IDEAS FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Have Theme, Will Sing

If you have a lesson and can't find a song to go with it . . . make one up! Putting words to music is easy and so much fun! All you have to do is think of a familiar nursery rhyme tune . . . and squeeze your words to fit!

Every lesson you teach has a theme - a purpose. You should be able to state it in one sentence.
Every time you go into your classroom you should know what your purpose is for that day. And
everything you do revolves around that purpose.

So when the kids leave and on the way home a parent asks, "What did you learn today?" Rather
than shrugging shoulders -- the child responds, "Abraham obeyed the Lord and I will, too." The
reason they remember that is because they've said it - they've drawn pictures about it -- they've
acted it out -- and they've sung it and sung it and sung it and sung it!

For a lesson about Abraham, you could use the tune of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" with these words: " Abraham obeyed the Lord, obeyed the Lord, obeyed the Lord. Abraham obeyed the Lord and I will, too."


Trash Detectives

Learning how to help keep the church clean -- or the playground clean -- or the neighborhood
around the church clean can be made into a fun activity. Give all children a badge to be a "Trash Detective"which will help them to remember to care for God's beautiful world.

Artwork Display

Put a dab of rubber cement on the back of children's artwork and it will adhere to glass doors and windows. When remove the item, simply rub the remaining glue off the glass. It comes right off.


Paper Cup People

Let children turn Styrofoam cups into people, by drawing face and body on sides. Place a large board or stiff cardboard at a gentle incline. Set each cup over a marble and let the paper cup people travel down the incline. Children can compete, if desired. Changing the incline of the slope adds variety.

From Here to There Game

Call out different ways people can get from here to there and children pretend to do that going from one end of the room to the other, such as swimming, tightrope walking, riding in a car, flying in an airplane, roller skating, riding a bicycle, etc.

Giant Machine

Choose outgoing child to be first! Does a movement and sound. Another child comes - touches him somewhere and does a movement and sound. Continue until all are participating and you have a giant machine.

Favorite Toys

Cut pictures of toys from catalogs. Place in a box. Have children take turns drawing out and showing. Have all children pretend to be that toy. This activity helps teach imagination.

Copy Cat

A child thinks of an animal - goes that way to the end of the room, doing both movement and sound. All other members of group "copy" how the first person went.


Grass Creature

Fill panty hose with saw dust and grass seed. Glue on eyes to make a "creature." Place in shallow container. Keep wet. Grass will grow through the hose.


Color Clean Up

For variety in cleaning up a play area, have children pick up items by color. "Let's pick up all the red toys. Now all the blue ones."

Murals

Cover a table with paper. No rules -- just draw as you want. Some children may want to trace around items such as plastic plates and cups. Others may wish to freehand.


Shoe Find


For a fun matching skills game, have children all take off their right shoe and place in a pile in middle of circle. Mix up pile. Take turns finding their own shoe. For variety, everyone takes off left shoe - everyone passes their shoe to the right three times. Each child tries to find matching shoe. When found - give to owner.

Styrofoam Creations


Ask parents to help save Styrofoam for you (including meat trays and egg cartons) and get a large box to store it all. Other materials needed: plastic knives, golf tees, straws, toothpicks, pipe cleaners.

A CHALLENGE TO PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

By Betty B. Robertson

It's been over 30 years and I still have not forgotten those words.

It's been over 30 years and I have not forgotten those words because I can remember being surprised when he said them. It was new information to me.

I will never forget the words of my Christian Education professor when he said, "Put your BEST teachers in your nursery and preschool classes."

I guess I had always thought the adults needed the "best" teachers!

He continued, "Put your BEST teachers in your nursery and preschool classes -- because those years are so foundational."

When I was a CE Director, there was one quality I looked for in preschool teachers. This quality has been - is - and always will be the strongest element in Christian education. That element is EXAMPLE.

Children are led almost irresistibly by the examples they see and experience. You as teachers and educators help to mold children's lives. This is called modeling.

What is modeling? Modeling is an "example for imitation." Like it or not, children play "Follow the Leader."

Teaching is not just a classroom affair that involves instruction. Teaching should be life-sharing interaction. It is love, guidance, encouragement, modeling an example worth copying.

Children are naturally great imitators. For better or worse, they imitate actions more than words.

If you get frustrated and yell at your kids, "Shut up" -- what are you modeling?

If you gossip about another teacher -- what are you modeling?

Being Christlike is important. The more you as a teacher can reflect Christ in your life, the more likely the children you teach will reflect the Christlike qualities they see in you.

Is your example worth modeling?

Do you yell when you get uptight? Is this an example you want copied by your preschoolers?

Do you raise your voice when you get frustrated? Is this an example you want copied?

Do you have a favorite word you say when you get angry? Is this an example you want copied?

Do you forget to say please and thank you? Is this an example you want copied?

Are you so driven by trying to get all your lesson plans done, that you forget to have prayer with your boys and girls? Is this an example you want copied?

Are you so busy being critical that you forget to say, "I love you and Jesus loves you even more." Is this an example you want copied?

Every preschool teacher should have one of these CARDS posted in their rooms -- where they can read it often: "I will strengthen you. . . I will help you . . . I will uphold you. . . (so you can be the example you need to be) Your Heavenly Father." (as recorded in Isaiah 41:10).

GAMES: VBS or Anytime!

Balloon Basketball
Use laundry baskets or large waste baskets as the "goal". Divide into teams and play like regular basketball. Balloons must stay in the container for points to be scored. Minus 2 points for broken balloons. Be sure and have ample balloons blown up and ready to use, as many will be popped during play!

Behind the Back Ball Pass
Divide the children into two teams, standing facing each other. All children put their hands behind their backs, palms up. The leader gives each team a tennis ball, by placing it at the feet of the first team member. At the signal, the first players pick up the ball and pass it behind their backs, hand to hand. If a ball drops, it may be retrieved. After each round, the first child moves to the end position.

Circle Fun
Have the children form a large circle, with everyone facing right. All activities are done within the circle. Give these instructions:
1. Start walking in a circle.
2. Start hopping on one foot.
3. Walk with your hands high over your head.
4. Grasp our ankles and walk.
5. Walk without bending your knees.
6. Take giant steps.
7. March.
8. Walk with your arms flapping at your sides.
9. Run with your hand on your head.
10. Skip.
11. Hop, walk, walk; hop, walk, walk; hop, walk, walk.
12. Walk with your hands on your waist.

Crazy Soccer Using A Beach Ball
Divide the children into two teams. Write a number on each child's hand. Select the child from each who has a #1 to be goalie. Mark off a goalie "box." The goalie may not move out of this area. Call the children who have the highest number to come to the center to start the game. The
leader tosses a beach ball in the air. The object of Crazy Soceer is to bat the beach ball across the playing area to the goalie who must catch it to score a point. After the point is scored, both goalies become players. The children with #2 on their hands, now become goalies. The only rule is the ball may not be grabbed, only hit.

Heel to Toe
Draw a chalk line on the floor in front of each team. Players place the heel of one foot against the toe of the other and walk to go line and back in this manner.

Kangaroo Hop
Each team is given a tennis ball. Players hop to the goal line with the tennis ball between their knees. They can then take the ball from between their knees and run back to the team. If a child looses the ball on the way to the goal line, it may be picked up.

Stack 'Em Up!
A chair is needed for each player. Place the chairs in a large circle. The leader announces such things as: Everyone who has a pet, move 3 chairs to your left; everyone with blonde hair move 2 chairs to the right; everyone who plays a musical instrument move 3 chairs to the right; everyone who has brown eyes move 1 chair to the left; everyone wearing white socks move 3 chairs to the left; everyone who has a ring on move 5 chairs to the left; everyone who has been to Disneyland or Disney World move 2 chairs to the right; everyone who has a brother move 4 chairs to the right; everyone who is in Grade (-) move 2 chairs to the right; everyone who has a sister move 1 chair to the left; etc. The children may end up sitting on laps in a stack!

Oops! That's Okay
Divide children into sides. No net is needed. A beach ball or heavy-duty balloon can be used. The
object is for each team to keep the ball from touching the ground by batting to the other team. When the ball touches the ground, everyone hollers "Oops! That's okay!" The opposing team gets 10
points and the ball continues where dropped. 100 points is a game.

Shoebox Shuffle
Each team has two shoe boxes. On signal, the first player places both feet in the boxes and shuffles to the goal line and back.

Speed Ball
Divide the group into 2 equal circles. Give each group 3 balls (same size and type). The object is to pass the balls around the circle at the highest speed possible. Whenever someone drops a ball, they leave the circle. At the allotted time, the team with the most players left wins.

Tennis Ball Toss
Children line up in two straight lines, parallel to one another. To start, each layer should be able to reach across and touch his/her teammate. At signal, players toss a tennis ball to their partners. With each catch, players move back one baby step. The winners are the team who never drop their ball.

Water Balloon Toss
Fill up enough small balloons with water, so every two pupils has a balloon. The children line up in two parallel lines, facing toe-to-toe with their partner. Every time the leader says "Back up", both children take one foot step backwards. Pretty soon the teams will be far apart. The object is to see which two are the last with a balloon still full of water!

SOUND SCAVENGER HUNT

Each group of children needs an adult leader, armed with a cell phone or camera.

A time limit is given.

Sounds to try and find could include: dog barking; toilet flushing; horn honking; garbage disposal disposing; car blinker blinking; bowling pins falling down; TV commercial; slurping through a straw at McDonald’s; telephone ringing; piano playing; truck driving by; door closing; ball bouncing; someone whistling, “God Bless America”; something of your choice.