Jessica Hartsell

ECE1414

Activity Plans
1. Activity Title: Nature Hunt
Age Group: 5 years
Originating Idea:
Interest in colors of leaves
Materials:
Paper bags
Magnifying glasses
Book on nature
Pictures of leaves and rocks
Curriculum Content:
Science and Technology:
o Exploring and describing similarities, differences, and the attributes of
things.
Beginning:
Read nature book at large group
Discuss what we might find outside. Head outside with paper bags and
magnifying glasses.
Middle:
While outside children will pick up various items and put them in their paper
bags.
Extensions:
Earlier: partner the children to hunt for the items
Later: have pictures of the items you want children to find
End:
5 minute warning before its time to go inside
Tell the children to find 3 more items and then line up
Follow-up Ideas:
Leaf rub
Show and share
2. Activity Title: Three Little Pigs Skit
Age Group: 3-4
Originating Idea:
Hearing the Three Little Pigs book
Materials:
Three Little Pigs book
Props: costumes, play house
Curriculum Content:
The Arts: Dramatic Art
o Pretending and role playing

Beginning:

Middle:

Extensions:

End:

Follow-up:

Read The Three Little Pigs book at large group time

Children will pick character parts to play and act out a few scenes from the play
Earlier: children can act out scenes in their own interpretation
Later: children act out scenes using specific sentences
Tell the children to act out one more scene
Say The End
Share favorite scenes
Create class skit

3. Activity Title: Dancing to the Hokie Pokie

Age Group: 2 years
Originating Idea:
Children having a lot of energy
Materials:
CD player
CD with Hokie Pokie song on it
Curriculum Content:
Physical Development, Health, and Well-being
o Acting upon movement directions
Beginning:
Teach the children the dance moves
Middle:
Listen to the music
Dance to the music
Extensions:
Earlier: children can move to the music however they want
Later: children can add more moves to the dance
End:
5 minute warning
Pick 2 more dance moves to do and then sit
Follow-up:
Drawing yourself doing your favorite dance
Playing Simon Says
4. Activity Title: Building with Legos
Originating Idea: High interest in block area
Materials:
Legos of all sizes
Plastic bins

Age Group: 3-4

Curriculum Content:
Arts and Sciences: Mathematics- Space
o Fitting things together and taking them apart
Beginning:
Bring a small bin of Legos to small group
Show the children how to put them together
Middle:
Children will pick some Legos to try
Extension:
Earlier: children can place Legos next to each other
Later: have children connect numerous Legos together
End:
Sing a cleanup song
Follow-up Ideas:
Add Legos to block area
Use instruction books to build objects
5. Activity Title:
Planning for choice time
Age Group: 5
Originating Idea:
Saw it in a video
Materials:
Book about Trains
Pieces of paper
Markers
Curriculum Content:
Approaches to Learning
o Making and expressing choices, plans, and decisions
Beginning:
Read a book about trains at large group
Explain that the children will be making train tickets to plan their activities for
choice time at small group
Middle:
Children will draw a picture of the area they plan to play in at choice time
They will line up like a train and get off at the area they want to play in
Extension:
Earlier: children can decorate the ticket
Later: children can add a second area of choice to their ticket
End:
Announce that the train is leaving for lunch so its time to clean up
Follow-up:
Continue to be a train in the hallway
Adding toy trains to the classroom

6. Activity Title: Learning Names Age Group: 3-4

Originating Idea: Interest in writing names
Materials:
Writing utensils: markers, crayons, pens, pencils, colored pencils
Paper: colored, plain, construction, lined
Laminated name cards
Curriculum Content:
Language, Literacy, and Communication
o Writing in various ways: drawing, scribbling, and using letterlike forms,
invented spelling, and conventional forms.
Beginning:
Show the children the laminated name cards
Have them find their own names
Middle:
Children will use their name cards to practice spelling their names
Choice of writing materials and paper type
Extension:
Earlier: children can practice one letter in their name
Later: children can practice spelling a friends name
End:
Write 2 more letters and then put the writing materials back
Follow-up Ideas:
Place the name cards in art area
Write letters to various people for holidays
7. Activity Title: Painting facial expressions
Age Group: 3-4
Originating Idea: Noticed a child feeling sad
Materials:
Different colored paint
Small cups
Different sized paint brushes
Smocks
Construction paper
Curriculum Content:
Social and Emotional Development
o Expressing feelings in words
Beginning:
Ask the children to name a feeling and use their face to express it at small group
Middle:
Children will think of a feeling
Paint the face that matches that feeling
Children will discuss why they chose that feeling
Extension:

Easier: children paint a face

Later: paint two feelings

Tell the children to make the face they painted on the paper with their own face
when they finish painting
Sing a song about cleaning up as they line up to get washed up

End:

Follow-up:

Hang the pictures around the room

Find a book to read at large group that talks about feelings

8. Activity Title: Passing out snack Age Group: 2-3

Originating Idea:
Childrens interest in helping the teacher set the table and pass out snacks
Materials:
Paper plates
Napkins
Paper cups
Food: carrots, cut up strawberries, animal crackers
Latex gloves
Spoons
Tupperware
Curriculum Content:
Social Studies
o Participating in group routines
Beginning:
Have the children wash up for snack time
Ask for volunteers to help
Middle:
Children will be handed something to pass out to each child
They will be given a number of the item being passed out to be given to each
child
Extension:
Easier: children can choose to not volunteer
Later: children can pass out snack items without being told how much
End:
Children will be asked to throw away their cups and plates
Line up to wash hands and face
Follow-up:
Children can help wash the tables
Children plan on the snack for the next day
9. Activity Title: Leaf Rub

Age Group: 3-5

Originating Idea:
Collecting leaves during the Nature Hunt
Materials:
White construction paper
Crayons
Collected leaves
Curriculum Content:
The Arts
o Visual Art: Drawing and Painting
Beginning:

Middle:

Extension:

End:

Follow-up:

Remind children of the Nature Hunt and the leaves they collected
Children will select some leaves from their collection
Children will place their white paper over their leaves
Children will rub a crayon over the paper until the leaf appears
Easier: children may color a leaf on their paper
Later: children may use multiple colors to make their leaf rubbing
Teacher will sing a clean-up time song
Leaf piles outside
Leaf animals on paper

10. Activity Title: 5 Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate (Song)

Age Group: 3-5
Originating Idea:
Halloween is approaching
Materials:
song lyrics
child hand participation
Curriculum Content:
The Arts
o Music: Moving to music
Beginning:
teacher will discuss the Halloween holiday
teacher will also do a quick run through of hand position and song
Middle:
children will mimic teachers actions
children will sing-along
Extension:
Easier: children will mimic teachers actions
Later: children will lead the song and hand movements

End:

Follow-up:

Teacher will tell the children one more time

Create a picture that represents the song (5 Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate)
Decorate pumpkins

11. Activity Title: Bugs

Age Group: 3-5
Originating Idea:
Children saw a Praying Mantis on the playground
Materials:
Magnifying glass
Plastic/toy bugs
Curriculum Content:
Science and Technology
o Classification: Exploring and describing similarities, differences, and the
attributes of things
Beginning:
Review the sighting of the Praying Mantis with the children
Middle:
Children will pick up the bugs and examine them with the magnifying glass
Children will talk about what they see
Extension:
Easier: children will view and discuss the bugs without touching
Later: children will name the bugs
End:
Teacher will tell the children to pick out 2 more bugs
Follow-up:
Catch bugs outside
Keep a bug as a class pet
12. Activity Title: Buffalo Snow CraftAge Group: 3-5
Originating Idea:
Winter Season
Materials:
Buffalo Snow
Shaving cream
Glue
Construction paper (different colors)
Paint brushes
Spoons
Smocks
Glitter
Curriculum Content:


Beginning:

Middle:

Extension:

End:

Follow-up:

The Arts
o Visual Art: Drawing and painting
Class will discuss Winter and snow
Children will grab buffalo snow with their hands and spoons
Children will put the buffalo snow all over their paper
They will add glitter to the paper if they choose
Easier: children will use paint brushes and spoons decorate their paper
Later: children will decorate a specific picture on their paper
Teacher will say one more scoop of buffalo snow
Add outside snow to the sensory table
Make snow angels in the snow outside

13. Activity Title: Marching Band Walk

Age Group: 3-5
Originating Idea:
Listening to the High School Marching Band
Materials:
Drums
Shakers
Horns
Curriculum Content:
The Arts
o Music: Playing simple musical instruments
Beginning:
Class will discuss seeing and listening to the High School Marching Band
Middle:
Children will pick out an instrument
Children will form a line
Children will use their instruments while walking around the playground
Extension:
Easier: children will hold instrument and walk
Later: children will use their instrument to create a steady beat
End:
Teacher will lead the children back inside and collect the instruments
Follow-up:
Create instruments
Listen and learn about other types of music
14. Activity Title: Bean Bag Dance

Age Group: 3-5

Originating Idea:
Saw it done in a classroom
Materials:
CD with song on it
Bean Bags
Curriculum Content:
Physical Development, Health, and Well-Being
o Acting upon movement directions
Beginning:
Teacher will pass out bean bags to each child
Middle:
Children will listen to the song
Children will follow the songs directions placing their bean bag on various parts
of the body and trying to move
Extension:
Easier: children will move freely with the bean bag to the music
Later: children will make up new movements for the class to try
End:
Teacher will get a volunteer to collect the bean bags
Follow-up:
Bean bag hot potato
Popcorn song with shakers
15. Activity Title: Patterns
Age Group: 3-5
Originating Idea:
Showing interest in colors
Materials

Counting bears
Curriculum Content:
Mathematics
o Seriation: Arranging several things one after another in a series or pattern
and describing relationships
Beginning:
Children will each take a handful of bears in various colors
Middle:
Children will line bears up in a pattern with two different colors
Extension:
Easier: children will line bears up
Later: children will create a pattern with three or more colors
End:
Teacher will announce five more minutes
Follow-up:
Measure weight with counting bears

Add bears to a play area