seabury Press, 1974).
Bialosky's Christmas, by Leslie McGuire (Western Publishing Co., 1984). Henry and Mudge in
the Sparkle Days, by Cynthia Rylant (Bradbury Press, 1988).
Ribbon and Bow Day
Today the children finish the star ornament by making a hanger from a piece of ribbon. Ribbons
and bows are also the finishing touches for packages. Notice that this day provides a review
of concepts introduced in this unit: shapes, colors, and numerals.
You will need:
notes to parents requesting that children bring in ribbon (see p. 121);
large box from Wrapping Paper Day;
baked star ornaments from Star Day;
box, wrapping paper, and ribbon for Opening,
felt shapes for shape pictures in Opening,
triangles (musical instruments) for Activity 1; and
several large bows for Activity 2
wrapped boxes h m Activity 3 on Wrapping Paper Day (see p. 111).
ARRlVAL Ribbon Fun
Ask the children to bring in pieces of their favorite color of ribbon (see p. 121). Put a piece of
ribbon through their star ornament for a hanger. Use the remaining ribbon to decorate the large
box the children wrapped on Wrapping Paper Day. Every nicely wrapped box looks prettier with
ribbons on it!
OPENING Ribbon and Bow Talk
Ribbons are used as trim on clothing, pillows, and packages. Little girls look very pretty with
ribbons in their hair. Show the children how to curl ribbon to make a bow. People choose ribbon
because of what color it is. It is always chosen to complement or go with something else. As
you are talking with the children, wrap a box in very colorful paper. Point out all the different
colors as the children identify them. Let the children know that any one of the colors could be
chosen for the ribbon color. Tie ribbon around the package, and the children will agree how pretty
it is!
Shape Pictures
Cut squares, circles, rectangles, ovals, and triangles out of felt. Using the flannel board, ask
each child what he or she could make out of two triangles. (A kite?) Use a circle and a triangle
to create something. (An ice cream cone?) You might want to make up riddles to go along with
the shape pictures. Examples: "Flying high above the tree, I wish this kite belonged to me."
"I like things that are cold and sweet; ice cream is my favorite treat."
Happy Holidays 113
CRAFT Triangle Creations
Materials Needed:
large sheet of newsprint for each child
ribbon scraps
crayons, glue
Explanation=
Have each child draw a triangle anywhere on the paper.
Outline and fill in the triangle by gluing pieces of ribbon
on it. Encourage the child to turn the paper any way he
or she wishes. Use crayons to make the triangles into a
person or object (a tree, your mom, an ice cream cone. . .
anything). Use crayons to fill in the background of the
picture.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Triangle Rhythms-Play a rhythm on a triangle (the musical instrument). Each child who has
a triangle takes turns echoing the rhythm. After a few turns, the children can do this in pairs.
Activity 2
Simon Says-Fold masking tape and put it on the back of several large bows. Give several children
bows and say, "Simon Says, put the bow on your arm." "Simon Says, put the bow on your longest
finger." Children follow commands. If you do not say "Simon Says," the bow should not be moved.
Activity 3
Counting Ribbon-Use the boxes the children wrapped in

Freeplay on Wrapping Paper Day. Paste a numeral on each
box The children put that many pieces of ribbon on the box.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad,by Mercer Mayer (Western
Publishing Co., 1982). The Christmas Party, by Adrienne Adams (Scribner's, 1978). Wake Up,
.
Bear. .It's Christmas, by Stephen Gammel (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1981).
Giving and Sharing Day
Children wrap the star ornament so it is ready to give to someone special. This is just one of
the ways the children will experience €he wonderful feeling of friendship and sharing today.
You will need:
notes to parents requesting that children bring in something to share (see p. 124);
puppets for Opening;
wrapping supplies for ~ c t i v i t y1;
photocopied photos and camera for Activity 2;
beanbags for Activity 3; and
pictures of things that go together for Closing (see pp. 125-26).
ARRIVAL Music
Ask the children to bring something from home that they would like to share with their friends
(see p. 124).After each child has shared what he or she has brought, sing "Sharing Song" from
the album Singable Songs for the Very Young (SL-002), R a E with Ken Whiteley (Shoreline
Records, 6307 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada M2M 3x7). "The More We Get
Together" is another song from the same album that the children will enjoy.
OPENING Giving and Sharing Talk
Young children tend to be me-oriented. They are most concerned with whether they will be fnst
in line or whether they will get to play with that new toy. Hopefully, their school experiences
will teach them that it is fun to have a friend to share a book with or t o converse with during
snack time.
Today children will think about things they can share with another child that will make
that child feel happy. Puppets are an effective means to get children to think about their feel-
ings and behavior. Use puppets that you have on hand to act out some of the following situa-
tions: (1)Lisa shared her crackers with her brother Tim. (2) Staci put her arm around Heather
when she fell and skinned her knee. (3) Alan let Marc use the orange paint first while he watched
and waited for his turn.
You can use the following questions as discussion starters as you examine the different situa-
tions. Is it ALWAYS easy to share? Why, or why not? What are some things for you to share?
Whom do you share with at your house? Can you think of something you could share with me?
Choose one of the following stories to read: What Mary Jo Shared, by Janice May Udry (Scholastic
Books, Inc., 1970). Christmas Is a Time of Giving, by Joan Walsh Anglund (Harcourt Brace, 1961).
Cranberry Christmas, by Wende and Harry Devlin (Parents Magazine Press, 1976).
Happy Holidays
CRAFT Greeting Cards
Materials Needed:
old greeting cards glue
wrapping paper one piece of paper (8 1/2"by 11")per child
Explanation:
Fold the piece of paper in half to make a card. Then the children cut pictures from the greeting
cards and wrapping paper to decorate their cards. You might want to use the following verse
and a photocopied picture (see p. 64) of each child in addition to the decoration.
Outside the card: Can you guess
who loves you?
Inside card with photocopied picture:
Yes, it's true.
I LOVE YOU!!
This card will accompany the star the child is giving to someone special.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Wrap a Star-Children use the wrapping paper they made on Wrapping Paper Day to wrap their
star for someone special. Boxes, ribbons, bows, and tape will all be necessities! Attach the card
made in Craft when completed, and send the gift home today.
Activity 2
Take a Picture of a Friend-Make available photocopied pictures of everyone in the class (in-
cluding the teachers!). Create a camera from a small box. Punch a hole in one side of the box
to make a lens. Tape a picture of someone in the box on the side opposite the hole. (whoever
is having their picture taken). Glue a button to the side of the box. The child can look through
the lens at his or her friend, press the button and make a clicking sound, and instantly have
a perfect picture! Be sure the child shows the friend how well the picture turned out.
Activity 3
Beanbag Friends-Give each child a beanbag with which to follow the instructions on the song
"Make Friends with a Bean Bag" on the album Bean Bag Activities and Coordination Skills
(KIM 7055), by Georgiana Liccone Stewart, (Kimbo Educational, Box 477, Long Branch, N.J.
07740).
CLOSING A Pair of Friends
In advance, make cards with pictures of things we usually use in pairs (see p. 125). (Examples:
shoes/socks, bathall, toothbrushJtoothpaste.) Pass out the cards to the children. Ask one child
to stand in front of the class and hold up his or her card. Then ask the child holding the card
showing the "friend" of this object to come up front, too. Continue until all the pairs of friends
have been matched.
COOKIE JAR DAY-OPENING
COOKIE JAR DAY-Activity 3
COOKIE JAR DAY-CRAFT
Dear Parent(s),
Surprises are always exciting! We are going to make something that we want to
share with you, but we need your child to bring a small oatmeal box to class
by to help us with the surprise.

(Date)
Thanks! I
COOKIE DAY-ARRIVAL & Activity 1
Cookies are my favorite treat.

They are always good to eat.
This one last cookie I give to you
Because I know you like them, too.
Together let us mix and bake,
More and more cookies we will make!
Here's a recipe we can use to make more cookies to fill my cookie jar.
1pkg. instant vanilla pudding
112 cup sugar

112 cup margarine
1 112 cups flour
1tsp. cinnamon
112 tsp. soda
1tsp. vanilla
Mix all ingredients. Chill dough. Roll out, cut, and bake a t 350" for 10-12 minutes. Yield:
MOUSE DAY-OPENING
STAR DAY-Activity 2
' / Little
*
#
' Dipper
Big
Dipper
Great Square of
Pegasus
a \ Orion
X
WRAPPING PAPER DAY-ARRIVAL
Christmas makes all children think about presents and what surprises await them
inside the packages. They seldom pay much attention to how those packages are
wrapped. On ,we want to examine the different wrapping

(Date)
papers used on packages for various occasions. To aid us in our study, we are ask-
ing the children to bring a small piece of wrapping paper on that day.
Thanks!
RIBBON AND BOW DAY-ARRIVAL
Dear Parent(s),
We have several projects planned for Ribbon and Bow Day that require different
colors of ribbon. You can help us by sending several small pieces of ribbon with
I
WRAPPING PAPER DAY-OPENING
WRAPPING PAPER DAY-OPENING
GMNG AND SHARING DAY-ARRIVAL
Children tend to be me-oriented. This is an exciting time of year for them as they
anxiously await Christmas morning when they will open their gifts. On
, we will be exploring another aspect of Christmas-

(Date)
the joy of giving or sharing with friends and family. On that day, we are asking
each child to bring something special to share with the class. The following are
some suggestions, but please be creative: a favorite book, a family picture, a song
to sing for the class.
GMNG AND SHARING DAY-CLOSING
GMNG AND SHARING DAY-CLOSING
unit 6
FLAIR FOR FASHION

During the winter, in many parts of our country people must wear many clothes
to keep warm. For that reason, January is a good month to develop a child's under-
standing of the different articles of clothing. This unit emphasizes teaching children
to button, snap, and zip. Encourage the children to start dressing themselves at
home. A child's self-esteem is nurtured by learning to do more things without an
adult's help.
Pocket Day
Cap Day
Pants Day
Shoes and Socks Day
Coat Day
Mitten Day
Apron Day
Closet Day
Pocket Day
This is the first of eight days focusing on clothing. A kangaroo named Kara helps you introduce
a new article of clothing each day.
You will need:
clothing with pockets for Arrival;
pita bread and an apron with a large pocket for Opening,
a paper apron, pockets, and shapes for Activity 2; and
a large kangaroo and pocket shapes with commands for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Pocket Count
Display articles of clothing with pockets. With the children, count the pockets in each article.
Which one has the most, least, biggest, and smallest pockets?
OPENING Pocket Talk
A pocket is a small pouch sewn into our clothes, a purse, or a bag. Wear clothing with many
pockets today. Lead the children in a discussion about the things we keep in our pockets as you
remove those items from your pockets. Examples: money, Kleenex@,keys, gum, or candy.
Which articles of clothing usually have pockets; which seldom have pockets (socks, hats,
shoes)? Point out that some tennis shoes (Kangaroo@)do have pockets and are named for the
animal that has a "pocket." A kangaroo carries her joey in her pouch (a special name for her
pocket).
Can you think of a pocket that you can eat?!! Bring some pita bread and show the children
how to fill it with meats and cheeses.
Stretch Your Imagination
What Can You Do with a Pocket?, by Eve Merriam (Alfred A. Knopf, 1964,is a fun book that
uses real and imaginative pockets to stretch the children's imaginations.
Will It Fit?
You will need an apron with one large pocket which either you or a child can wear. (In this
game, you wear the apron.) Display several familiar objects on a table. Show the children one
object at a time and ask if this (e.g., comb) will fit in your apron pocket. If it will, children point
thumbs up. If not, thumbs down. Be sure to show the children if it fits or not.
CRAFT Shape Pockets
construction paper scissors, pencils

cardboard shapes (patterns) glue
wallpaper scraps
Flair for Fashion
Explanation:
The children trace and cut as many shapes as desired. Glue
all but one side of each shape and place it on the construc-
tion paper. Have the children tell you what shape each
pocket is.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Guess the Object-Use the same apron as in Opening. Put an object in the apron pocket. Have
a child feel it and try to guess what it is. Ask the child to describe what he or she is feel-
ing. . .something bumpy, small or large, etc., before taking a final guess. Allow children to wear
the apron and be the teacher.
Activity 2
Apron Bulletin Board-Make a large paper apron. Cover

it with wallpaper pockets. On the front of each pocket, glue
a construction paper shape. Pass out matching shapes to
the children. One at a time, they place their shape in the
correct pocket as they tell you the name of the shape.
Activity 3
L
Kara the Kangaroo--Introduce Kara the kangaroo. (Kara will be in your classroom for the re-
mainder of the month. To make Kara, cut out a large kangaroo from a scrap piece of paneling
or heavy cardboard. Cover her with brown furry material, making a large pocket across her front.
Use felt to make facial features.) Cut out pocket shapes for a Listen and Do game. On each pocket
shape, write things for the children to do (shut the door, bring me a red book). Each child picks
a pocket from Kara's pouch. Read the command, and the child follows the directions.
CLOSING Story
Today's story is entitled Where Is Joey?, by Donna Lugg Pape (Garrard Publishing Co., 1978)
It is about a mother kangaroo, Kara, and her baby, Joey, who are at the park playing when
Joey gets lost. Kara hops all over looking for Joey and asks many people if they have seen him.
Eventually, she finds Joey. . .but we don't want the children to know this yet, so don't read the
end of the story. Kara will be in your classroom every day looking for Joey. Instead of finding
Joey in Kara's pouch, the children find an article of clothing which will be your introduction
each day. If you are unable to locate this book, make up a story about Kara using the foregoing
information and read one of the following stories: Katy No-Pocket, by Emmy Payne (Houghton-
MiMin, 1944).Peter's Pocket, by Judi Barrett (Atheneum, 1974).Joey, by Jack Kent (Scholastic
Books, Inc., 1984).
Cap Day
PREPARATION
dB To the Teacher
Both you and the children will wear your favorite caps today! The humor in the story Caps for
Sale is a delight to children, so it will be worth your effort to locate this book.
You will need:
notes to parents requesting that children wear a cap (see p. 144);
large kangaroo from Activity 3 of Pocket Day with cap in pocket;
Reggie for bulletin board;
games for Activity 1;
recorded story and props for Activity 2; and
caps, hats, and objects for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Cap Tricks!
Have the children wear their favorite cap or hat today (see p. 144). Ask the children to watch
you and see if they can do what you do with your cap. (Yes, you have to wear your favorite cap
today, too!) Some suggestions: Put your cap behind your back, on your knee, over your head,
etc. The last command should be to drop the caps.
OPENING Cap Talk
Caps differ from hats because they have a bill rather than a brim. This bill shades the wearer's
eyes from the sun. Caps can be worn for many reasons-to keep the head warm, to shade the
eyes from the sun, to identify members of a team, or just for fun. Many caps have pictures or
wording on them to advertise places to visit or business establishments. Some people wear caps
or hats to their job every day. Examples: police officer, chef, nurse, professional football player,
butcher, military personnel, and the ringmaster a t the circus.
Allow the children to show the class the cap or hat they brought as you ask some of the
following questions: Where did you get your favorite cap? Why is it your favorite? When do you
wear it? Can you name the colors in your cap?
Kara's Pouch Check
Do you remember Kara the kangaroo? She is back today and is still looking for Joey. Ask the
children to check Kara's pouch to see if Joey came back. (Have a cap in the pocket.) How do
you think this cap got in the pocket? Point to a bulletin board where you have placed a picture
of a boy approximately three feet tall wearing only a shirt and shorts. Explain that you met
this little boy, named Reggie, who was playing with Kara and Joey and became so warm that
he shed some of his clothing. And now his clothes are nowhere to be found. Every day we will
have to look for Reggie's clothing and Kara's baby. I think this cap belongs to Reggie. Let's put
it on his head.
Story
Read to the children the story Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina (ScholasticBooks, Inc., 1976).
Flair for Fashion 131
CRAFT Lots of Caps!
Materials Needed:
paper for each child
gummed eraser cap stencils
crayons
sponges and paints
Explanation:
The child draws a stick person on the paper. Pour some
paint in an aluminum pie plate and set a small piece of
sponge in it so the sponge will soak up the paint. Lightly
press the gummed eraser cap stencil on the sponge and
stencil caps on the top of the stick person's head. CTo make
the stencil, simply draw a cap on the eraser and cut away
the excess with an X-ACTO@knife, leaving the cap raised
on the eraser.)
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Monkey Games-Make a tree, several monkeys, and several caps fkom construction paper.
Laminate or cover with clear self-stick vinyl for durability. Game 1: Put numbers on some of
the monkey's tummies. Choose one monkey to hang in the tree. The child puts as many caps
in the tree as the monkey's tummy indicates. Game 2: Put colored dots on some of the monkeys.
Hang one monkey in the tree and ask the child to put all caps that are the same color as the
dot in the tree.
Activity 2
Dramatization-Children love dramatization, and Caps for Sale is an excellent story to a d out.
Tape record the story, bring the necessary props, and let the children enjoy.
Activity 3
Whose Hat?-Display caps and hats that are used in a particular profession. Hand the child
something that represents the profession and ask him or her to match the hat to the object (roll-
ing pin to baker's hat, baseball to baseball cap, etc.). A good book to use with this activity is
Whose Hat?, by Margaret Miller (Greenwillow Books, 1988).
CLOSING Music
I Play the following selections from the album "We All Live Together," volume 4 (YMES0004),
by Greg Scelsa and Steve Millang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027):
"Hand Jive" and "Just Like Me." Both songs require the children to do as the leader does, just
like the story for today!
Pants Day
Much of this day is about the saying "ants in your pants." You must discuss the meaning of
this saying in Opening so that the Craft and Activity 2 will make sense to the children.
You will need:
several pairs of pants and belts;
h a l l pair of pants to hide in Kara's pouch;
pants and tops for Opening;
old greeting cards for Activity 1;
Ants on the Pants game for Activity 2; and
large jogging pants for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Loop to Loop
Place many kinds of belts and pants on a table. Children choose a belt and pants and practice
fastening the pants and putting the belt through the loops.
OPENING Kara's Pouch Check
The children check Kara's pouch, in which you have hidden a small pair of pants. Of course
they are not Joey's but they are pants exactly Reggie's size! Place them on the bulletin board
on Reggie.
Pants Talk
Pants come in many shapes and sizes and are worn by all people from babies to grandparents.
All pants have some way to make them fit securely around the person's waistelastic waist-
band, zippers or buttons, and belts. Bring to class six to eight Merent kinds of pants and the
tops worn with them. (Suggestions:jogging pants, painter pants, bib overalls, football pants,
baseball pants, ski or snow pants) Discuss the occasions when these pants are worn.
Talk about the meaning of the phrases "Keep your pants on" (be patient) and "You have
ants in your pants" (you can't sit still.)
Pants Pantomime
Use the aforementioned pants and tops to play this game. Choose children to go to another room
and put on these pants. When they return, they are to a d out what they wouId do when wearing
that kind of pants. Children remaining in the room are to guess what each child is pantomim-
ing and match the tops with the pants.
CRAFT Ants in the Pants
Materials Needed:
paper, scissors, glue
rectangle patterns, pencils
black tempera paint
black crayons or markers
Explanation:
Children trace and cut three rectangles and glue them on
a large piece of paper in the shape of a pair of pants. Next,
they dip their littlest finger into the paint and print some
ant bodies on their pants. Finally, they use the black
markers or crayons to give their little ants legs.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Matching Top and Bottom-Collect greeting cards with pictures of people on them. Cut out the
people and then cut them in half at the waist. Mix up the people and let the children frnd the
tops and bottoms that go together.
Activity 2
Ants on the Pants Game-You might want to make this game on the inside of a Manila folder
so that you can fold it up and store it easily. Prior to class, make a picture of a pair of pants
on the inside of the Manila folder. On each pant leg draw six shapes, making both legs identical.
Also, draw and cut out approximately twenty ants for each game you make. To make a spinner,
poke a long brad in the middle of a small pizza board or cardboard circle. Attach a paper clip
under the brad. Divide the circle into six pie-shaped pieces and draw one shape in each section.
Procedure: Two children play a t one game board. Each child has one pant leg to put ants on.
The children take turns spinning, placing one ant per spin on the shape at which the spinner
stops. If the spinner stops a t a shape that already has an ant, the child may put on a second
ant. The game is over when all shapes on one pant leg have at least one ant on them.
Activity 3
Pants Relay-Using two pairs of large jogging pants, let the children choose teams and have
a relay in which they put on and take off the jogging pants.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Emperor's New Clothing, by Hans Christian Andersen,
retold by Nadine Bernard (Westcott, Little & Brown, 1984).Harlequin and the Gift of Many Cob
ors, by Remy Charlip and Burton Supree (Parents Magazine Press, 1973).Max's New Suit, by
Rosemary Wells (Dial Press, 1979).
Socks and Shoes Day
Be prepared for lots of activity on this day. Most of the learning centers suggest and encourage
active participation by the children,
You will need:
sock and hoop for Arrival;
small socks and canvas shoes for Kara's pouch;
pictures and objects to use with songs in Opening (see pp. 145-46);
different kinds of shoes and socks for Opening;
pictures of people for Activity 1;
socks, clothespins and rope for Activity 2; and
special socks for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Sock It to Me
Roll up a sock and let the children take turns throwing it through a hoop or into a basket.
The children check Kara's pouch, in which you have hidden socks and a pair of canvas shoes.
Of course they are not Joey, but these socks and shoes belong to Reggie! Place them on the bulletin
board on Reggie.
Music
Make pictures of the items mentioned in the song "Go Together" on the album Witch's Brew
(AR576),by Hap and Martha Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520).
Pass out the pictures to the children (see p. 145), and as they listen to the record, they go up
to the front of the group when the picture they are holding is mentioned. Another fun song to
do this day is "1,2,Buckle My Shoe" on the album We All Live Together, volume 3 (YMES-0031,
by Greg Scelsa and Steve Millang (YoungheartRecords, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027).
Collect actual objects sung about in the song. Find a shoe, a toy barn with a door, sticks, and
a toy chicken. Choose five children to come to the front of the group and hold up the object when
it is mentioned. (This includes a child to lay the sticks straight.)
Socks and Shoes Talk
Bring lots of pairs of shoes to the classroom, such as baseball cleats, ski shoes, bicycling shoes,
tennis shoes, high heels, shelling shoes, etc. Also bring a variety of socks, such as white athletic
sock, ladies' knee-high sock, black sock, lacy knee sock, and a thermal sock. Discuss which socks
go with which shoes.
CRAFT Nail Painting
Materials Needed:
Paper
paint
large nails
masking tape
Explanation:
Trace around each child's shoe. The child uses the nail head
to paint dots around the drawn outline of the shoe. (Put
masking tape on the sharp part of the nail.)
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Whose Shoes?-Use the shoes from Opening and mix them up. On the floor, display pictures of
people involved in different activities. Children pair up the shoes and put them on their feet.
Then they walk in those shoes to the picture of the person who would be wearing them.
Activity 2
The Great Sock Sort-Stretch a piece of rope between two chairs. Have available a basket of
snap clothespins and a basket containing many different socks. Instruct the children to hang
socks on the clothesline that meet your specifications. Examples: all the lacy socks, only the white
socks, four socks that are exactly the same, five socks arranged from shortest to longest.
Activity 3
Great Sock Relay-Using two pairs of really wild, crazy, men's socks, have a relay race. Divide
the class into two teams. The first child of each team pulls the pair of socks on over his or her
shoes, runs to a circle made of masking tape on the floor, removes socks, runs back, and gives
the socks to the next child. (For safety reasons this relay should be done on a carpeted floor.)
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Elves and the Shoemaker, by Jacob Grimm, adaptation
of Wichtelmanner (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1983). Socks for Supper, by Jack Kent (Parents
Magazine Press, 1978). Funny Feet, by Leatie Weiss (Watts, 1978).
Coat Day
Learning to zip, button, and snap can be difficult for preschool children. Coats can provide prac-
tice in all three of these tasks. This day is also a great help in introducing and/or reviewing
colors and the four seasons.
You will need:
jackete;
mall coat for Kara's pouch;
pictures of different seasons and appropriate clothing,
game for Activity 1;
puzzles for Activity 2; and
buttons and egg cups for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Snap, Zip, Button
Make available jackets with zip-out sleeves and detachable hoods. Children match a coat to its
sleeves and hood so they can then practice zipping, snapping, and buttoning.
The children check Kara's pouch, in which you have hidden a small coat. Of course it isn't baby
Joey, but it is Reggie's coat! Place the coat on the bulletin board on Reggie.
Coat Talk
Today is a good time to talk about the four seasons and how the weather changes in some parts
of the country during each season. Show pictures depicting the weather and suitable clothing
for each season. Note the difference between a lightweight jacket, which would be suitable for
spring and fall, as opposed to a heavier coat, which is necessary in winter. Discuss the advan-
tages of coats with zip-out linings and sleeves.
How do animals ad,iust to seasonal changes? Many animals, such as foxes, rabbits, and rac-
coons,grow thicker coats of fur to keep themselves warm as the weather gets colder. Birds, whales,
and seals don't have that ability, so they move to warmer climates (migrate)far the winter months.
Still other animals, such as bears, bats, and chipmunks, hibernate or sleep during the winter.
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: The Purple Coat, by Amy Hest (Four Winds
Press, 1986).No Roses for Harry, by Gene Zion (Harper & Row, 1958).Animals Should Definite-
ly not Wear Clothing, by Judi Barrett (Atheneum, 1970).
CRAFT Designer Coats
Materials Needeck
several patterns of coats (see pp. 147-48)
buttons
small pieces of fabric
small pieces of fake fur
Explanation:
Cut out of heavy paper several patterns for different styles of coats and jackets. The children
trace around their choice of pattern and then choose buttons, small pieces of fabric for patches,
and small pieces of fake fur for collars and cuffs. They are sure to create some very interesting
fashions.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Manila Folder Game-Make this game by gluing to the inside of a Manila folder pictures of
clothing that are a solid color, such as a blue coat, red pants, etc. Cover with yarn small metal
rings used in macrame. You should have one circle the same color as each clothing item pic-
tured. The children place the colored circle on top of the picture of clothing that is the same color.
Activity 2
Coat Puzzles-This is a teacher-made game emphasizing colors and left and right. Choose four
colors to teach today. Make four coats in those colors using the pattern on page 147. Laminate
and then cut out all coats in identical puzzle pieces so they can be interchanged. Use markers
to color picture cards designing one special coat on each card. Give the child a card showing
how to make a coat from a pattern. For example, one card might show a coat with green sleeves,
a red right side, blue left side, yellow buttons, and a green collar.
Activity 3
Button Sort-Paint a stripe around the top of each egg cup in a carton. All the cups in a carton
are to be the same color. Give each child a carton with a different color. Place many buttons
of all colors in the middle of a table. Children find buttons that are the same color as their car-
ton. Next time, children trade cartons.
CLOSING Music
Children wear their coats and sing (to the tune of "London Bridge"): "I see a girlhoy with a
red coat on, red coat on, red coat on. I see a girllboy with a red coat on, who are you?" Children
wearing red coats stand up, and when you point to each one they say their name. Continue sing-
ing using other colors.
After the song, the children practice fastening their coats.
Mitten Day
Point out differencesbetween mittens and gloves and review the items of clothing from previous
days. Be sure to continue discussion of the four seasons.
You will need:
paper mittens for Arrival, and Activity 3;
mittens and gloves for Opening
mittens for Kara's pouch;
Hangman game for Activity 1;
styrofoam balls and building blocks for Activity 2; and
clothesline and clothespins for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL The Three Little Kittens

Tell the story The Three Little Kittens, by Paul Galdone (Clarion, 1986). At the conclusion of
the story, give each child one paper mitten you have cut out and put a design on. Tell the children
you lost the other mitten, just like the kittens, and you need help finding it. Each child looks
for the mitten that matches the one you have given him or her. Have the mittens hidden around
the room.
OPENING Mitten Talk

Review the information about the seasons discussed on Coat Day and include the following ques-
tions: When do you wear mittens? Why don't you wear mittens in the summer? What is the
difference between mittens and gloves? (Have a pair of each to show the difference.) Does it mat-
ter which hand you put your mittens on (right and left hand)?
Some people wear gloves or mittens when they work. Surgeons wear sterilized gloves to
protect their patients from infection. Baseball players wear special gloves to help them catch
the ball. Welders wear gloves to protect their hands from welding sparks. People who work with
frozen foods wear gloves to keep their fingers from freezing.
Kara's Pouch Check

The children look in Kara's pouch, in which you have put a pair of mittens. It isn't baby Joey,
but the mittens belong to Reggie! Ask children how Reggie would keep his hands warm if he
didn't have any mittens (hands in pocket, wear gloves). Place a mitten on each of Reggie's hands
on the bulletin board.
Ready for Preschool

Teach this song to help the children review the articles of clothing discussed this month (see p. 144).
(Tune: "Mulberry Bush")
This is the way we button our pants,

button our pants,
button our pants.
This is the way we button our pants when we dress
for preschool.
138
Flair for Fashion
Verse 2: This is the way we pull on our socks.

Verse 3: This is the way we tie our shoes.
Verse 4:This is the way we zip our coats.
Verse 5: This is the way we put on our mittens.
Verse 6: Now we're ready for preschool,
for preschool,
for preschool.
Now we're ready for preschool,
So early in the morning.
CRAFT My Own Mittens

Materials Needed:
mitten patterns (see p. 149) yarn, crayons
colored paper masking tape
paper punch, scissors, pencils
Explanation:
Children trace and cut out a pair of mittens. Punch six
holes in each pair of mittens. Tape a long piece of yarn
on the backside of the mitten. Wrap tape around the op-
posite end of the yarn to act as a needle. Each child sews
a design on his or her pair of mittens. Use crayons to
decorate.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Clothing Game-Play this game as you would Hangman, but you will be adding items of clothing
rather than body parts. Draw a cap, mittens, coat, shirt, pants, and shoes on a small heavy piece
of paper. Glue one of these pictures on each side of a styrofoam square to make a die. Cut several
of each of the clothing articles out of catalogs to use as playing pieces and place them in the
center of a table. Give each child a playing card with a stick person drawn on it. Children take
turns rolling the die and dressing their stick person. The object of the game is to dress the stick
person completely.
Activity 2
Make Believe-Have children put on real mittens and play with snowballs (styrofoam balls) or
build a snow fort (building blocks).
Activity 3
Pairing Mittens-Use the mittens from Arrival. Tie a clothesline between two chairs. Using snap
clothespins, have the children find a pair of mittens and hang them on the line. Continue until
afl the mittens are in pairs and hung on the line to dry!
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Mitten, by Alvin Tresselt (Lothrop,Lee & Shepard, 1964).
The Mystery of the Red Mitten, by Steven Kellogg (Dial Press, 1974). One Mitten Lewis,by Helen
Kay (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1955).
Apron Day
For the activities during Freeplay, aprons with pockets are used to continue work with shapes,
colors, and numerals. Keep in mind when drawing at the easel that the objective is teaching
shapes, colors, and following directions rather than creativity.
You will neeed:
puzzles for Arrival (see pp. 150-53);
small tool apron for Kara's pouch;
different kinds of aprons and objects for Opening,
fish crackers for Opening;
aprons with pockets for Opening, Activity 1, and Activity 3;
apron from Pocket Day for Activity 2;
play dough and shapes for Activity 1; and
instruction wds and crayons for Activity 3
ARRIVAL This Is Puzzling!

As children arrive today, give each of them a puzzle piece which will go into one of four puzzles
put together at this time. The puzzles are four aprons in four different colors-a white baker's
apron, a brown carpenter's apron, a green cook's apron, and a red child's smock (see pp. 150-53).
The children will know which puzzle their piece goes into by looking at its color.

The children check Kara's pouch, in which you have hidden a small tool apron. Of course it is
not baby Joey, but Reggie has always wanted a tool apron. Place it on the bulletin board on Reggie.
Apron Talk
We wear an apron to help keep our clothes clean while we do different kinds of work. Show the
children the aprons worn by a carpenter, a baker, a waitress, and a welder as well as a child's
paint apron and an apron worn while barbequing. On a table, display objects that the people
wearing these aprons might use. Choose a child to wear each apron. The child selects the object
necessary to do his or her work.
Teacher's Apron
Wear an apron with a pocket today. (Hide some fish crackers in the pocket.) Tell the children
why you wore an apron to school (to hold your pencil or Kleenex@,to hide a special surprise
for someone who is feeling sad). Then say, "But today I wore this apron to play a special game
with you. I want you to try to guess what is in the pocket of my apron. I will give you one clue-
it is an animal. Can you think of any animals that might fit in this pocket?" As the children
guess different animals, help them decide if they would be too large to fit. After awhile tell the
children, "This animal is doing a very special trick today-usually it can only be in water." Let
children guess what kind of animal that might be. When they mention fish, ask them what kind
of fish could be in your apron that can be eaten as a snack. When they guess, pass out f ~ crackers
h
for each child to eat.
Flat for Fashion
CRAFT Cook's Apron
Materials Needed:
scissors, glue
Paper
one round paper doily per child
Kleenex@tissue
Explanation:
Children cut one long, rectangular s t i p for the
waistband and ties of the apron. Then they glue
the doily and the strip on their paper. Have them
cut a small pocket for the apron from scraps of
paper. Finally, they insert a small piece of tissue
paper in the pocket.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Play Dough Shapes-Wear an apron. Have play dough (see p. 55)and laminated shapes in three
colors. Place the play dough in the center of a table and the laminated shapes in the pocket of
your apron. Children take turns reaching in the pocket and pulling out a shape. They use the
matching color of play dough to form the same shape.
Activity 2
Counting Shapes-Use the apron made for Activity 2 on Pocket Day. Add a numeral to the shape
on each pocket and have the children put that many of each shape in the pocket.
Activity 3
Easel Drawings-Wear an apron with instruction cards in the pocket. Children pull a card from
the apron pocket. At the easel, they draw what the card suggests. Examples: Draw a small yellow
tiangle. Draw a blue circle inside a red circle.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: No Good in Art, by Miriam Cohen (Greenwillow, 1980). Katy
No-Pocket, by Emmy Payne (Houghton-Mifflin, 1973). Yellow, Yellow, by Frank Asch (McGraw-
Hill, 1971).
Ending this unit means finding the baby kangaroo. For the Craft, be sure to obtain telephone
wire. It works well for making hangers.
You will need:
picture or stuffed toy for Opening;
felt pieces for Activity 1(see p. 155);
very large box for Activity 2; and
supplies for Activity 3
ARRIVAL Clothing Count
As children arrive, help them count the number of articles of clothing they are wearing. Tape
a piece of paper to their shirts with that number on it. During Opening, children should sit with
other children who are wearing the same number of articles of clothing.
Surprise! Joey has come back. In advance, hide a small joey (picture or stuffed toy) in Kara's
pouch. Discuss how happy the children's families would be when they returned after being lost.
Joey Says
Children are to listen to Joey and do as he instructs. Joey tells the children to touch their ar-
ticles of clothing. For example, Joey says, "Touch your shirt."
Closet Talk
Do you have a closet? Is it dark in your closet? Do you hide things in your closet? What special
things do you have in your closet? Do you share your closet with anyone?
CRAFT Shoebox Closet
Materials Needed:
one small shoebox per child (see p. 154)
straws
telephone wire (see p. 63)
catalogs
tape
scissors
Flair for Fashion
Explanation:
Using a small shoebox and a straw, children make a closet.
Stand the shoebox on end and poke holes in each side ap-
proximately one quarter of the way down. Slip a straw
through to make a closet rod. Children bend telephone wire
(see p. 63) to make hangers. Provide catalogs from which
the children cut out pictures of clothing to tape on their
hangers and then hang in their closet. Encourage them
to include each item of clothing discussed this month.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Flannel Board Closet-Make a big felt closet with a door that opens and closes with several ar-
ticles of clothing in it made out of felt (see p. 155). Show a small group of children the clothes
in the closet and then ask them to close their eyes. Take away one or two items of clothing and
then ask the children to look and tell you what is missing.
Activity 2
Who's Missing?-Get a refrigerator box and make a door opening in it. Ask one child to sit behind
the box, which is a closet, while another child hides in the closet. Ask the child to come from
behind the closet and to tell you which classmate is missing.
Activity 3
Dress for the Weather-Cut two people figures 6-8 inches tall out of white paper. Use crayons
to add facial features and hair, making a girl and a boy. Cut pictures of clothes out of catalogs
suitable for all types of weather. Weather pictures are to be drawn on 3" x 5" cards. On each
card draw one type of weather induding snow, rain, clouds, wind, and sun.
Select one weather card and place it on the table in front of a child. The child chooses the
appropriate clothing for that weather and lays them on the paper people figures. Be s u e when
cutting out the clothing from the catalogs to find hats, caps, long and short pants, coats, jackets,
raincoats, gloves, etc.
Repeat activity placing a different weather card in front of child.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: There's a Nightmare in My Closet, by Mercer Mayer (DidPress,
1968). A Noise in the Closet, by Richard Hefter (Strawberry Books, 1974). Molly's Moe, by Kay
Charao (Seabury Press, 1976).
Record
As a conclusion to this unit, the children will enjoy the song "Point to my Clothes" on the album
Songs About Me (KIM70223),by William Janiak (Kimbo Educational, P.O. Box 477, Long Branch,
N.J. 07740).
CAP DAY-ARRIVAL
MITIEN DAY-OPENING
E a r Parent(s1,
We learned this song to help us remember all the articles of clothing

we have been discussing this month.
Ready for Preschool
(Tune: "Mulberry Bush")
This is the way we button our pants,
Button our pants, button our pants.
This is the way we button our pants
When we dress for preschool.
Verse 2--This is the way we pull on our socks.
Verse 3-This is the way we tie our shoes.
Verse &This is the way we zip our coats.
Verse 5-This is the way we put on our mittens.
Verse 6--Now we're ready for preschool,
For preschool, for preschool.
Now we're ready for preschool
So early in the morning.
SOCKS AND SHOES DAY-OPENING
-
SOCKS AND SHOES DAY-OPENING
COAT DAY-CRAFT
COAT DAY- CRAFT
APRON DAY -ARRIVAL
APRON DAY -ARRIVAL
&
CLOSET DAY-CRAFT
Dear Parent(s1,
To conclude our clothing unit, we are making a closet on

We need your child to bring a small shoebox on that day. We hope this closet will
be something your child can play with since the articles of clothing will be
CLOSET DAY -Activity 1
I unit 7
BEAR W TH US
This unit will be such fun because everyone loves bears! Children will learn to
distinguish between reality and fantasy. All the stories we suggest are fantasy;
however, during the Openings you will teach interesting fads about several dif-
ferent kinds of bears. Note the likenesses and differences of brown bears, pandas,
and polar bears. Share with the children information on their eating and sleep
ing habits, coloring, and habitats. Each day, compare and review.
Circus Bear Day
Teddy Bear Day
Blueberry Bears Day
Valentine Bears Day
Winter Bears Day
Polar Bear Day
Panda Bear Day
Three Bears Day
The circus is bringing a bear to your room today. If you have any circus posters or pictures, hang
them around the room to get in the circus mood.
You will need:
ingredients, supplies, and recipe for Arrival (see below);
circus pictures;
three rings taped on floor for Freeplay;
balance beam or tape for Activity 1;
old clothes and clown make-up for Activity 2 (see below);
board game prepared for Activity 3; and
plastic or cardboard circles for Closing.
ARRIVAL Make an Orange Frosty
Since we are spending the day at the circus, let's get in the mood! Turn on some circus music.
As children arrive, have them make an orange frosty. Serve animal crackerswith it for snack time.
Orange Frosty
112 small can of orange juice concentrate 112 tsp. vanilla
112 cup milk 5 to 6 ice cubes
112 cup water Combine ingredients in a blender for thir-
ll4 cup powdered sugar ty seconds. Makes 3 cups.
OPENING Circus Talk
Use pictures to help the children visualize all the activity that goes on at the circus. Point out
the three rings with acts performing in each. Discuss the ringmaster's job of keeping the per-
formers in the right places and the audience informed of what's happening. Animals do many
unusual tricks at the circus--bears ride unicycles, tigers jump through hoops of fire, and elephants
stand on small stools. Some people, such as high wire and trapeze artists, perform dangerous
feats. The clowns' primary role is to make sure everyone keeps laughing. Allow the children
to share some of their experiences at the circus.
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: Bearymore, by Don Freeman (Viking Press,
1976).Paddington at the Circus, by Michael Bond (Random House, 1973).The True Book of the
Circus, by Mabel Harmer (Children's Press, 1964).
CRAFT Circus Unicycle
Before you begin Craft today, talk about what a unicycle is. If you read the story Bearymore,
discuss that Bearymore rides a unicycle, as do many circus bears. Also talk about tricycles and
bicycles. Compare the number of wheels that each cycle has. Which would be the hardest to
ride? Why?
Materials Needed:
pencils, scissors, glue one circle 3" in diameter
one long rectangle 4" by 1" heavy paper
one short rectangle 2" by 1" metal brads
158
Bear with Us 159
Explanation:
Have the children trace and cut the rectangles. Glue the short rectangle on the
top of the long rectangle, as shown. Use the brad to attach the circle to the long
rectangle. (Use sturdy paper so the unicycle will work!) If desired, the children
can draw a bear and paste it on the seat of the unicycle.
FREEPLAY Three-Ring Circus
Set up your room as a three-ring circus today. Each Freeplay activity should take place inside
a circle on the floor made with masking tape.
Activity 1
High Wire Artist-Use a balance beam for the high wire. A long piece of masking tape or yarn
on the floor will work just as well. Give the high wire artist a ruler to hold (for balance!) and
see if he or she can walk the wire. Use the song "High Wire Artist" from the album Easy Does
It (AR 581), by Hap Palmer (EducationalActivities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520),or "Across
the Bridge" from the album We All Live Together, volume 4 (YMES-0004),by Greg Scelsa and
Steve Millang (Youngheart Records, Box 27784, Los Angeles, Calif. 90027).
Activity 2
Let's Be a Clown-Have available clown make-up for the children to wear. Some old hats, color-
ful clothes, and big shoes will add to the clown's looks. Use this poem in the center: Recite this
poem with the children.
Close your eyes, Shake your hands,
Open your eyes, Clap your hands,
Take a look around. Now dance like a clown!
Activity 3
Board Game-Take the bears to the circus. Make one game board which is divided into four
squares. One square should have a red background with a picture of a clown in it. The second
square should be blue with a picture of a high wire artist. The third square should be yellow
with a picture of an orange frosty. The fourth square should be green with a picture of a bear
riding a unicycle. Also make a color die to use with this game. To do so, glue pieces of felt on
a square which has been cut out of foam or styrofoam. Glue a red square on one side of the die,
a blue on another side, a green square on another, and a yellow square on the fourth side. Two
sides of the die will not have a color on them. You will also need four bears, one of each color,
for each child playing the game. These can be cut out of paper, or you can use the teddy bear
counters made by the toy company Milton Bradley.
Object of the game: Try to get each bear to its color destination.
Procedure: Children take turns rolling the die. If the red side of the die lands face up, that
child puts the red bear in the red square. The next child then rolls the die and puts the correct
bear where the color die indicates. If a color comes up that the child has already had, or if the
side of the die with no color is face up, the child does not get to move a bear.
CLOSING Circle Game
Use the album Getting to Know Myself (AR543), by Hap Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc.,
Box 392, Freeport, N.Y. 11520). Give each child a plastic or cardboard circle approximately 12"
in diameter as you do either "The Circle" or "Circle Game." Following directions and practic-
ing spatial relationships are the objectives of these two songs. If you do not have the album,
you can make up your own set of instructions. (Example: Stand beside the circle. Hold the circle
above your head. Hop around the circle.)
Teddy Bear Day
In advance, send notes to parents requesting that children bring in their favorite stuffed animal
today (see p. 174).
The story for today, Corduroy, ties in with the Craft and Freeplay.
You will need:
notes to parents requesting that children bring in their favorite stuffed animal (see p. 174);
cardboard bear (see p. 175)and clothes for Activity 1;
folder game prepared for Activity 2;
bulletin board ready for Activity 3;
old catalogs for Activity 3; and
button for Closing.
ARRIVAL Teddy Bear Fun
As the children arrive with their favorite stuffed animal "friend," let them ad out the following
rhyme (see p. 174):
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around,

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say "Good night."
Don't forget to do a verse about kittens,monkeys, or whatever st&fed animals are brought.
OPENING Introduce Your Friends
Encourage the children to introduce their stuffed animal to the class telling where they got it
and what its name is. Categorize the animals according to color, size, old or new, or by their names.
Story
Read to the children the story Corduroy, by Don Freeman (Penguin Books, 1978).
CRAFT Corduroy
Materials Needed.
Use pattern (see p. 175)to make a paper
Corduroy for each child
buttons
corduroy patchw
glue, crayons
Bear with Us 161
Explanation:
Let the children color their Corduroy. Then they glue on the corduroy patches. Be sure they
remember to glue on Corduroy's missing button.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Dress-up Bear-Use the pattern (see p. 175) to make a bear out of cardboard. Color it brown.
Also make several colors of pants and vests and shoes to fit the bear (see p. 176). Let this be
a listening skills activity. Tell the child to dress the bear in, for example, blue pants, red vest,
and green shoes. See if the child can remember how to dress the bear without needing the direc-
tions repeated.
Activity 2
%
Corduroy's Button-This is a Manila folder game. Begin by making a perspec-
tive drawing on the inside of a folder (like the one shown) of a department store.
This will be the playing board. Divide the store into three floors by adding two
horizontal lines. Sketch stairs. Draw an elevator door on the top floor opposite
the stairs. Use a dime to trace and make circles (buttons)on each step and across to the elevator
door on the top floor. Draw a vertical line beside the store to represent an elevator shaft and
trace a vertical line of circles in it. Color the circles throughout the store repeating colors in
random order, and add two black dots to each circle so it looks like a button. Draw or use stickers
to make one floor the toy department, one the clothes department, and one (the top) the fur-
niture department. At the bottom of the elevator sh& beside a door, draw a little girl waiting
for Corduroy. Color the button beside her to include all the colors you have used.
Directions for play: Each child uses a teddy bear counter, made by Milton Bradley, for a
playing piece. Place all plastic bears at the bottom of the stairs on the fmt floor. Place several
buttons of each color used on the playing board in a box. Each child, with eyes closed, chooses
one button out of the box and then moves his or her plastic bear to the matching colored button
on the playing board. Then the child puts the button back in the box. Children take turns doing
this until all children have advanced their bear to the multicolor button beside the little girl.
The little girl has her Corduroy, and the game is over.
Activity 3
Bears for Sale Bulletin Board-Make a bulletin board to look like shelves in a toy store. Have
toy catalogs available for the children to cut out pictures of bears to place on the shelves. Discuss
why they chose certain bears. What would they name that bear if they could buy it?
CLOSING Button, Button, Who Has the Button?
Children sit on the floor in a circle. (For a large group, make two circles.) Choose a child to sit
in the center of the circle. Choose another child to hold a button. Everyone in the circle holds
his hands (palms together) out in front of him. The child with the button keeps his or her hands
tightly together and moves around the circle pretending to put the button in several children's
hands, but actually giving it to one child. The first child watches to determine when the button
is really dropped into someone's hands. All the children keep their hands together until the child
who is "it" correctly guesses who has the button.
Blueberry Bears Day
8
Today it's bears and blueberries! You will be cooking. . .blueberry muffins, of course!
You will need:
recipe, utensils, and ingredients for blueberry mfins (see below);
game prepared for Activity 1;
grease pencil, paper pancakes, and blueberries for Activity 2; and
fabric squares for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Muffin Bake

Let the children prepare their snack once again-blueberry muffins! As children prepare the
muffins, discuss the color of the berries and where they grow.
Sweet Muffins and Stir-ins
1egg Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bot-

2 cups BisquickO baking mix* toms only of 12 medium muffin cups, 2 112"
x 11/4", or line with paper baking cups.
113 cup sugar
Beat egg slightly in medium bowl; stir in
213 cup milk remaining ingredients just until mois-
2 tbsp. vegetable oil tened. Fold 314 cup fresh or frozen (thawed
and drained) blueberries into batter.
Divide batter evenly among cups, Bake un-
til golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Yield
12 muffins.
OPENING Blueberry Talk
The blueberry is a small, sweet fruit that grows on a bush. People can eat fresh blueberries.
Blueberries are also delicious in pies, mufEns, pancakes, syrup, and jam. A blueberry can be
light blue to a very dark blue in color.
Bears love to find blueberries in the woods and enjoy their sweet taste.
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: Blueberry Bears, by Eleanor Lapp (Albert Whit-
man, 1983).Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey (The Viking Press, 1948,paperback, 1976).
The Blueberry Elfj by Jane Thayer (Morrow, 1961).
'BlSQUlCK is a resistered trademark of General Mills, Inc., for baking mix; recipe is reprinted with permission of General Mills, Jnc.
162
Bear with Us 163
CRAFT Blueberry Bushes

Materials Needed:
empty roll-on deodorant bottles
blue paint
brown paint
pencils with erasers
Explanation:
Using a table knife, remove the ball out of each
deodorant bottle. Fill the bottles with brown
paint and push the ball back into each bottle. The
children use the bottles to paint blueberry
bushes. They use the eraser on a pencil to print
blueberries on the bushes. Pour blue paint onto
a sponge, and the children press the eraser on
the paint and print berries on the bushes.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Blueberries Anyone?-This game is played with a spinner on a circle which you make by using
a brad and paper clip. Divide the circle into five equal pie-shaped sections. On one section draw
one blueberry, on another section draw two blueberries, on yet another section draw three blue-
berries, and on two sections draw one bear on each. Each child playing needs a basket, which
you make with a yogurt or nut cup by attaching a pipe cleaner handle. Use small blue pom-
poms for the blueberries.
Directions for play: Each child has a basket. The object of the game is to pick ten berries
without the bear eating them. Children take turns spinning. If the spinner lands on berries,
the child takes the amount shown and places it in the basket. If the spinner lands on a bear,
the child takes one berry out of the basket or, if there are none, does nothing. The first child
to have ten berries in his or her basket wins.
Activity 2
Blueberry Count-Make paper pancakes and laminate them. With a grease pencil, put a numeral
on each one or, for older children, write addition or subtraction problems. Make many little
laminated blue circles to be the blueberries. Children identify the numeral on a pancake and
then count out that many blueberries and place them on the pancake.
Activity 3
Cloth Swatch Match-Glue pieces of different kinds of fabric onto individual cardboard squares.
Make two cards of each kind of fabric. (Examples: corduroy, velvet, terry cloth, dotted swiss)
Put the squares in a box with a small opening for the child's hand. Ask the child to find the
matching pairs using only the sense of touch.
CLOSING Music
Sing the song "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" substituting the word blueberry for
Mulberry.
Valentine Bears Day
g
The bears in today's story will tug at your heart. Although the bears are not real, the emotions
they express are very real! It's a wonderful way to combine your Valentine's Day celebration
and bears.
You will need:
bread, honey, and cookie cutter for Arrival;
valentines for Opening;
hearts and fishing pole for Activity 1;
felt shapes and sequence cards for Activity 2;
photocopied pictures of children and paper for Activity 3; and
five decorated envelopes for Closing.
ARRIVAL Sweetheart Snack
Have each child make a sweetheart snack. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, each child cuts
a valentine from a slice of bread and spreads honey over the heart. Save it for snack time. (Bears
like honey, too!)
OPENING Valentine Talk
A valentine is a special way to tell someone you care. Usually a valentine has a short rhyme
that tells how you feel. It might also have symbols of love, such as flowers, cupids, or hearts.
There are many different stories about how Valentine's Day began. It really doesn't matter
how the custom of Valentines started. It's just a wonderful chance to tell someone how much
he or she means to you.
Who do you send Valentines to? Who sends you Valentines? What can you do to show some-
one you love them?
Read some Valentines. Talk about the verses. Perhaps you can make up some Valentine
verses with the children.
Story
Read The Vakntine Bears, by Eve Bunting (Seabury Press, 1983).This story is a wonderful ex-
ample of love expressed on Valenthe's Day. Mr. and Mrs. Bear have never celebrated Valen-
tine's Day because they usually sleej, through it. This year, Mrs.Bear decides it's going to be
different. When she settles down for her winter nap, she sets her alarm for February 14. The
alarm goes off as planned, and both Mr. and Mrs. Bear have a delightful surprise in store for
them. (If you are unable to find this book, you might check with your librarian to see if it is
available through interlibrary loan.)
Bear with Us 165
CRAFT Valentine Prints
Materials Needed.
paper for each child with hearts drawn on it
red paint
wnge
Explanation:
Draw the same number of hearts as the number of children in your class on a piece of paper
8 1/2" by 11". Print each child's name in a heart. Print the following Valentine poem at the
top of the page:
My friends' fingerprints yon see,
On this Valentine they made for me!
Make a copy of this page for each child in your class. Place a damp sponge on a Styrofoam meat
tray. Pour a small amount of red paint on the sponge. Lay all the papers out on a table where
the children can reach them easily. The children put their index finger in the red paint and
then make their fingerprint on each heart with their name in it (one on each paper).
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Fishing for Heam-Make a pond full of different colored paper hearts. Attach a paper clip to
each heart. Use a pole with a magnet on the end of it to try to catch only the red hearts.
Activity 2
Flannel Board Sequence-Cut out several colors of felt shapes, including hearts. Ilraw sequence
cards showing shapes of those colors arranged in different order. Example: square, heart, circle,
heart, square. Ask a child to make the same shape and color pattern on the flannel board.
Activity 3
SweetheartBulldin Board-Have the children cut heart shapes from a folded piece of paper. mace
a photograph of the child on the heart. (Or, use a photocopied picture of the child. See p. 64.)
CLOSING Five Fancy Envelopes
Decorate five envelopes and place one colored shape inside each envelope. (Use the felt shapes
from Activity 2.) As you recite the following poem, ask one child to choose an envelope. The child
peeks inside and tells you what color the shape is. Repeat the verse and choose another child.
When all the envelopes have been chosen, change the shapes in the envelopes and repeat the
entire verse until everyone has had a turn.
Five fancy envelopes, Looking their beat,
I wonder what's inside, Can you guess?
(Repeat the verse, each time substituting bur, three, tzuo, and one.)
Winter Bears Day
You will be talking about the bear essentials today. . . where bears live, what they like to eat,
where and why bears hibernate.
You will need:
bear stencil (see p. 174), paint, and paper folded for Arrival;
bulletin board prepared for Activity 1;
drawing materials for Activity 1;
wet sand for Activity 2; and
recipe (see p. 167), utensils, and ingredients for cookies in Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Stencil Painting
In advance, fold a piece of newsprint in half for each child. Tape a bear stencil on the inside
bottom half of this paper (see p. 174). As the children arrive, have them stencil paint a bear
on their paper. (This is part of Craft. See today's Craft for further explanation.)
OPENING Bear Talk
Bears in North America live in rugged mountain or forest areas. They have five toes on each
foot with a sharp claw on each toe. They cannot see well but have a good sense of smell. Bears
can run very fast, but only for short distances. Bears sleep during the colded parts of the winter.
That long period of sleep is called hibernation. They store fat under their skin for warmth and
nourishment. Their home is called a den-a shallow cave in a wall of rock. Their favorite foods
are honey, berries, insects, and fish. Baby bears are called cubs. Have you ever seen a bear?
Where? (zoo, national park, circus)
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: Beany and Scamp, by Lisa Bassett (Dodd,Mead,
& Co., 1987). Buzzy Bear Goes South, by Dorothy Marino (Watts, Inc., 1961). Snow on Bear's
Nose, by Jennifer Bartoli (Whitman, 1972).
CRAFT Bears in Winter
Materials Needed:
newsprint with bear stencil painted in Arrival
brown paint
easels
paintbrushes
scissors
Bear with Us
Explanation:
The children painted the bear sleeping in the
cave in Arrival, and they now need to make that
piece of paper look more like a cave. Have them
cut on an arched line as shown in the picture.
Then at the easel they paint the front of the cave
brown.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Bulletin Board Mountain-On the bulletin board, put a picture of a tall mountain. Sing the song
"The Bear Went over the Mountain" with the children. It is found on Let's Sing Fingerplays
(CMS 688)' by Tom Glazer (CMS Records, Inc., 14 Warren St., New York, N.Y. 10007). Since
the song doesn't tell what the bear saw, ask the children to draw what they think it saw. Place
each child's drawing on one side of the mountain on the bulletin board. (You will use this bulletin
board and song in Closing also.)
Activity 2
Tracks in the Snow-Wet the sand in the sand table and let the children make tracks by press-
ing their hands or feet in it. If possible, ask a park ranger or conservation officer to visit your
classroom. He or she may be able to bring some examples of animal tracks and explain their
differences.
Activity 3
Bear Paw Cookies--Depending on the length of your school day, you can have the children help
you mix and bake these cookies or only help decorate them. Have the children frost the cookies
with chocolate frosting. Lay five almonds across the front of each cookie to represent the bear's
claws. When their bear paw is finished, children may eat it for snack time.
2 113 cups flour Chill for one hour. Drop on greased cookie
2 tsp. baking powder sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for ten to twelve
minutes.
1tsp. salt
1 cup margarine
213 cups sugar
112 cup chocolate flavored syrup
2 eggs
114 cup milk
chocolate frosting
toasted almonds
CLOSING "The Bear Went over the Mountain"
Use the bulletin board and the pictures drawn in Activity 1.Sing "The Bear Went over the Moun-
tain" and let one child choose a picture of what the bear saw.
Polar Bear Day
Polar bears live where it is cold, so think cold today! Ice cream and ice cubes will help you!
You will need:
recipe, supplies, and ingredients for the ice cream (see below) for Arrival;
container of water to freeze for Opening;
game for Activity 1;
Manila folder game and Pepperidge Farm@fish crackers for Activity 2;
ice cubes for Activity 3; and
poem for Closing.
Don't forget the two different sized coffee cans. If you make the ice cream in your classroom
rather than outdoors, be sure to roll it on a plastic tablecloth. The salt water may leave a white
residue on the floor.
ARRIVAL Ice Cream
Let's begin this chilly day by making Rock 'n' Roll Ice Cream!
1cup milk 1tsp. vanilla
1 egg 1cup whipping cream
1R cup sugar
Combine all ingredients and pour into a 1-pound coffee can with a tightcftting plastic lid. Place the lid
on the can,tape it shut, and put the can inside a 3-pound can with a tight-fitting plastic lid. Pack the
large can with crushed ice surrounding the smaller can. Pour at least 314 cup rock salt evenly over the
ice. Place the lid on the 3-pound can and tape it securely. Roll the can back and forth on a table or the
floor for ten minutes. Open the outer can. Remove the inner can. Remove the lid and stir mixture with
a rubber spatula. Scrape the side of the can and replace the lid and tape shut. Drain the ice water from
the larger can. Place the smaller can back inside the larger can and pack with more ice and salt. Tape
securely. Roll back and forth for five more minutes. This recipe makes about 3 cups of ice cream. Keep
in a cold place until snack time.
OPENING Polar Bear Talk

Polar bears live above the Arctic Circle where it is very cold. Their shaggy, thick fur is white
like snow. They are very good swimmers. Seals are their favorite food, but they eat fish, too.
Polar bears cover their black noses with their paws when they hunt because their noses are
easy to see in the snow! Have you ever seen a polar bear in the zoo? Were they cooling off in
the cold water?
Talk about the solid and liquid states of water. Place a small amount of water in a freezer. Check
it in Closing to see if it has changed.
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: Snowy and Woody, by Roger Duvoisin (Alfred
A. Knopf, 1979).PoZar, by Elaine Moss (Dutton, 1979).Polar Bear Brothers, by Ylla and Crosby
Newel1 Bonsall (Harper & Row, 1960).
168
Bear with Us 169
CRAFT Fluffy Polar Bears
Materials Needed:
bear for each child (see p. 177)
soap flakes
bowl, water
mixer
black buttons
Explanation:
Use the pattern (see p. 177)to make a paper bear for each
child. Put the soap flakes and water in a bowl and whip
with mixer until thick. Fingerpaint some of the mixture
onto the paper bear until it is white and shaggy. Add a
small black button for an eye and a larger one for a nose.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Snowball Roll-Glue styrofoam packing pieces on a large piece of cardboard to make a snow
fort. Cut a small opening at the bottom of the wall. Use the snow fort for the following game:
Ask one child to hold the fort in place while another tries to roll a snowball (styrofoam ball)
through the opening of the fort.
Activity 2
A Bear's Feast-Open a Manila folder and make one side blue to represent water. Draw a circle
on the other side and divide the circle into five equal pie-shaped pieces. In the middle, place
a large brad with a paper clip on it to serve as a spinner. Two of the pie shapes should each
have a bear drawn in them, two should have a fish drawn in them, and the remaining pie shape
should have two fish in it. (If drawing is a problem, you can use stickers).
To begin, give each child five Pepperidge Farm@fish crackers. Place several fish crackers
swimming in the water on the Manila folder. Each child takes a turn spinning. If the spinner
lands on a bear, the child eats two fish. If the spinner lands on one fish or two fish, the child
takes that many fish out of the water. When one child has eaten all his or her fish, with the
help of the bears, it is time to begin a new game.
Activity 3
Ice Cube Pass-Have children sit in a circle and pass an ice cube from one to another. Count
with the children how many times the ice cube goes around the circle before it is completely melted.
CLOSING Poetry
Poetry can be very effective in helping children to develop listening skills, ways of expressing
feelings, auditory awareness, and new vocabulary. Share with your class the poem "Bear in There"
from the book A Light in the Attic, by She1 Silverstein (Harper & Row, 1981).
Panda Bear Day
Pandas are black and white; many of today's activities focus on black and white. If you have
a stuffed panda or a panda puppet, use it while you read the story.
You will need:
shapes to cut in Arrival (see p. 178);
pictures of pandas for Opening;
pictures on three-by-five cards illustrating opposites for Activity 1(see pp. 179-81);
color cards for Activity 2;
black and white objects for Activity 3; and
a black and a white spool of thread for Closing.
ARRIVAL Sharpen Your Cutting Skills!
Have children cut two small, white circles (ears) and one large, white circle (face) to be used
for the panda bear Craft today. Also cut two small black circles for the eyes and one small black
triangle for the nose (see p. 178).
OPENING Panda Bear Talk
The giant panda looks like a black and white bear. It is about 3 112 to 5 feet long and 3 feet
high. Many scientists think that pandas are really big raccoons. The giant panda lives in the
mountains of Southern China. It eats young bamboo plants. The kind of bamboo the panda eats
grows only in the mountains where pandas live. The pandas couldn't move to another part of
China, as there would not be food for them there.
Show the children pictures of pandas and discuss their coloration and habitat. Ranger Rick,
published by the National Wildlife Federation, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA. 21184, and
World, published by the National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.20036, are good sources.
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: Milton the Early Riser, by Robert Kraus Wind-
mill Books, Inc., 1972). Panda Cake, by Rosalie Seidler (Parents Magazine Press, 1978). Poppy
the Panda, by Dick Gackenback (Clarion Books, 1984).
CRAFT Miss Panda
Materials Needed:
circles and triangle cut in Arrival
popcorn dyed black
cotton
glue
glue brush
Bear with Us 171
Explanation:
The children glue on the panda's ears. Then they brush
glue on the face and put cotton (pulled apart) over the en-
tire face. Put a small amount of black tempera powder in
a paper bag along with some popped popcorn. Shake the
bag. The children use the colored corn for the panda's ears.
Then they glue on the eyes and nose. Caution the children
that this popcorn is no longer good to eat.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Picture Bulletin Board (Opposites)-Make pictures of opposites on three-by-five cards (see pp.
179-81). (Examples: on-off, up-down, etc.) Put half of the set of pictures on the left side of the
bulletin board. Children are to find the opposite pictures and place it directly across from the
picture on the left. Use black and white as examples since it is Panda Bear Day.
Activity 2
Color Scramble-Cut out large cards (5" by 7") of several colors. Be sure to include black and
white! Begin by putting three color cards on a table or chalkboard ledge. Let the children look
at and talk about the color cards and the order they are in. Ask the children to close their eyes
while you scramble the cards. Then the children open their eyes and try to move the color cards
back in their original order. Add more colors to increase the difficulty.
Activity 3
Patterning-Use black and white objects to make varying patterns (white and black buttons,
lace, ricrac, cotton balls, pompons). Lay several objects on a table or sheet of paper to make a
pattern. Ask a child to repeat the exact pattern below yours.
CLOSING Panda Bear!
Show the children white and black spools of thread. Ask them to close their eyes while you hide
the spools (or have a child hide them). When the spools are hidden, the children open their eyes
and look for them. When they spot one of the spools, they say "Panda," and when they spot
the second spool, they say "Bear" and go sit in a designated area. Play for a set amount of time
(e.g., three minutes per game) and stop after that much time has elapsed even if not everyone
has said "Panda Bear." Hide the spools again and resume play.
Three Bears Day
You will enjoy emphasizing big, bigger, and biggest using the story The Three Bears. The story
lends itself well to creative drama.
You will need:
brown paint, oranges, lemons, and marshmallows for Arrival;
props for acting out the story for Activity 1;
play dough, bowls, and cornmeal for Activity 2;
materials for bulletin board for Activity 3; and
puppets, (see p. 182) shoebox, bear (see p. 1751, and lollipops for Closing.
ARRIVAL Painting
As the children arrive, ask them to paint three bears using an orange, a lemon, and a marsh-
mallow. Cut the oranges and lemons in half. Let the children use the food and brown paint to
print circles making bears in three sizes. Two circles, one above the other and made with the
orange, will be Father Bear. Two circles, one above the other and made with the lemon, will
be Mother Bear. And two circles, one above the other and made with the marshmallow, will
be Baby Bear.
OPENING Story
Read the story The Three Bears, by Paul Galdone (Seabury Press, 1972). While reading, draw
the children's attention to the details of the bears' dress, such as hats, aprons, pants, etc.
Three Bears Talk
Discuss the sizes of the bears in the story and the sizes of the bears the children painted in Ar-
rival. Use the words big, bigger, and biggest throughout the day. Ask the children if they think
the events of the story really could have happened. Should they go into someone's house if no
one is a t home?
CRAFT Three Bears
Materials Needed:
construction paper
lace, ricrac
markers
Explanation:
Children use the materials listed to complete the bear pic-
tures they painted in Arrival. They add facial features and
the special clothes the bears wore, such as an apron, hats,
or jackets.
Bear with Us
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Dramatization-The children act out the story emphasizing the three sizes of the bowls, chairs,
beds, and bears. Bring clothes to help children feel the part.
Activity 2
Big, Bigger, Biggest-To teach the concept of big, bigger, biggest, bring three bowls of different
sizes and let the children fill them with cornmeal. Through measuring, the children will be able
to understand that the bigger the container, the more it takes to fill it. Also have play dough
(see p. 55) available and ask the children to make balls of different sizes.
Activity 3
Bear Match Bulletin Board-Make and place three bears of three different sizes on the bulletin
board. Make available three beds, hats, bowls, chairs, and pairs of shoes. Children match the
sizes of the articles to the bears and place them on the bulletin board with the appropriate size bear.
CLOSING Brown Bear, Brown Bear
(You may wish to have half of your group do each of the Closing activities for a time and then
switch activities. Waiting for a turn can be difficult, especially at the end of the day.)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (by Bill Martin, Jr.)-Have stick puppets or
pictures of different colored animals to give to the children as they play this game. (Examples=
green frog, yellow duck, brown bear, etc.; see p. 182.) Have five children stand in fkont of the
group and give each of them an animal to hold. The rest of the children remain seated. The first
child in line holds the brown bear as the seated children say, "Brown bear, brown bear, what
do you see?" The child answers by saying, "I see a green turtle standing next to me" if that
is the animal the next child in line is holding. Then the seated children ask the green turtle
what it sees. After the child's response, they move on to the next child.
Feed the Bear
Use the pattern from Craft on Teddy Bear Day to make a bear (see p. 175). Laminate it or put
clear self-stick vinyl on it and glue it to the side of a shoebox that is standing on end. Cut a
hole in the top of the box big enough for lollipops that you have made with construction paper
circles and Popsicle@sticks. Pass out the different color lollipops to the children. They identify
the colors and then feed the lollipops to the bear by placing them in the hole cut in the top of
the box.
TEDDY BEAR DAY-ARRIVAL
Dear Parent($,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say "Good night."
Does this rhyme sound familiar to you? We plan to teach it to your child on Teddy
Bear Day, which will be . On that day, we want each

(Date)
child to bring his or her favorite teddy bear or other stuffed animal.
I Thanks!
WINTER BEARS DAY-ARRIVAL

TEDDY BEAR DAY-CRAFT & Activity 1
TEDDY BEAR DAY-Activity 1
fjit
POLAR BEAR DAY-CRAFT
PANDA BEAR DAY-CRAFT
1 Eves
) (white)
chi.
A
(black)
PANDA BEAR DAY-Activity 1
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unit 8
OLD FAVOR
The following eight days will bring back memories of your childhood while you
are making memories for your students.
Kindergarten and preschool children delight in singing or saying nursery
rhymes. The simple melodies and short verses are so appropriate for young children.
Repetition and recall are important skills emphasized at the same time.
Along with singing and creative dramatics, the unit's activities emphasize
opposites.
Jack and Jill Day
Jack and the Beanstalk Day
Old King Cole Day
Humpty Dumpty Day
Jack Be Nimble Day
The Gingerbread Boy Day
Hey Diddle, Diddle Day
The Three Little Pigs Day
Jack and Jill went up the hill and then came down! From Arrival to Closing, you will use op-
posites today. You will start the Old Favorites bulletin board. On each of the following days,
you will add one thing to it.
You will need:
visuals of Jack and Jill used for the bulletin board and Opening (see p. 200)
clown faces (see p. 2011, box, and beanbag for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL "The Opposite"

As the children arrive, let them follow the instructions in the song "The Opposite'kn the album
Getting to Know Myself (AR.5431,by Hap Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport,
N.Y. 11520). For example, the singer will ask the children to bend backwards and "do the o p
posite." Then he will tell them to look up and "do the opposite."
OPENING "Jack and Jill"

Teach the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill" to the children who do not already know it, making
sure all the children understand the meaning of fetch (to get something)and crown (top of the head).
Jack and Jill went up the hill,

To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Opposite Talk
This is the first of two days when you talk about opposites. Make available many examples of
oppositeswith which the children can experiment. The following examples go well with the rhyme
"Jack and Jill": (1)Fasten a paper clip to a picture of a boy and a girl (see p. 200). On another
piece of paper, draw a hill. Lay the picture of Jack and Jill on top of the picture of the hill. Let
the children use a magnet on the back side of the paper to move Jack and Jill up and down the
hill. (2) In a shallow pan, demonstrate that water does not move on a flat surface. Tilt the pan
and show that water will roll down, but it can't roll back up. To get water up a hill, we need
to carry or pump it.
Bulletin Board
This month, you will make a bulletin board that resembles a nursery rhyme collage. Each day,
you will put a visual you have made on the bulletin board, or the children will make something
to put on the board that reminds them of the rhyme they learned on that day. Throughout the
month, you can use this bulletin board to review the nursery rhymes the children have learned.
For today, put up the visual of Jack and Jill going up and down the hill. ,
Old Favorites 185
CRAFT Jack or Jill
Materials Needed:
one large piece of paper per child with a hill drawn on it
photocopied picture of each child (see p. 64)
one ice mam stick per child
two pipe cleaners per child
tape, glue, crayons
Explanation:
Prior to class, cut slits along the top of each hill with an
X - A C W knife. The children glue their own picture to the
end of an ice cream stick. Then they wrap both pipe
cleaners around the stick one above the other. Twist each
pipe cleaner one time. Tape the back of each pipe cleaner
for security. Bend the top pipe cleaner up to be the child's
arms and the bottom pipe cleaner down to be the legs and
feet. The children draw grass on the hill and the well a t
the top of the hill if they wish. When finished, they insert their puppet through the slit, with
legs on top of the paper, and make their puppet go up and down the hill.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Jmk Says-Play Jack Says as you would play Simon Says using commands that have opposite
words in them. Examples: "Jack says stand uplsit down." "Jack says stand inside the circle/ouii
side the circle."
Activity 2
I Wonder-Ask the children some of the following questions: Why did Jack and Jill need water?
Did Jill get hurt when she fell? Who came to help Jack and Jill? What did they do after they
fell down the hill? AfZer talking about these things, have the children draw a picture of what
Jack and Jill did after they fell down the hill. You can write a sentence about each child's pic-
ture at the bottom of the paper. These pictures will look nice on a bulletin board in your room,
Activity 3
Happy and Sad Clowns-Draw a happy clown face on the side of one small cardboard box and
a sad clown face on the side of another box (see p. 201). The children listen to a statement that
you read aloud and decide if it makes them feel happy or sad. If it makes them feel happy, they
throw a beanbag into the box with the happy clown. If it makes them feel sad, they throw the
beanbag into the box with the sad clown. Examples: "Mom brought me a big surprise." "I fell
down and scratched my knee."
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Big Dog, Little Dog, by P. D. Eastman (Random House, 1973).
Demi's Opposites--An Animal Game Book, by Demi (Grosset & Dunlap, 1987).Push, Pull, E m p
ty, Full: A Book of Opposites, by Tana Hoban (Macmillan, 1972).
Jack and the Beanstalk Day
Jack is little, the giant is BIG. Baking cookies is a fun way to reinforce the concept of opposites.
You will need:
sugar cookie dough, pizza pan, and cookie sheet for Arrival;
items for planting bean seeds for Opening;
L'eggsB containers and gold eggs for Activity 2;
leaf patterns and photocopied pictures for Activity 3; and
sequence pictures for Closing (see p. 202).
ARRIVAL Giant and Tiny Cookies
Since this is the second opposite day, have the children help you make a giant sugar cookie for
the class to share for snack time today and a tiny cookie to take home for someone special. To
make the giant cookie, have each child press a small piece of ready made sugar cookie dough
into a round pizza pan. Grease the pan well so that the giant cookie will come out in one piece.
Let each child break off a small piece for snack time.
OPENING Story
Read the story Jack and the Beanstalk, adapted and illustrated by Tony Ross (Delacorte, 1981),
to the children. Include some talk about opposites as you read the story. Let the children chant
with you "fee, fie, fo, fum. . ."first loud and then soft. Also talk about giantltiny, meanlfriendly,
richtpoor. This reinforces the concept of opposites introduced on Jack and Jill Day (see p. 184).
Growing a Beanstalk
Plant some bean seeds for the children to observe during the next few weeks. Be sure to plant
them in clear plastic cups so the root systems are visible. Conduct an experiment to see which
of four conditions is most conducive to growing beans: (1)light and water, (2) light but no water,
(3) water but no light, and (4) no water or light. Chart the progress of each beanstalk.
CRAFT A Nest of Golden Eggs
Materials Needed:
large piece of paper for each child
straw
oval patterns and small pieces of paper
pencils, glue, scissors
macaroni which has been spray painted gold
Old Favorites
Explanation:
Children create the hen's nest by gluing straw on their
piece of paper. Then they trace and cut several eggs and
glue them on the nest. Finally, they glue the gold macaroni
onto the eggs.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Climb the Beanstalk Game-Make a beanstalk with a castle a t the top. To do so,
insert a large cardboard tube in the plastic top of a coffee can with a circle cut
in it the size of the tube. Cut leaves for the beanstalk from heavy cardboard or
scraps of paneling. Cut slits in the tube and insert the leaves. Paint the container,
leaves, and tube green. Attach one small, metal hook to each leaf. Paint a castle
on the sides of a small box and attach it to the top of the beanstalk.
You must also make small cards to use with this game. On each card, draw
a colored shape. (Cards for older children can contain words or addition or sub-
traction facts.) Hang one card on the hook of each leaf.
To play the game, the child must identify the shape and color on each card, from the bottom
to the top of the beanstalk. If the child makes it to the castle, he or she gets a prize-a sticker
to wear or a few fish crackers to eat.
Activity 2
Match the Golden Eggs-Glue gold foil paper (wrapping paper) to cardboard eggs and cut the
eggs into jigsaw puzzles. (Each egg puzzle can be kept in a gold L'eggse container.) Children
try to put the jigsaw eggs together.
Activity 3
Beanstalk Bulletin Board-Have each child cut out a leaf and write his or her name on it. The
child can glue a photocopied picture (see p. 64) of himself or herself on the leaf. Arrange these
leaves to form a beanstalk up the sides of the bulletin board.
CLOSING Recording
Have the children pretend to be farmers planting beans as they listen to the song "Oats, Peas,
Beans and Barley Grow" on the album Baby Beluga (SL-0010), by R a E with Ken Whiteley
(Shoreline Records, 6307 Yohge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada MZM 3x7).
Sequence Cards
Make picture cards to represent the different stages of growing beans (see p. 202): (1)planting
seeds, (2) sunshine, (3) rain, (4) tiny plants, (5)plants with blossoms, (6) plants with beans, and
(7)beans picked in a bucket. Discuss the proper order with the children, and then mix up the
cards and see if the children can put them back in the right sequence.
Old King Cole Day
Today you will crown the bulletin board, play a crown game, and crown the king when you act
out the nursery rhyme. Compare the word crown as it is used today to the way you used it on
Jack and Jill Day.
You will need:
the crown and decorations for Arrival;
props for Activity 2; and
game prepared for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Crowning the Bulletin Board
In advance, cut out a crown large enough to cover the top of the nursery rhyme bulletin board.
As the children arrive, they can glue on glitter, sequins, and colorful braid or ricrac to make
the crown look very regal.
OPENING "Old King Colen
Recite the rhyme "Old King Cole" with the children and then ask the following questions: What
is an "old soul"? How old do you think King Cole was? Why did he call for his bowl? Do you
always get what you ask for? What's the difference between wishing for something or getting
upset when you don't get what you want? If you were a king, what would you call for? What's
the difference between King Cole's crown and Jack's crown in "Jack and Jill"?
Old King Cole

Was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
CRAFI' King's Royal Robe
Materials Nee&&
robe pattern (see p. 147) sequins
purple Paper pencils, scissors, glue
cotton balls
Old Favorites
Explanation:
Use the pattern from Coat Day (see p. 147). Have the
children trace and cut out a robe from the purple paper.
Glue on cotton balls and sequins for trim.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Bowling Game-Cover ten PringleP potato chip cans with plain paper. On one can, glue a pic-
ture of the king's pipe, on another glue a picture of his bowl, and on the third glue a picture
of a fiddle. Two children take turns rolling a ball, trying to knock over the cans. They receive
two points for each can with a picture on it that they knock over and one point for each can
without a picture. The furst child to score five points is the winner.
Activity 2
Dramatization-This is a fun story for children to act out. Have one child be the king and wear
a crown and sit in a large chair. Give five other children one of the following objects: a pipe,
a bowl, or one of three fiddles. As the teacher and children recite the poem, the children present
King Cole with objects. Repeat several times so everyone gets to join the fun.
Activity 3
Putting Jewels on a Crown-Each player needs a crown

game board like the one shown. (Shapes should be different
colors on each board.) In advance, make cards with colored
shapes on them--one shape per card. Also make "jewels"
in those same colors and shapes for the children to put on
their crowns. Be sure there is a jewel for each shape on
the crown.Children take turns drawing a card. If they have
a shape of that color, they may put that jewel on their
crown. The first player to complete his or her crown is the
winner.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The King Who Learned to Smile, by Seymour Reit (Golden
Press, 1960). The King's Tea, by Trinka Hakes Noble (Dial Press, 1979). King Wacky, by Dick
Gackenbach (Crown Publishers, 1984).
Humpty Dumpty Day
Humpty Dumpty was an egg! The activities today are centered around eggs. . .real eggs, plastic
eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and scrambled eggs. Collect and wash eggshells well in advance of this
day. The eggshells add a special touch to the Craft.
You will need:
strips of red paper and envelopes for Arrival;
eggs and pie plate or shallow bowl for Opening;
ingredients and utensils to make scrambled eggs for Activity 1;
L'eggsB containers and paper eggs for Activity 2; and
Humpty Dumpty puzzle for Activity 3 (see p. 203).
ARRIVAL Cutting Bricks
Have the children cut small bricks from narrow strips of red paper. The bricks that each child
cuts should be put in an envelope with his or her name on it and saved for use in Craft.
Bulletin Board
Have some of the children cut extra bricks. Use these to build a wall for Humpty Dumpty on
the bulletin board. Put the laminated Humpty Dumpty from Activity 3 on the bulletin board
when the children are finished playing with it.
OPENING Egg Talk
Begin by talking about eggs and what different parts ~.\lo\k

there are to an egg. Use illustrations or real eggs to B- White
examine the different parts. You might want to crack
open a large and a small egg and compare the size
c - A ; ~Space
of what is inside the shell. You can also dye some of D -She 11
the eggshells with food coloring or natural dyes such
as onions or cranberries. Have a hard-boiled egg avail-
able and talk about how it is different from an un-
cooked egg. A fun experiment to try is letting the
children hold an uncooked egg in their palm, wrap-
ping their fingers around it and squeezing it. No mat-
ter how hard they try, they will not be able to crack
the egg. D
"Humpty Dumpty"
First discuss some of the following questions: (1)Why couldn't the king's men put Humpty back
together? (2) What would happen to you if you fell off a wall? (3) Where did Humpty live? (4)
What was life like in a castle? After discussion, recite the rhyme "Humpty Dumpty" with the
children.
Old Favorites
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Durnpty had a great fall,
All the king's horses,
And all the king's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again
CRAFT Humpty and His Wall
Materials Needed:
one large piece of paper per child
one small piece of white paper per child
bricks cut in Arrival
oval pattern
glue, scissors, pencils, crayons
eggshells
Explanation:
Have the children glue their bricks on the large piece of paper to make Humpty's wall. Then
have them trace and cut out an oval to be their Humpty Dumpty. They add facial features with
crayons. They may also glue some cracked eggshells on Humpty.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Scrambled Eggs-Set up a cooking center where the snack is prepared and served today. Let
the children come in small groups and make scrambled eggs and toast. Enjoy!
Counting Eggs-In advance, put labels with numerals written on them on the outside of empty
L'eggsB containers. Also cut out small ovals to fit inside the containers. The children count as
many ovals to put inside the container as the label indicates.
Activity 3
Putting Humpty Back Together-In advance, make a large picture of Humpty Dumpty (see p.
203) and laminate it. Then cut the picture into many pieces. The children can pretend to be all
the king's men and try to put Humpty back together again.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Bad Egg--The True Story ofHumpty Dumpty, by Sarah Hayes
(Little, Brown & Co., 1987). Septimus Bean and His Amazing Machine, by Janet Quin-Harkin
(Parents Magazine Press, 1979). Babar Loses His Crown, by Laurent de Brunhoff (Random House,
1967).
Jack Be Nimble Day
Jack jumped over (not under!) the candlestick. There will be a jumping contest, lots of candles,
and a review of opposites today.
You will need:
flames cut for Arrival,
candles of various shapes and sizes for Opening, Craft, and Activity 2;
tube candle for bulletin board;
jars for Opening,
maze cards prepared for Activity 1(see p. 204); and
felt candles for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Fingerpainting
Cut a piece of fmgerpaint paper in the shape of a flame for each child (approximately 7" tall).
Children use red, yellow, or orange fmgerpaint to make the flame glow.
OPENING Candle Talk
There are special times when we use candles. On your birthday, you may have had candles on
your cake. During some holidays, we burn candles.
A candle is made of wax, which melts when the candle is lit. The part of the candle we light
is called the wick.
Recite "Ja& Be Nimble" together.
Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
Jack jump over the candlestick.
Science
A candle needs air for it to burn. To demonstrate that air is necessary, place a glass jar over
a burning candle. Ask children to observe what happens. Use three different sized jars (pint,
quart, and gallon). The larger the jar, the more air there is, so the longer the candle will burn
each time. Explain that once the air (oxygen) in the jar is used, the flame goes out.
Bulletin Board
Use an empty paper towel tube as a candle. Wrap colored paper around it and decorate it. Add
a fingerpainted flame!
Old Favorites 193
CRAFT Candle Making
Materials Needed:
butcher paper with vertical lines drawn
every 7 inches
flame painted in Arrival
display of different candles
crayons
staples or tape
Explanation:
Mark vertical lines on the butcher paper approximately
7 inches apart. As each child cuts on one line, he or she
gets a rectangular piece of paper to make into a candle.
The children can decorate their candles with crayons.
Display several different candles, including ones of dif-
ferent colors and ones in the shape of numerals or familiar characters. By this time, the finger-
painted flame should be dry and can be attached by stapling or taping.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Maze Game-Help Jack find his candlestick. Make individual maze cards and laminate or cover
with clear self-stick vinyl (see p. 204). Draw Jack in one corner and his candlestick in another.
Let the children use grease pencils to find the path that leads to his candlestick. Mistakes can
be wiped off with paper towels, or the entire game board can be cleared for another child to use.
Jumping Contest-As the children successfullyjump over two candles, move the candles farther
apart and let them take turns jumping again. Have the children recite "Jack Be Nimble" as
.
they jump, substituting their own name in place of "Jack." Review opposites. .farhear, long/
short.
Activity 3
Candle Fun-Cut out candles of different colors and lengths from felt. Ask the children to per-
form the following tasks: (1) Place all the red candles on the flannel board. (2) Place all those
taller than a certain candle on the board. (3)Place all the candles shorter than a certain candle
on the board. (4) Place all candles of one color in sequence from shortest to tallest. Stress op-
.
posites. .tall/short,bignittle, hot (flame)/cold(no flame). You will think of many more activities
to do with these candles as you go along.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Jack Jump Under the Candlestick, by Donna Lugg Pape (Albert
Whitman, 1982). Over-Under, by Catherine Matthias (Children's Press, 1984). Fast-Slow, High-
Low, A Book of Opposites, by Peter Spier (Doubleday & Co., 1972).
Gingerbread Boy Day
The children will be baking their own gingerbread boy cookies as well as decorating a large
and a small paper cookie.
You will need:
recipe, cookie cutter, and ingredients for Arrival (see p. 205);
puppets for Opening;
tape recording of sounds and pictures for Activity 1;
two pieces of rope for Activity 2;
large paper gingerbread boy and brown items for Activity 3; and
different colored gingerbread boys for Closing (see p. 205).
ARRIVAL Gingerbread Cookies
Use the recipe provided and have the children help prepare gingerbread cookies (see p. 205).
If your daily schedule does not allow time for the dough to chill, prepare it ahead of time. Let
each child roll out a small piece of dough and cut out a gingerbread boy to eat for snack time
today. Use raisins to add facial features and buttons.
Gingerbread Cookies
1pkg. instant butterscotch pudding Mix all ingredients. Chill dough. Roll out,
112 cup brown sugar cut, and add raisins. Bake cookies at 350
degrees for ten to twelve minutes. Yield:
1 112 cups flour
one dozen.
112 tsp. soda
1egg
112 cup margarine
1tsp. cinnamon
112 tsp. ginger
Bulletin Board
When all the cookies are made, wash the gingerbread boy cutter and have children trace around
it on brown paper to make cookies for the bulletin board. Use crayons to add features.
OPENING Story
Read to the children the story The Gingerbread Boy, by Paul Galdone (Seabury Press, 1975).
This story is particularly appealing if told with puppets. The children who aren't holding a pup-
pet can repeat "you can't catch me. . ." as a group. After the story, the puppets can be used to
help review the sequence in which the different characters appeared in the story.
Old Favorites 195
CRAFT Gingerbread Boy

Materials Needed.
pattern of gingerbread boy (see p. 205) tea bags
Paper large and small ooding dots
Explanation:
Have each child trace and cut out a gingerbread boy. They put on small
coding dots for his eyes and large coding dots for buttons. They use a
crayon to give him a smiley mouth. They use glue brushes to spread glue
all over the rest of him. Then they sprinkle tea all over the glue to make
him look like a well-baked gingerbread boy!
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Listening Game-Prior to class, make a tape recording of different sounds that the gingerbread
boy might have heard as he was running. (Examples: people talking, water running, a dog bark-
ing, a cow mooing) Include some sounds not mentioned but which could have been heard (e.g.,
cars) Pass out pictures of the different things that make those sounds to each of the children.
Play the tape. When the children hear the sound made by the picture they are holding, they
hold up the picture.
Activity 2
Escaping the Fox-Place two pieces of rope on the floor several inches apart. The children pre-
tend to be the gingerbread boy jumping over the stream to escape the fox. Widen the stream
to make the task progressively more difficult.
Activity 3
Bulletin Board Gingerbread Boy-Prior to class, cut out a large gingerbread boy for the bulletin
board. Have available as many different brown things as you can find for the children to glue
on this big gingerbread boy (sticks, yarn, buttons, lace, ricrac, cloves, peanut shells, material
scraps). Glue on gallon milk jug lids for the eyes, and make a mouth with a piece of ribbon or ricrac.
CLOSING Name Something Brown

Have the children name all the brown things they can think of in different categories--animals,
foods, toys, things we wear, things in this room, etc.
Find the Color

Before class, cut out gingerbread boys in all the colors (see p. 205) mentioned in the song "Hide
and Go Seek" on the album Color Me A Rainbow (MH-80), by Sharon Lucky (Melody House
Publishing Co., 819 N.W. 92nd, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73114). Display these gingerbread boys
around the room, and as the children listen to the directions on the song, they can quietly point
to the gingerbread boy that is the color mentioned.
Hey Diddle Diddle Day
The cow, the moon, the dish, and the spoon are all kept very busy today!
You will need:
moon for bulletin board, paper and yarn for Arrival;
pictures for flannel board for Opening (see p. 206);
ingredients and container to make shakes for Activity 1;
poem for Activity 1;
Jump the Moon game for Activity 2; and
suitcase and clothes for Activity 3.
Make a large moon for the bulletin board. Each child draws a picture of a moon on a large sheet
of paper. Then they glue short strips of yellow yarn on their moon and on the large moon for
the bulletin board. (Their moon will be used in Craft.)
OPENING Recording
Do some farm activities with "Hey Diddle Diddle." "Grandmother's Farm" on the album Witches
Brew (AR 5721, by Hap and Martha Palmer (EducationalActivities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y.
11520) is a fun song.
Recite Poem
Have available pictures of a cow, moon, dog, dish, and spoon for the flannel board (see p. 206).
Hand the pictures to the children as you recite the poem "Hey Diddle Diddle." The child with
the picture mentioned places it on the flannel board.
Hey diddle diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such a sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Hey Diddle Diddle Talk

This poem is a fantasy, which means it could not really happen. Cows cannot jump over the
moon, but they can give us milk to drink.Dogs do not laugh, but they wag their tails and bark
when they are happy. Cats cannot play fiddles but do enjoy playing with yarn balls and other
cat toys. Even though we know all this, isn't it fun to think about a cow's being able to jump
over the moon?
196
Old Favorites 197
CRAFT Jump over the Moon

Materials Needed
moon with yarn made in Arrival
glue, pencils, crayons
Explanation=
The children lay their paper with the moon on the floor. Recite the first
three lines of "Hey Diddle Diddle," each time substituting the names
of children in the class. (For example, "Hey diddle diddle, the cat and
the fiddle, Nicholas jumped over the moon.") Have that child step over
the moon with one foot. Trace around his or her foot. Then the child
uses crayons to make his or her foot look like a cow. Glue on some yarn
for the cow's tail.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Milk Shakes-Using large plastic tumblers with lids, have each child make a shake. Offer straw-
berries, mashed bananas, peanut butter, etc., to flavor the soft ice cream and milk. While the
children are drinking their shakes, read them "Shaking" h m A Light in the Attic, by She1Silver-
stein (Harper & Row, 1981).
Activity 2
Jump the Moon-Make one game board that has a moon in the center and squares of color$ that
form an arch over the moon. There should be twenty to twenty-five squares in the arch. Use
only four colors. Also make game cards that have a small square of color on each. Make seven
cards of each color, and make three cards that have a dish drawn on them and three cards that
have a spoon drawn on them. Directions for play: Each child has a cow for a marker. (Use plastic
cows from your farm center.) Each player draws a card and moves his or her cow forward to
the nearest square of that color. If the drawn card has a dish or a spoon on it, then the player
moves backwards two spaces. The first player to get over the moon is the winner.
Activity 3
Let's Take a Trip-Ask the children the following questions: (1)Why did the dish and spoon run
away? (2) Where did they go? (3) How did they get there? Let's pretend they were running off
to the beach. Name the things they need to pack in their suitcase. Have a suitcase and different
items to pack in it. Choose one child to pack for the trip. When the child is finished packing,
the other children check to see if he or she remembered to pack everything. Choose other places
to go and let a different child pack for each place.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Cow That Got Her Wish,by Margaret Hillert (Follett,
1982). The Curious Cow, by Esther K. Meeks (Follett, 1960).Daisy, by Brian Wildsmith (Pantheon
Books, 1984).
Three Little Pigs Day
Little children love to huff and puff in this nursery rhyme, and today everyone gets a chance.
Fairytale Concentration (Activity 2) gives the children a chance to review all the stories and
nursery rhymes they enjoyed during the month.
You will need:
supplies to build three houses for the bulletin board for Arrival;
Number Beanbag prepared for Activity 1;
Fairy-tale Concentration prepared for Activity 2 (see p. 207);
ping-pong balls for Activity 3; and
farm animal pictures for Closing (see pp. 208-09).
Have the children help you make three houses for the bulletin board. The houses should be ap-
proximately 10" squares with triangle roofs. Glue straw on one, Popsicle@sticks on another,
and styrofoam packing pieces sprayed red on the other. Glue sandpaper on the triangles to make
the roofs. As you make the houses with the children, ask them if they can guess what story they
are going to hear today.
OPENING Story
Read to the children the story of The Three Little Pigs, by Paul Galdone (Seabury Press, 1970).
Emphasize the differences in the houses. Each of them are made of a different material, which
causes each house to be a different color. Bring to class a brick, a stick, and straw. Demonstrate,
by blowing, the strengths or weaknesses of each. Help the children understand the story by ask-
ing the following questions: Which house was the strongest? What are some ways the wolf tried
to trick the pigs? What were the three houses made of? What happened to the wolf in the end?
Pig Talk
What are baby pigs called? What is a litter? Where do pigs live? Why do pigs like mud? Do you
think pigs could ever really build houses like those described in the story? Do pigs really talk?
Baby pigs are called piglets and live on farms. A group of piglets born at the same time is called
a litter.
This story is another fantasy, which we all know could not really happen.
Recording
Listen to the song "The Three Little Piglets Playlet" on the album Color Me A Rainbow (MH-80),
by Sharron Lucky (Melody House Publishing Co., 819 N.W. 92nd, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73114).
If this record is not available, choose children to a d out the parts of the characters in the
story. The rest of the children hold a green, red, or yellow shape (the record refers to the sticks
as green). As the houses are built, children holding that color stick raise it in the air.
Old Favorites
CRAFT Easel Paint
Materials Needed.
paint-yellow, red, and green
easel brushes
Paper
Explanation:
The children paint a house. They may choose red for a brick house, yellow for a house of straw,
or green for a stick house. (Use green for the stick house because that color was used on the
record in Opening.)
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Number Beanbag-Make a number board on a paper house and lay it flat on the floor. Each
child stands behind a tape line and throws a beanbag onto the number board. The child must
identify the numeral on which the beanbag lands. If the beanbag lands on a line, the child iden-
tifies all numerals that are touched by the beanbag. Scoring: Use wooden blocks. For a correct
answer, give the child a wooden block with which to build a vertical house. Each child gets seven
turns. The child with the tallest house is the winner.
Activity 2
Fairy Tale Concentration-Make two identical pictures on separate cards that tell something
about each nursery rhyme learned this month (see p. 207). Place all cards in rows face down.
child turns two cards over. If the pictures match, the child keeps the cards and tells which story
or nursery rhyme they represent. If the pictures do not match, the child lays them face down
exactly where they were, and the next child gets a turn. The game is over when all pairs are
identified. The child who has the most matches is the winner.
Activity 3
Huff and Puff-Children blow ping-pong balls between two tape lines on the floor.
CLOSING "Old MacDonald"
Children stand in a circle. Place pictures of animals and their babies on the floor in the center
of the circle (see pp. 208-09). A child chooses a mother animal and her baby, names them, and
then the whole class sings a verse of "Old MacDonald" using that animal.
JACK AND JILL DAY-OPENING
JACK AND JILL DAY-Activity 3
Make two clowns. Draw a happy face on one and a sad face on the other.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK DAY-CLOSING
GINGERBREAD BOY DAY-ARRIVAL
Want to Bake
Gingerbread Cookies
1 pkg. instant butterscotch pudding 1 112 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 cup margarine 112 tsp. ginger
Mix all ingredients. Chill dough. Roll out, cut, and bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10
to 12 minutes. Yield: 12 cookies
GINGERBREAD BOY DAY-CRAFT & CLOSING

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE DAY-OPENING
THREE LITTLE PIGS DAY-Activity 2
Make two of each card.
OlA
K in5
Jack Be
C o \C Ginger bread
N;mb\e Man
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Needles and Pins Day
Each child needs a plastic lid (hair spray, spray starch) for Craft (see p. 228). If you have a quilt
(not a family heirloom), this would be a good time to hang it in your classroom. The children
will sew quilt squares today.
You will need:
supplies for pinhead painting for Arrival;
pin cushion, metal needle and plastic darning needle for Opening;
burlap squares, needles, and yarn for Activity 1;
dressmaker pins, oval styrofoam, and numeral cards for Activity 2; and
darning needles and styrofoam meat trays for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Pinhead Painting
As children arrive, have them decorate a strip of paper to go around a plastic lid. Stick pins
with flat heads into corks in the shape of A, 0 , O , or 0.Have children dip the pinheads into
the paint by holding onto the corks and then decorate the strip of paper. This paper will be used
to complete a pincushion in Craft.
OPENING Needles and Pins Talk
Pins and needles are both sharp so that they can be easily pushed into fabric. A needle has an
eye through which thread can be inserted. A pin has a head that is either flat or round. Show
the children the difference between sharp and dull by using a pincushion, a metal needle, and
one of the darning needles from Activity 3.
Song
Sing and do the actions of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush." Be sure to include a verse
saying "we mend our clothes."
CRAFT Pincushion
Materials Needed:
one plastic lid per child (see p. 228)
decorated strip painted in Arrival
batting or cotton
straight pins
piece of material
glue
Things That Go Together 213
Explanation=
Have the children glue the decorated strip of paper around
the outside of the plastic lid. Stuff batting in the lid and
cover it with the piece of material by pushing the material
in and around the batting. Let the children stick pins in
their cushions!
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Quilting-Cut a 4" square of burlap for each child. The children can design a quilt square by
using large plastic needles and yarn. At the end of the day, glue a11 the squares onto a large
sheet of paper to make a class quilt.
Activity 2
Pin Porcupine-Make several cards with a numeral on each

one. A child picks one card and sticks that many dress-
maker pins in an oval styrofoam. See how long it takes
to make a porcupine.
Activity 3
See-throughShapes-Draw shapes on small pieces of

paper and lay them on styrofoam meat trays. Chil-
dren use blunt darning needles to poke holes in the
paper along the lines of the shape. Hold the paper up
to a window to see the shape outline.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Elves and the S h o e d e r , by The Brothers Grimm,
translated by W. Andrews (CharlesScribner's Sons,1960).Ben and the Pormpine, by Carol Carrick
(Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1981). The Patchwork Quilt, by Valerie Flournoy (Dial Press, 1985).
Spool and Thread Day
PREPARATION To the Teacher -
Check your sewing supplies. You need several different colors of spools of thread. You and the
children will be sewing a button on a piece of fabric, so a thimble will come in handy! Activity
1requires antique spools. If you can't find these, a 314" dowel is a suitable substitute.
You will need:
food for the snack for Arrival;
button, fabric, needle, thread, spools of thread, and fabric swatches for Opening;
yarn and antique spools for Activity 1;
game prepared for Activity 2; and
pattern cards and spools for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Spool and Thread Snack
Spread two round crackers with cheese and place a large marshmallow between them to form
the spool. Lay a piece of red string licorice beside the spool to represent thread.
OPENING Spool and Thread Talk
While showing the children a spool of thread, explain that the hole is needed so that the spool
can fit onto a sewing machine. Thread is used when sewing two pieces of fabric together with
a machine or needle. Thread is chosen to match the color of the fabric.
Button Sewing
During the Spool and Thread Talk, start sewing a large button onto a piece of fabric. Invite the
children to come up one at a time and help sew.
Choose Your Color
Divide the class into two groups and have them sit on the floor in two lines facing each other.
These two lines should be approximately 5' apart. All the children in one line receive fabric
swatches of different colors. Children in the other line receive spools of thread in colors that
match the fabric swatches. There should be one spool of thread and one fabric swatch that match
in each line. One at a time, children with the thread walk over to children with the matching
fabric. They hand them the end of the thread and return to their place in line, unraveling the
thread as they go. They sit down and place their spool on the floor. Continue until all fabrics
and threads are matched.
The children must keep the thread on the floor so others can return to their place in line
without getting caught in the thread. (When matching is finished, cut the thread. Do not at-
tempt to rewind it.)
CRAFT Spool Painting
Materials Needed:
paper
paint
spools
spools with wire
Explanation:
The children dip the ends of the spools in paint
andlor roll the spools with wires in paint to make
a design.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Yarn Winding--Tie yarn to antique spools and have contests to see who can wind yarn around
a spool the fastest.
Activity 2
Spool Garages~Turn shoeboxes upside down and cut

two doors in the side of each one. Stick a coding dot
of a different color above each door. Children roll
spools of thread into the boxes, matching them to the
coding dot above the door.
Activity 3
Spool Stacking-Make pattern cards that show stacked spools of thread of several different col-
ors. Provide the children with actual spools of thread of the same variety of colors. Give children
a pattern card. They stack the spools accordingly.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Kate's Quilt, by Kay Chorao (E.P. Dutton, 1982). The Quilt
Story, by Tomie de Paola and Tony Johnston (Putnam, 1985). The Bedspread, by Sylvia Fair
(Morrow, 1982).
Bat and Ball Day
You'll be pretending to be at the baseball park all day, so if you or the children have baseball
shirts or hats, wear them!
Note the Closing. You need the video, Tiger Town,as well as the traditional baseball snacks--
hot dogs and Cracker Jacks.@
You will need:
round sugar cookies, white frosting, and red licorice for Arrival,
baseball equipment for Opening,
plastic ball and bat for Activity 1;
paper, paint, and pencil eraser for Activity 2;
video and food for Closing.
ARRIVAL Baseball Cookies
Have children frost round cookies with white frosting and add shoestring licorice for stitching.
To Stimulate discussion of leather and stitching, have available several baseballs for the children
to examine.
If you choose to serve the traditional baseball food suggested in Closing, you can send these
cookies home with the children.
OPENING Bat and Ball Talk
Allow time for lots of enthusiastic discussion. Children will want to tell about their experiences
at the ballpark. Bring in ball equipment for the children to touch and examine. Demonstrate
how to hold a bat. Point out the special type of glove a ballplayer wears. The catcher's equip-
ment is the perfect example of how important safety is when playing baseball or any other sport.
Teach the chorus of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." The words and music of the
song can be found in the book Take Me Out to the Ball Game and Other Favorite Hits 1906-1908,
edited by Lester S. Levy (Dover Publications, 1984).
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: Curious George Plays Baseball, by Margaret
Rey (Houghton-MiMin Co., 1986).Play Ball, Kate, by Sharon Gordon (Troll Associates, 1981).
The Littlest Leaguer, by Syd Hof (E.P. Dutton, 1976).
CRAFT Easel Painting
Materials Needed.
newsprint folded into thirds paint and brushes
easel words to "Here Is a Ball" (see p. 228)
Explanation:
Teach the children the following poem:
Here is a ball. (Make a circle with thumb and index finger.)
And here's a bigger ball. (Make a circle with thumbs and index fingers.)
A great big ball I see. (Make a circle using arms above head.)
. .
Can you count them? Are you ready? 1. .2. .3! (Make each ball as you count.)
The children paint a ball in each section of their paper, making the balls big, bigger, and big-
gest. Glue the words to the poem (which are typed on a small piece of paper) onto each child's
painting.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Baseball Game-Play a baseball game. For young children, you will need a large plastic bat and
a large plastic ball. It may work best to lay the ball on the floor or ground and have the batter
hit it. It is difficult for young children to hit a ball in the air.
Activity 2
Eraser Painting-Give children a piece of paper divided into four sections with a numeral in
each. With the eraser of a pencil, children paint the correct number of balls in each section.
Activity 3
Scoreboard Game-Make several cards in the shape

of a bat, each having a different number of coding dot
"balls" on them. The child selects a bat, tells how
many balls he or she hit this inning (according to the
number of coding dots), and then hangs the bat on the
scoreboard. The next child does the same. At the end
of the game, count the total number of balls hit in the
game.
CLOSING Out to the Game
Serve the children hot dogs, Cracker Jacks,@and juice while they watch the video Tiger Town.
This is an excellent baseball movie for young children. There are other movies available, but
be sure to preview because profanity is used in many of them.
Hammer and Nail Day
If you know someone who would enjoy sharing their carpentry skills, invite him or her to your
class. A simple bird house can be built using precut pieces of wood, a hammer, and nails!
You will need:
hammer, nails, and wood for Opening;
wooden hammer, golf tees, and ceiling tiles for Activity 1;
nails and small ball for Activity 2; and
modeling compound (see p. 55) and nails for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Pound-a-Rhythm
Be creative! The children are to pound out rhythms with you. Use the side of your fist as a ham-
mer and hold the other hand flat, palm side up. Begin with very simple rhythms. You hammer
first, and then the children are to hammer out the identical rhythm. As the children catch on
to what you are doing, let them take turns being the leader.
OPENING Hammer and Nail Talk
Show the children a hammer and several nails of different sizes. Point out that the head of the
hammer is different on each end. One end is used to pound nails into wood, and the other end
is used to remove nails. As you are discussing this, pound a nail into wood and then remove
it with the hammer.
Song
Sing and do the actions to "Johnny Works with One Hammer".

Johnny works with one hammer, one hammer, one hammer
Johnny works with one hammer, now he works with two.
(The song continues with numbers increasing until Johnny works with five hammers. The last
line says, "Now he goes to sleep.") Actions-Hammer with the following body parts as you sing:
right arm, left arm, right foot, left foot, head. Hammer with just the right arm during the first
verse, adding another body part with each verse until the fifth verse, when all parts are moving
at once.
CRAFT Nailhead Painting
Materials Needed:
cardboard shapes to trace
paper, paint, pencils
nails with large heads
Explanation:
Children trace a square and a triangle to draw a
house. Use a nailhead to paint dots around the outline
of the house. (Put masking tape on the sharp part of
nail.)
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Pound That Hammer-Using wooden hammers, the children pound golf tees into old ceiling tiles.
Activity 2
Nail Bowling--Set ten nails with large heads upside down about 1" apart and arrange like ten-
pins on a surface 4' long. The child rolls a "jack" ball and counts one point for each nail knocked
over.
Activity 3
Tall and Short Nails--Each child needs play dough or modeling compound (see p. 55) and several
nails of different lengths. Have the children push the nails into the dough, arranging them from
tallest to shortest. Or, the children can combine all their nails and choose one size and push
only that length into their dough.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Nail Soup, retold by Harve Zemach (Follett Publishing, 1964).
The Clever Carpenter, by R. W. Alley (Random House, 1988). The Tool Box, by Anne and Harlow
Rockwell (Macmillan, 1971).
Bee and Honey Day
Most children have only seen honey in a jar. Bring a honeycomb to class and show it to the children.
Compare the taste and texture during snack time.
You will need:
refrigerator tube biscuits and honey for Arrival;
flower for Activity 1;
two large bees and tissue paper for Activity 2; and
game prepared for Activity 3.
ARRW Biscuits and Honey
As children arrive, let them help prepare biscuits for snack time. Use refrigerator biscuits in
a tube, and serve them warm with honey, of course!
OPENING Bee Talk
The bee is a yellow and black insect. It flies and makes a buzzing sound. It has a lower lip that
is long like a tube and that makes it possible for the bee to suck nectar from flowers. Bees use
nectar to make honey. There are two kinds of bees--bumblebees and honeybees. The home that
bees make to live in is called a hive.
Fingerplay

Here is a beehive. (Make a fist with hand.)
Where are the bees?
Here they come out of their hive.
Let's count them. (Raise fingers one a t a time.)
. . .
1. .2.. .3. .4. . .5. .Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz (Wave fingers in air.)
CRAFT Bee and Hive
Materials Needed:
play dough or modeling compound for each child (see p. 55)
black pipe cleaners
yellow tissue paper
toothpicks and pencils
Things That Go Together
Explanation:
The child rolls the play dough into a long rope and
coils it to make a cone shape to resemble a beehive.
' h i s t a 3" pipe cleaner tightly around a pencil to form
a bee's body. Remove the coiled pipe cleaner from the
pencil and tuck a piece of yellow tissue through center
of the bee's body to form wings. Stick a toothpick
through the bee and into the hive to hold it in place.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Find the Flower-Hide a flower in the room. Choose one child to find the flower. The rest of the
children buzz loudly as the child gets close to the flower and sofily as he or she gets farther away.
Activity 2
Bulletin Board Bees-Provide the children with two large paper bees and many small squares
of black and yellow tissue paper. Children twist the squares of tissue on a pencil top and glue
them on the bee to make the black and yellow stripes.
Activity 3
Take the Bees Home-Cut the bottoms out of five styrofoarn cups. Turn them upside down to
resemble a hive. Put a different color coding dot on the front of each hive. Make several bees
like the ones the children made for Craft, and place them in a honey pot. Have each child draw
a card which has a colored numeral on it (e.g., a red numeral 2). The child takes that many bees
out of the honey pot and puts them in the hive of the same color.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Honeybee and the Robber, by Eric Carle (Putman, 1981). The
BEE, by Lisa Ernst Campbell (Lothrop,Lee & Shepard, 1986).Bread and Honey, by Frank Asch
(Parents Magazine Press, 1981).
Slim and Trim Day
Sweatsuits are the order of the day for both you and the children! (See p. 229.)
Winnie the Pooh, in Walt Disney's Happy, Healthy Pooh Book (Western Publishing Co., 1977),
does a wonderful job summarizing every aspect stressed today. Remember to serve a healthy
snack. . .perhaps fruit kabobs!
You will need:
foods for Opening;
orange for Activity 1;
items for game for Activity 2; and
beanbag and food pictures for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Aerobics
As the children arrive, have them exercise to the song "Wake up-Warm up" from the album
Preschool Aerobics" (KIM 07740), by Georgiana Stewart (Kimbo Educational, Box 477, Long
Branch, N.J.07740).
OPENING Health Talk
Exercise and diet are factors determining how healthy we are. Fruits, vegetables, and dairy
products are some of the foods we need to eat every day. Eating too many foods with high sugar
content takes away our appetite for nutritious foods that our bodies must have. Show the children
two foods-one that is good for them and one that is not. (Example: orange, candy bar) Ask the
children which one is nutritious and good for them. Continue with several more choices.
Because of TV commercials, aerobics classes, and fitness clubs, children are aware that adults
often exercise. Children need to be concerned about fitness and involved in exercise also.
Can You Feel the Beat?
Ask the children to lie on the floor. Have them place their index and middle fingers to the right
of the Adam's apple just under their jawbone. They will be able to feel their pulse. Check if they
are breathing fast or slow.
Stand up and exercise. Repeat checks of pulse and breathing.
CRAFT Totbells!
Materials Needed:
two paper towel rolls per child
four styrofoam cups per child
glue, crayons
Explanation:
Each child makes two totbells. Use crayons to
decorate the cups and towel rolls. Dip the ends
of the towel rolls in glue and insert them into
the cups. When the glue dries, the children can
begin their weight lifting program.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Relays-Divide the children into two teams. Children roll an orange with their nose to a designated
spot and back to the next child in line. Repeat until all have had a turn.
Odd Object Out-Place four items on a tray. Children tell which one doesn't belong and why.
Examples: orange, apple, candy bar, banana
fork, knife, spoon, soap
sweatband, jogging shorts, tennis shoe, iceskate
candy bar, cupcake, soda pop, milk
Activity 3
Beanbag Toss-Teach children the following poem:

I feel fit as fit can be
When I eat foods that are good for me.
Tape pictures of nutritious and non-nutritious foods on the floor. As children say the rhyme,
they toss a beanbag and try to hit the foods that are good for them.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Gregory, the Terrible Eater, by Mitchell Sharmat (Four Winds
Press, 1980). Growing Vegetable Soup, by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987).A Garden
for Miss Mouse, by Michaela Muntean (Parents Magazine Press, 1982).
Exercising
Children will enjoy using their totbells while exercising to "Hot Diggity" on the album Preschool
Aerobic Fun (KIM 7052), by Georgians Stewart (Kimbo Educational, Box 477, Long Branch,
N.J. 07740).
Sand and Sea Day
You and the children will pretend to spend the day at the beach, so have the children come dressed
in beach attire and bring a beach towel. (See p. 229.) Serve a simple snack that can be eaten
on the beach towel. The illustrationsin A Day At the Beach, by Mircea Vasiliu (RandomHouse,
1977), will make you feel like you're at the beach even if you're not!
You will need:
pictures and beach ball for Arrival;
beach bag (packed) for Opening;
sand table and plastic containers for Activity 1;
eeashells and tub of sand for Activity 2; and
Beach Bingo prepared for Activity 3 (see p. 233).
ARRIVAL Beach Ball Fun
Display pictures of things we can do at the beach (play in the sand, jump in the waves, etc.).
As the children arrive, repeat the following poem:
We're going to the beach today.
Do you want to come and play?
(child's name), (child's name), One, Two
What do you like to do?
Throw a beach ball to the child as you say his or her name. The child tells you what he or she
likes to do at the beach.
OPENING Beach Talk
Let's pretend we are going to the beach! What things will we do when we get there? What do
we need to take along? Have a packed beach bag containing: towel, beach ball, suntan lotion,
sunglasses, hat, pail, and shovel. Caution the children that when playing at the beach, there
must be a lifeguard on duty before entering the water. Lifeguards are people trained in water
safety and rescue.
Recording
Sing the song "They Go Together" from the album Witch's Brew (AR 576), by Hap and Martha
Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y.11520). You can make cards to
use with this song using the patterns on page 145 and 146.
CRAFT Sand Castle
Materials Needed:
stencils of sand castles (see pp. 230-32)
glue, blue chalk, paper
sand
Explanation:
The child places a stencil on the paper, and brushes
glue inside the stencil. Next he removes the stencil
and sprinkles sand on the glue. Finally he lays the
chalk on its side and draws a sea around the castle.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Sand Table--The children add water to sand and use various sizes and shapes of plastic con-
tainers to make castles.
Activity 2
Finding Seashells--Hide seashells in a tub of sand. Ask the child to find a M i c number or
kind of shells, compare their shapes and sizes, and count them.
Activity 3
Beach Bingo-Make cards with pictures of things you

would see at the beach (see p. 233). As you call out
each item, the children place shells on the pictures.
The game is over when someone has Bingo.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Sand Cake, by Frank Asch (Parents Magazine Press, 1979).
Sweetie and Petie, by Katherine Ross (Random House, 1988).Hide and Seek Fog, by Alvin Tresselt
(Lothop, Lee & Shepard, 1965).
Boat and Dock Day
Fill the sand table with water. Float plastic boats of all shapes and sizes. Make a simple dock
to tie up some of the boats so the children will see the purposes of a dock.
You will need:
watercolors and paper for Arrival;
pictures of boats for Opening;
fishing poles and fish for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Watercolors
Let the children use watercolors to paint waves on the bottom half of a piece of paper.
OPENING Boat Talk
Boats are used for work and play. Show pictures of different kinds of boats and let the children
tell which kinds they have seen. Point out that boats are moved by motors, oars, or sails.
Boats need help to stay in one place-out on the water an anchor is dropped, and on shore
they are tied to a dock. Docks are flat platforms built along the shore. People tie their boats
to them and use them for loading and unloading. You often see people sitting on the docks fishing.
Sing the song "They Go Together" on the album Witches Brew (AR 576), by Hap and Martha
Palmer (Educational Activities, Inc., Box 392, Freeport, N.Y.11520).
CRAFT Docking Your Boat
Materials Needed:
pictures of waves painted in Arrival
craft sticks, toothpicks
one Styrofoam egg carton cup per child
triangle patterns
scissors, glue, paper, pencils
Explanation:
The children glue three craft sticks on the paper
painted in Arrival to make a dock. Give each child
a toothpick and paper to make a sail. The children
trace and cut a triangle and glue it to the toothpick.
Then they insert the toothpick into the egg cup and
glue it to the paper near the dock.
i,
Things That Go Together
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Manila Folder Game-Draw a picture of a dock on one side of a Manila folder with a path of
shapes leading to it. On the dock, draw all of the shapes that are on the path. In the corner of
the folder, make a spinner that has each of the shapes, a wave, and an anchor. Make six sailboats
by cutting triangle sails from six different colors of paper and gluing them to a toothpick. Insert
each sail into a large marshmallow. Procedure: Children take turns spinning and advancing
their boats to that shape. If they spin an anchor, they lose one turn; if they spin a big wave,
it pushes them back two spaces. The first boat to the dock is the winner.
Activity 2
Sail the Ocean-Use chairs to make a large boat. Have life jackets for the passengers to wear
and telescopes (paper towel tubes) for them to use. Provide a blue sport coat and a hat for one
child to wear as he or she pretends to be the captain of the ship. Some experiences on this voyage
might include: whale sighting, land ahoy, and rough seas where some of the passengers get wet!
Activity 3
Go Fishing-Let the children sit on the edge of a table and dangle their feet as they try to catch
fish of different colors. Their fishing rods should have a magnet on the end, and the fish should
have a metal washer glued on for an eye.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Lake Mess Monster, by Beverly Komoda (Parents Magazine
Press, 1981).Scuffythe Tugboat, by Gertrude Crampton Western Publishing Co., 1979).Benjy's
Boat Trip, by Margaret Bloy Graham (Harper & Row, 1977).
NEEDLES AND PINS DAY-CRAFT
Dear Parent(s1,
Please have your child bring in a plastic lid from

an aerosol can, such as spray starch, hair spray, or
spray paint. We will be making pincushions, so any
size will do. Please send the lid on or before
(Date)
BAT AND BALL DAY-CRAFT
See the three sizes of balls I painted!

We learned this rhyme while we were painting.
Here is a ball.
(Make a circle with thumb and index finger.)
Here is a bigger ball.
(Make a circle with thumb and index finger.)
A great big ball I see.
Make a circle using arms above head.)
Can you count them?
Are you ready?
.
1. .2. . .3!
I
(Make each ball as you count.)
SLIM AND TRIM DAY-ARRIVAL
I feel fit as fit can be

When I eat foods that are good for me.
Proper nutrition and the importance of exercise
will be the topic of the day on

(Date)
On that day, please dress your child in a sweatsuit or loose-
fitting clothing so that we can enjoy an aerobics session.
SAND AND SEA DAY-ARRIVAL
Dear Parent(s),
We're planning a day at the beach (just
pretend)! On ,we would like

(Date)
the children to come dressed in beach attire and
bring a beach towel. Building sand castles,
digging for seashells, and playing beach bingo are some of
the activities we have planned.
Thanks!
SAND AND SEA DAY-
SAND AND SEA DAY-CRAFT
SAND AND SEA DAY-CRAFT
SAND AND SEA DAY-Activity 3
Music is an important part of an early childhood program and can be used in a
variety of ways.
In this unit, songs and rhymes are used to develop language and listening
skills as well as to increase children's attention span.
Children basically enjoy music and should be given every opportunity to do
just that. . .enjoy!
Duck Day
Frog Day
Bug Day
Snake Day
Lamb Day
Ant Day
Thumb Day
Three Men in a Tub Day
During the next four days, the children will learn one verse per day of the song "The Little White
Duck" on the album Little White Duck and Other Songs (LP261) Wonderland Records (division
of A. A. Records, Inc., 250 W. 57th St., New York, N.Y. 10019). Each verse must be photocopied
so every child can have it attached to the daily Craft. Also, on each day you will be working
on a mural.
You will need:
duck cookie cutter or pattern and paper for Arrival;
pictures of duck body parts (see p. 252) for Opening;
flannel board pieces (see p. 253) for Opening,
charts and items for sinking and floating for Activity 1(see p. 254-55);
paper for mural and duck for Activity 2; and
pictures (see p. 252) and plastic eggs for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Cutting
Have available a very simple duck cookie cutter. Children can trace around it, cut out the duck,
and save it for Craft.
OPENING Duck Talk
The male duck is called a drake. The female is called a duck, and babies are called ducklings.
In the spring, the female duck lays and broods ten to fourteen eggs. After four weeks, the yellow
ducklings hatch. Ducks have webbed feet, so they are good swimmers. They eat tadpoles, snails,
worms, and plants that they find in the water.
Duck body parts include: bill, wing, webbed feet, and feathers. Show the children pictures
of these parts (see p. 252.)
Song
Teach the children the following song:

There's a little white duck sitting on the water,
A little white duck doing what he oughta!
He took a bite of the lily pad, flapped his wings
and he said, "I'm glad
I'm a little white duck sitting on the water
Quack, quack, quack."
(Have a pond and a lily pad on the flannel board. Place the white duck in the pond as you learn
today's verse.) (See p. 253.)
I
I
Songs and Rhymes 237
CRAFT Sponge Painting
Materials Needed:
8 1/2"by 11" paper for each child
duck cut in Arrival
clothespins
sponges cut in small pieces
blue paint
typed verse for each child
Explanation:
Clip the clothespins to the sponges so the children can
dip the sponges in the paint. The children paint the
entire paper blue and glue the duck and the verse on
the pond.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Float and Sink-Make two laminated charts, each with a water line (see pp. 25455). On one
chart, draw a picture of a duck on top of the water. On the other, draw a picture of an anchor
under the water. Children put items in a tub of water to see if they sink or float and then place
them on the appropriate chart.
Activity 2
Pond Mural-Have children color the bottom half of a large mural paper blue. Prior to class,
cut out a large white duck. Provide children with scraps of white paper to make feathers. These
can be fringed, rolled, or torn. Children glue the feathers on the duck and place the duck on
the pond.
Activity 3
Give a Clue-Put pictures of duck parts discussed in Opening in plastic eggs (see p. 252). Children
take turns standing before the group and opening one egg. The child gives clues to the group
about the picture he or she is holding until someone guesses it correctly.
CLOSING Stow
Read one of the following stories: The Hungry Fox and the Foxy Duck, by Kathleen Leverich
(Parents Magazine Press, 1979).Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey (VikingPress,
1941). Have You Seen My Duckling?, by Nancy Tafuri (Greenwillow Books, 1984).
Frog Day
Frog, Bug, and Snake Days give you the opportunity to incorporate some science facts along
with the song (see p. 256).
Note the sticky tongue you will need to make for Opening. The children will love it!
You will need:
food and cookie cutter to make a snack in Arrival (see p. 257);
frog's tongue and breadcrumbs for Opening;
flannel board pieces (see p. 256) for Opening;
game prepared (see p. 257) for Activity 1;
paper for lily pads and frog for Activity 2; and
Button Count game prepared for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Finger Jello Frogs

Using a cookie cutter, cut frog shapes from green finger jello (see p. 257). Dip small marshmallows
in whipped topping to keep the eyes in place.
Finger Jello
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 pkg. (3 oz. each) lime flavored gelatin
4 cups boiling water
Combine gelatin in large bowl. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Pour into a 9" by 13" pan and
chill until set (at least one hour).
OPENING Frog Talk

Frogs are amphibians. Nearly all amphibians spend the first part of their lives underwater. When
they change into adults, they are able to live on land. Amphibians have smooth, thin, moist
skin. Their skin is so thin it lets water in and out. Frogs don't have to drink because they take
in water through their skin.
The tongue of a frog is attached to the front part of its mouth and is sticky. The frog can
shoot out its tongue and capture its food. Frogs eat insects, minnows, earthworms, and spiders.
Frogs hibernate in mud in the bottom of a pond during the winter. They breathe through
their skin. Illustrate a frog's sticky tongue by putting glue on the end of a long narrow piece
of paper and picking up bread crumbs.
Review the first verse of "The Little White Duck" learned on Duck Day. Now teach verse 2.
There's a little green frog swimming in the water,
A little green frog doing what he oughta!
He jumped right off of the lily pad, that the little duck
bit and he said, "I'm glad I'm a little green frog
swimming in the water, glub, glub, glub."
(Today, add the little green frog to the flannel board.) (See p. 256.)
Songs and Rhymes - 239
CRAFT Little Green Frog
Materials Needed:
one basket-style coffee filter per child
green chalk, scissors, pencils
simple frog pattern (see p. 256)
green paper
verse 2 of the song (see p. 256)
Explanation:
Children use the side of the chalk to color the coffee
filter to resemble a lily pad. Tear out a piece to look
as though the duck has taken a bite! Next, children
trace and cut out the frog. Glue the frog and the
typewritten verse on the lily pad.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
From Egg to Frog--(l) Most frogs lay their eggs in fresh water. (2) When tadpoles hatch from
the eggs, they swim breathing through their gills. They eat water plants or small insects. (3)
The tadpole changes into a frog. (4) It develops lungs, grows legs, and loses its tail. Adult frogs
can live on land.
Draw the four stages of a frog's life along the bottom of a rectangular paper (see p. 257).
Draw the same illustrations on four separate cards, and lay them beside the chart. The child
matches the stages and clips them onto the chart with clothespins. Then fold the bottom half
under so it cannot be seen, and check if the child can put the stages in order. If not, repeat with
pictures showing again.
Activity 2
Mural-Work on the mural must continue, so today the children each cut out a f m ~ f o r mlily
pad and color one large frog that you have cut out.
Activity 3
Button Count-Provide the children with several laminated frogs, lily pads, and buttons. Write
a numeral on each lily pad that tells the child how many buttons to place on the frog's tummy.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Bullfrog Grows Up, by Rosamond Dauer (Greenwillow Books,
1976). Jump Frog Jump, by Robert Kalan (Scholastic Books, 1981). The Caterpillar and the
Polliwog, by Jack Kent (Prentice-Hall, 1982).
Bug Day
PREPARATION
& To the Teacher
Spatter painting suppliesare necessary. Directions for making individual spatter painting boxes
are found in Arrival. You may want to contact a biology teacher from whom to borrow some
bugs for Activity 1.
You will need:
spatter painting supplies for Arrival,
flannel board pieces for Opening (see p. 258);
bug specimens and magnifying glass for Activity 1;
black paper punches for Activity 2; and
beanbag and poem for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Spatter Painting
To make the pond for the little black bug, spatter paint by placing paper under a wooden frame
2" high covered with the screen. Children rub across the screen with a toothbrush dipped in
blue paint. Save the paintings for Craft.
OPENING Bug Talk
Insects can run, swim,jump, tunnel, crawl, buzz, and even walk on water.
Bugs are one kind of insect. Bugs have three body parts--head, thorax, and abdomen. They
have two attennae, or feelers, that come out the top of their head. These help the bug feel, taste,
and smell the world. Bugs ysually have two eyes and a mouth that allows them to chew or bite
their food. All bugs have six legs and at least one pair of wings. Bugs eat leaves, seeds, bark,
wood, or other insects.
Song
Introduce verse 3 after singing the f

& two verses.
There's a little black bug floating in the water,
A little black bug doing what he oughta!
He tickled the frog on the lily pad
that the little duck bit and he said, "I'm glad
I'm a little black bug floating in the water,
chirp, chirp, chirp."
Place the black bug in the pond with the duck and fkog on the flannel board.) (See p. 258.)
CRAFT Little Black Bug
Materials Needed:
spatter painting from Arrival
one black pom-pom per child
small coding dots
black markers, glue
Explanation=
Children glue the black pom-pom and verse for today
onto their painting. Attach coding dot eyes and use
markers to draw legs.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Scientist at Work-The children look at different kinds of bugs with a magnifying glass. Have
them count the legs, examine the wings, find the eyes, etc.
Activity 2
Pond MuraZ-Have the children paper punch black "bugs" and glue them onto the pond. They
will enjoy adding legs with crayons.
Beanbag Game--Children sit in a circle on the floor. Sit in the middle of the circle, holding a
beanbag to which you have attached a felt bug. As you toss the beanbag, the children recite
this rhyme:
Look out now, there's a bug on you!
Say your name so he will shoo!
The child holding the beanbag says his or her name and tosses the beanbag back to you.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: How Many Bugs in a Box?,by David A. Carter (Simon & Schuster,
1988). Clotilda, by Jack Kent (Random House, 1978). Billions ofBugs, by Haris Petie (Prentice-
Hall, 1975).
Snake Day
Spatial relationships are stressed in several activities on this day, and some new science facts
are introduced. The Snake That Sneezed, by Robert Leydenfrost (Putman, 1970),is a story the
children wiil enjoy dramatizing.
You will need:
coffee filters and blue food coloring for Arrival;
flannel board pieces (see p. 259) for Opening;
yarn snakes for Opening and Activity 2;
obstacle course set up for Activity 1;and
red modeling compound or play dough (see p. 55) for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Coffee Filter Pond
Have each child flatten a basket-style filter with his or her hands and place it on newspaper.
Put several drops of blue food coloring into a glass of water. Children drop the colored water
onto the filter until it is completely blue. This will be used as part of Craft.
OPENING Snake Talk
Snakes are reptiles. Most reptiles have a thick skin with tough, dry scales. (Dinosaurs were rep-
tiles!) Snakes move by bending their bodies from side to side. We say they "slither." They eat
mice, birds, frogs, insects, or rabbits. Snakes do not chew their food. They swallow it whole.
Snakes shed their skin as they grow. Slowly the snake works its way out of its skin until
it is shed inside out in one piece.
Many snakes live where it is warm. If they do live where it is cold, they hibernate underground
until the weather turns warm.
Introduce verse 4 after singing the first three verses.

There's a little red snake lying in the water,
A little red snake doing what he oughta!
He frightened the duck and the frog so bad,
He ate the little bug, and he said, "I'm glad
I'm a little red snake lying in the water,
sssss, SSSSS, sssss."
(Add a little red snake to the flannel board and have him eat the little black bug as you sing
about it in the song.) (See p. 259.)
Spatial Relationships
Using the yarn snakes prepared for today's Activity 2 and the flannel board pieces you have
been using to teach the song, have the children place the shortest snake beside the lily pad,
the longest snake under the green frog, etc.
242
CRAFT Little Red Snake
Materials Needed:
coffee filter pond from Arrival
red fbgerpaint
Explanation:
Glue the copy of verse 4 onto the coffee filter pond
from Arrival. Then the children use red finger-
paint to paint one red snake in the water. (While
the children have on their paint shirts, have
them paint a red snake on the mural.)
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Dramatization Fun--Children pretend to be snakes as you lead them through situations a snake
encounters, stressing spatial relationships. For example: "Let's slither over this big rock (chair)-
Oh, here's a nice warm place in the sun (tumbling mat), let's curl up and rest for awhile. Is that
sun ever getting warm! Let's slither under this log (sheet elevated by coffee cans) and cool off.
Are you hungry? Let's slide around this tree (box) and find something to eat."
Activity 2
Yarn Snakes-Cut pieces of colored yarn into different lengths. The children arrange these snakes
from shortest to longest, fmd all the short snakes, name the colors, and count them.
Activity 3
Play Dough Snakes-Have available lots of red play dough or modeling compound (see p. 55)
so the children can make red snakes slithering or coiling.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Snake That Sneezed, by Robert Leydenfkost (Putman,1970).
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash,by Trinka Noble (Dial Press, 1980). Crictor,by Tomi Ungerer
(Scholastic Books, 1969).
Lamb Day
If you know someone who raises sheep, invite him or her to your classroom. Ask the person to
bring in some of the items used in caring for sheep, such as shears, blanket, metal comb, etc.
You will need:
wool and paper for Arrival; and
animal pictures (see pp. 260-61)and yarn for Activity 1.
ARRIVAL Trace Hands
Trace around each child's hand, making sure the fingers point toward the bottom of the page.
Save these for Craft. Have wool for children to touch, feel, and smell.
OPENING Lamb Talk
The female sheep is called a ewe, the male a ram, and the babies lambs. A group of sheep is
called a flock and is taken care of by a shepherd. The sound the sheep make soundslike "baa, baa."
Sheep are covered with wool that is removed by shearing. The wool is used to make clothing.
The sheep need to be sheared so they can be cool in the hot weather.
Song
Sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and then discuss the problems the lamb caused at school.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day,
That was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.
CRAMT Mary's Lamb
Materials Needed:
picture of each child's hand from Arrival
cotton
coding dots, glue, black crayons
yarn bow for each lamb
Songs and Rhymes
Explanation:
Be sure the hand outline is placed so that the thumb
is the lamb's head and the fingers are the legs.
Children glue on cotton to cover the body, and they
glue a bow at the neck. They color the legs and put
on a coding dot for the eye.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Animal Match-Children match pictures of farm animals and their babies (see pp. 260-61)by
placing a piece of yarn from the mother to her baby. Have children name both animals and say
the sound they make.
Activity 2
Shepherd and Sheep-Choose one child to be a shepherd. The rest of the children are the sheep.
As music plays, the shepherd leads the flock. Signal for a child or children to go to a designated
hiding place. When the music stops, the shepherd counts the sheep and tellshow many are missing
and who they are.
Activity 3
Dramutization-Set up chairs as if in a classroom. Lead the children through a dramatization

of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Two children pretend to be Mary and her lamb. The rest of the
children sit in the chairs pretending to be in school. As the lamb follows Mary into school, the
children look surprised and laugh and play.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: Pelle's New Suit, by Elso Beskow (Harper & Row, 1929).Charlie
Needs a Cloak, by Tomie de Paola (Prentice-Hall, 1973). The Lamb and the Butterfly, by Arnold
Sundgaard (Orchard Books, 1988).
This day includes a song and a fingerplay that you may want to write on chart paper before
class begins. Both review the numbers one through five.
You will need:
food for snack for Activity 1;
Ants on the Pants game for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Song
Sing the song "Ants Go Marching" as you're marching. This could lead into a game of Follow
the Leader.
The ants go marching 1by 1, hoorah, hoorah. (repeat)
The ants go marching 1by 1.
The last one stops to chew some gum
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain-boom, boom, boom.
Verse 2: 2 by 2. The last one stops to tie his shoe.

Verse 3: 3 by 3. The last one stops to climb a tree.
Verse 4: 4 by 4. The last two stop to shut the door.
Verse 5: 5 by 5. The last one says, "Man alive."
OPENING Ant Talk
Ants are insects, but they belong to a special group (of insects) called social insects. That means
they live in groups and cannot live alone. (Honeybees are social insects, too.)
Ants build and live in colonies. Each colony is ruled by one ant, called a queen. The queen's
job is to lay eggs. Most of her eggs hatch into future workers. Every worker has a job to do. Some
ants clean, some find food, and some guard the nest or colony. Each ant needs the others to stay
alive; they all belong to one family.
Fingerplay

Five little ants in an ant hill Make an ant hill by tucking your
Busily working and never still. fingers into your palm and holding
Do you think they are alive? your hand palm-side down. Wiggle
Watch them come out, your tucked fingers to show ants work-
1.. .2. . .3. . .4. . .5. ing. Raise your fingers one at a time
to count.
CRAFT Marching Ants
Materials Needed:
paper, brown crayons
black paint, glue, and brushes
sand
Explanation:
Children draw a small hill on the bottom of the
paper. Cover the hill with glue and sprinkle with
sand. Children dip a finger in black paint and
print five ants marching toward the hill.
,- FREEPLAY Activity 1
Ants on a Log-Children prepare and eat their snack.

Have each child fill celery pieces with peanut butter.
Put raisins (ants) on top.
Activity 2
Ants in a Jar-Prior to class, make cards with a numeral on each one. The child draws a card
and cuts or tears that many little black ants and puts them in a large glass jar. At the end of
the day, have each child guess how many ants are in the jar. The next time the children come
to school, tell them how many ants were in the jar and whose guess was closest.
Activity 3
Ants on the Pants-Play this game. See Activity 2 of Pants Day (see p. 133)for playing procedure.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: The Way of an Ant, by K m e Mizrnura (Crowell, 1970). Two
Bad Ants, by Chris VanAllsburg (Houghton-Mifflin,1988).An Anteater Named Arthur, by Bernard
Waber (Houghton-Miillin, 1967).
Creative children will especially enjoy making thumbprint creatures in Activity 2. Be sure to
display them for parents to see. You will need a supply of large buttons to make castanets.
You will need:
hand cookie cutter, paper, and paint for Arrival;
large buttons and rubber bands for Activity 1;
paint and sponge for Activity 2;
game prepared (see p. 262) for Activity 3; and
puppet stage or table for Closing.
ARRIVAL Hand Shape

Use a large hand cookie cutter dipped in paint to make a print or trace around each child's hand.
Save these for Craft.
OPENING Thumbkin
Teach the following song sung to the tune of "Frhre Jacque":
Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin? (Hide thumbs of both hands behind back.)
Here I am, Here I am. (Bring out thumbs one at a time.)
How are you today, sir? (Wiggle thumb on left hand.)
Very well, I thank you (Wiggle thumb on right hand.)
Run away, run away. (First hide left thumb behind back and then right thumb.)
After singing the song, encourage the children to examine their own hands and their friends'
hands. Discuss similarities and differences.
Story
Read to the children one of the following stories: Donald Says Thumbs Down, by Nancy Evans
Cooney (Putman, 1987).Danny and His Thumb, by Kathryn F. Ernst (Prentice-Hall, 1973). The
Hole in the Dike, retold by Norma Green (Crowell, 1974).
CRAFT Special Hands

Materials Neeakd:
hand shape made in Arrival
paint
Explanation:
Children dip their fingers in paint one at a time and
place thumbprint on thumb of hand shape, index
fingerprint on index of hand shape, etc.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Button Castanets-Individual castanets can be made by looping a rubber band through holes
of large buttons. Remember, each child needs two. Review songs children have learned as they
tap the rhythm.
Activity 2
Thumbprint Reviezu-Spread a small amount of

paint on a damp sponge and let children make
thumbprints on a large sheet of paper. Children
add features with crayons to make the prints
resemble animals that they have been singing- -
about this month.
Activity 3
Pushpin OutlineMake four cards to put on the bulletin board (see p. 262)-one with a hand
traced in red, one in green, one in blue, and one in yellow. Mark twenty-five dots on each hand
outline (where children will insert pushpins). Make cards with a different number of thumb-
prints on them. Give each child a small paper plate containing the color of pushpins which matches
one hand card on the bulletin board. Take turns drawing a card and counting the number of
thumbprints. This tells the child the number of pushpins to put in the dots of the playing card
on the board. The game ends when all the dots on one traced hand are covered.
CLOSING Whose Hand Is It?
Choose three children at a time to hide behind a puppet stage or table placed on its side, letting
only their hands show. The rest of the children try to guess which hands belong to which child.
Three Men in a Tub Day
After reviewing all the songs and fingerplays the children have learned in this unit, perhaps
moms, dads, and friends could stop by the classroom for a command performance.
You will need:
white and blue paper for Arrival;
soap flakes, egg beater, and bowl for Activity 1;
bottles and food coloring for Activity 2, and
washcloths and towels for Activity 3.
ARRIVAL Mosaic Sea
Provide blue paper for children to tear into small pieces (approximately 1/2"by 1"). Next they
glue these pieces on the bottom half of an 8 1/2"by 11"paper. This will be the water for the Craft.
OPENING Three Men in a Tub
Recite the following rhyme:

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
The butcher, the baker,
the candlestick maker.
Discuss the poem with the children. Ask questions such as: How many men were in the tub?
Sh~w me with your fingers. What does a butcher do, a baker, a candlestick maker? Why were
they in a tub? How did they get their tub to move?
Song
Teach the song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" after you have discussed that rowing may have
been how the three men moved their tub. Have the children pretend to row their boat as they sing.
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream.
Songs and Rhymes
CRAFT Three Men in a Tub
Materials Needed:
sea from Arrival colored pencils
cupcake papers glue, scissors
Explanation:
Make the tub by cutting a cupcake paper in half and
gluing it on the sea made in Arrival. The child lays
his or her palm on the cupcake paper and traces
around three fingers to be the three men in the tub.
Use colored pencils to add facial features.
FREEPLAY Activity 1
Soap Suds Fun-Whip soap flakes and water with an egg beater. Spread the mixture on a table,
letting children draw pictures in the soap. Caution the children that they must keep their hands
away from their eyes. Hands will smell spring fresh!
Activity 2
Seriation-Fill ten bottles of the same size with varying amounts of colored water. Ask children
to arrange the bottles in order. Which bottle has the most water? Which bottle has the least water?
With a spoon, gently tap the side of each bottle. Which sounds highest, lowest? Play a simple
tune such as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Three Blind Mice," or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
Activity 3
Sorting Clothes-Have children fold, match, and sort washcloths and towels by color and design.
CLOSING Story
Read one of the following stories: No Ducks in Our Bathtub, by Martha Alexander (Dial Press,
1973). No More Baths, by Cole Brock (Doubleday & Co., 1980).Five Minutes Peace, by Jill Murphy
(Putman, 1986).
DUCK DAY-OPENING
Duck Body Parts
bill
webbed feet
DUCK DAY-CRAFT
Little White Duck
There's a little white duck sitting on the water,

A little white duck doing what he oughta!
He took a bite of the lily pad, flapped his wings
and he said, "I'm glad
I'm a little white duck sitting on the water.
Quack, quack, quack."
DUCK DAY-OPENING
Flannel Board Patterns

FROG DAY-OPENING
Frog Pattern for Flannel Board and Craft
FROG DAY-CRAFT
Uttle Green Frog (verse 2)

There's a little green frog swimming in the water,
A little green frog doing what he oughta!
He jumped right off of the lily pad that the little
duck bit and he said, "I'm glad I'm a little green
frog swimming in the water.
Glub, glub, glub."
FROG DAY-ARRIVAL
Y
Dear Parent@,
Using cookie cutters to cut out special shapes can make fingerjello a special treat.
We used a frog cookie cutter and green gelatin and attached marshmallow eyes
by dipping them in whipped topping.
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3 pkg. (3 oz. each) lime gelatin
4 cups boiling water
Combine gelatin in large bowl. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Pour into 9"
by 13" pan and chill until set (approx. 1 hr.)
FROG DAY-Activity 1
tadpole or
polliwog
young frog adult frog

BUG DAY-OPENING
Flannel Board Pattern
BUG DAY-CRAFT
Little Black Bug (verse 3)
There's a little black bug floating in the water,

A little black bug doing what he oughta!
He tickled the frog on the lily pad
that the little duck bit and he said, "I'm glad
I'm a little black bug floating in the water.
Chirp, chirp, chirp."
SNAKE DAY-OPENING
Flannel Board Pattern
SNAKE DAY-CRAFT
Little Red Snake (verse 4)
There's a little red snake lying in the water,

A little red snake doing what he oughta!
He frightened the duck and the frog so bad,
he ate the little bug, and he said, "I'm glad
I'm a little red snake lying in the water.
sssss, sssss, sssss."
THUMB DAY -Activity 3

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FOR 1 7

8 0 READY-TO-USE DAILY ACTIVITY PLANS

THE CENTER FOR APPLIED

Q 1990 by The Center for Applied Research in Education

Prentice-Hall International (UH)Limited, London

. . .to all the children and parents who believed in us as we "founded"

Judy, Lynette, Gloria

About the Authors iii

About Daily Plans fir Active Preschoolers. ...................................v

Spring Day .........................................................

UNIT 2 ALL ABOUT ME 25

Me, My Friends, and I Day. .........................................26

Preparation Arrival: Listen and Do Opening: Ear Talk, Following

Mouth Day .........................................................40

UNIT 3 FALL FANTASY 45

Three Billy Goats Gruff Day. ........................................46

UNIT 4 FOOD AND FUN 73

Preparation Arrival: Class Birthday Cake, MGn Cupcakes Opening:

UNIT 5 HAPPY HOLIDAYS 99

Cookie Jar Day .......................................................

Cookie Day. .......................................................I02

Star Day.. ....................................................... .I06

Wrapping Paper Day ...............................................llO

Ribbon and Bow Day ..............................................112

Giving and Sharing Day.. .........................................I14

UNIT 6 FLAIR FOR FASHION 127

Pocket Day ........................................................128

Closet Day ........................................................I42

UNIT 7 BEAR WITH US 157

Circus Bear Day ...................................................158

ThreeBears Day ...................................................172

UNIT 8 OLD FAVORITES 183

UNIT 9 THINGS THAT GO TOGETHER 211

Needles and Pinrr Day ..............................................212

Spool and Thread Day .............................................214

Bat and Ball Day. ................................................ .216

Hammer and Nail Day .............................................218

Bee andHoney Day ................................................220

SlimandTrimDay ................................................. 222

Sand and Sea Day .................................................224

Boat and Dock Day. .............................................. .226

UNIT 10 SONGS AND RHYMES 235

Duck Day .........................................................236

Preparation Arrival: Coffee Filter Pond Opening: Snake Talk, Song,

ARRIVAL Homemade Biscuits

CRAFT Little Red Hen

Name Outlines-On a colored sheet of paper, print each

CLOSING Bread Talk

"Old MacDonald Had a Farm"

ARRIVAL Breakfast Butterflies

OPENING Butterfly Talk

Teach the following fingerplay:

CRAFT Foot Butterflies

ARRIVAL Edible Nests

OPENING Bird Talk