Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Everyday Math Play!

2012-02-26T23:52:00.000-08:00

Deborah from Teach Preschool wrote a wonderful post on her website called Everyday Math In Preschool. It got me to thinking about how we incorporate math into our day in a variety of ways.

SORTING
These are the obvious sorting activities, but there are so many others that just seem to happen naturally throughout our morning. Putting things away in proper bins, sorting what goes into the trash and what goes back into the bag at snack time, sorting the colored markers when putting them away.

COOKING AND MEASURING

So much math is being learned while we do even the simplest cooking activities! How many? What shape? How full? How much?

LARGE MOTOR GAMES

Yes, even in the gym and outdoors we are counting and identifying! Hopscotch, tossing beanbags until the bucket is full, counting how many spins a child takes on the spinner, counting while rocking on the rocky boat, assembling the large waffle blocks....

ART PROJECTS

SIZE AND MEASUREMENT

One of my favorite moments last year was when my boy-heavy 3's class connected pieces that almost reached across the classroom. They used rulers to figure out how long it was, and then they got down on their backs so we could see how many children were as long as the pieces. What a wonderful learning moment!

SHAPES

We learn about and draw shapes in many ways. In our journals with stickers, puzzles, overhead projector, cookie cutters at the play dough table, etc. While we do have a "shape of the month", I feel the same about it as I do "letter of the week". Why devote one specific time for each one? We are exposed to all of them each day!

COUNTING

We count all morning long, in so many ways. But here are some activities we have done recently:

We also read many books that help with counting and sorting, as well as fingerplays and songs!

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Pipettes and Coffee Filters

2012-02-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

I love using coffee filters for so many activities, especially with pipettes. Usually I first have them put the paint on the coffee filters and work with them after they are dry. This time I decided to staple the coffee filters to black paper ahead of time.

I stapled them loosely so they would be a bit wrinkled and puffy. I wanted a textured effect.

Some of the preschoolers first drew on the black paper around the coffee filter with white crayons. I love to use different mediums in one activity!

We mostly used watercolors, but I also thinned some shimmer paint to highlight the textures.

Some of these might take awhile to dry, so it's a good thing they have the weekend for that!

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Exploring Textures: Shaving Cream with the 2's

2012-02-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

Today we squirted shaving cream and a bit of green liquid watercolors directly on the table with the 2's class.

At first we just used brayers. They loved how the rollers slipped across the cream! "I'm making roads!"

Then, I decided to add some other utensils. That caught the attention of a couple of my guys who normally don't care to get their hands messy.

One little boy in particular was fascinated with the springy wire whisk.

He spent a great deal of time pushing the whisk onto the table, through the shaving cream, and then allowing it to spring off the table. Over and over again, he'd carefully watch how this utensil would push and pull. Others dragged combs and plastic paint scrapers through the shaving cream, delighted with the tracks they were making.

And we got a nice clean table out of it, too! :-)

Cooking With 3's: Spiders and Cream Cheese Grahams

2012-02-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

This time of year I like to add more cooking to our week. Thank goodness for parent volunteers - they are such a huge help with this! The first step we work on is learning to spread soft foods. I got this recipe for "spiders" from a great website called Kids' Cooking Activities. I highly encourage everyone with children to check this out!

After spreading cream cheese on crackers, the 3's counted out 3 pretzel sticks and broke them in half to make 6 spider legs.

Then the legs were placed on either side of the cracker. (Well, some of the spiders had six legs that were more on one side than the other.)

They then topped it with another cracker, added a bit more cream cheese, and then 2 chocolate chips for the eyes. (The recipe calls for raisins, but I forgot to purchase them before class and we happened to have some chocolate chips in the refrigerator.)

(Note: the only reason the cream cheese is tinted pink is because it was leftover from a previous activity.)

Today we continued working on our spreading skills by making cream cheese graham cracker squares. I found the recipe at parenting.com.

Each preschooler put one graham cracker square on his plate.

In a small cup, they mixed together a spoonful of softened cream cheese and a spoonful of strawberry jam.

They worked on their mixing skills by stirring the 2 ingredients until well blended.

The cream cheese mixture was then spread on the graham cracker square. Yum!

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Making Prints Using Brayers

2012-02-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite fine motor activities is rolling paint using brayers. Both the 2's and the 3's love using them either on a flat or a vertical surface.

Today we used them with the 2's on a flat surface. We set up a large tray with paint and brayers and the preschoolers rolled the brayers across plexi glass (for a nice slick surface).

And yes, some experimented with trying to roll it upside down but realize they didn't move as well.

What I really love about this activity is that it uses the entire arm, from the shoulders down to the fingers.

Really, the 2's would've been happy to just do this. Over and over again.

But we took it one step further and made prints so they could take it home.

And they did love seeing what appeared on the paper when we lifted it off the painted plexi-glass.

And even though it's definitely process art, the results are fun, too.

Spin Art

2012-02-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to do this, but for some reason hesitated. Not sure why! So, when my colleagues tried spin art in their after-school program, I was intrigued and had to stick around and watch. Then, on Friday, I got to try it in my classroom. Oh wow! So much fun!

On Monday they used heart-shaped paper and on Friday I cut circles to fit the bottom of the salad spinner.

The preschoolers squeezed the paint onto their paper that was in the salad spinner.

They put on the top, pushed the knob, and we watched the paint splatter on the insides. It's really such a mess-free activity because everything is contained.

The squeals of delight when the top was opened was precious!

Warning: It's addicting! I really think one child could've had fun with this for quite awhile, but we had to share. (We had two salad spinners going, by the way.)

It was a great lesson on color mixing. The preschoolers noticed how red and blue made purple, or how blue and yellow made green.

And really, you could do this for any holiday as well. Hmmm.....shamrocks soon?

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2012 Bammy Awards Nominee! I'm so excited!

2012-02-15T21:57:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to open my inbox tonight and discover that Deborah J. Stewart (otherwise known as the wonderful Teach Preschool) nominated me for the 2012 Bammy Awards in the category "Education Commentator/Blogger". Many, many thanks, Deborah!

This is all very new to me, and I have a real hard time asking anyone for votes. I devote time to my blog each day out of passion for teaching children and helping other educators/parents/caregivers. But if you'd like to vote for me, that would be appreciated!

Thank you, all my wonderful blogging friends. I love this community!

Our Post Office with the 2's

2012-02-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

Today we opened our new preschool post office up for the 2's class. The boxes were a huge hit! They were the perfect size for stacking and carrying around.

Junk mail got stored in little cubbies all over the room.

It cost five dollars to send a box. The box got stamped and "stickered" and sent on its way.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon!

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(Because this activity cost me nothing! Everything was recycled from our preschool families!)

Our Post Office

2012-02-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

Today we opened our preschool post office!

I sent a letter home last week asking for donations and here is what we got:

envelopes of all sizes
Priority Mail boxes
cards with envelopes
junk mail
stamps
stickers
post cards

They loved putting the envelopes in the mail box and carting the big boxes around in a cart.

At the adjacent writing table, I printed out these envelope and stamp templates. It tied in nicely with passing out our Valentine cards today.

I'm in no hurry to put this away. I set it up in an area where we can keep it out as long as we want, until I see they are ready to move on. The 2's will enjoy some of this tomorrow as well!

For more post office activities, see my Pinterest Post Office Board.

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(Because this activity didn't cost me anything! Everything was recycled from our preschool families!)

Foil Hearts

2012-02-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

Not sure what it is with me and foil lately, but I love it! I got inspired by Happy Hooligans Tin-Foil Tissue Hearts. However, if you compare ours to hers....well, hers are much neater. Oh well! These are 3 year olds and they had their own ways of making them look beautiful.

I cut hearts out of thin cardboard and covered the fronts with foil. I should have trimmed a bit more carefully.

The 3's glued shiny pieces to the foil along with some bits of paper.

I covered the back with construction paper and made sure there was a hole to string ribbon through.

I then covered most of them with Hodge Podge, and then when that was dry I applied spray starch to seal all those little gems and glitter.

What I loved most was how they cherished these hearts. They walked around carrying them for quite awhile, and made sure to show their parent first thing during pick-up time.

Painting on Foil

2012-02-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

I tried something new with the 2's today. I stapled foil to construction paper and provided tempera paint with lots of soap added, and long-handled cotton swabs. (They were donated, so I haven't researched where these can be purchased.)

At first they gracefully glided the cotton swab across the foil, enjoying how smoothly they moved.

For some, this is as far as it got.

For others, the fingers started touching the paint...

...and the jars got "tipped" over.

Entire hands got involved, feeling the paint, moving the paint, going beyond the boundaries of the paper.

Oh my!

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Marbleized Hearts

2012-02-08T17:33:00.000-08:00

Water. Oil. Food Coloring. Paper.

If you have those 4 ingredients, you too can make marbleized hearts!

I poured some cooking oil into a baby food jar and added some red food coloring and had the 3's stir it around with the pipette until it was pretty well mixed.

I filled large baking trays with water so it barely covered the top of the paper. The 3's placed their heart-shaped paper into the water and poked on it with some tongs until it was covered with water.

Then, they dropped the red tinted oil on top of the heart, watching it move around their hearts.

I didn't change the water in between, so it got pretty red by the time the 15th student had a turn, but it still worked great!

For some, it was a wonderful sensory activity as they placed their hands in the oil and water.

When you pull the hearts out of the water, you get this beautiful marble effect.

Thank you to Juggling with Kids for the inspiration!

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Balloon Painting

2012-02-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

In all my years of teaching, I've never tried balloon painting. I didn't even think about it until I came across Andrea's post over at Jada Roo Can Do.

I kept the balloons pretty small so they would be easier to handle.

And, because it's Valentines season, I used magenta and red. But I can see how using all the primary colors would be great, too. (Next time!)

As the balloons got more covered in paint, the 2's enjoyed fingerpainting on the balloon's surface. An added benefit I hadn't thought of!

A great sensory experience!

Fold-Over Hearts with the 2 Year Olds

2012-02-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

One of my favorites - the classic fold-over.

I offered a few different bright colors and heart-shaped paper for Valentines Day.

I keep it pretty simple with the 2's - they can paint anywhere on the paper.

We then fold it in half and press on the clean side.

Here's the part they really love. Open it up and...

Surprise!

Bright happy Valentine hearts!

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Drip Painting

2012-02-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Today the 3's experimented using pipettes on a vertical surface. I saw this post over at Child Central Station, where they used the back of a chair.

I decided to make this be a table activity, so that 6 children could do it at a time if desired. I used plexi-glass page holders and clothespins.

I thinned tempera paint with water so it was a good consistency for dripping.

I loved when they discovered they were making a new color when 2 colors merged!

And they giggled when the pipette created bubbles on the paper.

A couple of the children put down the pipette and started blending the paint with their fingers.

Beautiful!

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Fire Truck Snack

2012-02-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

While looking through images on the internet last week, I came across a fire truck snack that I knew would be perfect for this week, since we had a firefighter visit our school.

I like to get the preschoolers as involved as possible, so I sent a note home asking them to look for certain shaped food to make their fire truck (I e-mailed home the image I had found on the internet). They brought their treasures to school in a zip lock bag, all excited to share what they found!

They removed their goodies from their bags and arranged them on this sheet of paper. I didn't realize just how special this would be for them until I watched how carefully they arranged their pieces. They really took time to decide which piece went where. I think some enjoyed this part more than the actual assembly!

They frosted their rectangle (truck body) with red tinted icing.

And began to assemble their fire trucks.

Since they all brought their own food, no two looked alike. I love that!

I will definitely do more activities like this!

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Adding on to the Sensory Table

2012-02-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

I can put out all the cutesy sensory tables I want, but nothing excites my 2's and 3's more than just being able to get their hands in there, scooping and pouring and transferring.

Tom Sensori's blog, Sand and Water Tables, is a go-to every time I want inspiration!

I had this cute Valentines sensory table all set up, stared at it, and knew my 2's and 3's would want more. So, that's when I got out the cardboard and the duct tape and thought about what I could use as funnels. I searched our storage room and decided some pieces to our marble works might work.

I cut a milk jug in half and used the top as a funnel and the bottom as a bowl where the macaroni could fall.

I attached paper towel tubes and added scoops of various sizes.

They loved it, just as I knew they would. Today, I'm bringing my craft knife so I can add a few more holes. The scissors just weren't strong enough.

Have cardboard? Duct tape? Give it a try!

Here's a link to another fun sensory activity we did during summer camp, using several boxes.

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Painting With Clothespins and Natural Sponges

2012-01-31T21:59:00.000-08:00

If you follow my blog, you know how I am always looking for ways to work those fine motor muscles. When I saw this activity using clothespins and natural sponges over at Vanessa's Values, I knew I wanted to try it with my 2's class.

I cut natural sea sponges into smaller pieces and clipped them to clothespins.

I set out trays of paint and heart-shaped construction paper.

I loved how the colors blended!

I've washed and dried the sponges so they can be used again for another project. I think I will try this at the easel, too!

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This activity was inspired by

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Peppermint Play Dough

2012-01-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

What's on our play dough table this week? Peppermint play dough! I was inspired by Jill over at A Mom With a Lesson Plan.

I used the basic play dough recipe and added some peppermint extract and enough red food coloring to make a nice pink.

And then I added some glitter and sequins.

I don't know about you all, but both my 2's and 3's love LOTS of play dough. MOUNDS of it. The more the better to dig and poke and squish. So, I put out last week's white play dough so they could mix it with the peppermint play dough.

Play dough LOVE!

I set out a tray of heart cookie cutters and some heart tins saved over the years.

Today the 2's will be introduced to it and I know they will love it just as much, if not more.

For more play dough ideas, check out my play dough Pinterest board!

Corn Syrup Painting

2012-01-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today we painted with corn syrup and water colors.

I put a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup into a jar and added some liquid watercolors.

I had the preschoolers stir the mixture because the paint had separated from the syrup. They noticed how thick the mixture was as they stirred with their paint brushes. I added a bit of water to thin it up a bit.

Some of them first drew on their paper with a Sharpie before painting.

And yes, it was sticky. Quite a sensory activity!

Sticky on the hands for sure, but easily removed with warm water.

I loved how the colors mixed. I was skeptical when I was told these would not be sticky when dry, but they really weren't! As long as the paint isn't too thick (which is why I chose smaller paintbrushes), it dries clean and shiny.

I cannot wait to display these on our walls. I think they will look so vibrant. And not one looks like the other. Love that!

Pajama Day with the 3's!

2012-01-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of every January we have pajama day with the 3's and pre-K 4's classes. What I love most is when the preschoolers arrive and are so excited to not only see their classmates in PJs, but also their teachers!

Out comes my family's waffle baker (that hasn't been used since the LAST pajama day - I need to fix that!)

Cups with the names written on them, set out in alphabetical order, makes it much easier with a big class of 17. I wish we had more time, but we don't. So, being prepared is important.

I call the children to the table in groups of 3-4 at a time. They mix the batter in their cups and I pour it onto the waffle baker.

And we wait. That's the hardest part!

Ah, but so worth it when they are ready to eat! This is the first year every child wanted syrup.

The preschoolers brought their favorite stuffed animal or other "lovie".

And we go about our morning as usual, except in our jammies.

"I wish every day was jammie day!" I heard that from a few of the children today. I have to admit, I agree. Although I kept wanting to curl up and take a nap, the way it was so dark and rainy outside.

You can read about our past Pajama Days here:

Pajama Day 2011

Pajama Day 2010

Golf Ball Painting with 2's

2012-01-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

Last week the 3's class painted with golf balls. This week we decided to try it with the 2's.

We used a cardboard box instead of the larger Rubbermaid tote, so it would be easier for them to reach in and retrieve the golf balls and paper.

Drop the painted golf balls into the box. (I love their concentration at this time!)

Then start moving the box around to make those golf balls roll!

Such fun process art!

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Crayon Resist Painting

2012-01-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

Crayon Resist is nothing new, but I absolutely love it, especially when vibrant colors are used.

The preschoolers first drew on their papers. I prefer scrapbooking cardstock.

And then they place their paper on a tray and brush watercolors over it. When using watercolor trays, I prefer Prang. They don't crack easily when drying out like their competitors. They seem to last a lot longer. I was lucky to pick them up for 99 cents during back-to-school.

I also like to use clear containers for the water (baby food jars work well) so they can see the color change as they rinse their brushes.

I'd love to frame these for the walls in my house!

I'm linking up with:

(Because if you have watercolors, crayons and paper, you can do this. Thrifty!)

Colored Pasta

2012-01-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

I spent some time this afternoon coloring pasta for February. It's perfect when you have a box or bag of pasta that isn't enough for dinner, but enough for something at preschool. Or, go ahead and color an entire bag!

{Then, set it on your kitchen table to dry and fool your entire family into thinking it's red licorice pieces, until they look closer.}

There are directions on how to color pasta and rice all over the internet, but I'll go ahead and share while you are here. In case you don't know. And if you do, you can skip this part.

Place the pasta or rice in a gallon-sized Zip Lock bag, add desired amount of food coloring and a little bit of rubbing alcohol. You do NOT need that much! Seal the bag and toss it around until everything is coated. I like to let it sit in the bag awhile to really absorb the color.

{That's some real fine pasta, by the way, that I bought awhile back for my family but never knew what to do with it. I think it will be great glued on collages, hearts, etc.)

Pour the colored pasta on a sheet lined with paper towels and let dry. I love the red in these shells!

Here are a few things in the past we've done with colored pasta:

Sorting by color.

Christmas Necklaces

Counting

Lacing

I decided to search the 'net to see some other fun websites that have used colored pasta and rice. I pinned them on my Pinterest Boards. Take a look!

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds Colored Pasta and Rice on Pinterest

Source: mynameissnickerdoodle.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Source: onehookwonder.typepad.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Source: onehookwonder.typepad.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinteres

Source: littlebusybodies.blogspot.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Source: educationalcreativity.blogspot.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Preschool Collages

2012-01-21T15:18:00.000-08:00

I love collages with both my 2's and 3's.

Place a fresh sheet of paper across a table and provide whatever materials you want.

I love how they bring the children together. I hear the most wonderful conversations. I see them pass materials to each other. Teamwork!

I often hear teachers ask for ideas for helping children get to know each other. This is one of my favorite ways.

They respect each others' space, yet will also cross over that line when feeling comfortable to merge ideas.

What's best is how independent this activity is. Pure process art! No two murals could ever look alike. They take on the personality of those who participate. Preschoolers can stay as long as they want, or walk away and return later.

A great community project!