I was at a  wonderful seminar today. Called Kids Have Stress Too! We can all relate to stress in one form or another, but sometimes I think we can forget our little ones can get stressed out too!

Here are some helpful hints to build a less stressful home:

1.Make sure your child gets excercise and time to play.

2.Healthy food can help the body cope with stress more easily.

3.Spend time with your children and ask them how they feel.

4.Hugs and Kisses show kids you love them and make them feel good.

5.Bedtime routines help kids relax at the end of the day.

6.Sleep is important. A tierd child gets stressed more easily.

7.Morning routines get the day off to a good start.

8.Have fun together. A good laugh helps fight off stress.

9.learn to manage your stress.

The good news is even very young children can learn yo manage their own stress. The younger they learn the better! These activities will help them for the rest of their lives.

For more information on stress in children visit this website

www.kidshavestresstoo.org

I am always looking for uses of those plastic Easter Eggs, as there always seems to be millions left over. Each child picked a plastic Easter egg and filled it with rice, and then I taped it closed.

We used self- adhesive (egg shaped) stickers for the wings and feet, but you could cut your own foam shapes and glue them on. I prefer the self-adhesive stickers with the preschoolers. The kids loved the noise they made. We used them during our circle and music time to make some music.

 

                   Click on pics to enlarge

This Cute Easter Handprint Craft is fun and easy for all ages. My Daycare kids love the finished product of this craft. The Craft in the picture is made from foam but I have done this with construction paper too.

 

If you want to take this craft a step further you could make it an Easter card and have the kids color a page and add stickers.

 

                  

Click on image to enlarge

 

 

 

Check out this great Easter Basket Idea.

 

Fun for all ages! We made these out of fruit baskets. I cut the bunny face out of foam, the kids painted the basket, glued on the face and cotton tail. We used these baskets in our annual Easter egg hunt              

                       

 Just click on pics to enlarge

Hope you enjoy this craft idea

Kellie:)

 

 

 

 

 

Egg Hop
Cut out large egg shapes from coloured paper. Laminate them and cut them out. Place them on the floor and ask the children to hop from one egg to another. These may also be used at seat markers for group time.

 

Where is your Egg?
Played like “Doggie Doggie where’s your bone?” Have one child sit in the middle of the circle, and hide their eyes. Give another child an egg to hide behind their back. Have all the other children put their hands behind their back. Chant the following song:
Bunny, Bunny,
Your egg you can’t find
Somebody has it,
check behind,
The child in the middle gets three guesses. Then the child
who had the egg goes into the middle.

 

What time is it Easter Bunny?
This is a fun game to play outside. You can change the name to suit any theme. The children all line up against a wall or fence. And one child, (Easter Bunny) or the teacher faces away from the children, a good distance away from the children. The children yell, what time is it “Easter Bunny,” Easter Bunny answers one o’clock, and the children all take one step toward Easter Bunny. The children yell again, what time is it “Easter Bunny,” Easter Bunny answers (fill in the blank) o’clock, and the children all take same number of steps toward Easter Bunny. This continues until all the children are very close to Easter Bunny then Easter Bunny will answer it’s midnight, and Easter Bunny chases the children back to the fence or wall that they started at. The first person Easter Bunny touches will be the new Easter Bunny.

Egg Toss
Supply the children with plastic eggs and an Easter basket. Place a piece of masking tape on the floor for a throw line. The distance from the basket to the line should vary with abilities. Have the children throw the eggs into the basket.

 

Bunny Bowling
Obtain 10  2 liter bottles. Fill the bottles about 1/8 full with water and seal the lid. Then, decorate the bottles like bunnies, adding construction paper ears, and use permanent markers for the eyes and nose. Set the bottles up like they were bowling pins and have the children roll a ball to try to knock them over. If they don’t knock over easily, remove some of the water.Bunny Hop Race
Have the children race by hopping like bunnies.

Duck Waddle Race
Have the children grasp their ankles and have a duck waddle race.

 

 

 

 

Bunny May I?
Played just like Mother May I? The child and parent stand at opposite sides of a room. The child asks if he/she may: take so may step forward. i.e. “Mother may I Please take three baby steps forward?” the answer would be either, “Yes you may,” or “No, you may not.” The child wins when they reach you. Encourage the use of descriptive words, such as little, big, huge, tiny, and giant. You can also play this with a group of children. The winner would be the one who reaches you first.Duck, Duck, Bunny!!!
Played like “Duck, Duck, Goose” except the children will hop around the circle, and say “Bunny” instead of “Goose.”

 

 

 

 

Roll the Egg
Lol, I’m Laughing already!!!! This one is sooooo fun. If you have more than one child, it can be a race, or for one child you can time them. Here goes… place masking tape on the floor for the start and finish lines. Place one plastic egg on the starting line for each child. Explain that the object of the game is to roll the egg to the finish line with YOUR NOSE. If they get too good, add a few obstacles, such as a chair to go around, or tape a line for them to try to follow, be creative.

 

Bunny Hop
Play the song “Bunny Hop.” Have the child dance around until the Bump, Bump, Bump. Explain that this is the time to Hop. Dance and Hop with your child.

 

Bunny Hop Musical Chairs
If they children made bunny headbands, have them wear them during this activity. Arrange the chairs in a circle. If you have younger children, it is best to have too many chairs. This can be a game where everyone wins. Have the children hop around the chairs until the music stops. Then everyone finds a chair.

 

Easter Egg Bean Bag Toss
Cut out three egg shapes from a piece of cardboard. Paint around the shapes with three different colors. When dry, prop up the cardboard and have the children play beanbag toss, trying to get the beanbags in the egg holes.Musical Easter Eggs
Cut out large egg shapes from colored paper. Laminate them and cut them out. Place them on the floor. It is best for younger children to have more eggs than children. Play music and have the children walk around the room. When the music stops, each child needs to find an egg to stand on.

Pass the Egg
Played like hot potato… have the children sit in a circle and pass plastic egg around the circle when music is playing, when the music stops the child holding the egg sits in the middle or the “Easter Egg pot” until the music stops again and the next child replaces the first. You may also chant “Easter Egg, Easter Egg 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10″ and the child who has the egg on 10 is in the “Easter Egg pot.”

 

 

I hope you enjoy these games with your preschoolers

 With Valentines Day just around the corner, I have been getting a lot of requests for some Valentines ideas.

I always give my preschoolers invitations, everyone love getting a party invitation no matter what your age. Here is a great website that offers FREE Printable Valentines Party Invitation, I like this website because you don’t have to download anything they just pop up in PDF form to print them out.

http://www.hooverwebdesign.com/valentines-party-free-printable-invitation.html

 

Valentine Necklace

Supplies needed                                                                

Foam hearts, straws, string and a hole punch.

Punch holes in the middle of the foam hearts. I had my preschoolers try to punch the holes themselves, but sometimes this can be difficult for little hands. Have children cut  a straw into small pieces. Have children lace the hearts and straw pieces with the string.

Heart Marble Painting

Supplies needed

Large paper heart, marbles, red and white paint and pop case box.

Place paper heart in bottom of pop case box (minimizes mess) place some of the marbles in the white paint, some in the red paint. Have children spoon the marbles onto the paper, move box from side to side so the marbles roll around.

Valentine Games

Circle Time Heart Match Game
Make a valentine for half the number of children in the group. Cut each heart in half in a zigzag or swirly fashion, so that each cut is fairly unique and identifiable. Each child is given part of a heart and must find his/her partner by matching the valentine halves.

Flying Hearts
Glue a red and a pink heart together back to back. Put this special heart plus about three dozen plain hearts in the center of an old bed sheet. The children hold onto all sides of the sheet and gently toss the hearts up and down. At the shout of “Hearts high!” the children toss the sheet high into the air, making the hearts fly. The child who picks up the most hearts and the one who finds the special pink and red heart are the winners.

Postman, Postman
Everyone gets to participate in this game involving a hidden valentine. Choose one child to be postman and give him or her the postman’s hat. (Red strip of paper with pink heart that says Postman.) The postman must hide his eyes while you give another child a valentine to hide behind their back. Then the postman uncovers his eyes and faces his classmates who say, “Postman, postman, where’s the mail?” The postman gets three guesses to find out who is hiding the mail. If he guesses correctly, he continues as postman. If he guesses incorrectly, the person with the mail becomes the postman.

Sensational Sensory Box Idea

 

In this frigid Canadian cold weather, it is impossible to get the kids outside.

I have this Sensational Sensory Box Idea to keep the kids busy for hours. No need for an expensive sensory table, I use a shallow Rubbermaid storage box.

 

RAINBOW RICE

 

 

With large bag of uncooked white rice, divide rice in to large zip-lock bags  (depending on how many colours you decide to make)

Mix a few tablespoons of cold water to the white rice mix around to make sure all pieces are covered, then add a few drops of food colouring (add more food colouring for darker colours) Let the rice soak in water until it is the desired color. Make several different colors of rice. Allow to air dry on a cookie sheet, and then mix them together for a pretty rainbow effect. And let the fun sensory play begin!

 

 

 

My kids LOVE this Rainbow rice it is so easy to make and non toxic, so you don’t need to worry about the little ones who put thing in their mouths.

 

Just add scoops and cups, dinosaurs or toy cars……….

 

Cleanup is a breeze, just sweep or vacuum off floor.

 

Do you have a sensational Sensory Box Idea?

Please share in our comments box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preschool Groundhog Day Songs and Game Ideas

 

Groundhog Day Feb 2nd

 

With Ground Hog Day just around the corner I thought I would share some ideas with you. I found this great Canadian website full of facts, games, math ideas and more.

 

 

http://www.southbrucepeninsula.com/index.cfm?pagecat=103&r=93910

 

Songs

 

 

 Groundhog’s Holiday

The second month, the second day,
we know is Groundhog’s Holiday.
The keeper of the local zoo,
Photographers, reporters, too,
Anxiously await together
Woodchuck’s forecast of the weather.
Each year this time he leaves his hearth,
His home beneath good Mother Earth.
He wiggles out to see the sun
and sure enough - ask anyone-
Should he perchance his shadow see,
Back to his home again he’ll flee.
And that sign’s still the surest thing
Six weeks must pass before its spring!

Little Groundhog

(To the tune of “Little White Duck”)

There’s a little groundhog
that lives in the ground,
A little groundhog
who likes to look around.
She comes outside on Groundhog’s Day
If she sees her shadow, then she runs away.
There’s a little groundhog,
who loves to stay and play
when spring’s on its way.

Little Groundhog

I’m a little groundhog
Short and stout.
On Groundhog Day
I always come out.
If the sun is shining
my shadow, I will see.
If the sun’s not out
then you’ll only see me.
Shine, sun, shine
winter’s here for six weeks more.
Shine, sun, shine
Because I want to snore.
If you do not shine
And my shadow’s not out,
Spring is here!
Everybody will shout.

Mr. Groundhog’s Day

On February second
The groundhog looked about
The sun was shining brightly
But his shadow wasn’t out.

Mr. Woolly Bear was watching
The groundhog search around
“Mr. Groundhog look behind you
Your shadow’s on the ground.”

“Hooray”, the groundhog shouted
“For once we both agree
Six more weeks of winter weather
Six more weeks of sleep for me.”

Games

 

Guess the shadow

We taped paper on a wall and had the children take turns standing in front of a flashlight, while we traced each child’s shadow on separate papers. The children loved guessing who was who when we displayed the final results. 

 

Groundhog Tunnel Game…

Have the children line up in a row. (If there are a lot of children, have them line up in two rows.) To form a tunnel, have them stand close together with their legs apart. Let the last person in the row be the groundhog. Have the first groundhog through the tunnel on his or her stomach. When the groundhog reaches the end of the tunnel, have him or her stand up and become a part of the tunnel while a new groundhog starts wiggling through.

 

Groundhog in a box

My kids loved pretending to be groundhogs as they took turns popping out of a medium sized cardboard box.

 

 

( click on pic to enlarge )

 

 

 

 

I am always in search of unique crafts for my daycare kids to make for their parents, especially around Christmas time! This craft has been one my favorites.

 

I first saw this craft as a Christmas Ornament, but I decided to use a salad plate (from the dollar store) rather than a ball. You could also use a canvas. I used acrylic paint, and sprayed a sealer over top when the paint was dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this craft, Feel free to share your Christmas craft ideas.

Let them eat snow!! NOT!!!

I don’t know about your kids, but my kids LOVE to eat snow.

I try my best to discourage the little snow eaters, but nothing was working.

So I decided to do a little science experiment. We used clear plastic disposable cups,

I asked the children to fill the cup with the cleanest snow they could find, and fill it with as much snow as they could fit in the cup.  The kids loved this and all were convinced their snow was the cleanest.

We then took the cups inside to melt.

After all the snow was melted, we charted

Who had the most water in the cup, which had the cleanest, which had the dirtiest?

The kids were shocked and disgusted to find out how dirty their snow actually was.

This has stopped most of my snow eaters, but you can’t win them all (LOL)