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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

It's All About Snow!!! Preschool Lesson Plans - ART

Big, fluffy snowflakes are just so beautiful.  Not that I'm a huge fan of the cold, but I do enjoy watching them fall from the sky every once in a while.  With the cold weather season in full motion it's a great time to do a snow theme.  Come along and investigate snow with me.

Art

Cotton Snowman
Cotton Snowmen
Let your child use cotton balls to glue on blue paper to create a snowman!! If your child is older that three, you can glue beads on for the eyes, nose, mouth and buttons!

Paper Snowflakes 
Help your child make paper snowflakes. Hang them from the ceiling, and from the tree. Last year I got butcher paper, and I made 3 foot snowflakes, with my son, for my front window, and my parents. They loved them.

Fingerprint Snowmen 
Show the children how to make fingerprints on a piece of paper. Then, have them try to make a few snow men. With a big fingerprint on the bottom, medium in the middle and small on the top. Have the children add features with a pencil.

Paper Plate Snowman
Paper Plate Snowman
Each child will need a paper plate, a Popsicle stick, scrap paper, glue and scissors. Have the child cut out scrap pieces of paper to create a mouth and nose, glue pieces onto the plate. Cut out two circles for the eyes, and add a Popsicle stick to create a mask.

Winter Clothes 
Supply the children with stencils of winter clothes and boy and girl shapes, and lots of different papers, or wall paper. Have the children trace the stencils and cut them out. Have them glue the winter clothes onto the boy/girl shape.

Snow Salt Art 
Saturate hot water with salt. Let the water cool, and have the child use the salt water to paint on black paper. Then after it dries, have the child look at the crystals of salt on the paper.

Snowflake Rubbing

Snowflake Rubbing
Create different snowflake shapes with either tag board or cardboard. Place the shapes under a piece of white paper and have the child rub over the shape with a blue or purple crayon.

Pine tree Art 
Provide a child with a pine tree branch, paint and a piece of paper and have the child dip the pine tree branch in the paint and use as a paintbrush.
Tin Foil Art

Tin Foil Art
Supply the children with blue paint, paintbrushes and tin foil to create a picture on a different texture.

Torn Paper Snow Pictures 
Supply the children with a full sheet of blue paper and half sheet of white paper. Ask them to make a winter scene by tearing pieces of the white paper and gluing them onto the blue paper. Small amounts of other colored paper may be used.

Shaving Cream Snowman
Shaving Cream Snowman
This project was made by mixing shaving cream with glue. A Popsicle stick was used to spread the mixture onto the paper. Scraps of paper can be used for eyes, nose, mouth, hat, buttons and arms. In the images, white paper was used. I would suggest a different color such as blue, or mixing blue paint or food coloring into the shaving cream mix.

Sponge Printing
Provide the children with winter shaped sponges. Have the children press the sponge into some paint and press onto a piece of paper. For more detailed art, paint the sponge with a paintbrush, then press onto the paper.

Snowman Treasures Collage 
Based on the book "Snowballs". Have the children create a snowman from art scraps.  Your can use construction paper or scrapbook paper scraps.  The children may cut or tear the paper to shape it.  Add ribbons, buttons or other items that you have around.  You can even ask parents to donate materials.

Mittens 
Most advanced:
They may draw their own mitten shape onto a piece of paper and cut it out on their own. Then have them decorate it with markers, crayons, paint, sequins, glitter, ribbons, bows, lace... whatever you can come up with.
Moderate:
You draw the mitten shape onto a piece of paper and the children cut it out on their own. Then have them decorate it.
Simple:
You draw the mitten shape onto a piece of paper and the cut it out for them. Then have them decorate it

Snowman Banner
Snowman Banner 
Make a snowman template with butcher paper. (See picture) Have the children glue cotton balls onto the snowman. Add felt features such as a hat, nose, eyes, scarf.. etc.

This banner can also be made with paint.  The children can apply the paint with paintbrushes, cotton balls, their fingers,  a scrubby or other item.

You could also mix glue with shaving cream and apply that to the snowman shape to create a textured picture.

Snowman Templates
Snowman Templates
Provide the children with a template sheet. Have the children cut out shapes to match the template. Then have the children glue the shapes onto a piece of paper.

The children can decorate their snowman with bits of colored construction paper, crayons, markers or other items.

Coconut Snowman
Coconut Snowman
Place glue on a piece of paper in the shape of a snowman. Have the children add coconut to the paper. Then use raisins for the eyes and buttons.

Painting with snowballs, Cotton Ball Art
Let the children use cotton balls as paintbrushes to create a winter scene.  The children can use the cotton ball with their fingers, or you can attach a clothes pin to the cotton ball to make it easier to manage.  I suggest black or blue paper with white paint.  

Marshmallow Snowman Scene
Marshmallow Snowman Scene
Have the children make a snow scene with white paint. They can use marshmallows to paint with, smaller ones for the snowflakes and larger ones to make a snowman.  The children can add details with orange and black paint.  After dry they can add a piece of construction paper for a scarf.

Fingerprint Snowman Scene
Have the children make a snow scene with white paint. They can use their pinky to make snowflakes and their thumb and fingers to make a snowman.  The children can add details with orange and black paint.  After dry they can add a piece of construction paper for a scarf.  

Snowman Foot
Snowman Foot
Paint a child's foot white. Press the foot onto a piece of blue paper. When dry add eyes, nose and mouth to the head (heel of the foot) and other features using construction paper.

Crayon and Paint Scene
Have the children color a picture on blue paper.  When they are finished, have them paint over the picture with white paint, before the paint dries add silver or white glitter.  The paint will not stick to the crayon so it creates a neat design.
Snow Globe

Snow Globe
Have the children create a snow globe scene. You can precut the shapes for them to glue, or have them cut or tear them themselves.

Toothpick Snowflakes
Have the children paint toothpicks white.  After the paint has dried, they can glue the toothpicks onto a sheet of blue or black paper.

Shower Scrub Snowman
Shower Scrub Snowman
This pictures was created by using a shower scrub as a paint brush. Children dip the scrub into the paint and dab onto the paper. children can create a snowman or snow scene. After the paint dries add features to your picture with construction paper or crayons.

Shaving Cream Art
Put some shaving cream onto the table or on a cookie sheet.  Have the children draw pictures or their names in the shaving cream.  They can pretend the shaving cream is snow.  They can also pile up the shaving cream to make a three dimensional art project.

Parent Pleaser Snowman
Parent Pleaser Snowman
Cut out snowmen shapes and hats from art foam. Have the children glue the hat and draw buttons on the snowman. Insert a picture of the child as a face and attach a magnet onto the back.

Q-tip Snowflake
Place a quarter sized glob of glue on a piece of wax paper.  Have the children place six q tip ends in the glue add glitter to the glue and allow to dry.  After the glue has dried you can remove it from the wax paper and hang in your room.   The children can also paint the q-tips before they glue them.

Toilet Paper
Tub Snowman
Toilet Paper Tube Snowman
Cut out snowmen shapes From white paper. Have the children decorate the shape, then affix to a toilet paper tube. Use a plastic egg carton section for a hat.

Circle Snowmen
Have the children cut out two different sized circles, then they can glue the circles to a piece of paper and decorate as a snowman.

Paper Plate Snowman
Winter Stickers Art
Supply the children with snow or snowman stickers.  Have the children apply the stickers to a piece of paper to create a winter scene.

Paper Plate Snowman
Provide the children with a large and small paper plate and art scraps to create a snowman.

Hand Pyramid
Hands Pyramid
Paint the child's hand white, and place three hand prints on the bottom of the page. Paint the other hand blue and place one hand print at the top. Then have the child mix the paint on their hands and make two light blue hand prints in the middle. (In the demo, red and white were used)

Contact Paper Art
Contact Paper Art
You will need a picture of a snowflake other winter image. A reverse image is needed if the letter or picture can be backwards, such as the letter "E". Place the image on the table and place a piece of contact paper, sticky side up over the image. Supply the children with scraps of construction paper to tissue paper. (Pieces of a plastic lei were used for the photo of this project) Children use the scraps to create the image on the contact paper.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Conversation Hearts - Preschool Lesson Plans

Valentine's Day Ideas using conversation hearts.  Preschool lesson plans

So we all love those little conversations hearts you get for Valentine's Day.  Why not incorporate them into your Valentine's Day lessons, or better yet, devote some time to the love filled candy delights?

Here are some of my ideas:

Art
Glue conversation hearts to a piece of paper.  

Have the children glue the conversation hearts to the paper in a heart shape.  

Have the children cut out a heart shape, and glue the conversation hearts to it. 

Trace a heart shape on a piece of paper.  Have the children glue the conversation hearts along the shape or inside the shape.  

Use hot glue to attach one or more conversation hearts to a wooden block.  After the glue has cooled, have the children use this as a stamp.  They can dip the stamp in paint or on a stamp pad to make heart collages.  

Have the children estimate how many hearts they can grab in one hand.  Trace their hand onto a piece of paper and have them cut it out. Then have the child grab a handful of hearts and count them.  Have the child glue the hearts onto their hand shape, then write the number of hearts they grabbed on their hand.  

Math, Science and Games

Obtain one box of conversation hearts for each child. Check the colors of the hearts and print up the place mat that matches the colors of your hearts.
pink, yellow, white, purple, orange, green
pink, yellow, blue, purple, orange, green
blank
Have the children sort the hearts by color. After the children have sorted the hearts, have them count how many of each color they have. 



Obtain one box of conversation hearts for each child. Check the colors of the hearts and print up the place mat that matches the colors of your hearts.
pink, yellow, white, purple, orange, green
pink, yellow, blue, purple, orange, green
blank
Have the children place one heart in each square. Be sure to show the children how to start at the bottom and work their way up. Have the children count the hearts in each column.
Option 1: The children can glue the hearts in the boxes.
Option 2: Have the children color each box (with crayons, markers, colored pencils, or paint) that contains a heart with the coordinating color.
Option 3: Have the children use a heart shaped stamp to mark each box that contains a heart. Use coordinating ink colors.
Option 4: Have the children glue a paper heart in each square that contains a candy heart. Use coordianting paper colors. You can make the heart shapes with a paper punch.

-Use the graphs to start a conversation about the results. How many pink hearts did you have? Who had the most pink hearts? What color did you have the most of? The least? Does there seem to be more of one color in most of the boxes? 



Print out one Candy Hearts Estimation Placemat for each child. Ask the children to estimate how many candies they can grab with one hand. Write the number in the first blank. Have the child grab a handful of candies and count them. Write the number in the second space. 
Option 1: Have the child glue the candies to the hand shape.
Option 2: Have the children use a heart shaped stamp to represent each candy they were able to hold.
Option 3: Have the children glue one paper heart in the hand shape for each candy they grabbed. You can make the heart shapes with a paper punch. 

Print out one Candy Hearts Estimation Placemat for each child. Ask the children to estimate how many candies they can will be able to fit into the heart shape. Write the number in the first blank. Have the child fill the heart shape with candies and count them. Write the number in the second space.
Option 1: Have the child glue the candies to the heart shape.
Option 2: Have the children use a heart shaped stamp to represent each candy they were able to fit in the heart.
Option 3: Have the children glue one paper heart in the big heart shape for each candy. You can make the heart shapes with a paper punch.

 

Cut out many different sized heart shapes.  Have the children estimate how many conversation hearts will fit on each heart shape.  Record each child's estimate.  Then have the children place the conversation hearts on the heart shape and count how many will fit.  Compare the estimates to the actual results.  

Cut out 6 small heart shapes from a variety of different colors of card stock.  Write the numbers 1 through 6 on the hearts.  Tape each heart to the bottom of a muffin tin space.  Have the children place 1 conversation heart in the "1" space, and two in the "2" and so on.  

Note the colors present in your conversation hearts.  Cut out a small heart shape for each color and tape each  heart to the bottom on a muffin tin hole.  Have the children sort conversation hearts by color.  

Provide the children with a balance and conversation hearts.  Have the children place hearts on both sides of the balance.  Show the children how they can tell which side weighs more.  See if they can balance the balance.  Count the hearts on both sides.  

Place an object from the class on one side of the balance, something light like a small block.  Have the children estimate how many hearts will balance with the block.  Add hearts to the other side until balanced or the heart side is heavier.  Count the hearts.  

Create a pattern with the conversation hearts.  Have the children repeat the pattern or continue the pattern.  Encourage the children to create their own pattern.  

Use the hearts for math manipulatives.  Have the children do simple addition problems , like adding two green hearts and one red heart.

Place conversation hearts in a clear jar.  Have the children estimate how many hearts are in the jar.  To help with their estimate they may count out ten hearts to hold or set out so they have a feeling of what ten looks like.  Record each child's estimate, then count the hearts together.

Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe and have the children use heart shaped cookie cutters to make heart shaped cookies.  Bake as directed, then allow to cool.  Add frosting and conversation hearts to the top of each cookie.