Preschool Art And Craft

preschool lesson plans?

I just started work in a preschool. I am responsible for one lesson a day. I can pretty much pick any theme I want. The morning teacher for the classroom that I have is doing all about me, which I am mirroring this week. I need lesson plan ideas though, on any and all topics. Also and content area: math, literacy, arts and crafts, sensory table I could use anything right now! I am going to try to do a two week fall theme, but am having a hard time getting a weeks worth of lessons let alone two. Any help?

sharing, role play, senses, nutrition, my feelings, colours, shapes, letters, numbers (math and english) exploration, seasons.

sharing: do activities that involve sharing, like games where you have to share an object, talking talking talking about sharing, question the kids, ask them what they think it means, and why they think its important.

role play, during the day at one stage you can make a play, with the theme for the day,

senses, go through them, make activities arund them, question the children.

nutrition, have fruit and vege cards, get the children to tell you if they are fruit or vege, coulouring in, calling out good and bad foods,

my feelings, have colouring in of happy faces, sad faces, get the children to write or get you to write a time where they have felt like this.

colours, numbers and letters can all be put onto flash cards, quiz the children as to what colour/letter/shape/number it is, have shaped blocks and do the same, colouring in pages of the above.

exploreation, get the kids outside collecting something according to the theme, say leaves or sticks. bring them back in and discuss what leaves are iportant for n stuff.

seasons. winter - make a snowman to hang up, summer make a sun, get the kids to decorate it, spring, make a flower, get the kids to decorate it with maybe petals or coloured paper, autum, make a leaf, again get the kids to decorate it with leaves or paint.

for a sensory theme, looks up sensory theme activities. or you can try a song:
Five senses, five senses
We have them. We have them.
Seeing, hearing, touching,
Tasting and smelling.
There are five. There are five.

I point to the parts of the body as I sing the song. The kids love it, know their 5 senses and their parts of the body that correspond to each sense.

FEEL
this easy hands on sensory experience that encourages young children to explore various textures and promotes the use of observation, plus descriptive and expressive vocabulary.

Materials: Tempera paint in a variety of colors, sand, coffee grounds, spices, crumbled natural items, epson salt, baking soda, liquid starch, salt, corn meal, etc

TASTE
You will need:
Lemon wedges and lemonade, candy, potato chips and unsweetened cocoa, a pitcher and cups (for lemonade), small paper plates, small spoons, unbreakable hand-held mirrors.

Teachers should know that taste buds are grouped on the front, sides and back of the tongue. And, that they are also in other parts of the mouth. Prepare in advance plates with samples of the foods for each child.

While talking with young children about the different foods they like encourage them to use words like sweet, sour, salty and bitter to describe the foods. Tell them that they can taste the small samples of foods that are on their plates by putting a little on their tongues. Explain that they have "taste buds" on their tongues which help them taste and provide a few unbreakable, hand-held mirrors so they can look at their tongues.

SMELL

You will need:
One 35 mm film canister with pinholes in the top for each of the following scented items: (use cotton balls for the liquid scents)

onions
vanilla extract
vinegar
cinnamon rubbing alcohol
coffee grounds
perfume
peanut butter banana chunk
lemon oil
peppermint extract
mothballs

In advance, put pinholes in the top of each film canister. Then put a scented item or scented cotton ball in each canister.

Start your group talking about the sense of smell by asking everyone to close their eyes and spraying a little perfume into the air. When the children open their eyes ask them what they smell. Talk about how our noses help us smell things and introduce one canister. While each child is smelling the scent, talk about what it smells like.
Encourage the use of descriptive words.

Next, introduce the other film canisters, making certain each child has one. Allow time for children to talk about the smells and encourage older youngsters to exchange canister. Ask, "Can you guess what it is by the way it smells?" After children have opportunities to guess, open each canister. Show them how you poured the liquid onto cotton balls to create the the "smelliest"

Finally, place the closed canisters in the science area for future smell investigations.

SIGHT

You will need:
All kinds of unbreakable mirrors; hand-held, stand-up, pocket etc., other items in which children can see their reflections such as appliances, windows, metal spoons, foil and water; and a piece of experience chart paper and a felt tip marker.

Invite a few children (3 or 4) to walk around the classroom with you to find places where they can see their reflections. Talk about what a reflection is and in which shiny items children have seen themselves, such as metal appliances (toasters or toaster ovens), windows, metal spoons, foil or water. Together find examples of reflections.

Free Preschool Art Activity for Kids Series