The ideas on the page are examples of kindergarten activities from our classroom.
Just PlayingAuthor Unknown
When I'm building in the block area,Please don't say I'm "Just Playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play: about balance and shapes.
Who knows, I may be an architect someday.
When I'm getting all dressed up, setting the table, caring for the babies,
Don't get the idea I'm, "Just Playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play:
I may be a mother or a father someday.
When you see me up to my elbows in paint, or standing at an easel, or molding
and shaping the clay,
Please don't let me hear you say, "He's Just Playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm expressing myself and being creative.
I may be an artist or an inventor someday.
When you see me sitting in a chair "reading" to an imaginary audience,
Please don't laugh and think I'm "Just Playing."
For you see, I'm learning as I play.
I may be a teacher someday.
When you see me combing the bushes for bugs, or packing my pockets with
choice things I find,
Don't pass it off as "Just Playing."
For, you see, I 'm learning as I play.
I may be a scientist someday.
When you see me engrossed in a puzzle or some plaything at my school,
Please don't feel the time is wasted in "Play."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to solve problems and concentrate.
I may be in business someday.
When you see me cooking to tasting foods,
Please don't think that because I enjoy it, it is "Just Playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to follow directions and see differences.
I may be a cook someday.
When you see me learning to skip, hop, run, and move my body,
Please don't say I'm "Just Playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning how my body works.
I may be a doctor, nurse, or an athlete someday.
When you ask me what I've done at school today, and I say, "I Just Played,"
Please don't misunderstand me.
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to enjoy and be successful in my work,
I'm preparing for tomorrow.
Today, I am a child and my work IS play
Art Table
The art center activities are always changing. The projects are usually
based on our units of study and incorporate use of line and color, as
well as technique. We try to vary the media and methods as much as
possible.
Computers
The computer center is used to reinforce skills:
*keyboard/mouse handling
*language concepts (through software)
*math concepts (through software)
*independent thinking/problem-solving
*publishing student works
Drama Centre
"Do you have a house center?"
"Do you think children really need a house center to play in?"
"How does the home center fit into an 'academic' kindergarten?"We get these questions all the time...... from other teachers, parents, and administrators. They're easy to answer when you
stop and think about what the students are practicing while in the
home center.
The home center is a great place to:
*solve problems
*build language/vocabulary
*develop social skills
*read a cookbook
*look up numbers in the phonebook
*take "phone messages"
*write grocery lists
*pretend!
Of course, pretending builds creativity and imagination, which
lead to great storytelling/writing and problem solving! All of
which sound very "academic"...... Let's face it, everything we do in
kindergarten is academic because it leads to learning!
Students are naturally drawn to this center in the beginning of
the year, mostly out of familiarity. We find that as the year
progresses and as their learning needs change, students tend to
gravitate toward the other centers and the home center "fades"
away. In order for the home centre to still hold an interest, we tend to change it into something else (e.g., flower shop, restaurant, doctors office, post office, music store, birthday centre etc) The children vote and we create the room.
Playdough
This is a favourite center at the beginning of the year. It's great for working fine motor muscles, detail development, and creativity.
Students create:
*animals
*homes
*things
*people
*shapes
*letters
*names/words
Reading CentreEveryone loves the reading center! There are so many options, too!
Here are a few ideas:
*Read around the room- Students do just that... they grab a pointer,
put on reading glasses (party-glasses with coloured lenses) and read all
the environmental print.
Some of our pointers are:
flyswatters with the middle cut out (leaving a "frame"),
rhythm sticks
flashlights
large magnifying glasses
pencils with novelty erasers on the ends
gloves with wiggle eyes on the pointer fingers
dollar store magic wands
*Big books- They LOVE to reread old shared reading books, as well as
big books we've published in response to reading. They never seem to
tire of the old titles.... and are amazed by what they "discover" in past
shared reading. ("Did you know there's a question mark in this book?!"
"Look, I found '-ing' on this page!")
*Poetry books- They may also choose to read their poetry books.
They often make new "discoveries" here, too! Reading their poetry books every weekend when they go home is a great way to review the poems and songs we learn all week
*Pocket charts- Students always seem to love pocket charts...
They may match:
colors to color words,
student photos to names,
number words to numerals/sets, words to pictures,
individual words to lines of poetry, etc.They may order:
letters,
number words,
words to make a sentence, etc.They may also add words to a sentence frame:
I like ____.
The ____ is _____.
I can ______. *Reading- Students just grab a book, find a place, and READ!re are
Science Centre
The science center is the perfect place for students to use their senses as
tools for observation. We encourage students to record their observations,
just like real scientists, in the science journal.
Some great activities for the science center are:
*Color investigation- Students look through old magazines to find things
that are a specific color. Then they add the pictures to the color collage.
*Plant investigation- Students observe and record changes in the plants
(pumpkin seeds, beans, apple seeds, etc.) at the science center.
*Nature investigation- Students collect items from outside (during Fall is
best) to observe/record.*Discovery Bottles- There are numerous discovery bottles to make. Here are a few suggestions:
*bottle with students' photographs and/or names.... they shake until they find their own.
*bottle with rice and "hidden trinkets"..... they shake until they find all the treasures.
*wave bottle.... bottle filled with blue-coloured water and baby oil.
*color bottles.... bottles half-filled with coloured-Karo syrup (use food coloring).*Decomposition investigation- Students observe and record what happens
when things (usually old jack o'lanterns, potatoes, apples, etc.) decompose.
*Animal investigations- Students observe and record growth and changes in
the "live experiments" we'll do this year. We watch as caterpillars morph
into Monarchs and chicks hatch from eggs.
ABC Table
There are about a million activities to do in the ABC center.
Here are just a few:
*Letter find- Students highlight the "focus letter" or sight word in print using
yellow crayon. (We use a blown-up page out of the TV guide or classifieds...
lots of letters and sight words!)
*Letter sort- Students sort plastic letters into upper case and lower case, and by colour of the letters.
*Letter/sound match- Students match up objects and letters. Pocket
charts are great for sorting pictures by initial sound, too.
*Capital/lowercase match- we used plastic alphabet placemats then we used double-stick to attach them to old cookie sheets. The student use magnetic letters to match capital and lowercase letters.
*Magic letters- Students pull sandpaper letters out of a bag. They place the
letter under a piece of paper, rub crayons over it, and the letter "magically"
appears. Then they can illustrate words that begin (or end, for those who are
ready) with that sound.
*Alphabet Puzzles
*ABC memory games*Alphabet Bingo- After playing this as a class, they become very proficient
at organizing games in small groups.
*Alphabet Flash Cards- We have multiple sets in a box. They love reading
these, putting them in alphabetical order, sorting into vowels/consonants,
playing "go fish," etc.
*Read around the room- with partners they play an “I spy” game looking for letters around the room (in poems, labels, books, games, etc)
*Paint Bag Writing
Learning to write letters and numbers can be frustrating for little hands! I like to offer lots of play activities that help build those fine motor skills in a relaxed, fun way. Toddlers and up will enjoy making shapes, swirls, and even letters on a ziploc bag filled with paint!
To make your own paint bag, put some finger paint or tempera paint into a sturdy freezer ziploc bag. Seal it well and smoosh the paint around the entire bag. (You could even add a strip of packing tape across the top if you are worried about your child opening the bag!) That’s it!
We like to tape ours down to the table so it doesn’t wiggle around too much. Try doodling and writing with your finger first. Your child may also enjoy using a cotton swab to write with. When your tablet is full of scribbles (or sight words for older kids!), smoosh and smear the paint around and start over. No mess, just fun!
Math
Math Tubs
Math Tubs are simply plastic tubs containing games and hands on manipulatives for students to use that focus on a particular math concepts. The tubs can be used as a directed center, one on one skill practice, or for additional reinforcement during free choice time once introduced. While working with the materials in each tub, students are practicing and developing one to one correspondence, numeral recognition, sorting skills, patterning skills, set recognition, etc.
The math area also contains manipulatives such as size bears, unifix cubes, pattern blocks, plastic chain links, tiles, coloured cubes, plastic animals, tangrams, etc. These are for students to use in conjunction with some of the math tub activities, but also for whole class lessons and free exploration.
Sand/Water
- exploration and discovery
- cause and effect
- measurement
- problem solving
- properties of matter
Puppets
- comprehension/retelling of stories
- vocabulary development
- problem solving
- cooperation and social skills
Painting
- fine motor skills
- creative expression
- colors, shapes, and size relationships
- exploring materials
- visual perception
Outdoor Play
Play Time recognizes the importance of daily outdoor play for large muscle development and activity. Our spacious playground is equipped with a variety of climbing, sliding, and riding apparatus for our children’s outdoor fun. Children play outdoors each day in suitable weather. On inclement weather days, children have indoor large muscle activities through exercise, music and drama lessons.
