PLANNED ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY ONE: SLIME
Description:
Children were able to experiment with slime. They were able to see how it is similar to play dough and how it differs.
Materials:
Slime, mats and various tools to manipulate.
Connections to ELECT:
Preschool Kindergarten, 4.5: Observing - Children will share what they notice during their play.
Preschool Kindergarten, 5.3: Fine Motor Skills; Tool Use - Children were able to practice skills such as cutting.
Objective:
To learn the difference textures that play dough and slime have.
Observations During Implementation:
Children were able to manipulate the slime in a similar way to how they would manipulate play dough. The children rolled the slime into 'worms' and poked holes in the top of the slime.
Reflection:
I felt confident that this activity was a success. I was pleased that both children and adults are interested in manipulating the slime. If I were to do this activity again, I would put play dough out at the same time so the children are able to more clearly feel the differences in the textures.
ACTIVITY TWO: CORNMEAL EXPLORATION
Description:
Children were able to explore a brand new material. They had the opportunity to use familiar tools in new and exciting ways.
Materials:
Cornmeal, sand and water toys, magnifying glasses and jars.
Connections to ELECT:
Preschool Kindergarten, 1.6: Cooperating - Children were able to play with other kids during their exploration.
Preschool Kindergarten, 1.9: Interacting with Adults - Children had the chance to communicate with adults while they were playing.
Preschool Kindergarten, 4.5: Observing - Children can see the relationship between the materials that they are using.
Objective:
Learning the different properties that cornmeal has and comparing that to those of materials that are frequently used.
Observations During Implementation:
Children frequently engaged in pouring and scooping of the cornmeal; measuring the volume that different containers were able to hold. They were watching how the cornmeal flows through the windmills and said that they liked the soft yellow sand.
Reflection:
I think that this activity was successful, I was able to draw in families and children of all ages, without any modifications. If I were to do this activity again, I would put out a larger variety of tools for the children to use.
ACTIVITY THREE: YOGA
Description:
Children and families listened to the book I am Yoga during circle time and did some of the yoga moves that are mentioned in the book.
Materials:
'I am Yoga' by Susan Verde
Connections to ELECT:
Infants, 5.1: Gross Motor; Coordination - Children tried to move their bodies into different uses with help from their parents and caregivers.
Toddlers, 3.1: Receptive Language - The children had to try to listen to the story.
Toddlers, 5.1: Gross Motor; Balance - Children were encouraged to do some poses that require standing on one leg.
Preschool Kindergarten, 3.8: Using and Understanding the Power of Literacy - Children enjoyed hearing the story and being able to connect this to their actions.
Preschool Kindergarten, 5.1: Gross Motor; Movement and Expression - The children were able to learn how they can express themselves by moving their bodies.
Objective:
To learn how to express ourselves in a calm manner.
Observations During Implementation:
At the beginning of the story children were attentive and ready to participate. However, by the end of the story they started to get rowdy and needed reminders to try to listen to the story and do the yoga moves.
Reflection:
I believe that this activity had the opportunity to be interactive and fun, but the group see,ed to loose interest rather quickly. This could have been due to the young population, or the number of participants that were attending the program on this day. I think that this activity could be more successful if the children were given the chance to connect more with the story that was read.
ACTIVITY FOUR: MAKING PLAYDOUGH
Description:
This activity allowed parents/caregivers and children to come together to make a final product that is fun for both the children and adults to play with.
Materials:
Play dough ingredients, bowls, measuring cups, spoons.
Connections to ELECT:
Infants, 5.2: Fine Motor; Palmar Grasp - Holding a spoon, attempting to mix the dough.
Toddlers, 5.3: Senses; Sensory Exploration - Watching as the ingredients from a dough.
Preschool Kindergarten, 4.9: Reasoning Logically; Exploring Transformations and Hypothesizing - Watching as the ingredients from a familiar material.
Preschool Kindergarten, 5.3: Fine Motor Skills; Tool Use - Using spoons to mix the dough.
Objective:
Teaching the parents how simple it can be to include children in creating fun and educational activities.
Observations During Implementation:
The children were very interested in creating the dough. They needed little invitation to come help make the dough Thechildren were able demonstrate their developing fine motor skills. Children were also naming the ingredients that they were able to recognize while making the dough.
Reflection:
The families were very engaged in both creating and playing with the dough. However, I don't think that the children were able to link the two together. The final dough was a little chunky, since this is a no cook dough. This is an activity that was successful, but I think that the process was better than the final product.
ACTIVITY FIVE: BALL PAINTING
Description:
In this activity children were able to create an art piece using a new and unusual material.
Materials:
Paper, paint, balls and trays.
Connections to ELECT:
Infants, 5.3: The Senses; Visual Exploration - Watching as the ball moves and creates prints on the paper.
Toddlers, 5.2: Fine Motor; Making a Mark - Shaking the trays to make marks on the paper.
Preschool Kindergarten, 1.9: Interacting with Adults - Allowing the adults to help if needed.
Objective:
Showing both the children and parents/caregivers that special materials aren't necessary in creating a fun activity for kids.
Observations During Implementation:
All the children were able to pick up the entire ball and place it on their paper. The children seemed to use the balls more as stamps than shaking the trays to move them. Many children were also quite interested in using their fingers to paint.
Reflection:
I think that overall this activity was a success. The children were intrigued by the balls, thought they preferred to use them as stamps rather than moving the containers with them. I think that the children might have done this activity in a way that I have planned if they were able to use heavier balls, so they moved easier. Though the children didn't do what I had planned I was thrilled to see that they were able to use the materials in their own way.
Activity Pictures:
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