Language/ literature/ drama

Activity Name: Crocodile Letters

Curriculum Area: Literature

Performance Tasks: Naming the letters of the alphabet.

Standard(s):Children will acquire emergent literacy skills.

Materials: Container (for this one a Cascade Action Pacs Dishwasher Soap was used),
green markers, big googly eyes, cards with each letter on them

Directions: Clean and dry your container. Print the pattern page. Cut the pieces
from fun foam. Hot glue in place. Hot glue two green pompoms at the bottom. Print
the cards of your choice. Uppercase, lowercase, number and color cards are available.
Cut and laminate them. Put the cards inside
the crocodile container. At circle time, say the following verse:
Crocodile, crocodile down by lake,
I’m going to reach right in and see what (letter) you ate.
Have the child reach into the crocodile's mouth and pull out a card. Have them show it
to the group and identify it. Continue taking turns.

Age range:3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Pick one letter every few students and have them work in groups to figure
out what the letter is.
Harder challenge: Once all the letters are gone ave the children work together to put them
into alphabetical order.
Other considerations: Some letters will be easier for students to recognize than others for
some students so it might be helpful to have them work together to share what they know.
 Reference:
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/CrocodileCircleTimeFun.htm

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

Creative (visual) arts

Activity Name: Paper Bowl Hats

Curriculum Area: Creative (Visual) Arts

Performance Task: Experimenting with a variety of expressive media. Selecting media

that matches their desire creation.

Standard(s): Children will create and express their thoughts, ideas, and feeling through a
variety of art experiences.

Materials: a paper bowl, glue, feathers, flowers, markers, crayons, ribbons, buttons,
stickers, (anything to decorate with)

Directions: First, flip the bowl upside down so it resembles a hat. Then, decorate the hat
with the markers, crayons, and stickers. Next, glue on buttons, ribbon, flowers, etc.
After it dries, place hat on head to show off how it was decorated.

Age range: 3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Decorate the hat in any way. If glue is hard to use alone, get help from an
adult or only use markers to color on the hat.
Harder challenge: Try to decorate the hat in a specific pattern, with only certain colors, or
with a certain number of items. This also ties in the math curriculum.
Other considerations: Putting glue straight from the bottle might be difficult do I suggest
putting the glue in a small bowl and using a Q-tip to apply it or have the teacher apply the glue
as needed and let the student just stick on the items.

Reference: https://www.education.com/activity/article/Paper_Bowl_Hats/
Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

Math

Activity Name: Counting Petals

Curriculum Area: Math

Performance Task: Counting 10 objects with one-to-one correspondence (pointing

their finger to each object as they count it).

Standard(s): Children will use numbers, numerical representations (symbols), and

counting to solve problems and express quantities,

Materials: 10 circles with 1-10 dots on them, 55 flower petals

Directions: Make 10 different circles all with dots on them 1-10. To make it look
more like a flower add a stem with leaves on it. Give the child the flower without
petals along with a baggie filled with petals to put on the flower. The number of
petals should match the number of dots on the middle of the flower.

Age range: 3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Try sticking to the lower numbers or make the dots on the middle of the
flower 3-D so the children can actually feel the dots to count them.
Harder challenge: Make all the petals different colors and try to put all of one color on a
flower. This ties in colors as well as numbers.
Other considerations: If the dots on the petals get boring or don’t seem to work out consider
writing the numbers instead of doing dots.

Reference: original idea

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

Health and safety

Activity Name: Egg Experiment

Curriculum Area: Health

Performance Task: Discussing how certain foods and drinks help their bodies grow and
be healthy.

Standard(s): Children will develop health awareness and skills.

Materials: at least two hard boiled eggs, at least two cups, dark soda, water, toothbrush,
toothpaste

Directions: Boil two hard eggs in advance, one for the soda and one for the water. Fill
one cup with a dark soda and one cup with water. Put one egg in the water and one in
the soda. Let each sit for one day. Ask the child questions like what they think each egg
will look like. After one day take the eggs out of the and compare what they look like.
The one in the soda will look discolored and like a tooth covered in plaque. Give the
child a toothbrush and toothpaste so they can brush off the “plaque” on the egg. Once
the children have brushed the egg explain dental hygiene and why it is so important.
Why is it so important? It can prevent bad breath, tooth decay, and gum diseases.
People also don’t have unlimited teeth so they need to take care of the ones they have
or they don’t have any at all.

Age range: 3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Tell the student how much toothpaste they should be using and guide them to help
brush off the egg.
Harder challenge: Let the student find out on their own how much toothpaste is needed. Also more
eggs could be used in different types of soda to see if the type of soda affects the color of the egg.
Other considerations: Students might not completely understand how this relates to teeth so it is
important to explain how it does. Also it should be mentioned that not only soda does this to your teeth
but all foods can if not brushing properly.

Reference:http://www.childfun.com/themes/people/health-and-
hygiene/#Health_and_Hygiene_Games_and_Activities

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC –

S17; 4/9/17
 Science

Activity Name: Matching animal to sound

Curriculum Area: Science

Performance Tasks: Describing similarities and differences in appearences,

behaviors, and habitats of animals and/or plants.

Standard(s): Children will explore the characteristics of living things.

Materials: Animal puppets (cat, dog, cow, pig, horse, frog, duck, chicken, sheep,
etc)

Directions: Have the children stand in a circle and give each child a puppet. They
will then say the name of the animal and make the noise that this puppet makes
to the class, going one by one around the circle. Once it has gone around the
whole circle pass the puppet to the person on the right and start over. repeat this
until each child has had each puppet once. This will give each child the
opportunity to make a different sound for a different animal. After ask questions
like why the children think the animals all make different sounds and why the
animals live where they do. Also save time for the students to ask any questions
they have about animals.

Age range:3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge:Have each child hold a puppet but instead of asking just one person to make
the noise have the whole class work together to make the noise.
Harder challenge: Have each student think of a time they saw this animal or say a fact( like
where they live) that they already know about the animal.
Other considerations: Make sure each child gets a puppet so no one feels left out.
Reference:original idea

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

Small Motor

Activity Name: Shaving Cream Letters

Curriculum Area: Small Motor

Performance Tasks: Developing hand dominance. Practicing writing their letters.

Standard(s): Children will develop strength and coordination of the small muscles

Materials: Shaving cream, table

Directions: Spread out shaving cream on the table and have the children practice
writing their letters. If they mess up it is easy to wipe away and try again.

Age range: 3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Have the children practice writing with the letters in front of them so they
can look off of how it should look.
Harder challenge: Have the children practice writing their whole alphabet without seeing the
letters.
Other considerations:
Reference: original idea

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

Social Studies

Activity Name: American Flag Fun

Curriculum Area: Social Studies

Performance Tasks:Discussing family rituals and traditions related to culture

(ex: 4th of July, Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, etc.)

Standard(s): Children will appreciate their own and other cultures (cultural
anthropology).

Materials: large piece of paper, blue washable paint, red washable paint

Directions:Have you ever wondered why on the fourth of July people celebrate
with fireworks and cookouts? On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence
was signed. The Declaration of Independence let our country free from Britian.
We celebrate this holiday to remember this day that the United States became
it’s own country. First, take a large piece of paper and lay it out on the floor. Next,
cover each child’s hand in blue paint and place each hand in the top left corner to
look like the American flag. Then, dip one of each child’s feet in paint and have
then place their foot on the paper to look like the stripes on the American flag.

Age range:3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Place the children’s hands and feet on the flag for them so they go in the
correct spot.
Harder challenge: Let the children figure out where they are supposed to put their hands and
feet just by telling them.
Other considerations: Before the children put the paint on the paper make sure it is going in
the right spot. Also, make sure there is a bucket nearby where they can wash their feet and
hands so they aren’t tracking paint around the classroom.

Reference:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/155092780890733388/

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

Music and dance

Activity Name: Color Song

Curriculum Area: Music

Performance Tasks: Participating in whole group musical experiences such as

singing, playing musical games, and playing instruments.
Standard(s): Children will creae a variety of musical experiences in order to
express heir thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

Materials: Radio, song: “Rock your Body to the Colors” by Jack Hartmann

Directions: Explain to the children that they have to listen very carefully for the
directions of the song. Play the music and let the children listen and do what the
music says to do.

Age range: 3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Do the dance with the children so they have a model of what each
movement looks like.
Harder challenge: Let the children figure out what to do by listening to the music by
themselves.
Other considerations: The children might get excited and start getting too loud to hear the
music. If this happens settle the children down then continue with the song.

click here for song

Reference: https://www.prekinders.com/songs-teach-kids-colors/

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

 Large Motor

Activity Name: Jump the River

Curriculum Area: Large motor

Performance Tasks: Displaying strength and coordination of the lower body and
legs in activities such as running, galloping, skipping, kicking a ball, etc.

Standard(s): Children will develop strength and coordination of the large muscles.

Materials: 2 jump ropes to lay on the floor

Directions: Teacher lay two jump ropes on the floor for the students to jump over.
Explain that the children are taking a walk through the woods and might have to
jump over a river without falling in. The children will jump from jump rope to
jump rope without getting their “feet wet”. Make sure children know to land with
both feet on the ground to support their landing.

Age range: 3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Place the two ropes close together so the jump isn’t far.
Harder challenge: After one jump start the walk again until you come across another river that
is bigger. This makes the children need to jump further.
Other considerations: Be careful on how wide the river is because the wider it gets the
messier the children’s jumps might become which can result in an injury.

Reference: https://www.playworks.org/resource/game-of-the-week-jump-the-
river-3/

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17

Game or story of choice

Activity Name: Move like an Animal

Curriculum Area: Large Motor

Performance Tasks:Displaying strength and coordination of the lower body and legs in
activities such as running, galloping, skipping, kicking a ball, etc.
Promoting good health through aerobic movement and/or muscle development.

Standard(s):Children will develop strength and coordination of the large muscles.

Materials: A big empty area to move around in

Directions: All animals have a differnt way to move around. Let’s explore the way
animals move by doing it ourselves. When an animal is named move just like the
animals would for example… Move like a bird (run with arms outstretched)
● Move like a snake (wiggle on tummies on the floor)
● Move like a bear (walk on all fours)
● Move like a frog (get down on haunches and hop)
● Move like a kangaroo (take big leaps with arms in front of chest)
● Move like an elephant (with heavy stomping)
● Move like a penguin (waddle with ankles close together and arms pinned to
sides)
Age range:3-5

Modifications:
Easier challenge: Do the movements with the children so they know what to do.
Harder challenge: Don’t do the movements with the children so they have to focus on what
animal does what. For an even harder challenge play the noise the animal makes on a radio
instead of saying the name of the animal and let the children figure out what animal it is.
Other considerations: As for all physical activities the children could get hurt so it is important
to keep a close eye on them. By making sure they are focused on the activity less accidents will
happen.

Reference:https://www.themeasuredmom.com/indoor-gross-motor-activities/

Child Dev/Competency/Activity Notebook/Template GC – S17; 4/9/17