preschool Archives - Page 15 of 20

Amazing Offline Coding Games To Try Right Now With Your Kids

July 4, 2017 By Deirdre

Here are some amazing offline coding games and activities to try right now with your kids. They will help your children learn about binary code, building algorithms, and so much more. You will be amazed at how much even your young children will learn about coding as they explore these coding games.

Coding Games for Kids

Building Algorithms Based on Children’s Books

Your children can sequence the events from children’s books that you read to them or they read on their own. Then they can use one of the algorithm sheets I have created to connect the events by drawing arrows in the empty boxes connecting the effects. They will learn about using the commands up, down, left and right.

Little Miss Muffet Coding Activity and Printable

Coding Activity- Going on a Bear Hunt

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Algorithm Activity

Gruffalo Coding Sheet

Coding for Kids- The Day It Rained Hearts

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Coding Printable

Building Algorithms Based on Science Concepts

Life cycles and other science concepts follow a sequence. They are great to use to create algorithms for. Your children can make finding the short route to the next step in the cycle a coding game.

Coding the Planets in Order

Life Cycle of a Spider Coding Activity

Plant Growth Coding Sheet

Exploring Binary Code

Binary code is the simple form of computer code. The coding games and activities below are a great way for kids to explore binary.

Exploring Binary Number While Making Jewelry

Building Binary Code with LEGO

Exploring Algorithms and Coding

Each of the coding games below invites kids to build algorithms and explore how coding works.

Table Top Activities

Making a Coding Quiet Book

Coding a LEGO Maze

Cupstacking a Code

Super Hero Computer Coding

Help the Pirate Find His Treasure

Computer Coding Free Printable STEM Activity

STEM Coding for Kids- Building Cup Stacking Algorithms

ABC’s of How to Read Binary with Printable

Coding Games for Critical Thinking

Floor Activities

Coding for Kids- X Marks the Spot

The Orange Game

If Then Backyard Coding Activity

Building and Walking an Algorithm

Sun and Moon Crafts- Total Solar Eclipse Painted Paper Plates

June 19, 2017 By Deirdre

We live right in the path of the total solar eclipse taking place in August of 2017. I know that some of you are too! Before the eclipse, you might want to do some eclipse related activities with your children. Earlier I shared with you a simple way to create pinhole camera out of an oatmeal container and a camera obscura out of a cereal box. Today I have two sun and moon crafts to share with you. Well, really it is two painting crafts combined to create a total solar eclipse craft.

Sun and Moon Crafts for the Total Solar Eclipse

Supplies

Small Sections of a Pool Noodle
Yellow Paint
Red Paint
Gold Paint
Black Paint
Two Paper Plates Per Child
Hole Punch
Brass Fasteners

Creating the Sun and Moon Crafts

Painting

The first thing you will need to do is place the paint on paper plates. The plate for the moon painting will just need black paint. The sun painting will need a plate paint tray that has yellow, red and gold paint. (The sun is made of so many different colors. ) If you just want your children to paint the sun plate yellow that is just fine.

Your children will need to dip small sections of a pool noodle into the paint. The pool noodles sections are super easy to hold onto. They also create a cool texture with the paint on the plates.

Putting the Sun and Moon Plates Together

Once each child’s sun and moon plates are dry, they can stack them one on top of the other. They can then use a hole punch to create a hole in both plates.

Then they will place a brass fastener into the hole and flatten it on the back of the plate.

Creating a Totally Eclipse

Children will need to turn their plates so the moon plate is facing down and the sun plate is facing up. Then they will slowly move the moon plate around until it totally covers the sun plate.

As they are moving the plates they are demonstrating what will happen during a total eclipse. Your children will notice that slivers of the sun still show. Those slivers represent the sun’s corona.

If you like this STEM activity, here are some more you will love.

STEM Chocolate Chip Cookie Excavating

Edible Rock Cycle

ABC’s of Binary Code

Do Crackers Make Good Pinhole Lens?

Three Blind Mice Activity with LEGO Braille Letters

Let’s Explore Math Concepts! Preschool Patterns with LEGO

June 15, 2017 By Deirdre

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Preschool Patterns with LEGO$

Patterning is something that children will be exploring over and over again as they grow up. There are so many math, science, and language patterns that they will encounter. This simple math activity was designed to use LEGO to explore preschool patterns. I am going to share with you a

I am going to share with you an activity that explores AB patterns, but your children can explore ABC, ABA, ABBA, or other patterns. This idea isn’t that they just make every other block the same color. They idea is that you talk with your children about the pattern and have them predict what color will be next. Let me walk you through how you can explore preschool patterns with your children.

Preschool Patterns

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Row Two$

Getting Ready

You will need to put out a base plate for your children to use as work space. We had a 16×16 base plate so that is what we used. If you have a bigger base plate available to use, please feel free to use it.

Warning: By using a smaller base plate we did break a patterning rule. The rule states that a pattern really isn’t a pattern unless it is repeated three times.

Next, you will need to pull out bricks in eight different colors. You will at least three of each of the colors.

Getting Started

You will need to have your children pick out two colors they want to start with. Then they will need to place them in piles by the workspace.

Then they will need to decide what color they want to start with. They will place that brick on left-hand edge at the top of the workspace.

Completing Row One

You can then help them figure out that the second color will need to go right beside it in a row.

Children will continue to repeat that pattern until the reach the end of the row. It is okay if they don’t end the pattern. If it is important to you that they do, they can put the remaining brick beside the row on the table.

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Finish the Row$

Completing Row Two

Children can look at the top row they have completed and use it as a model for completing the second row. You can have them use the same colors or select two totally different colors. The pattern they are exploring will stay the same.

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Finished Pattern$

Completing Row Three

Row three will continue to explore preschool patterns, but you will start the row for them. You will need to place two different colored bricks in the row. It doesn’t matter where you place them. Your children will fill in the missing blocks to complete the pattern. They can refer to the two rows above it to figure out where they need to place the bricks.

If you are looking for more great LEGO learning ideas, you will want to check these out:

STEM Engineering- Build Houses for the Three Little Pigs

Ocean Themed LEGO Counting Mats

LEGO Geometry Riddles

Building a LEGO Conveyor Belt

LEGO Calm Down Fidget Spinner

Easy LEGO I Spy

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Preschool Patterns with LEGO : Children at home or students at school can explore how to build simple patterns with brick and a base plate.$

5 Ways to Use Sensory Bottles to Learn

June 8, 2017 By Deirdre

Children love to explore sensory bottles. They can spin, shake and stare at the objects that they contain. I have come with 5 Ways kids can use sensory bottles to explore a variety of learning concepts and skills.

The links below are affiliate links.

Supplies for the Sensory Bottles

I started with La Looks Gel blue hair gel (I found it at Walmart for a really cheap price.), a VOSS Artesian water bottle, green and blue glass gems, and Safari Ltd Coral Reef TOOB Set. Then I dug a chopstick out of my junk drawer.

Constructing the Sensory Bottles

You will need to fill the bottle about 1/3 of the way up with gel . Then add a few gems and the coral figure. You can push them into place with the chopstick. You may want some gems on the side of the bottom and some in the center.

Next, you add more gel so that the bottle is filled up 2/3 of the way. You will add more of the coral reef objects and some more gems. You will push them into place with a chopstick just as you did the first layer of objects.

Finally, you will finish filling up the bottle. You will also place the final coral reef objects and gems into the bottle.

Ways to Explore Sensory Bottles

I Spy

Children will be invited share what objects they see in the sensory bottle. If you want to take pictures of each of the objects and place them on a chart or make a written list, you certainly can. Children could then look for all the objects on your list or chart.

Tell Me a Story

You can invite your children to tell you a story about the objects in the bottle. They could tell the story from the perspective of the diver or one of the animals in the jar if they like. The fun thing about this activity is that the story will be different each time it is shared by your children.

Up Close

It can be hard to see the objects in the center of the bottle unless the bottle is held up close. This activity with sensory bottles invites children to see what can’t be seen on the surface. You could give your children magnifying glasses to use for this activity.

Number Count

Children can be invited to count the number of gems and coral reef objects they see. You could invite them to count only the objects at the top, center or bottom of the bottle. It would make it easier for young children to focus on the objects.

Math Concepts

Children can be invited to add the number of creatures to the number of other coral reef objects. They could also subtract the number of blue gems from the number of green gems. (I added more green gems they blue.) You could also have them skip count them!

More Sensory Bottle Activities

Exploring Shapes

Making Waves

LEGO Man Sink and Float

Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish Activity Printables

June 5, 2017 By Deirdre

I am joining 3 Dinosaurs and Royal Baloo in sharing collections of ocean printables. You are going to love the wonderful printables that we all are going to share with you. Today I have a fun jellyfish themed activity that you can use when you are teaching feelings.

Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish

Getting Ready

The first thing you are going to need to do is print out the Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish Activity. While you could print out this teaching feelings prinable set in black and white, the jellyfish sure do look cute in color. You will probably want to print them out on cardstock. It will make the cards easier for your children to work with.

Once you have them printed out, you will need to cut out the feeling cards and the jellyfish cards.

Teaching Feeling Activities

Exploring the Feelings

The first activity you will want to do with your kids is to have them read you each of the feeling words or read them to them. Knowing what the words on the cards are is important.

Next, you will need to have your children look over the jellyfish cards. You will need to have your children tell you what each jellyfish is feeling.

Matching the Face to the Feeling

Your children will need to pick a feeling word or you can pick one for them. They can place in on one of the boxes on the work mat. Then they will need to find a jellyfish whose face is displaying that feeling. Once you have agreed that the word and face match, they that work on matching feeling words to jellyfish faces.

Pick One Feeling

Some of the jellyfish faces look like they could be expressing more than one feeling. You can have your children pick a jellyfish. Then you can pick a couple of feeling words you think could fit that face. Finally, you can have your children explain which one they think is the best fit.

You could even have them make that face for you and give a real life example of a time they had that feeling.

If you like this focus on teaching feelings activity, here are some more wonderful printables I have created.

Sequencing Activities Based on a House for a Hermit Crab

May 22, 2017 By Deirdre

This week I have several really fun activities based on the children’s book A House for a Hermit Crab. The first activities I have to share with you are sequencing activities. The first activity focuses walking a puppet across calendar months while saying the months of the year. The second focuses on placing the months of the year in order.

Sequencing Activities

While the sequencing activities are in a set, you can have your children do just one or both of them. The choice is up to you. Before you can do either of them you will need to download the sequencing activities set.

Sequencing the Months

The hermit crab in the story searches for a new shell and decorates in during various months of the year. There are two ways that you can have your children explore the months of the year.

Hermit Crab Puppet’s Month Walk

The first option is to print out enough hermit crabs and calendar pages as you have students. Then you will need to glue each hermit crab to a popsicle stick. Young children can walk their hermit crab puppet over each of the months of the year. As they take them for a walk, they can say the name of each month.

Order the Months for a Hermit Crab Walk

The second option is to print out the calendar page and cut out each of the months. Your children can be given a pile of the months mixed up. They can glue them in order onto a piece of construction paper.

Then you can have them tie one end of a piece of yarn to the hermit crab and one end to the corner of the construction paper. Once the hermit crab is in place, they can walk him through the month of the year.

The link below is an affiliate link.

A House for Hermit Crab is the Virtual Book Club Book of the Week. Here are some other activities based on the book:

Beach Mystery Texture Bag from My Storytime Corner

Seashell Acid-Base Experiment- Teach Beside Me

How do fish breathe…and hermit crabs too! (a gill experiment) at Preschool Powol Packets

Build A House For Hermit Crab Sensory Small World – Adventures and Play

How to Make DIY Sea Shell Molds for Homemade Chocolate – Mama Smiles

Under the sea colouring pages (FREE) – Messy Little Monster

Printable Ocean Themed Prewriting Activities

If you like these hermit crab sequencing activities, here are some more ocean themed activities your children will enjoy.

Graphing Ocean Animals with LEGO

Ocean Themed Roll and Cover Mats

Paper Plate Ocean Weaving Craft

Cupcake Liner Jellyfish Craft

Frog Coloring Pages and Learning Activities

May 15, 2017 By Deirdre

This set of frog coloring pages focuses on patterning. Your children will have fun coloring two pages that focus on the life cycle of the frog. Then they can explore picture patterns with the next two frog coloring pages. The final three frog coloring pages are roll and color activities that focus on types of numbers.

Frog Coloring Pages

Printing the Frog Coloring Pages and Activities

Before your children can explore the Frog Life Cycle Coloring Pages and Activities they will need to be printed out. Four of the seven pages were designed to be printed out in black and white. The last three have a blue pond displayed on them. While they could be printed out in black and white, they might be more fun to do in color.

Exploring the Frog Coloring Pages

Life Cycle of a Frog Coloring Pages

There are two pages that focus on the frog life cycle. The first page invites children to color each of the stages of the frog life cycle. Then they are asked to draw arrows connecting the stages in the correct order.

The second page displays the frog life cycle in three rows. Your children are asked to draw the stage that is missing in each row. Please remind them that their pictures do not need to look like the ones on the page.

Patterning Frog and Polliwogs

Children will need to cut out each of the frog and polliwog squares from the bottom of the page. Then they will need to figure out the pattern in each row. They will need to glue a frog or polliwog in the empty square in each row to complete the pattern.

Roll and Color Frog Coloring Pages

Children will need to roll a die or dice. Then they will look for that number on the frog color pages. When they have found that number, they can color the frog with that number on its belly. One page focuses on the numbers one to nine. The other two focus on the even or odd numbers.

This set of frog color pages was created to go with the book In the Small, Small Pond. It is the Virtual Book Club Book of the Week. Below you will find more pond themed activities from other book club members and me. Please take a moment to check them out if you find activities you love then please share or pin them.

Party Blower Frog Catching Game from JDaniel4’s Mom

Frog Counting and Lunch from Preschool Powol Packets

Edible Frog Life Cycle from Teach Beside Me

Frog Colouring Pages and Learning Activities from J Daniel 4’s Mom

Ducks Matching Activity from Mama Smiles

Over and Under Story Telling Activity from My Story Corner

Frog Themed Phonics- The Rainy Day Mum

Constellations for Kids – Printable Constellation Mats

May 8, 2017 By Deirdre

Even young children can explore constellations. This simple set of constellations for kids printable constellation maps will introduce them to some of the well-known ones. Children can use small stars to help recreate the constellations on each mat. Let me walk you through several ways children can use them.

Constellation for Kids Mat Activities

Getting Ready for the Activity

Before you can start the constellation for kids activities, you will need to print the Constellations for Kids Activity Mats There are ten constellations in this set. You can print all of them at once or print out a few at a time.

Next, you will need to decide what objects you want your children to use to recreate each of the constellations for kids. We used wooden stars that were painted yellow and gold.

Here are some other objects you could use:

Star Shaped Pony Beads
Pom Poms
Star Shaped Buttons
Wooden Stars
Play dough and star-shaped cookie cutters

Exploring the Constellations

There are a number of ways to explore these constellations. Let me share with your some of the ways that I came up with to use them.

A Star on a Star

You can put out just the number of stars your children will need to complete a constellation. Your children can simply place a wooden start on top of each of the stars displayed on the mat.

Count the Stars on the Mat

Your children can count the number of stars on their constellations for kids’ mat. Then they can take that number of stars out of a pile on the table or a bowl. Next, they will place the stars on top of the stars on the mat.

All Sizes of Stars

Children can place a variety of different kinds of stars on their constellation mat. You can encourage them to use stars of different colors and shapes.

The Virtual Book Club is exploring the book How to Catch a Star this week. Here are some wonderful star activities from this blog and others.

Solar System Sensory Bottle

Paper space shuttle

Edible Mars soil space experiment

Printable constellation mats for kids

Create a Star Stamps

Space STEM- Shooting Star Bottle

Alphabet Match Game with a Spider Theme

May 5, 2017 By Deirdre

All week long I have been sharing printable sets with insect themes with you! The week started with butterfly-themed shape mats. Next, you are given a set of caterpillar printables that focused on counting money. Then I shared a printable coding activity that focused on the life cycle of a spider. Yesterday I shared ladybug themed clock printable and a ladybug clock. Today’s activity is an alphabet match game with a spider theme. Your children will have a lot of fun turning over lowercase letter spider cards and finding its match on the web.

The links below are affiliate links.

Before your children start this activity, you may want to read them a book about spiders. We really love the book The Very Busy Spider.

Alphabet Match Game

Before Starting the Alphabet Match Game

The links below are affiliate links.

I love to share a children’s book related to an activity were are going to work on before we get started. That may be something you do too! If it is you may want to share the fiction book National Geographic Readers: Spiders orSpiders: Amazing Pictures & Fun Facts on Animals in Naturewith your children.

Getting the Printable

You will need to print out the Letter Web Learning for Kids . It includes the spider cards and web mat before you can start the activity.

Playing the Alphabet Match Game

There are really a number of ways to use this alphabet match game. Let me share with you some ways that I have come up with.

Card Pile Match-Up

Your children can put spider cards into a pile. Then they can turn over one card at a time. They will need to look for the uppercase letter that matches the letter on the card on the spider web. Finally, they can place a button like we did on the letter. If you want to make it more fun, you could have them place Learning Resources Backyard Bugs Counterson the letter.

Mat to Card Match Up

Children could choose an uppercase letter on the mat. Then they look for the letter card that matches it. When they have matched the uppercase and lowercase letters, they can put a bug or button on the uppercase letter on the mat.

If you like this alphabet game, here are few other alphabet activities you will like.

Cookie-Themed Alphabet Letters and Cookie Tray Printable

Spider Letter Swat

Counting Money with Caterpillars Activities and Printables

May 2, 2017 By Deirdre

Counting money with caterpillars is a lot of fun! Your kids will be able to place real or plastic coins onto the counting spaces. You will find counting money matching game mats that focus on a variety of different skills.

Counting Money with Caterpillars Activities

Links below are affiliate links.

Getting Ready

Before you have your children explore these counting money activities, you may want to read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar to them. They will enjoy getting to hear a fun book about caterpillars before the get to work.

The first thing you will need to do is print out the Caterpillar Money Matching Game. While you could print them out in black and white, they were designed to be printed in color.

Next, you will need to decide if you want your children to use real or play money. We used real coins at my house.

Counting Money Activities

There are counting money game boards that focus on coin identification and others that focus on counting. You can have your children focus on one area before bringing out the other if you like.

Number Identification

There are two types of number identification counting money game boards. The first one you will see in the set focuses on sorting through coins to find one of each type of coin minus a dollar coin.

The identification game board focuses on sorting through coins to find one type of coin. The caterpillar’s mouth on these counting money game boards is made up of letters in the name for that coin.

Counting Money

You will also find a set of coin game boards that feature caterpillars with a variety of coins on them. These caterpillars also have a line beneath their nose. Children can write amount all the coins on that caterpillar would add up to.

If you like these activities, here are some more activity pages and printables found right here on JDaniel4’s Mom.

Little Miss Muffet Coding Activity

Penguin Number Activities

Very Hungry Caterpillar Coding Sheet

Ocean Themed Roll and Cover Mats

Muffin Tin Learning- Plastic Egg and Number Match

Counting Money

Free Money Games with American, Canadian, and Australian Coins

I am working with Royal Baloo and 3 Dinosaurs to present a week filled with bug themed printables. I hope you will take the time to visit their sites.

Coding Games for Kids

Building Algorithms Based on Children’s Books

Building Algorithms Based on Science Concepts

Exploring Binary Code

Exploring Algorithms and Coding

Table Top Activities

Floor Activities

Sun and Moon Crafts for the Total Solar Eclipse

Supplies

Creating the Sun and Moon Crafts

Painting

Putting the Sun and Moon Plates Together

Creating a Totally Eclipse

If you like this STEM activity, here are some more you will love.

Preschool Patterns

Getting Ready

Getting Started

Completing Row One

Completing Row Two

Completing Row Three

If you are looking for more great LEGO learning ideas, you will want to check these out:

Supplies for the Sensory Bottles

Constructing the Sensory Bottles

Ways to Explore Sensory Bottles

I Spy

Tell Me a Story

Up Close

Number Count

Math Concepts

More Sensory Bottle Activities

Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish

Getting Ready

Teaching Feeling Activities

Exploring the Feelings

Matching the Face to the Feeling

Pick One Feeling

If you like this focus on teaching feelings activity, here are some more wonderful printables I have created.

Sequencing Activities

Sequencing the Months

Hermit Crab Puppet’s Month Walk

Order the Months for a Hermit Crab Walk

If you like these hermit crab sequencing activities, here are some more ocean themed activities your children will enjoy.

Frog Coloring Pages

Printing the Frog Coloring Pages and Activities

Exploring the Frog Coloring Pages

Life Cycle of a Frog Coloring Pages

Patterning Frog and Polliwogs

Roll and Color Frog Coloring Pages

Constellation for Kids Mat Activities

Getting Ready for the Activity

Here are some other objects you could use:

Exploring the Constellations

A Star on a Star

Count the Stars on the Mat

All Sizes of Stars

The Virtual Book Club is exploring the book How to Catch a Star this week. Here are some wonderful star activities from this blog and others.

Alphabet Match Game

Before Starting the Alphabet Match Game

Getting the Printable

Playing the Alphabet Match Game

Card Pile Match-Up

Mat to Card Match Up

If you like this alphabet game, here are few other alphabet activities you will like.

Counting Money with Caterpillars Activities

Getting Ready

Counting Money Activities

Number Identification

Counting Money

If you like these activities, here are some more activity pages and printables found right here on JDaniel4’s Mom.

Categories

memberships

From the Past