In my journeys to find ideas and activities to keep the children busy and focused on the chosen themes. I found many resources that had fun ideas and activities from some wonderful people who are very dedicated to their chosen profession. This has made it so much easier to plan a themed program! I cannot take credit for any of the ideas contained on my pages; they are the result of many other's combined years in the early childhood profession.
I'm a little Flower Seed
Ask the children to choose the color of flower they would pretend to
be. Say the following rhyme with the children and ask them to act out
the movements.I'm a little flower seed
I'm planted in the earth.
I feel the sun come down on me
To warm this big old earth.
The rain begins to come
And gets rid of my big thirst.
I then become a big and prety flower
So you can pick me first.
*Sing a Song of Spring
Talk about and show the children the signs of spring including grass,
flowers, tree buds and an abandoned bird's nest if available.
Sing the
following song with the children.
(London Bridge)
All the grass is turning green,
Turning green, turning green,
All the grass is turning green,
It is springtime.See the birdies build their nest...
All the flowers are blooming...
Trees are budding everywhere...
*Turn yourself into Mr. Bunny
Read a book about rabbits, such as "Home for a Bunny" by Margaret Wise
Brown and talk about the story. Tell the children that when you count
to three they are to pretend that they are bunnies. Explain that you
will remind them of things that bunnies do, such as hop around the
room, crawl into a hole and hide, take a nap, wake up and eat a carrot.
Then ask the children to walk in a circle as you say the following poem
to a rap rhythm. Allow the children time to practice saying the words
and walking to the rhythm."The Swinging Bunny"
I'm going down the street
Going hippity hop, hippity hop, hippity hop
I'm going down the street
Going hippity hop.
Hey there, look at me.Ask the children to pretend to be a Cool Bunny (strut and move
shoulders up and down with a swinging motion) and walk in a circle
snapping fingers as you say the following poem."The Cool Bunny"
I'm going down the street
Going bippity bop, bippity bop, bippity bop
I'm going down the street
Going bippity bop.
Hey there, look at me.Ask the children to walk in a circle on their tiptoes as you say the
following poem.I'm going down the street
Going tippity top, tippity top, tippity top
I'm going down the street
Going tippity top
Hey there, look at me.Ask the children to walk in a circle with their knees bent and shaking
their pretend tails.I'm going down the street
Going dippity dop, dippity dop, dippity dop
I'm going down the street
Going dippity dop
Hey there, look at me.Tell the children that the last bunny is tired and sits down to rest
while you say the following poem and ask the children to do the
movements as you say them.Show me your bunny eyes
Show me your ears
Show me your nose
Show me your mouth.When I say lippity (smile)
When I say lop (frown)
Lippity
Lop
Lippity
Lop
I'm going down the street
Going lippity lop
Lippity lop
Lippity lop
I'm going down the street
Going lippity lop
Hey there. look at me.
*We are Seeds in Springtime
Ask the children to curl up in balls on the floor and pretend to be
seeds under the ground. Turn off the lights and play "Rocky Mountain
High" By John Denver, or a similar song. In a low voice, tell the
children to start slowly moving their arms and legs and pretend that
their roots are growing. As the song ends turn on the lights and ask
the children to slowly stand up (coming out of the ground), raising
their arms towards the lights, waiving their hands like leaves in the
breeze and turning their faces to the light like a flower budding
facing the sun.
*Five Little Carrots
Five little carrots in a veggie garden
A gopher at one, I beg your pardon.
Four little carrots in the ground
A gopher came along, took it to his mound.
Three little carrots left in the dirt
Its top was nibbled on, but didn't hurt.
Two little carrots left in the sun
A groundhog came along and left just one.
One lonely carrot all alone
'Till a farmer came along and took it home.
*Spring Has Sprung
Materials needed:
Tambourine, pink ribbons for flowers, black ribbons for thunder, gray
ribbons for lightning, blue ribbons for rain, yellow ribbons for sunIn advance, collect enough ribbons so that each child will have one
ribbon. Then talk with the children about what flowers need to grow.
Tell the children that they will dramatize the story of how flowers
grow. Explain that each child will pretend to be one of the following:
flower, sun, thunder, lightning or rain. Assign the roles and give each
child the appropriate color of ribbon to wave when his part is talked
about. Narrate a story about how flower seeds planted in the ground
begin to grow. Use the tambourine to make the sounds of thunder and
rain. As you tell the story encourage the children to act out their
parts.
*May Streamer Dance & May Streamers
Make streamers for your children.
Materials: pipe cleaners, tissue paper and Mylar cut into long strips 1
inch wide and between 14 and 18 inches long, scissors or a hole punchPunch or poke a hole in the end of the tissue and Mylar strips, about
half an inch from the edge. Thread the streamers onto the pipe cleaner,
one at a time. When you have collected a bunch of streamers, twist the
two ends of the pipe cleaner together to form a ring that your child
can hold on to. Be careful to tuck in or snip off any sharp edges from
the wire inside the pipe cleaner.Now dance to the following song doing the actions suggested in the
words:(London Bridge)
It's the merry month of May
Month of May, month of May.
It's the merry month of May
Come and dance with me.Walk to the right now, 1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3
Walk to the right now, 1, 2, 3
Come and dance with me.Promenade left now, let me see
Let me see, let me see
Promenade left now, let me see
Come and dance with me.Shake it in and shake it out,
In and out, in and out
Shake it in and shake it out
Come and dance with me.Do your own dance, if you will
If you will, if you will
Do your own dance, if you will
Your very special way.
*"A Little Sun"
A little sun
(hold arms above head)
A little rain
(wiggle fingers in the air in a downward motion)
Now pull up all the weeds
(pretend to pull weeds)
Our flowers grow, all in a row
(hold up all ten fingers lined up like flowers)
From tiny little seeds.
(hold thumb and finger to show size of seeds)
*Make a memory game using two identical nursery catalogs. Cut out the
identical pictures and glue the pictures on index cards.
*My Garden
This is my garden. I'll rake it with care.
And then some flower seeds I'll plant in there.
The sun will shine,
And the rain will fall,
And my garden will blossom,
And grow straight and tall.*The Flower
Here's a green leaf
And here's a green leaf.
That you see, makes two.
Here's a bud
That makes a flower.
Watch it bloom for you. You can do this poem with a filmy scarf bunched into your hands.
First stuff it into their fists cupped together, and be sure none (or
very little) is showing. For the leaves, stick yout a thumb and then
the other thumb. For the bud, open the thumbs a little more, and for
the flower, slowly open up both hands to show the beautiful flower
blooming in your hands.
*Invite children to paint flowers on drawing paper while listening to a
recording of "Waltz of the Flowers" by Tchaikovsky. Use tempera paint
(blue, pink, yellow, green) and either paint brushes or Q-tips.
*Daffodils
Give the children yellow and white paper baking cups. Have them each
flatten one of the cups and spread glue on the center portion. Then
have them each place a secnd cup upright on top of the glue to make a
daffodil. If desired, let the children attach popsicle sticks or pipe
cleaners for stems.
*Four Little Flowers
Four little flowers I did see
I picked one, Then there were three.Three little flowers, Pretty and new,
I picked another, Then there were two.Two little flowers, Out in the sun,
I picked one more, Thene there was one.One little flower Left in the sun
I picked it too, Then there were none.
-Jean Warren
*Flowers Are Blooming (Frere Jacques)
Flowers are blooming, flowers are blooming,
All around, all around.
All the pretty colors, all the pretty colors,
On the ground, on the ground.Let's go see them, lets go see them,
Blooming bright, blooming bright.
Use your nose to smell them,
Use your nose to smell them
What a sight! What a sight!
*In Our Springtime Garden (Mulberry Bush)
What a lovely time of year,
Time of year, time of year.
What a lovely time of year
In our springtime garden.See the flowers swing and sway,
swing and swayk, swing and sway.
See the flowers swing and sway
In our springtime garden.
*Old MacDonald's Veggie Patch (Old MacDonald's Farm)
Old MacDonald had a farm, EIEIO
And on his farm he grew some carrots, EIEIO
With a crunch crunch here,
And a crunch crunch there,
Here a crunch, there a crunch,
Everywhere a crunch, crunch,
Old MacDonald had a farm, EIEIOPotatoes...mash mash
Lettuce... toss toss
*The Soup is Boiling Hot (The Farmer in the Dell)
The soup is boiling hot,
The soup is boiling hot,
Stir, pour, we'll eat some more.
The soup is boiling hot.First we'll add some broth,
First we'll add some broth,
Stir, pour, we'll eat some more.
First we'll add some broth.Next we'll add some beans...
(continue verses adding different ingredients)
Links
If you are
considering a Garden Theme, here are some rich resource for your
planning, lessons, and activities.
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July 10, 2003
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