Christmas

Night before Christmas Lapbook
Advent puzzle
the nativity song with pictures-- maybe a mini-book
ABC Christmas book
Shapes-- put the presents in the right box
Here

Counting worksheet
memory + more
nativity dominoes

Christmas Lapbook
Symbols of Christmas mini-book
wish list
Draw Santa
Christmas tree pop-up
Present shapes
Nativity song
Stars ascending
Christmas memory game

+ add
Brown Reindeer what do you see?
I see Christmas
5 senses Christmas

Gingerbread

Gingerbread FF game
Counting Gingerbread men
Great Gingerbread lesson plan
Another
Jan Brett activities
Lapbook
Lapbook Resources

Dinosaur Lapbook

Cute pop-up dino card

Ocean Activity

Create your own aquarium with homemade stickers

Make an aquarium diorama using paper plates

Yellowstone Lapbook

Books to read:
Hey Ranger, Kids ask questions about Yellowstone National Park
Who Pooped in the Park? Yellowstone National Park


Activities:
Kids Yellowstone Map and other things from Family Fun
Yellowstone Alphabet Book
Elk and Bison coloring page

Denver Lapbook (Money)

Background Info:


Links:

Printables
Printables

Make learning fun money theme
has lots of great stuff from counting cards to heads/tails tally sheets-- Lots to go along with the book "Benny's Pennies"

Christmas

These are the cutest little trees made from pipe cleaners and ferrero rocher. They'd be great for the kids to do.

Fabric christmas trees! Too cute!

Fish

make a fish out of a paper plate

Lapbooks

Okay, I just came across the concept of lapbooks, and it looks like so much fun. Almost exactly what I was looking for for our trip next summer. They could be very time consuming, but I'm sure the kids would love them.

Helpful Links:

Lapbook lessons

The very hungry caterpillar lapbook

Squidoo

Preschool Homeschooling

Just call me Jamin!

More

Homeschool helper

More

and More

Bugs

Bugs Everywhere Birthday Party Theme
A creepy, crawly and fun bug birthday party for kids!

Please note: At this time we do not have a "bug" themed party
pattern to recommend but solid colored items in green, yellow
and orange would look great!

BUG PARTY INVITATIONS
Make your own invitations using bright green cardstock paper.
Fold your paper in half or make a postcard. Cut the card into a leaf shape.
Attach a few bug stickers on the front. Use a fine tip marker to create "bug tracks".
On the front write:
"What is creepy, crawly, has twenty legs...and laughs a lot?"
On the back write the answer and the party details.
"My Birthday party and you're invited!"
Come dressed for play.

Make your riddle invitation, using the amount of legs
for your guest list. 5 children = 10 legs,
8 children -=16 legs etc.

BUG PARTY DECORATIONS
Cover your table with a solid table cloth. The color theme for this party could be green, yellow and orange. Your local teacher store may have images of bugs you can use to decorate your table and party area.
Scatter Gummi worms and bugs ALL over the table.
Use green and yellow helium balloons and streamers.
Cut and hang paper bugs and spiders from the ceiling.
Add green butcher paper leaves to attach to the floor and ceiling.

Personalize your party with this unique buggy banner...
personalize here >>

Be a Bug

Upon arrival, adorn each guest with lady bug antennae.
Made with a headband, pipe cleaners and Styrofoam balls.
Use different colors like bright green, blue, orange, yellow
and purple. If you cannot find colored foam balls,
Spray paint will work. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the
headband and secure with a little hot glue. Curls the pipe cleaner around pencil and insert the end into the ball.
Secure it also with hot glue.


Birthday In A Box has pre-made antennae headbands in several colors!
Check it out >>

GOODIE BAGS
An easy party for goody bags!
-Fill simple brown lunch bags with stickers. Tie the bags with curling ribbon.
-Chinese food boxes (ask your local restaurant) decorated with stickers.
Fill with glow in the dark spiders, gummi worms, silly putty, Nickelodeon slime, spider tattoos, "fly in the ice trick ice cube", a card with "goop and gak" recipes written down.

GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

Caterpillar Crawl
Create an obstacle course with couch cushions, chairs, tables, whatever is in the room and not breakable.
Make two teams.
The first player of each team gets into a sleeping bag.
On "GO" the 2 first players from each team must perform
the obstacle course staying in the bag and on the floor.
If the sleeping bag comes off,
then the player must start over.
When the first player is done the next person on
their team must take the sack off his/her team mate
and put it on him/herself. The first team to finish wins!!!!

Bug Hunt
Hide a large amount of toy bugs around the house or outside.
Let the children find them. Let them keep the bugs.
Variation of the Bug Hunt:
Fill a dish pan with rice and several toy insects.
The children take turns using tweezers to "catch"
the bugs, with in a time limit.
They get to keep the bugs they find
so make sure you get enough

Bug Party Craft
Pipe cleaner spiders
Pipe cleaners, 4 for each child.
Large wooden beads.
Make sure that the beads have a hole large enough for 4 pipe cleaners to thread through. Place the bead in the middle.
Bend and twist spider legs to desired shape.
Draw small eyes on the wood bead with a permanent marker.

Make Bug Stones

Make your own bug paper weight, garden stone or
house plant decoration. Read instructions >>

Pin the Bug on the Leaf
Play this game just as you would Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
Before the party...
Make a Large Poster board Leaf with a circle drawn on
the center. Place a piece of double stick tape or
"sticky-tack" on the back of each bug. Take turns
wearing the blindfold, spinning two or three times and
trying to place your bug as close to the center of the
leaf as possible.

EATS AND TREATS FOR A BUGGY PARTY

Caterpillar Cake
Make enough cupcakes for your guests or more- no liners !
Frost bottoms and sides with green or yellow frosting.
Set them side by side to form a wiggly caterpillar.
Make eyes with gumdrops, cut lengths of licorice or fruit shoelaces for legs and antennae. Add spots with sweet
tart or gumballs.

Bug Birthday Cupcakes

The instructions for this cake are for a Ladybug.
However a simple frosting color change will make a different bug.
Read cake instructions >>


Edible Garbage Dump
You'll need:
Clear Plastic cups
Chocolate pudding
Chocolate cookie crumbs
gummi worms, fish, spiders and cola bottles
To make:
Layer pudding and cookie crumbs in the cup alternately.
While making layers hide the Gummi "garbage" in the pudding. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a gummi also. Consider having the party guests make their own
as an activity!

Drinks
"Waiter there's a bug in my juice!"
Place toy flies or bug fruit snacks in an ice ring, with water and a few drops of green food coloring.
Add it to a punch bowl of lemonade and 7-up.
in an ice tray ad water and a drop of green food color.
NOT RECOMMENDED for small children.
Let the kids know about the flies just in case.

Ocean

Make an ocean in a bottle:

Ocean Treasures in a Bottle

Need:

empty small clear plastic soda bottle
water
cooking oil
blue food coloring
beads
shells
glitter
coins

Remove the label from the bottle. Pour enough water to fill 3/4 of the bottle. Add a drop of blue food coloring. Add in the shells, beads, coins, and glitter. Fill the remainder with cooking oil. Place the lid on securely - you may want to wrap the secured lid with electrical tape. Now you have an ocean in a bottle - with treasure!!

If you have trouble getting the entire label off - you may want to place a label over it saying "(child's name)'s Ocean in a Bottle".

Have fun and let your children be creative with thier recycled treasures!

Hair

Discussion on making baby headbands

Heather Bailey design straight headbands

Reversible headband pattern and tutorial

Baby Bling bows

How to make bows

Felt Barrette how-to

Felt Barrette ideas

More felt barrettes


She Does Hair Tutorial-- cute styles

Plants

Grass Heads
During this Spring curriculum activity by Jackie youngsters will have the opportunity to grow their own grass head and be responsible for watering it daily.

Materials: Old pair of nylon legs, grass seed, soil, small plastic containers (,jar or cleaned cat food tins), elastic bands, googlie eyes (the ones you sew on), pipe cleaners and a spray bottle.

Description:
1. Cut nylon at the knee
2. Scoop in 1 tbsp. grass seed
3. Scoop in preferred amount of soil / compacted (size of a softball).
Work the soil down to foot of nylon into shape of a head.
4. Tie the open end of the nylon tight (snip excess nylon and leave about 3 inches dangling).
OPTIONAL:
5. Have the children pinch the soil through the nylon to make it easy to tie an elastic around for ears and nose.
6. Sew on googlie eyes.
7. Make glasses out of pipe cleaners
8. Place grass head on top of small container (have excess 3 inch nylon dangling into the container
9. Pour in 1/2 inch of water in bottom of the container every couple of days.
10. Spray water gently over grass seeds on top 2 times each day.

WATCH THE GRASS GROW and watch the children enjoy creating there own hairdo's.

Alphabet Activities

In the alphabet issue of kids craft weekly there are some great ideas. I love the alphabet treasure hunt. Put stickers w/ letters on items that start with that letter. Then they have to go around and find all the letters. Also, I like the magazine hunt for letters.

Tentative Camping / Picnic / Animal Tracks Week

On Friday library day get next week theme books.

Monday: Book, songs,
make camping book
do flashlight pictures
make campfire snack

Tuesday: Weave placemat
Hungry bear taking items
Make sandwich on a stick

Wednesday: Make tent,
Go on a bear hunt
make trail mix

Thursday: Talk about animal tracks
Do animal track cards

Friday: Camping obstacle course
make nature boxes for trip
marshmallows

Picnic

weave a basket

Make these cute sandwiches on a stick.

Seasons

Match types of clothing to the seasons. Coats for winter. Sandals for Summer, etc.

Autumn:
Make trees by blowing paint and adding leaf glitter.

Forest Animals

Here's a great matching game to learn about animal tracks.

Animal Tracks: Give your child a basic understanding by first making footprints with his/her own feet. Let your child step into a bucket of water and walk down a sidewalk or driveway. Examine the footprints together. Make keepsake prints by painting your child's soles with paint and having him step onto a piece of paper. Label them "(your child's name) Tracks". Consider making prints with your feet to compare. Now, pull out your bucket of plastic animals and bugs, dip them in a shallow cup of paint or a stamp pad and make tracks with them, each on its own paper. Have your child tell you how each one is different as you label each page with your child's words. Lay them on a table with the corresponding animal toy for a science center activity. This can turn into a matching game!

Books / Folder Ideas

Make an envelope book.

Lots of different types of books.

Links to lots of mini-books.

Look at these match-box books.

Dinosaurs

Use jello to make egg jigglers. Put dino fruit snacks inside.

Paper mache dino eggs.

Let your child color the dinosaurs you cut out earlier. When she is done, cut a length of yarn long enough for her to lace around the dinosaurs. Let her lace around all but a small portion of the dinosaur. Use the crumpled newspaper to stuff between the two dinosaurs to give it dimension. Finish lacing the dinosaur, tie off the end, and tie a small length of yarn to the top to hang the dinosaur by.

Camping

Camping books to check out:
Amos Camps Out by Susan Seligson and Howie Schneider
Amelia Bedelia goes Camping by Peggy Parish

Make trail mix. Learn following instructions and measuring. One scoop of raisins, 2 scoops peanuts, etc.

Fun camping book.

Make dinner with the fish.??? Check this out.

Cute nature box!!

Camping songs from here.

Make campfires out of pretzel logs.

Make a tent out of paper. Fold the top corners down to look like a tent. Decorate with trees, etc.

Camping handouts to work on. Includes small pictures of camping items that may be able to be cut out and used to decorate tent picture.

Camping coloring pages.

Fun camping lesson plan. Need to read in further detail.

Make things out of marshmallows and toothpicks.

Do a Camping theme obstacle course. Go around the cooler, over the pyramid of sleeping bags, walk along the rope, etc.

TWIG FRAMES

	First, give each of your children four large craft sticks.
	Show them how to glue the four sticks into a square.
	Next, have each child glue small twigs on top of the frames.

HUNGRY BEAR

	Spread out a large blanket.
	Have your children sit around the outside edge.
	In the middle of the blanket, set four or five picnic, camping or food items.
	Point out each item and have children try to remember them.
	Have the children pretend they are on a picnic in the woods and get tired and decide to take a nap.
	While they are sleeping, along comes a bear (select one of the children to be the bear) and steals one of the items and drags it off (around a corner).
	When the children wake up, see if they can identify the missing item.
	When it is identified, the bear comes back and places the item back on the blanket.
	Another child is chosen to be the bear and the game is played again.

FLASHLIGHT PICTURES

	Have children sit in a straight line in front of a blank wall.
	Turn off the lights and turn on a flashlight.
	Hand the flashlight to a child and have them outline a simple shape on the wall.
	Have the other children try to guess what shape is being drawn.
	Let the child that guesses correctly, have the next turn.

STORY WHEEL

	Take a paper plate and glue small pictures related to camping around the outside of the plate.
	Attach a spinner to the middle of the plate. (A large safety pin attached with a paper fastener works great)
	Start a story about camping.
	Let your children take turns spinning the story wheel and then incorporate that item into the story. (If children are too young to participate in the story telling, just let them spin, then you continue the story, incorporating that item or element into the story.)

TWIG LETTERS

Find some small twigs and break them into 2” sections. Practice forming straight line letters with the twigs.

Ladybugs

yMake a cute ladybug book. This one allows you to paint fingerprints on it, and encourages counting.

Cute idea to do with counting.

Butterflies

Hatching Butterflies

Posted using ShareThis

Butterfly Mobile from Family Fun

It's a treat to catch even a glimpse of a butterfly, and with this colorful mobile, you'll have a fleet of the creatures hanging around. To make one, you'll need paper, scissors, colored translucent plastic report covers, glue, pipe cleaners, 28-gauge wire, fishing line and a wire coat hanger.

Start by drawing a butterfly wing on paper and cutting it out for a template. Place the template so that the straight edge is flush with the report cover fold, trace around it and cut out the shape. Unfolded, the cutout will be a whole butterfly. Use this method to make seven more.

Next, cut small translucent circles of various colors and glue two onto each wing. Then, wrap a pipe cleaner around the butterfly. Twist the ends of a piece of wire to the top and bottom of the pipe cleaner. Tie a length of fishing line to the center of the wire on each butterfly. Finally, shape the coat hanger into a figure eight and tie on the butterflies so that they hang at different lengths.

Make coffee filter butterflies

Do big bead caterpillars

Homes and Houses

Practice shapes by building a house. Here's a template.

Build a log cabin out of pretzel sticks and frosting.

Make a box town:

BOX TOWN

This is an easy way to make a toy town using old boxes, cartons, colored paper, scissors, tape, paper tubes, and crayons.

	To make buildings: Wrap up boxes and other empty containers with colored paper. Have an adult cut out doors if wanted. Use tissue tubes for chimneys. Decorate with windows, flower boxes, etc.
	To make trees: Use a tissue paper tube for the trunk. Draw a green blob on stiff paper or cardboard for the leaf canopy and cut it out. Tape the green canopy to the tube.

Match the animal with its home.
Homes Concentration Game

Space

Here's a good coloring page for them.

Clip from the Lion King on the stars?

Take a black piece of paper and put star stickers on it. Draw lines forming a constellation. Give the constellation a name.

Make a sequencing activity with aliens. Put them in order according to size. See here.

Police

Make a Police hat here.

Safety

I want the children to learn more about calling 9-1-1, what to do if there is a fire, phone numbers, etc.

There are some practice sheets here for calling 9-1-1.

Check here.

Lapbooking lesson

Pioneers

Whole themed lesson here.

Pioneer facts treasure hunt.

Picture of a handcart and items to put in it to cut, color and paste.

Edible covered wagons.

This pioneer puzzle game could be fun.

Misc.

Shadow Clock. The pioneers were able to tell time based on the position of the sun. Take each child out on your driveway. You're going to trace their shadow a few times (however many times YOU want to : ) Anyway, you have the child face the same direction each time. Using sidewalk chalk, trace each child's shadow. Have the child write their names by their shadows. (That was my children's favorite part - they love writing their names). We also wrote the time inside each new shadow. If your children are old enough, they could trace each other's shadows. Repeat every couple of hours. After it is all done, ask, Are the shadows mostly long or short? Why are some shadows in front and some are behind? Why are some small and some long? Have them think about where the sun is in the sky at different times of day. This is how the people were able to tell time back then.

More ideas I need to sort!

Science - Fun with ketchup. What you need: old grungy pennies, paper towels, ketchup, a plastic tray, placemat or cookie sheet, old toothbrush, soap and water. Wash your pennies first. I like to put all the pennies in a container with a lid, add warm soapy water, seal and shake. Rinse. Then, squirt a bunch of ketchup onto your work surface, add pennies and have the kids let them sit for at least 2 minutes to get the vinegar in the ketchup to start working on the copper oxide. Hand your children a toothbrush and let them scrub, scrub, scrub away. Toss the pennies back into the washing container, rinse and you're done!




Make snow globes here.

Make Glass Ice Balls and learn about mixing colors.

I want to make these chewy granola bars.

Chewy Granola Bars Recipe:

2 1/2 c. Oats - quick rolled oats

1/2 c. Rice Krispies

1/4 c. coconut

1/2 c. M&M minis

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Add all of the ingredients and mix together until combined. Press into a square 8×8 pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and score into bars. Let it set completely and then cut into bars. For thinner bars, press mix into a 9×13 pan. They seem to set a little better in the 9×13 pan. For additional topping ideas visit my Mini Chip Granola Bars post.

Let's recycle our crayons!!! Check this out.

This puffy paint made from self-raising flour and cooked in the micro looks so fun.

# 1 tablespoon self-raising flour
# a few little drops of food colouring
# 1 tablespoon salt

Then add some water to make a nice smooth paste.

Paint away on a nice thick sheet of cardboard (if you don't have enough paint brushes use cotton buds - they work really well).

Microwave the design on high for 10 - 30 seconds until the paint puffs and it's all nice and dry. We did ours for 30 seconds.

Firefighters

Lots of info here.

Math - Dalmatian Hot Dots (click here to download worksheet). Have the children place the correct number of red hots on each card (see picture).



Red Dots - Get tiny red dot stickers from a office supply store. Have your children put the red dots on hot things as you do a safety walk with them through your home.

Fiery Necklaces - Use red vinyl lacing string to lace colored macaroni: red, yellow, and orange.
File Folder: Fire Safety

Fire Truck Snack

Each fire truck takes one and a half graham crackers. This craft makes a great snack that kids can make themselves (with some guidance). This craft can be messy!

Supplies:

A paper plate Graham crackers (1 1/2 per fire truck) Tiny Ritz crackers (for wheels) Stick pretzels Black licorice Softened cream cheese (or thick frosting) Red food coloring A red jellybean, a red Dots candy, a cherry, or a strawberry

Have an adult mix a few drops of food coloring to the cream cheese (or frosting). The children will use this edible "glue" to put their fire truck together.

Start with a whole graham cracker. Using the back of a spoon, spread some of the "glue" on one side of it.

Put half a graham cracker on top of the "glue." This is the cab of the fire truck.

"Glue" a red jellybean, a red Dots candy, a cherry, or a strawberry on top of the cab. This is the fire truck's red light. "Glue" four of the tiny Ritz crackers to the sides - these are the wheels.

On the back of the truck, "glue" two pretzels parallel to each other. Then "glue" in broken pieces to make a tiny ladder.

"Glue" on a piece of licorice - this is the firehose. You now have a tiny fire truck that is great for snack time!

Independence Day!

Uncle Sam Ice Cream Cones

This 4th of July, invite your kids to turn ice cream cones into edible, festive Uncle Sam top hats.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 Wafer ice cream cone
White frosting
Blue fruit leather
Red and blue decorating gels
Red and blue M&M's
Canister of ready-made whipped cream

1. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a plate and return it to the freezer to harden. Meanwhile, construct an Uncle Sam hat out of a wafer ice cream cone.

2. Use frosting to attach a blue band of fruit leather around the bottom of the cone. Squirt vertical stripes of red decorating gel down the sides and blue gel on the top.

3. Using a star tip, squirt on white frosting stars around the blue fruit leather, if desired. TIP: To avoid smudging the Uncle Sam hat design, have your child hold the cone from the inside while decorating it with fruit leather and icing.

4. Remove the ice cream-scoop "head" from the freezer and top with the Uncle Sam hat. Working quickly so the ice cream doesn't melt, add blue M&M's eyes and a red M&M's nose. Finally, add a whipped cream beard. To do this, have your child hold the canister upside down while squirting on a long white beard.

5. Serve up your Uncle Sam ice cream cone immediately. Makes 1.

Frogs

From Sugardoodle:

Make your own plague of frogs by gathering several 3″ x 5″ index cards and frog-color crayons and/or markers, then following these steps (see illustrations for each step):

1. Decorate the blank side of the card with lines, dots, and squiggles.

2. Fold the card in half the long way with the design on the outside. Then open it back up.

3. With the blank side facing you, fold the right top corner down to the left edge to make a triangle, then open the card back up.

4. Do the same on the left top corner to the right edge, then open the card back up.

5. Turn the card over to the frog-colored side. You will find a folded X on the card. Fold the top half of the card down so that the X is folded in half.

6. Open the card back up and turn it over to the blank side. Push the sides in and down along the fold lines at the top. Push the top down to form a triangle.

7. Fold the right flap of the triangle to the center. Do the same with the left flap. This will form a diamond shape.

8. Fold the right and left flaps to the bottom edges of the diamond. This makes the front legs of the frog.

9. To start making the back legs, fold the bottom part of the card inward from both sides so that two sides meet in the center.

10. Fold down the top of the frog just below the diamond shape.

11. Turn the frog over and fold the bottom part of the frog in half toward you. This gives the frog “knees.”

12. Turn the finished frog over and make eyes. To make the frog jump, push its back down and quickly let it go.
Have your family help you make a plague-sized batch of frogs. Then use them in a family home evening lesson about Moses and the children of Israel. Afterward, your frogs can plague your desk or bookcase. You can also have frog races or jumping contests.


Lilypad Toss
Published July 9, 2007 Crafting With the Urchins , Fiber Crafts , Sewing


Lilypad Toss

You’ll need:

* 2 (or however many players you have) not identical purl frogs — mine were made from scraps of green fabric that I don’t like but Katrina does.
* 5 lilypads — ours were cut from cardboard and painted by Katie. I might make a set for a birthday gift and then I think I’ll make the lilypads from felt. The lilypads should be numbered from 1 to 5.
* 5 lilies for your lilypads — these are totally unnecessary but really cute. We made tissue paper flowers (inspired by Erin) but if I was making a more permanent set I would make these from fabric.

Lilypad Toss

How to Play:
For the Younger Child

* Toss a frog into the stream.
* If it lands on a lilypad jump up and down and shout Yeah!
* If it lands in the stream go get it and try again.

Lilypad Toss

For the Slightly Older Child

* Each player selects their frog.
* Take turns tossing the frog. On the first turn try to toss your frog onto the lilypad labeled number 1.
* After successfully landing the frog on lilypad 1 aim for lilypad 2 on your next turn
* Continue in this manner until one player tosses their frog onto lilypad 5. The first one to do this is the winner!

Lilypad Toss

For the Oldest Child Who Will Be Amused by Tossing a Stuffed Frog

* Each player selects their frog.
* Take turns tossing the frog onto the lilypads for 10 turns.
* Each lilypad is worth a certain number of points (1-5). Keep track of how many points you earn.
* After ten turns add up each player’s points and the one with the most points wins!

(use foam for lillypads)

Transportation

Play red light/green light.

Make stoplight cookies like these at betty crocker-- put them in order-- red, yellow, green. Or you could use frosted grahm crackers with gumdrops, lifesavers, or m&ms.





Make a ramp and send cars down it. Measure which one goes the farthest.

Make tire tracks on paper with toy cars wheels dipped in paint.

Hold a car wash, and wash the bikes and ride on toys outside.

From Sugardoodle:

Free Play and Art - Make card board box cars. Find boxes big enough for the children to sit in. Cut the bottoms outs and the flaps. The flaps can be used to make rearview mirrors (cover with aluminum foil) or license plates. Paper plates can be used for the wheels. Make personalized license plates with their names. You could make a driving range for the kids to drive their cars on, different traffic signs and maybe have one child be a police man.

Parking Garage - You'll need masking tape. Place on floor place like a parking spaces, numbers or letters written in each space ( you can use pieces of paper with the number written on them). Children take turns driving their car to the correct number parking space that you assign them.

Stop Sign - Make an octagon out of red construction paper. Using black licorice, cut into half inch pieces. If your child is younger, write the word STOP on the paper and have them place the pieces of licorice on top of the letters. If they are older, have them spell STOP all by themselves (have them sound it out if they need to).

Movie - Have everyone watch a movie that pertains to this lesson plan in their card board cars. Give everyone a small bag of popcorn.

All Aboard the Color Train:
Cut out many "tickets" from different colors of construction paper. Give each child three or four tickets. Tell the children that you are the conductor of a Color Train and they can ride the train if they have a ticket that matches the color you call. Set up chairs or have the children line up to march around the room. Announce "All aboard the Red Train" or the color of your choice. Have the children give you their ticket and have them march around the room. After a minute, announce a new color. Variations: use numbers, letters or shapes instead of colors.

Train Sort
Set up a few boxes to make them look like train cars. Supply the children with different things (cargo) to sort into the boxes. Ask them to sort by color, shape, texture etc. Or let them sort and tell you how they chose to sort the items.

Number Train
Cut out a train engine and 5 box car shapes from construction paper. (You may choose to laminate them to make them last longer. Number the cars from 1 to 5, then ask the children to line the cars up in order.

Transportation songs

Train numbers worksheet