Resources
Preschool Assessments
can be used to assess children newly enrolled in your program, to check
their progress, to learn what the children may need additional help
learning, and to celebrate what they have learned thus far!
CONNECT THE DOT WORKSHEETS
Educational dot-to-dot printables made by very talented 9 year old
Hannah! She made a website filled with free animal dot-to-dot
printables. There are easy and challenging dot-to-dots, some are for
skip-counting by 2s or by 5s, and some even for Roman Numerals.
Check it out:
http://www.animaldottodots.com
and
The easy dot-to-dots are on this page:
http://www.animaldottodots.com/easy.php
Preschool Art Recipes for Hands-On Fun and Learning
Add these mixtures to sensory tubs, plastic bins, or over tables covered with a plastic tablecloth for easy clean-up.
New textures, smells, and materials are important for children to stay interested, improve fine motor skills, enhance sensorial skills, and expand their use of art materials to "think outside the box" (as in the Crayola box of crayons as the only means of art materials!).
Paper and crayons are amazing, but there is so much more to discover!
BAKER'S CLAY RECIPE
Materials:
4 cups unsifted flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cup water
Paint and shellac if desired
Preparation:
Combine in a bowl and mix well with hands. Knead 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake creations for one hour or more. Cool. Paint. Shellac if desired.
Materials:
1/4 cup liquid detergent (Blue Dawn works best)
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 T glycerin (in drug store)
Preparation:
Mix and play!
ANOTHER RECIPE FOR BUBBLES
Materials:
3/4 cup liquid soap (Blue Dawn works best)
1/4 cup sugar
2 quarts tap water
Preparation:
Mix and play!
CHALK PAINT
Materials:
Colored chalk
White glue
Liquid starch
Preparation:
Dip colored chalk into a mixture of 3 parts white glue and 1 part liquid starch. Looks great on dark paper!
CINNAMON DOUGH RECIPE
Materials:
1 large bottle of 4.12 ounce ground cinnamon (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup applesauce
Preparation:
Combine cinnamon and applesauce to for a stiff dough. Add more applesauce if necessary. Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters. Place on wire rack to dry thoroughly. Turn occasionally. It will take several days to air dry.
CLAY
Materials:
Salt flour
Warm water
Preparation:
Mix equal parts of flour and salt. Add warm water until it is the consistency of clay. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on sheet in over and bake at 200 degrees until firm. You can also dry at room temperature until firm. Paint and decorate.
CLEAN MUD RECIPE
Materials:
1 roll toilet paper
3 large bars of Ivory mild soap grated (must be Ivory)
Warm water
Preparation:
Unroll and tear up the toilet paper in a large bowl. Add the grated soap and water. Mix with your hands until well blended. It should look like mashed potatoes. Store in a sealed plastic container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Dispose in the trash not down the drain.
COFFEE SAND RECIPE
Materials:
4 cups dried, used coffee grounds (can dry faster in oven on cookie sheets)(Starbucks has "Grounds for your Garden that you can pick up for free at most locations)
2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cups salt
1 cup flour
Preparation:
Mix and use.
COLORED RICE AND COLORED MACARONI RECIPES
Materials:
1 cup rubbing alcohol
Several drops of food coloring
Preparation:
Mix together the alcohol and food coloring. Add macaroni or rice. Remove it from the solution when you get the desired shade. Dry on waxed paper.
CORNSTARCH FINGER PAINT RECIPE
Materials:
1/2 cup cornstarch
Water
Preparation:
Dissolve the cornstarch in the boiling water and stir. Let the mixture come to a boil once more. Cooling will thicken the paint.
FINGER PAINT RECIPE
Materials:
Liquid laundry starch
Liquid or powdered paint
Soap flakes if needed
Preparation:
Combine and thicken with soap flakes if needed.
FLUFFY PAINT RECIPE
Materials:
2/3 cup soap flakes
1/3 cup water
Food coloring
Preparation:
Whip until it is fluffy. Paint.
GLUE SHAVING CREAM RECIPE
Materials:
2 cups glue
Shaving cream
Liquid water color
Preparation:
Pour 2 cups of glue in a large container. Add shaving cream and mix. Color if desired. It is fun to finger paint with this too.
KOOL-AID PLAYDOUGH RECIPE
Materials:
2 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 tsp alum3 tsp oil
2 packets of unsweetened Kool-aid
Preparation:
Mix together. Cool and knead. Store in covered plastic bowl.
MUD DOUGH RECIPE
Materials:
2 cups sand
2 cups mud
1/2 cup salt
Preparation:
Mix and add enough water to make pliable
OOBLICK RECIPE
Materials:
Cornstarch
Water
Preparation:
Mix together equal parts of cornstarch and water.
PAPER DOUGH RECIPE
Materials:
2 cups salt
2 cups flour
2 cups Kleenex
1 tsp of oil of cloves
Preparation:
Mix together.
PASTE RECIPE
Materials:
Flour
Water
Preparation:
Mix flour and water to make a smooth, thick paste.
PLAY DOUGH RECIPE
Materials:
3 cups flour
1 1/4 cups salt
3 tsp cream of tartar (spice section of grocery store)
3 T oil
3 cups water
Food coloring/extract
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in large pan. Heat and stir for about 4 minutes or more until soft and pliable. Make sure you mix it thoroughly. Keep in sealed baggies or tupperware containers.
SAMPLE PRESCHOOL SCHEDULE with EXTENDED
CHILDCARE OPTION
7:00
Welcome, breakfast, free play.
9:00 Circle Time (welcome song, calendar, counting, letters, shapes, colors, story, sharing, learn new song/rhyme, etc…)
9:30 Music & Movement. Interactive songs like Ants go Marching or Hokey Pokey, free-style dance to Music CD, dance/hop like animals. Stretching and tumbling on nap mats.
9:45 Snack/potty/clean-up.
10:00 Table time. Age appropriate paperwork (learn to write their names, patterns, scissor skills, math, journal, etc.).
10:15 Craft.
10:30 Outdoor play/neighborhood walk/park day. Trikes, slides, bubbles, playhouse, sidewalk chalk, etc. Create natural playscapes which allow children to interact with bugs, plants, water, trees and nature.
11:30 Centers: blocks, puzzles, dramatic play, kitchen area, tool bench, sensory table.
12:00 Clean up & wash up, Lunch. Children participate in food prep, hand washing, setting table, serving and cleaning. Family style meals are a great way to expose children to social skills, math, and language skills.
12:30 Story & nap time.
3:00 Snack/potty/clean-up.
3:15 Outdoor play. Group play like gymnastics/parachutes/races/tag/jumprope/hopscotch, hide & seek.
4:00 Inside wind-down. Children play with materials in activity areas while teacher uses time to focus on one-to-one activities with each child or pairs in organized games like Candy Land/Hi-Ho Cheerio. Floor puzzles, free-style art with provided materials. Free-play.
