Activities in Kindergarten

Home , I Changed My Mind

*Please have your child write his or her name on the sentence line.

Self Portrait

Directions: Draw a picture of yourself. You may include your family or other things you like.

All About Me!

Directions: Have someone help you write your answers then draw a picture in the space provided.

1. My favorite book is:

______

2. My favorite food is:

______

3. My favorite sport or game is:

______

4. This year, I am excited to learn more about:

______

5. Some of the chores, jobs or responsibilities I have at home are:

______

Mathematics Activities in the Kindergarten Classroom

Title of Activity: I Changed My Mind

Materials:

• Counters- cubes, beans, or collection

• Organizers- egg carton, six-pack plastic ring

Purpose:

• To practice counting objects • To provide opportunities to see relationships between numbers

Task Level 1 Counting

Call out numbers you want the child to build on their organizer. For example, say: “Show me four”

*The child places four counters in the organizer.

Say: “Oh! I changed my mind. I want six.”

*The child places six counters in the organizer.

Say: “I changed my mind again! Now I want five.” And so on.

Please note: Do not have the child arrange their counters in any particular way on the organizer. You want them to see the same number arranged in a variety of ways. For example:

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Deepening the Understanding

You and your child organize a number together (your arrangement is like figure 3 and say: “Let’s look at my organizer. Did I put the counters in the same way as you or a different way?”

Task Level 2 Counting and Number Recognition

Help your child learn numbers and associate them with the amounts they represent. Instead of calling out the numbers that you want the child to build on the organizer, write the numbers as you say them. Sometimes, write the number without saying it and ask your child to read the number.

Say: “What do you think this number is? Can you show me?”

Science Activities in the Kindergarten Classroom

Title of Activity: How to make colored flowers Materials: • Fresh white flowers (daisies or carnations) • Food coloring • Warm water Directions: • Trim the stems of your flowers so they are not excessively long. • Make a slanted cut at the base of the stem under water. The cut is slanted so that the stem will not sit flat on the bottom of the container. A flat cut can prevent the flower from taking in water. Make the cut underwater to prevent air bubbles from forming in the tiny tubes at the base of the stem, which would prevent water/color from being drawn up. • Add 20 to 30 drops of food coloring to every half cup of warm water. • Set the damp stem of the flower in the colored water. The petals should become colored within 24 hours. • You may transfer the flowers to plain water once the petals have turned a color.

What do you think will happen to the What changes did you notice in the petals and why? petals overnight? Why do you think that happened?

Title of Activity: Popcorn Science with all Five Senses

Materials:

• Popcorn • Pencil/Crayons

Directions: • Stick the popcorn in the microwave and ask your child what he/she sees, hears, and smells as the popcorn pops. When the popcorn is done cooking ask your child how the popcorn feels and tastes. • You may write down his/her responses, or ask your child to draw a picture in the space provided.

I smell…

I taste…

I hear…

I see…

I feel…

*This activity can be completed with any food experience.

Health and Physical Education in the Kindergarten Classroom

Below you will find a summary of the Physical Education Standards of learning for Kindergarten. While assisting the development of more complex movement patterns, our Elementary HPE teachers also introduce basic anatomy, safety, social development, and nutrition. To develop the necessary movement skills and patterns to promote physical development, the why and the how are included. Review and exposure to the suggestions and activities below will help your child begin to explore all the different ways our bodies can move safely, and the things we can do to keep us healthy.

Kindergarten

Participating in a variety of movement experiences to develop fundamental movement patterns is the primary focus of the kindergarten physical education curriculum. While children at this level vary in maturity across all movement skills, they should demonstrate continuous improvement in movement under very simple conditions. While developing fundamental skill patterns, students begin to learn key movement concepts that help them perform in a variety of educational games, dances, and gymnastics. They learn how their bodies react to vigorous physical activity. Students learn to use safe practices, cooperate with and respect others, and follow classroom rules. Experiences in physical education help them develop a positive attitude for leading a healthy, active lifestyle.

Motor Skill Development

The student will demonstrate progress toward the mature form of selected locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills to understand the various ways the body can move.

Examples

• Walking, running, hopping, galloping, jumping • Bending, pushing, pulling, turning, balancing on one foot • Tossing, throwing to targets, bouncing, catching, kicking a stationary ball, rolling a ball to a target, striking a stationary object with a paddle

• Moving to a beat, demonstrating rhythm • Varying speed of movement, • Jumping over a stationary rope and a self-turn single jump over a jump rope

Anatomical Basis of Movement

The student will identify basic structures of the body and basic spatial awareness concepts.

• Explain that the body has muscles and bones that help the body move. • Identify that the heart as a special muscle that helps the body move. • Explain that moving faster makes the heart beat faster. • Demonstrate the concept of personal space.

Fitness Planning

The student will identify basic fitness concepts.

• Explain that physical activity helps the body grow. • Identify activities that can be done at home to keep the body healthy. • Identify physical activities that are done with family and with friends for fun.

Social Development

The student will use appropriate behaviors and safe practices in physical activity settings.

• Demonstrate cooperative and safe play. • Demonstrate general and personal space. • Identify three classroom (procedural) rules.

Energy Balance

The student will identify basic concepts of energy balance.

• Explain that food provides energy for movement. • Identify one fruit and one vegetable. • Explain that fruits and vegetables help the body keep moving.

Social Studies Activities in the Kindergarten Classroom

Title of Activity- The Pledge of Allegiance

Directions- Write the correct word in the box to complete The Pledge of Allegiance. Practice saying it together. It is not expected that your child can read the pledge.

I pledge allegiance the flag of United

States of America, and to the republic, which it stands,

nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty

justice for all.

for to and the one

Create and Color your own flag

Literacy Activities in the Kindergarten Classroom

Title of Activity: Rhyme Connection

Directions: Cut out the cards below. Make sure your child understands the name of each picture (see names below). Then have your child match each picture on the left with its rhyme to make a pair.

Cards: clock, tree, car, bat, bee, star, frog, sock, hat, dog

Title of Activity: Alphabet Tiles Name Sort

Directions: Write your child’s name in all capital letters at the top of the chart. Have your child cut out each of the letters found on the next page. Selecting one letter at a time, have your child name the letter and then place it on the correct side of the chart. Continue until all the letter cards are sorted.

My Name:

Letters in My Name Letters Not in My Name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Title of Activity: Sound Train

Directions: Cut out the cards below. Make sure your child understands the name of each picture (see names below). Have your child create two different trains based on the beginning sound of each picture (/t/ or /m/). Your child should pick up each card, say the name of the picture, and then say the beginning sound that they hear. They will then create a train by matching all the pictures that begin with the same sound.

Cards: turtle, monkey, toothbrush, mitten, tree, moon, train, mouse, toothpaste, mailbox, motorcycle, table

Art Activities in the Kindergarten Classroom

Title of Activity: Hand Strengthening and Improved Scissor Skills

Directions: First, roll out the play dough into a “snake”… this is perfect fine motor strengthening activity for little hands. You then use the blades of the scissors to press lines into the “snake”. The nice wide and short lines in the play dough snake are great for practicing line awareness and the open/shut motion of the scissors when cutting. Plus, the slight resistance of the play doug really provides feedback to the child.

Title of Activity: Tracing Patterns

Directions: Trace each pattern with your pencil. Cut along the lines.

Music Activities in the Kindergarten Classroom

Title of Activity: How to Make a Harmonica

Materials: 2 popsicle sticks (large works the best), 3 rubber bands (1 wide one and 2 thin ones), 2 strips of paper (about ¾” x 3”), and tape.

Directions: Place the 2 popsicle sticks together. Wrap that paper completely around each end of the stick. Tape the paper into position. (The tape cannot touch the popsicle sticks) Slide out 1 popsicle stick, leaving the paper and other popsicle stick in place. Place the wide rubber band lengthwise across the one popsicle and paper strips. Place both popsicle sticks together. Put a thin rubber band around each end. Enjoy!

Title of Activity: How to Make Maracas

Materials: plastic easter eggs, popcorn kernels (you may also use rice, beans, or lentils for different shaking sounds), colorful tape, plastic spoons, and markers

Directions: Fill plastic eggs with popcorn, and then tape plastic spoons to each side of the plastic egg. Make sure to tape the spoon ends together.

Title of Activity: Making music with water

Materials: 5 or more drinking glasses, water, and pencil

Directions: Line the glasses up next to each other and fill them with different amounts of water. The first should have just a little water while the last should almost be full, the ones in between should have slightly more than the last. Hit the glass with the most water, which makes the higher sound? Hit the other glasses and see what noise they make, see if you can get a tune going by hitting the glassess in a certain order.